External Harddisk and Airport Extreme (RAID1)

[rassamee]

Hello Forum

I am using an iMac 2.4 Intel.
I am looking for a backup solution (Raid1) mostly for videos, photos and iTunes related files.

Iomega Ultramax Desktop 1TB should do the thing, but nobody can say me if it works on Apples Airport Extreme?

== Important ==
I want to connect an external Harddisk (RAID1) directly to the Airport Extreme via USB. The Airport Extreme is whireless connected to my iMac.

Do you have any experience regarding 1TB storage solution? (RAID1 means 500GB storage and 500GB mirrored for backup)
Do you have any buying tips for an external Harddisk meet my needs?

Greetings from Switzerland
rassamee

 

[wesg]

If you're looking to store video, music and photos in the RAID drive, you want to reconsider having it connected to the Airport. Unless you're very close to the base station, you may not have enough bandwidth to stream video, and will likely have to wait a considerable amount of time to transfer anything.

Any USB drive formatted as HFS+ should work properly with an Airport Extreme.

 

[mosss]

UltraMax Desktop Works!

Rassamee,

We have tested this configuration in the Iomega Test Lab and can confirm that the UltraMax Desktop hard drive IS compatible with the Airport Extreme.

Shane Moss
Iomega Corporation

 

[rassamee]

Thank you for your information.
I just ordered Iomega Ultramax 1TB and let you know my experience.

Another question, may you can help to understand how it works:
I plan to 'host' my iTunes files at the external Harddisk Iomega Ultramax which is connected to Airport Extreme.
In another room is my Apple TV who is streaming the content of my Harddisk Iomega Ultramax. While streaming, my iMac with Apple iTunes must run.

What I want to know is the way how the files are flying from device to device.
Without an external Harddisk the way is clear, but what will happen, if I 'host' my Itunes files at the external Harddisk which is connected to Airport Extreme.
An attached image (pdf) will give you a view.

Thank you!
Best regards
rassamee

 

[rassamee]

Hello everybody

Today I made my experience with the Iomega Ultramax 1TB external Harddisk.

Everything works perfectly with the iMac, Airport Extreme, iTunes and Apple TV.

Please let me explain...and sorry for my bad english

- I took the Iomega Ultramax 1TB out of the box. Everything was pre-formatted.
- Because I want to use the RAID1 configuration, I switched a small knob at the rear of the Iomega to RAID1.
- Then I connected the Iomega Ultramax 1TB via Firewire 800 to my iMac. My iMac auto-mounted this external drive. There was nothing to do.
- Later I transfered the whole content of my iTunes files (most of them was movies) to my new external drive. Still everything was fine...
- My next step was the reason why I choose this external drive. I connected the Iomega Ultramax 1TB to my Airport Extreme and...
- Perfectly! Now I can wirelessly stream my music and movies from my external drive to my iMac and of course to my Apple TV in another room.
The distance of Apple TV and Airport Extreme about 20meters (arround 65 feeds) and it works great.

Because I use the RAID1 configuration of my external drive, now I have a backup of my important files everytime without any extra effort. Once one of the 2 drives will break, I can recover the files without the need of my iMac. I have to press just a small button at the front of the Iomega, wait a while...and everything will be recovered.

Again, sorry for my bad english.
Greetings from Switzerland

Best regards
rassamee

 

[oterras]

More details

Hello Rassamee,

Could you tell me a bit more about your RAID1 and Airport Extreme. I was thinking to do exactly the same than you but it does not work. Is your Ultramax 1To with 1 disk or 2x500Go.

I can see my 2 disks in the Airport Utility but cannot mount the RAID1 on my desktop neither see the Airport Extreme with shared computer or devices. I tried several combinaison like unchaining the 2 disk but they appear in that case. So, it is not a question of formating my drives.

You are the only one who seems to have successfully mount a RAID1 (with software) with Airport Extreme on USB.

If you can develop !

Tks in advance.

Hello everybody

Today I made my experience with the Iomega Ultramax 1TB external Harddisk.

Everything works perfectly with the iMac, Airport Extreme, iTunes and Apple TV.

Please let me explain...and sorry for my bad english

- I took the Iomega Ultramax 1TB out of the box. Everything was pre-formatted.
- Because I want to use the RAID1 configuration, I switched a small knob at the rear of the Iomega to RAID1.
- Then I connected the Iomega Ultramax 1TB via Firewire 800 to my iMac. My iMac auto-mounted this external drive. There was nothing to do.
- Later I transfered the whole content of my iTunes files (most of them was movies) to my new external drive. Still everything was fine...
- My next step was the reason why I choose this external drive. I connected the Iomega Ultramax 1TB to my Airport Extreme and...
- Perfectly! Now I can wirelessly stream my music and movies from my external drive to my iMac and of course to my Apple TV in another room.
The distance of Apple TV and Airport Extreme about 20meters (arround 65 feeds) and it works great.

Because I use the RAID1 configuration of my external drive, now I have a backup of my important files everytime without any extra effort. Once one of the 2 drives will break, I can recover the files without the need of my iMac. I have to press just a small button at the front of the Iomega, wait a while...and everything will be recovered.

Again, sorry for my bad english.
Greetings from Switzerland

Best regards
rassamee

 

[rassamee]

@oterras

Ok, so how is my system

- Computer iMac 2,4 Intel Duo Core
- Airport Extreme
- Iomega Ultramax 1TB (2 Disks à 500GB)

My Iomega 1TB has 2 drives build in. 2x 500 GB. There is a small "knob" at the back of the Iomega, where I can choose RAID1, which I have done. That means, the Iomega has now only 500GB space and the other 500GB are working as backup (RAID1).

Important: If you try to use 1TB instead of 2x 500 (Raid1) Airport Extreme will NOT WORK.

I can tell you only my current configuration, that means I have no RAID1 via Software. Iomega itselfs "can" RAID1. When I look from my iMAC to the mounted drive, I can see only 500GB of space. The 2nd Disk which is "built in" the Iomega is "unviewable" from my iMAC.

Hope that helps. If you have any additional / other questions, please let me know.

rassamee

 

[netdog]

It works fine on an Airport. It handles the RAID internally. Bear in mind that the yield is 500GB when set to RAID 1 so you will need two of them if you want 1GB and they will then appear as two separate 500GB drives.

The Ultramax houses 2 500GB drives (hence when not in RAID mode it creates a single volume of 1TB). These units also have pretty loud fans. I have my Airport, printer and drives in a closet, but the Ultramax is definitely noisier than I would want under my nose.

 

[oterras]

@oterras

Ok, so how is my system

- Computer iMac 2,4 Intel Duo Core
- Airport Extreme
- Iomega Ultramax 1TB (2 Disks à 500GB)

My Iomega 1TB has 2 drives build in. 2x 500 GB. There is a small "knob" at the back of the Iomega, where I can choose RAID1, which I have done. That means, the Iomega has now only 500GB space and the other 500GB are working as backup (RAID1).

Important: If you try to use 1TB instead of 2x 500 (Raid1) Airport Extreme will NOT WORK.

I can tell you only my current configuration, that means I have no RAID1 via Software. Iomega itselfs "can" RAID1. When I look from my iMAC to the mounted drive, I can see only 500GB of space. The 2nd Disk which is "built in" the Iomega is "unviewable" from my iMAC.

Hope that helps. If you have any additional / other questions, please let me know.

rassamee

That's my fear, when I change the position on the small red switch in the back, nothing happens and I still have 2 HD whatever the positioning (and after pressing the reset button of course). I will let you know. I hope that the Iomega client support will tell me what to do.

Rgds