Does this device exist?

box · 8 Oct 2008 at 18:09

I'm looking for a large USB hub, but one that connects to a PC using a SATA interface for increased bandwidth?

Fanatic · 8 Oct 2008 at 18:38

480mb/s not enough?

Dunno if there is anything that would need that, let alone more.

box · 8 Oct 2008 at 18:57

I take it you don't know then?

ns400r · 8 Oct 2008 at 19:03

As it is a USB hub, connecting it to a SATA interface won't help bandwidth any. The USB side of things is still limited to 480mb/s or whatever.

jimmy29 · 8 Oct 2008 at 19:03

I've never seen such a thing, what do you intend to do with it? Maybe there's a different way of doing it.

EDIT: ^^Well it would once you have several devices plugged in - if it was properly implemented in the hub of course.

box · 8 Oct 2008 at 19:10

For those asking, it will be used for simultaneous drive backups...hence the need for greater bandwith. If I've got 20 drives all backing up, I'm gonna need a bit more than an unsustained 480Mbps

ns400r · 8 Oct 2008 at 19:12

tim80bwi said:
For those asking, it will be used for simultaneous drive backups...hence the need for greater bandwith. If I've got 20 drives all backing up, I'm gonna need a bit more than an unsustained 480Mbps

Unless it is a very special device I can't see the USB >SATA interface going any faster than USB speeds.

jimmy29 · 8 Oct 2008 at 19:41

Could you not house them in another PC in removeable caddies?

box · 8 Oct 2008 at 20:16

ns400r said:
Unless it is a very special device I can't see the USB >SATA interface going any faster than USB speeds.

It won't be a USB>SATA interface, it will be a USB controller that is connected to the PC through SATA.

Think of it as putting a bigger fuse (or using higher rated wire) in a multi-socket mains adapter.

jimmy29 said:
Could you not house them in another PC in removeable caddies?

Not practically no.

Fanatic · 8 Oct 2008 at 20:22

Multiple USB hubs? Then you could have fewer drives per hub, and require less bandwidth.

Skeeter · 8 Oct 2008 at 20:38

Or a SATA/eSATA card or somthing that will allow you to connect them. You need to lay out exactly what you are planning, as im sure there are better options than connecting multiple USB to SATA.

misterPK · 9 Oct 2008 at 09:29

Skeeter said:
You need to lay out exactly what you are planning, as im sure there are better options than connecting multiple USB to SATA.

My thoughts exactly. Perhaps there's a reason why one doesnt exsist.

PK!

Delvis · 9 Oct 2008 at 11:35

tim80bwi said:
For those asking, it will be used for simultaneous drive backups...hence the need for greater bandwith. If I've got 20 drives all backing up, I'm gonna need a bit more than an unsustained 480Mbps

NAS box maybe.

Although they require money.

At the end of the day, you can't really force more bandwidth down a USB cable, as that is what they are rated at...400 odd mb/s.

EsaT · 9 Oct 2008 at 11:46

1. USB and SATA aren't directly compatible.
2. 480Mbps is only theoretical, in practise IEEE1394 (aka Firewire) is faster.

Gigabit LAN has theoretical speed of ~125MBbs but in practise it's slower (~75MBps in some reviews) so two slow HDDs could already saturate that.
Only way for full performance is eSATA with lot of ports...
(but neither that gives full speed if there's more target drives than source drives)

Delvis · 9 Oct 2008 at 11:48

EsaT said:
1. USB and SATA aren't directly compatible.
2. 480Mbps is only theoretical, in practise IEEE1394 (aka Firewire) is faster.

Gigabit LAN has theoretical speed of ~125MBbs but in practise it's slower (~75MBps in some reviews) so two slow HDDs could already saturate that.
Only way for full performance is eSATA with lot of ports...
(but neither that helps if backup source is one drive)

So get an eSATA box then...

But if you want to be doing 20 drives or whatever, it's going to be expensive.