4 Bay eSATA Port Multiplier JBOD tower - $85 shipped after promo

[Rajahal]

Sans Digital 4 Bay eSATA Port Multiplier JBOD Tower Storage Enclosure (no eSATA Card bundle) TR4M+BNC

 

$85 after promo EMCKAHA58 (expires at 11:59pm PT on 10/1/2011)

 

If your server is full of drives but you have a spare eSATA port, this item should allow you to add an additional 4 data drives.  Should be plug-n-play on most systems.  Should.  Make sure your motherboard or eSATA card support port multipliers before purchasing.

[UhClem]

Sans Digital 4 Bay eSATA Port Multiplier JBOD Tower Storage Enclosure (no eSATA Card bundle) TR4M+BNC

 

$85 after promo EMCKAHA58 (expires at 11:59pm PT on 10/1/2011)

This is a decent unit, at a decent price. (I got one back in May for $10 less).

[The "NC" at end of model# indicates No Card.]

 

If your server is full of drives but you have a spare eSATA port, this item should allow you to add an additional 4 data drives.  Should be plug-n-play on most systems.  Should.

I would seriously modify the above to:

 

If your server is full of drives but you have a spare eSATA port, this item might allow you to add an additional 4 data drives.  Might be plug-n-play on some systems.  Might.

 

Make sure your motherboard or eSATA card support port multipliers before purchasing.

 

Make very sure.

Do not rely on vendor specifications (ie, "Supports port multipliers"). Do not assume that a mobo_sata/controller that works with one particular port-multiplier chip [this unit uses a SiI3726] will actually work with another. There are even OS/driver dependencies.

 

Note: I find no fault with Rajahal's comments. My intent is to clarify and emphasize.

 

Do your research.

 

[Also, port-multipliers usually result in reduced throughput. YMWV]

 

-- UhClem

 

[Rajahal]

Good points, UhClem, thanks for the clarifications.  I have no direct experience with these JBOD towers, so I defer to your experience.  Always good to have input from someone who actually owns the product.