Seagate GoFlex Net + 3.5" Sata drive

[igor]

Does anyone know if it is possible to connect 3.5" Sata hard drives to the GoFlex Net? If not directly, is there some cable I can use between the unit and the hard drives?

[vargalex]

Hi!

I have not tested, but I think, you can use a standard SATA cable for the data connection. But I think, you must use an external power adapter for the HDD.

[igor]

Hi,

No, the sata connector on the goflex net is a female connector. What I need is a male connector. I'm just going to use the sata connection and not the power. I have esata enclosures for the drives so I am thinking about these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SATA-Male-plug- ... 105wt_1163

I probably have to trim off some of the plastic from the sata side of the cables since this is for a connector without the power part.

What do you guys think of this cable? Has anyone tried anything similar?

[varkey]

^ I bought the exact same cable, but it won't fit even after trimming the sides.

You can however go for two cables.

http://www.chinabestmall.com/15-7-pin-m ... cable.html
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0489406000

Works just fine!

[justplug]

I purchased a male SATA to female eSATA cable from eBay that looks the same as the one igor linked above. Despite varkey's post, I managed to easily modify it to connect to the SATA dock on both my GoFlex Net and PogoPlug Series 4. You just have to trim it correctly. Simply snapping off the post located on each side of the male SATA connector is not sufficient. Instead, take sharp scissors and cut from the plug end towards the cable at an angle that takes off the post and part of the side of the connector housing. Stay to the outside of the pin-sized hole on each side of the top of the housing. There is quite a bit of extra plastic on each side of the housing, so you have some room for error. Just be sure not to damage the part that actually inserts into the female SATA port. The eSATA drive enclosure will need to power the HDD.

This same modification should work with a regular M SATA to F SATA cable and allow use of a bare 3.5" SATA HDD if you have a power supply for it.

Here's a photo of the modified cable:

[varkey]

^ Thanks for the pics. I will try that out.

[sambul13]

Why an external SATA enclosure (not eSATA) should be self powered? Is it possible to modify or just use a standard SATA data & power cable connector to fit the GFN dock and draw power from it?

I also wonder, if GFN and GFH SATA dock's power connectors have the same specs, since GFH dock powers a larger 3.5" HD, and GFN docks power 2 x 2.5" laptop HDs ? If you connect an HD in supplied or external enclosure, once the drive stops spinning on its own, can it be accessed again over LAN, or GFN would need a hard reboot?

When using Seagate FreeAgent 3.5" factory enclosure supplied with GFH, can it fit ANY 3.5" SATA drive make or only certain Seagate's models? I've a Samsung green HD, wonder if it'll fit into it, and whether the enclosure heats up at copying files or media streaming, and cools well when mounted to the dock?

[ebbix]

I don't completely get your point, but even though I don't know whether GoFlex Net powers SATA connectors with 12 Volts (2.5" drives don't need it [they do only need 5V and 3.3V {which - if needed - can be converted internally out of the 5V provided}], but 3.5" do), but it should be possible to modify a SATA power extension cable to provide 12V. GoFlex Net is powered by a 12V power supply, so you might just use it. However, a 3.5" hard drive might crash your GoFlex Net while spinning up, in that case you would need a more powerful 12V supply.

[bodhi]

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I also wonder, if GFN and GFH SATA dock's power connectors have the same specs, since GFH dock powers a larger 3.5" HD, and GFN docks power 2 x 2.5" laptop HDs ? If you connect an HD in supplied or external enclosure, once the drive stops spinning on its own, can it be accessed again over LAN, or GFN would need a hard reboot?

When using Seagate FreeAgent 3.5" factory enclosure supplied with GFH, can it fit ANY 3.5" SATA drive make or only certain Seagate's models? I've a Samsung green HD, wonder if it'll fit into it, and whether the enclosure heats up at copying files or media streaming, and cools well when mounted to the dock?

[sambul13]

Thanks for clearing things up. I'm thinking of hooking up two 3.5" SATA HDs in external enclosures to GFN. A non-powered enclosure costs just a few bucks on Ebay, but it looks it must be powered driving costs up.