Mediasonic ProBox 4-Bays SATA Hard Drive Enclosure

Comment:
A fantastic enclosure that does specifically what it says. Supports up to four unique sized drives -- I'm using two 2TB and two 1TB 7200 Hitatch DeskStar Drives and this thing performs like a champ. There are no cooling troubles at all, and the automatic fan has never gone above the lowest setting (which you can't hear unless you place your ear up to the case). I'm employing it with eSATA on a MacBook Pro running Snow Leopard ten.6.3. I recommend the StarTech ECESATA1 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16839158031&cm_re=ECESATA1-_-39-158-031-_-Product) card if you're looking for an eSATA MacBook Pro resolution. Whatever you get, make positive it supports Port Multiplication -- the manual isn't very clear that it's essential.USB is also a fantastic fallback and performs great. Drives show up as independent volumes on both interfaces. Lights on it are a little vibrant (seems like everyone loves placing LEDs on issues these days...), but if you preserve it under a desk it's not an issue. General, you can't beat what this enclosure does for the value. I'll likely get one more sooner or later.

Comment:
Easy to setup / fast transfer of information / small size / pretty quiet none so far.... About to purchase another one to add to my media server......

Comment:
This is a very well made unit that can hold up to 4 4tb hard drives according to MS but box says up to 3 tb.Power plug is located on the side, many features such as sync,auto fan,switchable from sata to usb bye a button.The bad, the fan has a annoying tap tap on low and MediaSonic does not seem to answer e mails. I want to know if it's just a characteristic of the fan or is it a bad bearing. I cannot find a direct contact number so I have e mailed x2 already.Ncix want's me to send the whole thing back, I'll loose my computer for over a week then.I was hoping MS or Ncix would do a swap and send me a new one, and send this back with the courier but no. This review was modfied by poster @ 10-02-12 05:24 AM

Comment:
Sensible price tag, built solid, not negative to look at, USB2. and eSATA on the back, hot-swappable, four bays, uncomplicated to setup and use. Seriously, this is a nice unit. I've at present got four 1TB drives inserted, of several speeds, and factors are working great with Windows 7 Pro 64bit.I originally tried using the eSATA port on the back of my mobo, but was disappointed to come across out that it does not manage port multiplier devices such as this, so I moved to the USB2. connection to setup my disks. I use this device to residence system backups, videos, music, photographs, my virtual machines and the ISO images I use with the VMs Documentation could be a little much better, and the power connection ought to be in the back, but other than that, nothing at all.This isn't genuinely a Con of the unit, but just wanted to put this out there, in case everyone else seasoned this tiny tidbit.A tiny information about my USB2. expertise. The first two days I skilled weird behaviour from the unit, the drives would randomly vanish from the personal computer, and the "Mass Storage Device" in Device Manager would change to an "Unknown Device" and get the dreaded Yellow "!" flag. I attempted almost everything. Removing the device, rebooting, reinstalling. Points would final for a bit. Getting rid of __ALL__ USB devices, rebooting, letting Windows 7 reinstall the entire lot. Items would last for a bit. At some point I started digging around Device Manager, and discovered the "Power" tab that existed on all my "USB Root Hub" and "Generic USB Hub" devices. Each and every USB "Hub" is restricted to 500mA max. The USB port the unit was connected to was drawing from the identical 500mA pool as the other three ports in-line. The power consumption of all the devices showing up in the "Power" tab added up to 502mA. 500mA was being employed by the devices that I currently had, and this unit added another 2mA.I disconnected it and plugged it into a various USB port, and I got lucky on the first try; moving it to a port that was drawing from one more pool of 500mA. So now it was alone on its personal pool of 500mA. The unit has worked flawlessly because that night.I've considering that moved to eSATA, as I purchased a nice PCI-E card that handles port multipliers just fine. This was more for the speed of eSATA vs USB2., and so I could build Dynamic Spanned volumes. Windows 7 does not let you do Dynamic volumes through USB.

Comment:
Scooped this up immediately after reading all the testimonials. So far the unit has exceeded my expectations. Fan appears to pull a great quantity of air through the unit keeping hdds cool. *Fan speed can be adjusted if require with three preset options. *Easy setup and connectivity. Plug and play. *As previously talked about - the fan stays operating even when the hdds are not spinning. Sort of an anoyance but not worth deducting a star.*The fan is virtually to loud. I have this unit in my Tv cabinet and the fan can be heard if the room is dead quiet..although fully unnoticeable if there is any background noise. I have this running two Samsung 2tb drives connected to my HTPC. Its a solid selection as I looked at several and nearly went with a server or NAS instead. This proved to be a more affordable and simpler answer. I can nevertheless share the drives more than my network to be seen by my other computers if require be. It should also be noted that I browsed via the mediasonic forums (located on the makers web site) and there appears to be great data there. I asked some queries and an admin responded within a couple hours answering my concerns in complete.

Comment:
I have external drives and Dlink-323 drive bays. The external drives can be found cheap. The Dlink act as FTP iTunes servers and networked storage or print server for 2 drives for about $99-$130. I got this at $99 on sale.This option does not connect to your network. It only has E-Sata or USB connections.For the $143 it holds 4 drives and is still a reasonable value. Very simple interface. The advantage to this device over just putting the drives in your tower is they stay cooler and are not constantly accessed and sorted like you Op SYS drive is. Thus they last a lot longer. I've had the same drives in the Dlink-323's since 2004 with no errors. So even though it does not have the network option it is still worth getting. Though I think that it's over priced at $143. Given how simplistic the interface and case is, I would wait for it to be on sale.

Comment:
Great item! Get your drives out of the situation and only turn them on when you want them. I loaded box with four - 2TB drives out of my computer system which now only has raptor boot drive and a 1 TB drive.Performs perfectly. I also personal a four drive RAID five array in a media pc, this is superior, cheaper, faster. Exact same item with USB three. & ESATA is waiting on shipment for ฮ more. But USB three. Demands a PCI-E slot for adaptor. Doesn't do RAID five, but hey, that would be at least 贶 additional. Use USB Safely Eliminate utility to fix drive letters as drives are recognized out of order otherwise. Box will not turn on unlessthe personal computer is already on (w/ ESATA). If each both USB and ESATA cables are plugged in, box defaults to USB.

Comment:
The title genuinely says it all, this storage device impressed me the moment I removed it from the box. It has a modest foot print, about as wide as a loaf of bread and as extended as a dollar bill, it's solidly constructed with a metal housing and bays, and the added capabilities it carries such as the intelligent power on/down, auto quiet fan, and swift changeable interface tends to make this box a actual winner. I'm connecting the unit to a notebook for added storage and conducted extensive analysis just before buying this particular item, see comments beneath for analysis.Before buying I looked at building a residence sever, buying a hardware-raid enclosure, and other examined other 4Ǜ bay enclosures. For the price tag, energy savings, desktop space savings, and robust functions - for my demands it can't be beat! Note: The supplied Esata cable is ruffly 3ft a longer cable may be demand for unique installations.Over all I'm quite pleased with the acquire, and the value/quality/- Newegg has a real winner! Genuinely no cons to think of for the value point I expected a plastic case with silkscreen writing, to my surprise it's full metal with the exception of the door which comes apart quickly to populate the drive bays.As a side note the added usb port enables me to connect the device to a wireless router and share files by way of the air when I'm disconnected from the esata.My Notebook Specs to support other users:HP-DV6T-1100 / Intel GM4500 Chipset / ICH9-M / HP's InsideH2O Bios- AHCI enabled, Express Card 54ቾ slot electrically connected by way of- PCI-e 1. lane / Rosewill RC605 expresscard two esata- II / Productivity Software program: Lightroom three, Photoshop, Premiere, & After Effects CS5 If using this for a notebook guarantee your express card slot is PCI-e connective vs. USB connective to the motherboard to obtain right transfer speeds and function from device, see below. I bought this for a notebook as a 1st step to safely backup/store photographs, videos, & docs in a redundant home resolution. I presently have two-Samsung 1TB in a Mirrored configuration and two Hitachi 80GB in a striped array for video playback/editing. Lesson I've find out in the approach of acquiring, Most Notebooks with an esata port, like mine, don't assistance Port Multiplying and demand an expresscard esata controller to access all the drives, - I regarded as the model with /w more rapidly USB three. b/c a new exp-card device would be essential, nevertheless Windows 7 Ultimate & Premium do NOT support Dynamic Disks ie. Raid- 1, ,10 more than USB two or three, so a USB.3 unit will be a JBOD unit over any USB port -save the additional income for the exp-card. With Win 7 Ult & Prem +Intel ICH, spanning, mirror, and striping are capable with this Unit over whole HD's or over partitions of two or far more HD's - ie two-1TB drives can run a rapidly Raid - and a secure Raid 1 more than separate partitions-like LaCie- for any individual on a tight budget.

Comment:
Impressive construct top quality for the price tag, sturdy enclosure, properly designed drive tracks and retention mechanism, speed selectable fan. Somewhat flimsy feeling front door, side mounted power connector This is a wonderful enclosure for the price. It has a solid, good quality really feel, aside from the front door, which feels slightly flimsy. It keeps drives extremely cool, and my drives are louder than the fan. The blue lights are fairly bright, but nothing a little black electrical tape can't handle.My drives had been instantly recognized and worked as expected, underneath each Windows and Linux.

Comment:
four BayseSATA / USBfan manage prompt tech assistance and client service Flimsy doorpower adapter on the side instead of backpoor manual I wrote the other assessment before I received a response from MediaSonic. I've read alot of reviews of poor tech assistance and having a horrible company web page. But after dealing with them currently, I think that the other buyers were fast to judge. I got a faulty unit (which is only the power supply). MediaSonic contacted through the purchase internet site and through e-mail swiftly to ask me for my mailing address and have shipped a replacement power provide for no cost very same-day. I have never ever received such prompt and courtious service. This turned out to be a excellent obtain following all! Will be shopping for yet another a single for my father subsequent month for his HTPC and will really like to conduct additional small business with MediaSonic!

Comment:
Great situation styling, rapid setup. USB efficiency tops out at 34 MB/s, which tends to make it useless for massive capacity RAID 5. Use the eSATA port multiplexer mode rather.

Comment:
Operates as it really should. Effortless setup on mac mini. Working with USB for now until I finish the eSata mod on the mini. Lights are a tiny annoying. I bought this because I am about to do the mini-pci eSata mod on my mini. Performs fantastic on usb, but will need to have the speed of eSata for scratch disks. Absolutely happy with this product. Fantastic if you just require space, and not concerned about a RAID setup.

Comment:
4 bay enclosure for esata, your mobo requirements port multipliercreated from cheap materialsdoesn't function had this thring operating with three ŕ.5 Tb" drives and 1 Ŗ Tb" drive for about 3 days, restarted my computer and the enclosure would no longer connect with my laptop or computer, no i have to deal with neweggs return policy, ugh

Comment:
create good qualityperformanceauto power on/off3 fan speeds such as autogreat searching none I had to write a second critique due to the fact I bashed this product in my 1st and cant figure out a way to edit my very first assessment. I stated that it was freezing my primary Pc when I turned it on... that is my Computer's fault, not the Mediasonic's. I also stated that I was acquiring elctrical troubles when I connected it to my HTPC (Zotac Zbox)... that was due to bad elctrical wiring..again NOT Mediasonic's fault. This is a Great HDD enclosure. Appears classy and I particularly like that it turns on and off automatically with my personal computer. Extremely advised.

Comment:
price tag (although competing merchandise can be had for the same price tag)size - smaller than any other 4 bay units I ownfront power switch and USB/esata pick.Auto fanAuto energy off Not tool free, demands non standard screws (included) for the totally asinine drive installation method. Side power port. The pamphlet that is the only documentation. Have San Digital and EIDE Venus T4 4 bay unit, each preferable to this in spite of these units not getting excellent either. Have only tried esata in JBOD, performs fine, decent performance, connected to SIL 3124 based port multiplier with Sans Digital box, performs fine.Drive install process utilizes a plastic deal with point that ought to be attached to drives, employing this as a hot swap frame is not practical, this may well not be critical to some. Or you can dispense with the handles, D*A* frame and useless front cover and it can then be hot swap make certain you have AHCI set on mobo for this. As with all purchases ask yourself, would you acquire it again...1 is plenty for me.

Comment:
Incredibly expense effective if you will need access to up to 4 SATA2 HD's through eSATA or USB2. etc.Operates as advertisedinterface for manage of the unit is great. buttons on the front and instruction provide enough information to tell you how to use them. Not the very best instructions but what random organization from non english speaking nations ever give good instructions? Fan manage is either auto by way of thermal sensor inside which automatically switches among the three achievable fan speeds or manual exactly where you chose among the three. Also has a sync option that is either off(keeps it on until you turn it off via power button), or on in either of two modes that turn it off after 15 seconds of computer shutting down or place it into sleep mode when the computer is turned off. Also has indicator lights that tell you which interface your employing and a button you hold down to change between the two. Sorry the final bit wasn't just pro's but I like giving as considerably info as I can because I like the very same on prospective purchases. None actually. I hear alot of folks complain about blinking lights etc on just about every item on newegg and im still amazed that people bother to list that. Its a light, get more than it or disable it manually or tape over it. Some men and women complained about the HD handles, not positive why. they arent meant to grab and pull like a generic deal with. you pull out/down and it pushes it out through leverage to disconnect it from the information and power connections. then you can pull it out no challenge. without having the handle theres not substantially to grab onto on your bare HD so id devote the minute to attach it through included screws. The door is a small tricky at initial. it opens partially then you just pop it off the hinge pins(plastic not seriously pins but I lack a greater word atm) and then open door number two. the metal frame inside that has cutouts in front of all four HD's to allow airflow. two tabs at the best are pushed up as u pull it outward to get it off. install drives reassemble and carried out. For any of you having concerns with the unit recognizing far more than a single drive at a time employing eSATA there are two approaches to get around that. Initial off you can use USB connection rather, but if your like me you purchased this to use with eSATA and USB2. isn't fast enough. Second option make confident you have an sata controller onboard your motherboard or via add-on card that supports port multipliers. My board is GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R which has two eSATA ports making use of the silicon image 3132 chipset which is listed as supporting port multipliers. At initially I was only seeing one particular drive. Basic repair. Download the latest drivers for the controller chipset from the chipset manufacturer to make confident its the most up to date. gigabytes drivers had been substantially older than silicon pictures most recent 31xx series drivers. I installed newest drivers and it functions like a champ. speeds are consistant with eSATA enclosures ive utilized/use.

Comment:
USB two. functions as advertised ESATA will not power up. The documentation is really limited for this but it does make reference to Driver - the web-site you go to for drivers has no drivers. There is also a note about the mainboard SATA controller needing to assistance Port Multiplier - regrettably I can uncover nothing on my motherboard manual that states this one way or the other. (ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO) . Assistance for this enclosure is non existant and documentation is extremely sparse. Do not recommend.

Comment:
Nice style of the enclosure, Quiet Fan, and effortless to install. Transfer rate is quick through eSATA Poor manual, manufacture must make it clear that computer's sata port must support port multiplier. I have to purchase another eSATA PCI Exp card in order to get this to function via eSATA I purchase this unit to put in my old difficult drives, so I can save my table's space. I only put in 2 drives now and going to put more later.

Comment:
Slapped two 2TB Samsung drives in it and in no way missed a beat. None I dont like the reality of the power becoming on the side, but to be sincere I dont care.

Comment:
Effortless setup. No muss, no fuss. Installed four drives (one was blank and unformatted), powered it up with no troubles. Using USB connection with extremely very good transfer speeds. Windows read the formatted drives and pc management mounted the and formatted the last drive devoid of a hitch. A incredibly great acquire general. Door that falls off when opened. Not adequate to cost it an egg mainly because the pegs that retain the door aren't broken. Notion setup if you are archiving a bunch of old files (My C: drive discovered the fountain of youth following I cleaned it up).

Comment:
so far so negative. Connected to Mac Snow Leopard just fine, all drives recognized instantly. Tried connecting to my Dell with WinXP SP3 and it looks for "USB to ATA/ATAPI Bridge" but can't uncover it, so device is still invisible. Manufacturer net internet site has no drivers, so far no response from vendor. Boo! so far doesn't function on my WinXP SP3, maybe it will alter

Comment:
Exceptional unit for the cash. Put 4 Ɣ) 500 G drives in the unit, hooked up the USB cable and plugged it into the power. Unit came up and pc running Windows 7 recognized it immediately. Really like the sync feature that can be set for either sleep or power down! None

Comment:
Installed 3 difficult drives ƒ 2tb and 1 1.5 tb). Connected it by way of USB to my major Pc and it recognized the machine but ended up freezing. I then connected it to my household theater Pc (zotac zbox) and as soon as the usb plug made make contact with with the port, I got a energy surge and blue sparks coming from the port. Thankfully, it did not fry my difficult drives but it did even so fry the HDMI port on my Tivo (they are plugged into the similar surge protector). Subsequent I will try using the eSata connection or try connecting USB First and THEN the power cord. cant get it to perform...but it looks actual nice

Comment:
This 4 bay enclosure does what i require for my 3 x 1TB and 1 x 2TB HDD. now I don't want to plus in 4 x individual enclosure. eSATA works wonderful if you have eSATA port multiplier on your motherboard. the design and high quality of the hardware is stunning. finest of all, Newegg generally offers me the ideal price for my tech craves none so far, even so the manual need to have be a bit better written. its a bit of confusing to read it, but I got it figure out in 15 minutes.

Comment:
It is genuinely the best acquire I have ever produced. I've waster hundreds of $$ on distinct external circumstances and usually been unhappy about something. This 1 is really remarkable and they got all appropriate. Installed 4 2TB Samsung F4 drives and get 33MB/s on USB plenty quick for my needs. e-SATA will be considerably quicker but my PC lacks port multiplier capability. The drives will shut down one following one more, when PC powers down. Extremely wise and careful design. Items like that tell you how intelligent the design engineers are, and if the rushed the product to the industry or not. Not really any cons... some say the power connector on the side, but I do like it this way. It is kinda neat to my liking.Nicely, the power supply brick makes faint oscillating noise but time will tell if it maters. All switching power supplies make such faint noise. It is a new addition to my setup, will update in few weeks.It appears solidly and thoughtfully create, kinda old date engineering making use of actual screws and no stupid glue. Even the rubber stands are secured with screws...! Boy, they actually did it appropriate. How quite a few glued rubber stands have I lost in the past...? Numerous... but these will stay on for ever.Mediasonic proved to be a fine design and manufacturer of computer system gadgets on my list now. They earned this place honestly.