Can I use this as an external drive connected to my computer? I need a fanless enclosure with USB3 and RAID mirroring for my desktop.
1882793
No, the unit is designed to connect to the network. The unit wont work by direct connecting the unit to a pc/laptop via USB
2045392
I'm able to use this drive as external drive and internal. You need to install the connector based on your application.
1609634
You can do that but the drive rebuilding process takes a long time and this unit isn't hot-swappalbe so you would have to shut down and open the case. You can attach external drives and back up files to them.
297632
You can but you will want to put it in a case. By the time you do that it will be pretty pricey. Maybe look at an external SSD if you want to use it with usb 3 - see something like thishttp://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JQRB0I4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1417370058&sr;=8-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70
704913
Yes. The drive are designed to run non stop on servers and raid drives but they can be used on desktop. Although yiu will get desktop drives at cheaper prices
1853219
I do not know the direct answer to your question.If RAID is of no importance to you, why not simply buy an external drive for supplemental storage or for backup?I use RAID for its data redundancy.If that is of no importance, why bother with a RAID enabled device?Cheaper and high quality alternatives exist.
537756
I'm using it in a server raid 1 for data backup. I would say yes on NAS configuration. Because of the slower speed I would not use it as a drive setup to run programs from. Just for data.
1719502
It's a laptop HDD ready to install. If you intend to use it as an external you need to/could buy an enclosure.
786899
Honestly, I haven't tried it myself, but I don't see why you can't. It's just an enclosure. Since I haven't done it myself, I can't quite answer your second question also. Though when connected to a USB 3.0 port on my computer, I get speeds around 50mb/s.
2079152
The enclosure can be purchased (from Oyen) either way - with or without a drive. I think Amazon offers them without a drive. I always buy mine without a drive so that I can get one that meets my specs, and usually at a lower price.
625581
Well I've never mounted this type of drive into and external enclosure but I'm fairly certain (about 85%) that you'll need more power than what a USB 2.0 can supply. Then again, I could be wrong.
124815
I used it as an external drive. Even if you can take the HD out, you still need a sata connecting cable ($8.66 for 2). It has a USB-3 cable which is faster than the conventional USB-2. I wonder why you would pay the price of an external drive and use it as an internal drive, which usually costs less for the same capacity. I bought a WD 4 TB internal drive as D:
1363894
Well, I do not know as it seems pretty neatly closed, but there is always the alternative to use an external and/or network accessible drives. That's what I do over a Gigabit network. Good luck.
1482353
I use it on my Macbook as a time machine drive. I just plugged it in and it backs my machine up without any manual steps. So it can be used as an external without using any of the software that may have been on the drive. I hope this helps
1731448
Yes, you can just use it as a regular SATA controller, you don't have to set up RAID if you don't want to. That's how I use it.
381623
I don't see why not. I used to have a SATA drive in an external enclosure, formatted for Windoze and used as an eSATA drive. It worked for quite a while 'til the drive failed.
1233655
Hi, I suggest buying a caddy to put your drives in, I assume SATA, and then you can transfer them without issue to the RAID. You can usually buy USB Caddy or enclosures for less than $20. Hope this helps.BR,Dave