MAX USB EXTERNAL DRIVES?

[mindwave]

My name is Mindwave and I am a DATA JUNKIE

i know, but sometimes i feel lik im taking 12 steps everytime i ask about his question.

but here goes, i build my own pcs, not a genius or an expert just a cheapskate when it comes to some things.

so my main pc is a decent enough rig w/ 32gb ram 5 internal hds and 1 internal ssd.

still want more access to more data.

primary os = linux mint 17.7

but even running them through a powered usb hub, i cant get the pc to recognize more than 5 usb hds

now ive been doing this long enough to recall that in its initial spec usb was going to give us 127 devices in 1 channel

but its just never worked that way for me.

just for grins i tried it on my windows pc, in both identical hardware setup and now different ones, using everything from XP all the way throughwin.10.nov.18

did i miss something? am i still missing something?

ive tried same series of external usb hds, different, ive tried different makers

all to no avail

whats worse is sometimes i can toss in a 2gb usb key and its immediately found and sometimes its not, and then other drives start dropping off the chain......

truly bizzare.....

any and all assistace is appreciated

thoughts ideas suggestion,m rumors....

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Sounds like your powered hub is running our of power. Try plugging in a second one and dividing the hard drives between it. Or use hard drive enclosures with their own power supplies.

 

[Rifter]

How many of the drives you are connecting have external power sources?

 

[VirtualLarry]

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...r-_-111918-112418-_-1B4-00CB-001W8-_-pg13pos3

 

[sdifox]

Are your external hdds powered by a wallwart at all or just through usb? If only through USB then you might be hitting the available current wall.

I have like fifteen external hdd. They are all powered by power bricks.

 

[mindwave]

SHAZAM That Qnap is a BEAST, pays like one too!

But yes that was the VERY 1st thing I tried several years back, see I USED to have these MONSTER custom built full size towers, because I ran (hold on) full height 5 1/4" SCSI drives.
Then when the AC couldn't keep up (I live in FL), I moved to more reasonable drives, but have had as many as 14 idea's + SATAS inside the tower. but that was really a bad idea (after a while) so I started moving to externals.

Right now I have 5 drives internal SATA HDD's and 1 SSD and then NEVER more than 6 external drives, the HUB is powered and each drive is powered. The big change up now, is USB2/USB3 and there is no consistency there either.

Typically its 2 USB3's and 4 USB2's but I have run all 3's and all 2's

makes no difference 6 is where I start to lose them. I plug in a USB Memory Key, and I either lose a drive and gain the key, or the key isn't recognized and its 50/50 whether I lose a drive.

The MAJOR bizarre part of it is, I have 2 PC's that are ALMOST identical sitting on opposite sides of my desk, 1 Linux Mint 18 ,1 Windows 10, both have the same issues.

That's why I started thinking that it was a limitation of Windows that I didn't know anything about.

Any and all ideas are appreciated,

thanks

J

 

[sdifox]

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It is definitely not a windows limitation.

 

[Rifter]

It could be the hub, maybe try a differnt hub. I have one cheaper USB 2.0 hub i think i got it off eforcity like a decade ago for $3 that wigs out with more than 4 things plugged in(which is great because its a 7 port hub lol)