Page 1: Intro, Box, Parts
Intro:
ASE Labs has always explained the benefits of having »redundant »storage and »backups. There are series of articles devoted to each »technology. Sans Digital is a big player in RAID enclosures and their latest model, the MobileSTOR MS2UTN+ delivers USB2 and eSATA support to a 2 disk array of your choosing. This combines the best of both world for data backup and redundancy. It really is an excellent product.
About Sans Digital:
Box:
The retail packaging for the MS2UTN+ version of the MobileSTOR is black with blue accents. As you can see from the box, there are two color variations. I received the silver one but you can pick a black model if you prefer.
Specs:
While the unit only has a one year warranty, it does give you the benefit of eSATA which is much better and faster than USB2 or Firewire. The unit also supports some crazy configurations. It does support RAID 1 and RAID 0 and those are the modes that most people will use... Hopefully just RAID 1.
Parts:
Aside from the unit itself, there are a number of parts. You get two sets of screws and drive keys, some literature, backup software for Windows and Mac, a USB cable, an internal SATA to eSATA cable, an eSATA cable, and a power cable. The cool part of the kit is the eSATA bridge from a normal SATA port. eSATA and internal SATA are the same (at least until they change it to provide power).
The parts include drive keys which are basically plastic things with a long toothpick type of attachment. You can use a toothpick or very small screwdriver to get the drives out of the unit so don't worry if you lose the keys.
MobileSTOR MS2UTN+:
The MS2UTN+ itself is silver (or black if you want). It is a bit bigger than the length of a hard drive due to the needed circuitry and support such as extra cooling and the drive caddies. The unit is pretty simple and would look nice on a desk near a computer. There is a single mute button on the front to stop the unit from sounding an error when a failure happens.
The front also contains the drive bay caddies and some status LEDs for power, temperature, and an alert light. It also seems like some extra stuff can be put above the status lights.
The back of the unit is where the configuation is actually handled. There is a dial and a reset button to control how the unit works with the drives. The back also contains the power and connectivity ports as well as an exhaust fan to keep the drives cool.
To open up the caddy, just insert the key (or a toothpick) into the key hole to release the caddy lever. Pull the lever away from the unit to remove the cage and install a drive.
The caddy itself has an extra piece of metal to keep its shape during transit. You need to remove the extra metal bar at the back to install a drive. The unit takes 3.5" drives that are SATA just as any current desktop computer does.
ASE Labs has always explained the benefits of having »redundant »storage and »backups. There are series of articles devoted to each »technology. Sans Digital is a big player in RAID enclosures and their latest model, the MobileSTOR MS2UTN+ delivers USB2 and eSATA support to a 2 disk array of your choosing. This combines the best of both world for data backup and redundancy. It really is an excellent product.
About Sans Digital:
Quote
Sans Digital is a provider of high capacity, multi-functional advanced storage solutions. These storage units can be used in home offices, small and medium-sized businesses, video editing, data backup, surveillance systems and many other industries. Sans Digital's products provide great solutions for companies and individuals across the world who need effective and reliable data storage systems.
Technology and Service Differentiation
Sans Digital offers storage products for RAID and bare-bone systems. With technologically advanced products, Sans Digital ensures that the products will meet the customers' needs. By incorporating the latest technology, Sans Digital sets the standard in the storage industry.
Box:
The retail packaging for the MS2UTN+ version of the MobileSTOR is black with blue accents. As you can see from the box, there are two color variations. I received the silver one but you can pick a black model if you prefer.
Specs:
- Model MS2UTN+
- Form Factor Cube
- HDD Trays 2 Hot-Swappable 3.5"
- RAID Level Big (Spanning), Safe (RAID1), Fast (RAID 0), JBOD, SAFE33, & SAFE50, GUI mode allow customized RAID volume setting.
- Maximum Capacity 2TB
- Auto Rebuilding Yes
- Host Interface & Transfer Rate USB 2.0 (480Mbps) & eSATA (1.5Gbps)
- Drive Interface SATA I / SATA II
- Cooling Fan 1.6" Ball Bearing
- Power Supply 80W (110V~240V)
- Status Indicators RAID Alarm, Fan / Temperature, Power LEDs
- Dimension (in) 4.8"W x 8.0"D x 4.0"H
- Weight (lb) 3.8
- Safety Regulations CE, FCC, UL, RoHS
- Limited Watrranty 1 Years
While the unit only has a one year warranty, it does give you the benefit of eSATA which is much better and faster than USB2 or Firewire. The unit also supports some crazy configurations. It does support RAID 1 and RAID 0 and those are the modes that most people will use... Hopefully just RAID 1.
Parts:
Aside from the unit itself, there are a number of parts. You get two sets of screws and drive keys, some literature, backup software for Windows and Mac, a USB cable, an internal SATA to eSATA cable, an eSATA cable, and a power cable. The cool part of the kit is the eSATA bridge from a normal SATA port. eSATA and internal SATA are the same (at least until they change it to provide power).
The parts include drive keys which are basically plastic things with a long toothpick type of attachment. You can use a toothpick or very small screwdriver to get the drives out of the unit so don't worry if you lose the keys.
MobileSTOR MS2UTN+:
The MS2UTN+ itself is silver (or black if you want). It is a bit bigger than the length of a hard drive due to the needed circuitry and support such as extra cooling and the drive caddies. The unit is pretty simple and would look nice on a desk near a computer. There is a single mute button on the front to stop the unit from sounding an error when a failure happens.
The front also contains the drive bay caddies and some status LEDs for power, temperature, and an alert light. It also seems like some extra stuff can be put above the status lights.
The back of the unit is where the configuation is actually handled. There is a dial and a reset button to control how the unit works with the drives. The back also contains the power and connectivity ports as well as an exhaust fan to keep the drives cool.
To open up the caddy, just insert the key (or a toothpick) into the key hole to release the caddy lever. Pull the lever away from the unit to remove the cage and install a drive.
The caddy itself has an extra piece of metal to keep its shape during transit. You need to remove the extra metal bar at the back to install a drive. The unit takes 3.5" drives that are SATA just as any current desktop computer does.