Works fine with my LaCie 4big connected via eSATA. My 4big is configured as a RAID-5, w/4x2TB drives.
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Lacie Thunderbolt eSATA Hub mini review
- Thread starter theSeb
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Works fine with my LaCie 4big connected via eSATA. My 4big is configured as a RAID-5, w/4x2TB drives.
It will work with many RAID products and it's definitely compatible with the following Lacie RAID enclosures (per Lacie themselves):
LaCie d2 Quadra
LaCie Big Disk Quadra
LaCie 2big Quadra
LaCie 4big Quadra
The Lacie hub does not support port multiplier enclosures and I am not aware of any JBOD eSATA enclosures without a port multiplier, so you're out of luck on that one.
Here is additional info from Barefeats:
http://www.barefeats.com/hard153.html
ESATA ENCLOSURES THAT WORK WITH THE LACIE eSATA HUB
We have confirmed these to work:
FirmTek miniSwap/ES
FirmTek SeriTek/2EN2
TransIntl ProStor725
TransIntl ProStor735
NewerTech Guardian MAXimus
NewerTech Guardian MAXimus mini
OWC Mercury Elite Pro mini
CRU-DataPort RTX100-3SJ
CRU-DataPort RTX220-QR
Sonnet Fusion F2
LaCie d2
Some Oxford Semiconductor based quad interface enclosures do not work. Port-multiplier enclosures do not work.
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Thanks, g4cube and theSeb, that helps. theSeb, is "port multiplier" something that's inherent or at least common in JBOD enclosures?
I'm looking into getting this enclosuree, because it has eSATA which hopefully I can at some point use with my 2011 MBP, but until then it has FW 800.
I'm looking into getting this enclosuree, because it has eSATA which hopefully I can at some point use with my 2011 MBP, but until then it has FW 800.
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If you configure as RAID-0, 1, or 5, you should be fine. Awful expensive for what it is, though clever looking.
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Hmm. Just pulled the trigger on one of these as I've been running into severe storage issues that I need solved. I'm really hoping it works how I need it to but am about 50% sure. Here is my setup, if anyone knows either way if anything will work or won't please let me know.
Late 2011 MBP
Non-Apple IPS 24" Monitor using the Thunderbolt to DVI adapter
G-Tech G-Speed eS Raid 10TB (hoping for Raid5 or 1)
If the G-Speed doesn't work I have a
OWC Mercury Elite Pro Qx2 6TB in RAID 5 that I could probably use as well.
Late 2011 MBP
Non-Apple IPS 24" Monitor using the Thunderbolt to DVI adapter
G-Tech G-Speed eS Raid 10TB (hoping for Raid5 or 1)
If the G-Speed doesn't work I have a
OWC Mercury Elite Pro Qx2 6TB in RAID 5 that I could probably use as well.
G-Speed eS RAID probably won't help you out.
From the specs:
Requirements
RAID controller: Mac Pro (Intel processor) or PC with available PCIe x4 slot:
Mac® OSX® 10.5 or higher
Windows® 2000/XP/Vista/7
G-SPEED eS is compatible with third-party port multiplier aware host adapters
Looks like a JBOD chassis using port multipliers, and you only get RAIDed drives with the RAID controller that plugs into a Mac Pro
You need a eSATA drive array that has internal RAID controller like the LaCie 4big quadra.
From the specs:
Requirements
RAID controller: Mac Pro (Intel processor) or PC with available PCIe x4 slot:
Mac® OSX® 10.5 or higher
Windows® 2000/XP/Vista/7
G-SPEED eS is compatible with third-party port multiplier aware host adapters
Looks like a JBOD chassis using port multipliers, and you only get RAIDed drives with the RAID controller that plugs into a Mac Pro
You need a eSATA drive array that has internal RAID controller like the LaCie 4big quadra.
Thanks. The other system I have has an internal RAID so I'm pretty sure that one will work. Just means I need to swap the drives or something as it's too small right now.
I'd love to get one cheaper--do you know of any 4 bay enclosures that do JBOD and have FW800 (and preferably with eSATA like the one I linked to)?
2x SSD for RAID0 - not getting the speed I was expecting
I got the eSATA hub a week ago and yesterday connected it to two 2.5" esata enclosures, put in a Samsung 830 256GB SSD in each and configured it into a 512GB RAID0 using Disk Utility. Cloned the HD over and was able to boot from it, everything looking good.
However when I benchmark it I'm seeing speeds around 200-220 MB/s write, 180-240 MB/s read (tested AJA & Black Magic). Looking at what is possible if you mod a Little Big Disk with the same SSD (see this thread) this a bit disappointing, I was expecting ~400MB/s but I'm seeing speeds well within SATA II limits.
Could the eSATA enclosure be a limiting factor? It's just passing through right?
I got the eSATA hub a week ago and yesterday connected it to two 2.5" esata enclosures, put in a Samsung 830 256GB SSD in each and configured it into a 512GB RAID0 using Disk Utility. Cloned the HD over and was able to boot from it, everything looking good.
However when I benchmark it I'm seeing speeds around 200-220 MB/s write, 180-240 MB/s read (tested AJA & Black Magic). Looking at what is possible if you mod a Little Big Disk with the same SSD (see this thread) this a bit disappointing, I was expecting ~400MB/s but I'm seeing speeds well within SATA II limits.
Could the eSATA enclosure be a limiting factor? It's just passing through right?
somebody correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it because the eSata hub is only supplying speeds at Sata II not Sata III??
It's two times SATA II so in RAID0 it should be able to exceed SATA II speeds. I did some more testing, turns out that when connected as a single disk the 830 only gets around 110 MB/s read and write. I guess my enclosure is only SATA I... I'll be looking for a (dual) eSATA II or III enclosure and give it another go.
I was inspired by this review: http://www.barefeats.com/hard153.html
Doesn't matter. The LaCie TB ESATA has two ESATA II ports. You'll be limited to 300 and won't see the 550.
That's not what the Barefeats review I linked to reported:
He's getting 382 MB/s in RAID0, which is more than you can get over SATA II. It's not SATA III but you can get it to 'bundle' the SATA II. I should get a new enclosure today and will test for myself.
*Face palm* no no no. SATA II is 3Gb/s which is the spec listed at LaCie's website. That means 300mbps. In RAID0 he should see a theroetical 600mbps.
Anyone notice that this device messes up the booting of the computer - my mini takes a lot longer when this is plugged in - am using a second monitor so this may be the issue. I am getting much better speeds on USB than on this thing
Yes I have! I'm running a d2 with a 500 GB encrypted TM backup and a 2.5 TB scratch disk and every time my computer wakes from sleep the drive gives an error saying it wasn't disconnected properly even though the disk is still available? Like you said, this hub seems to bug everything else up.
We're in agreement then. 382MB/s is more than SATA II can handle according to the standard (300 MBPS/2.4gbps). The Barefeats review shows that _on the Thunderbolt side_ of the Lacie you can exceed SATA II by using RAID0. On the eSATA side the speed is limited to SATA II. RAID0 is the fastest possible set up if you have SSD's with this unit and will hopefully (once I find a suitable enclosure) serve my iMac with SATA III equivalent, ~400MB/s speeds.
You're saying that you're going to change enclosures to try and gain 18mbps?
382MB/s is because it is coming through two ESATA ports. Each port gets 300 MB/s. You're two enclosures in RAID 0 should see a theoretical 600 MB/s on the virtual drive. If you were running two SATA I ports you should see 300MB/s in RAID 0. SATA III would be 1200 MB/s in RAID 0.
Again those are all theoretical.
3 GBit/s is equal to ≈ 357 MByte/s
3000000000 Bit / 8 Bit = 375000000 Byte
375000000 Byte / (1024 Byte * 1024 Byte) ≈ 357 MByte
You're saying that you're going to change enclosures to try and gain 18mbps?
No, the goal was going from ~220 MB/s that I got from the enclosures I got to the ~400 MB/s I was expecting given the Barefeats review. The enclosures were limiting to SATA I speeds, and RAID 0 would get me into SATA II territory. I want to go from SATA II (the single disk maximum on the Lacie) to SATA III type speeds, roughly doubling what I was seeing so far.
I realize that. I got 220, 240 max MB/s in the enclosures. I just hooked up the SSD's via eSATA to SATA cables and a SATA power supply. Guess what? 357 MB/s write, 463 MB/s read. That's what I was setting out for, these are speeds well beyond what SATA II is capable of or what you'd get if you'd set up the Lacie for JBOD.
Your maths are right. However they don't apply to SATA (wikipedia):
So I don't think there's any SATA II drive you'll find that'll do more than 300 MB/s
I do not find a source for this statement.
tomshardware.co.uk said:
So it is a performance problem, not a general problem.
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Damn! ;-)
Correct. If the 10-Bit symbol contains 8-Bit real data, then
(357 MByte/s / 100) * 80 = ≈ 286 MByte/s (SATA-II)
Does this count as a source? ;-)
They do not say why the enclosures do not work or which chipsets do not work. They mean probably “not as expected”. I mean, the quad-interface (FW800, FW400, USB 2.0 or 3.0, eSATA) enclosures support the standard SATA-protocol (via eSATA). And if they use the standard protocol, they should work like other eSATA devices. Not?
lol. Fair play. Admittedly, the G-tech drive I tested has an Oxford chipset (936), so you've a point. You have to take most things on these sites with a pinch of salt.