Comments on: External Hard Disks: Spin Down, Spin Up http://www.macgasm.net/2010/02/04/external-hard-disks-spin-down-spin-up/ Apple Tips, Apple News, Apple Everything. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:24:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Marthy http://www.macgasm.net/2010/02/04/external-hard-disks-spin-down-spin-up/#comment-13564 Marthy Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:53:15 +0000 http://www.macgasm.net/?p=12670#comment-13564 My external drives are always spun up. I hear that if you are planning on keeping a drive in storage it should be spun up once a month. The NAS I only power on when I use it, or once a month, whichever comes first. I do not own a quiet computer. My external drives are always spun up. I hear that if you are planning on keeping a drive in storage it should be spun up once a month. The NAS I only power on when I use it, or once a month, whichever comes first. I do not own a quiet computer.

]]> By: Steve http://www.macgasm.net/2010/02/04/external-hard-disks-spin-down-spin-up/#comment-13562 Steve Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:21:48 +0000 http://www.macgasm.net/?p=12670#comment-13562 @Gerard - I did some research when I bought the Synology, but was looking mainly at a features vs. price whilst doing so. Living in NZ and having to pay duties on whichever NAS I bought, I found that the Synology had great reviews for a very reasonable price on eBay. It works brilliantly and has built in iTunes, photo, video and web servers, all controlled from a neat web interface. It can also capture surveillance footage from a webcam and can have additional USB drives attached if needed. The model I bought was the DS-409 with 4 Samsung EcoGreen F2 1.5Tb HDDs. Bear in mind that it's not hot-swappable, but it does cater for RAID configurations. The only issue I had so far was when a fuse tripped in our house, causing the PSU for the unit to stop working. However, the Synology Customer Services team received my support ticket and mailed me a free replacement within 5 days, which even to NZ is impressive! Overall, a great product, @Gerard – I did some research when I bought the Synology, but was looking mainly at a features vs. price whilst doing so. Living in NZ and having to pay duties on whichever NAS I bought, I found that the Synology had great reviews for a very reasonable price on eBay. It works brilliantly and has built in iTunes, photo, video and web servers, all controlled from a neat web interface. It can also capture surveillance footage from a webcam and can have additional USB drives attached if needed. The model I bought was the DS-409 with 4 Samsung EcoGreen F2 1.5Tb HDDs. Bear in mind that it’s not hot-swappable, but it does cater for RAID configurations.

The only issue I had so far was when a fuse tripped in our house, causing the PSU for the unit to stop working. However, the Synology Customer Services team received my support ticket and mailed me a free replacement within 5 days, which even to NZ is impressive!

Overall, a great product,

]]> By: Gerard Lagana http://www.macgasm.net/2010/02/04/external-hard-disks-spin-down-spin-up/#comment-13521 Gerard Lagana Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:40:06 +0000 http://www.macgasm.net/?p=12670#comment-13521 I thought that was only for the internal HDD. I didn't realize it was a global setting. Thanks. I thought that was only for the internal HDD. I didn’t realize it was a global setting. Thanks.

]]> By: Grant Brunner http://www.macgasm.net/2010/02/04/external-hard-disks-spin-down-spin-up/#comment-13520 Grant Brunner Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:34:50 +0000 http://www.macgasm.net/?p=12670#comment-13520 In the energy saver pane of System Preferences, there is checkbox for allowing the drives to spin down. If that is what you're looking for… In the energy saver pane of System Preferences, there is checkbox for allowing the drives to spin down. If that is what you’re looking for…

]]> By: Gerard Lagana http://www.macgasm.net/2010/02/04/external-hard-disks-spin-down-spin-up/#comment-13519 Gerard Lagana Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:25:13 +0000 http://www.macgasm.net/?p=12670#comment-13519 Grant - Is there any way in OS X to have the external drive always spun up? I agree with you though that having them spun down is quiter and easy on the ears. I just haven't seen a setting that allow them to be always on. Grant – Is there any way in OS X to have the external drive always spun up? I agree with you though that having them spun down is quiter and easy on the ears. I just haven’t seen a setting that allow them to be always on.

]]> By: Gerard Lagana http://www.macgasm.net/2010/02/04/external-hard-disks-spin-down-spin-up/#comment-13518 Gerard Lagana Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:22:50 +0000 http://www.macgasm.net/?p=12670#comment-13518 Steve - How would you compare the Synology Disk Station to the Drobo? Steve – How would you compare the Synology Disk Station to the Drobo?

]]> By: Grant Brunner http://www.macgasm.net/2010/02/04/external-hard-disks-spin-down-spin-up/#comment-13517 Grant Brunner Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:20:29 +0000 http://www.macgasm.net/?p=12670#comment-13517 I found that my external drive wouldn't sleep over USB. It only spun down when I used it on FireWire. Thanks for your input, Steve. :-) I found that my external drive wouldn’t sleep over USB. It only spun down when I used it on FireWire.

Thanks for your input, Steve. :-)

]]> By: Steve http://www.macgasm.net/2010/02/04/external-hard-disks-spin-down-spin-up/#comment-13496 Steve Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:05:55 +0000 http://www.macgasm.net/?p=12670#comment-13496 I have two USB HDDs, both unfortunately connected to a USB2 hub, connected to my iMac. Every time I need to save a file, I have to wait for them both to spin up, irrespective of the power saving setting I use. The best solution? Invest in a NAS. It's on the network, it stays connected and a simple network request for a file makes it spring into life. Also, for the additional cost, you can set up a RAID array to cater for one of your drives conking out, something the external drives won't afford you. I've found that the amount I've spent over the years on external drives roughly equates to the 4.5Tb Synology DiskStation I have under my desk and it's also accessible by all the machines on the network, irrespective of whether the Mac is on or not. I have two USB HDDs, both unfortunately connected to a USB2 hub, connected to my iMac. Every time I need to save a file, I have to wait for them both to spin up, irrespective of the power saving setting I use.

The best solution? Invest in a NAS. It’s on the network, it stays connected and a simple network request for a file makes it spring into life. Also, for the additional cost, you can set up a RAID array to cater for one of your drives conking out, something the external drives won’t afford you.

I’ve found that the amount I’ve spent over the years on external drives roughly equates to the 4.5Tb Synology DiskStation I have under my desk and it’s also accessible by all the machines on the network, irrespective of whether the Mac is on or not.

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