How many external USB drives can we use with an HDR-FOX T2? And what type of multi-port USB hub?

SceneByScene

SceneByScene

New Member
[ In advance: here is a warning! ;) that we are not that au fait with the techie terms for a lot of the features of our Humax, So will just have to use the term that we think best describes what we are talking about!

After all, if we knew the correct terms we would probably be tech-savvy enough to already know what we are doing with the gadget, & could thus solve our own problem! LOL! :X3: ]


How many external USB drives can we effectively use with our HDR-FOX T2? And what type of multi-port USB hub do we need?

We now have 5 external drives plugged into the Humax via a USB multi-port hub. This is an increase from 3 external drives.

The problem is that since we increased from 3 drives to 5, we have noticed that the computer interface often loses full sight of 1 or more of the external USB drives
e.g. we see a shortened label of "drive1" & "drive2" etc., rather than usual label of "USB-drive1" & "USB-drive2" etc.

We see the label of just "drive1" - on both the computer interface & the TV screen itself. Then when we try to access the drive (either via the computer interface or the Humax itself) only a handful of files & folders on that external drive can be seen or accessed. The files & folders are still there, they just aren't visible when the drive is named the incorrect "drive1" ! :(

Are we perhaps using too many external drives for this Humax? As when we had just 3 this didn't happen.

Or is the USB multi-port the problem? Is it the wrong type/too weak?

The multi-hub is an: Aukey 7 Port USB 3.o Hub (MPN: CD-H3). It is mains powered.

So as you can see, the hub is not being used to full capacity (just 5 of the 7 USB ports are being used at the mo).

How do we ensure we can see the full contents of the drive i.e. see the drive with the correct label of "USB-drive1"?
 
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I don't know what the limit is, but you need to bear in mind the Humax firmware was probably not written with this kind of usage in mind. That said, using virtual USB drives (by dint of the custom firmware ability to access remote network drives - specifically other HDR-FOXes - as virtualised local USB drives), I have at least four in my list, sometimes five.

"drive1" (etc) is correct, the exact form of the identification depending on the type of file system on the drive in question. You won't get the volume label of the drive.
 
Thanks for your help.

Re volume label: I know I won't see this, as we never have seen this with the multi-hub we are using with our Humax; either when viewing the external drives via the computer interface, or via the TV screen display (of the content of the Humax & external drives).

I am referring to what I suppose one could call the 'drive name as given by the Humax software'*.

I want to know why sometimes the drive name (*) shows as "usb-drive1" & sometimes as "drive1". The drive name "usb-drive1" is the default drive name. Only sometimes does it change/show as "drive1".

When "usb-drive1" is displayed, all the folders & files on the drive show fully i.e. the external drive is fully viewable & accessible. So I need to know why "drive1" is sometimes displayed instead. We need to remedy this if we can, because when this "drive1" drive name occurs, only part of the folders & files on the drive show fully i.e. the external drive is NOT fully viewable & accessible. This is frustrating.
 
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Yes. All 5 of our external drives, at different times. It didn';t happen when we had only 3 such drives.

Re your comment "I have at least four in my list, sometimes five": have you had any problems such as ours?

What type of USB multi-port hub are you using? Maybe our own Aukey 7 Port USB 3.o Hub (MPN: CD-H3) is the cause of the problem with our external drives?
 
SceneByScene said:
Yes. All 5 of our external drives, at different times. It didn';t happen when we had only 3 such drives.

Re your comment "I have at least four in my list, sometimes five": have you had any problems such as ours?

What type of USB multi-port hub are you using? Maybe our own Aukey 7 Port USB 3.o Hub (MPN: CD-H3) is the cause of the problem with our external drives?
Click to expand...
No, I said I'm using NAS mounts as virtual USB drives.
 
You only see a drive mounted as 'usb-drive' if it in NTFS format and you have the NTFS-3G package installed. First the drive will be mounted as 'drive' by the standard firmware and then remounted as 'usb-drive' by the custom firmware. Reinstalling the NTFS-3G package might fix the problem. However, IIRC, the Humax software does not support daisy-chaining of USB hubs. A seven port USB hub may actually be two daisy-chained hubs internally, so this could be the problem. A four port USB hub in each USB port should work though.

Edit. The link in post #6 goes into more detail about NTFS-3G and drive mounting.
 
I think the gist of all that is "don't use NTFS as the filesystem" then. Much better off using ext3 (or possibly exfat).
 
BTW, 1 other thing:

I have just noticed that in the case of one of the external drives currently named the shorter "driveX" (this drive is "drive2"), that all the folders & files are displayed/shown.

That looks to be good news :) until I checked the drive's functionality & sadly found that even then the drive & its folders/files are still not readable! i.e. the drive is not workable.

As if I try to copy&paste or cut&paste a file from the Humax internal drive to that "drive2" (or vice versa!) then it just won't paste at all!

This never happens when this/a drive is named as "usb-driveX" :(

So I can see it is going to take some work/time correcting the problem! :-/
 
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Might I ask why do you have/want multiple USB devices? Surely it would be 'better' and less confusing with just one big USB HDD or fit a larger HDD into the Hummy?
 
Trev said:
Might I ask why do you have/want multiple USB devices? Surely it would be 'better' and less confusing with just one big USB HDD or fit a larger HDD into the Hummy?
Click to expand...

Or make use of a NAS mount with [network-shares-automount], I have around 12TB of recordings centrally available that way, with the added benefit of some additional fault tolerance over single HDD's...
 
Re your various ideas: :thumbsup:.

And yes, a single large drive would be best, but we looked into this a year or so ago & thought (?!) that we had read that a large external USB drive couldn't be supported by the Humax we own.

Maybe we were wrong with that research?

Do you, Trev, have experience of using "just one big USB HDD"? If so, what model/type do you recommend.

So I'm going to start with looking into:
(i) the subject of an NTFS filesystem (whatever that is!)
(ii) a single large drive.

Re "fit a larger HDD into the Hummy": with our current minimal techy-knowhow :confused: - such a DIY job is way out of our Hummy skills! :D

As for sceptic's helpful advice, I have had to give up on the techie terms that go over my head with
"NAS mount with [network-shares-automount] [...] additional fault tolerance over single HDD's":
err, pardon?! :unsure: I can see I am going to have to start another degree, this time in some kind of I.T. & software development! with a specialism in the Humax!! :roflmao:
 
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No I haven't used a big USB drive, but others have. I just wondered why you wanted/needed a plethora of USB drives via a hub?
Fitting a larger internal drive is not very difficult and there is plenty of expertise here to help if you are up to using a screwdriver and a bit of common sense.
Q1. What size internal drive do you have already?
SceneByScene said:
that a large external USB drive couldn't be supported by the Humax we own.
Click to expand...
Yes it can. A 'normal 2 1/2" external drive is supported by the Hummy, but a 5 1/4" is more problematical due to power requirements (but not impossible).
Q 2. Do you have a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device connected to your network?
NTFS is a disc format system. Wait for some recommendations, as I'm certain someone who has experience with external HDDs will be along with some suggestions and guidance re. formatting etc.

C'mon experts. Where are you in SBS's hour of need?
 
The main issue is that the OP doesn't appear to be familiar with the Custom Firmware.

With CF installed you can:
  • Use NTFS for external drives, which supports larger files than FAT - see Things Every... (click) section 12;
  • Use GPT for the internal drive, which supports fitting an HDD of practically unlimited size;
  • Access network storage (be that a NAS drive, or your PC's drive, or another HDR-FOX).
There is plenty of reading to do, and then we can discuss appropriate solutions. Having multiple drives hung off a USB hub does not strike me as sensible - why???

https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/new-readers-start-here.839/
https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/things-every-hd-fox-t2-hdr-fox-t2-owner-should-know.1858/
https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/quick-start-guide.1301/
 
Ah I see. A HD T2 not an HDR T2. That explains some of my queries. Didn't notice that.:oops:
Blows the idea of a big internal drive right out of the water then.
Unless OP has posted in wrong section?
 
Black Hole said:
With CF installed you can:
  • Use NTFS for external drives, which supports larger files than FAT - see Things Every... (click) section 12;
  • Use GPT for the internal drive, which supports fitting an HDD of practically unlimited size;
  • Access network storage (be that a NAS drive, or your PC's drive, or another HDR-FOX).
Click to expand...
Don't forget exFAT support too.
 
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