USB via RJ45?

DylJonesDylJones
edited April 2006 in Hardware
Hey everyone!
I have an interesting issue I'd like some opinions on.

I have a server which has 2 mirrored 70GB SCSI drives. Of the 70GB over 45GB is used. I recently bought an external 250GB USB drive to use as an extra backup device (I already use daily tape backups).

However, I have hit a problem. The server (a Dell Poweredge 1750) only has USB 1.1 ports. The last backup took 27 hours to complete. This isn't really appropriate as you may have guessed :)

It's been suggested that the USB drive could be connected through one of the network ports on the server, meaning data speed would have a (theoretical) increase from 12MBPS to 100MBPS or more (since I think the network ports are gigabit ones).

Firstly - is this possible?

Secondly, what convertor/cable can I get and where can I get it from?

If anyone has any ideas I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks!:welshflag

Comments

  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited April 2006
    I've never seen an ethernet -> USB2.0 converter, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

    Have you considered buying a USB 2.0 card? They're pretty cheap.
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited April 2006
    He may be referring to putting your drive in an external enclosure with built-in SAN (storage area network). Such enclosures have ethernet ports and show up on your network as network shares. I believe most of these support Samba though which is good for Windows users but if your servers run Linux you may need to add Samba support to your system which can be a security hole if you don't already use it. There may be some enclosures available that support NFS though so don't give up.

    You can get something like this at CompUSA, Frys Electronics, or Newegg. Look under external enclosures.

    NB: the speeds here will be limited by the network interfaces. I don't think it'll be much faster than 1.1 but prove me wrong.

    -drasnor :fold:
  • DylJonesDylJones
    edited April 2006
    Hey guys, thanks for the replies.

    I'd love to put a USB 2.0 card in it but unfortunately it's a rackmount style server so there's no room for one. We've spoken to Dell who have said there's no way to put one in. Incidentally, the Dell 'technician' also suggested that the USB 1.1 port could be upgraded to USB 2.0 by a software patch.

    The idea of connecting an external storage device through the network port actually came from my dad calling PC World. They suggested we buy a device much like you said Drasnor. An external hard drive with network port built in. The only complication is that we have already bought the other hard drive and so we'd have to pay out again. I guess this is an option we may have to look at but for cost reasons it's low on the list.

    Thanks again guys! Anyone got any more ideas?
  • EssoEsso Stockholm, Sweden
    edited April 2006
    If you can't upgrade to USB2 functionality by driver upgrade (which I doubt)
    You might consider buying one PCI raiser card and one USB2 card.

    http://www.kontron-emea.com/index.php?id=226&cat=433&productid=666
  • DylJonesDylJones
    edited April 2006
    Thanks for that. I'll look into what I can fit into the server.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited April 2006
    I'd suggest using another computer capable of taking the information from the USB drive and putting it over to the server via a faster connection, gigabit ethernet if you have it... or regular ethernet.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited April 2006
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812107293

    Maybe that's what you need.... if you get it, tell us how it went ;)

    EDIT: Though on second though it may be just for the USB port to hold an ethernet connection and not the other way around.
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited April 2006
    If you just buy an empty enclosure and pull the hard drive out of your existing external enclosure you could save yourself some money.

    -drasnor :fold:
  • lemonlimelemonlime Canada Member
    edited April 2006
    Im surprised the tell technician told you that the PE1750 cannot support a PCI USB card. We have a handful of those 1750 1U boxes at work, and I believe they all come with a riser card, and a single 64-bit PCI slot (you can use a normal 32 bit card in it). Might be worth opening it up to double check :) I could be wrong, but I'm almost certain..
  • DylJonesDylJones
    edited April 2006
    Thanks for the replies guys.

    Lemonlime, I'm going to take another look at it when I get the chance to see if I could put a riser card in it. Thanks!
  • sgtwilliamssgtwilliams Grand Rapids MI
    edited April 2006
    http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/pedge/en/1750_specs.pdf

    Is the specs on the 1750 which states 2 PCI slots, they mount sideways on the back right if I am correct and if the config is similar to my Dell 1650s, all of which I have PCI cards in.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2006
    the Dell 'technician' also suggested that the USB 1.1 port could be upgraded to USB 2.0 by a software patch.
    I've never looked closely, but I thought USB 1.1 and 2.0 had different pinouts. No?
  • sgtwilliamssgtwilliams Grand Rapids MI
    edited April 2006
    No sir USB 1.1 vs USB 2.0 is simply software.

    i.e. XP SP2 is all that is needed in newer PCs.
  • rykoryko new york
    edited April 2006
    not true, b/c then the software in xp2 would make my p3-700mhz lappy usb1.1 ports into usb2.0....and it doesn't.

    only if you have compatible usb2.0 ports can the software in xp2 see them. no matter what you do with software, it won't turn your usb1.1 ports into usb2.0 ports.

    unrecognized usb2.0 ports will act as usb1.1 untill xp2 is installed...but they are still usb2.0 ports.
  • sgtwilliamssgtwilliams Grand Rapids MI
    edited April 2006
    I stand corrected.
  • EssoEsso Stockholm, Sweden
    edited April 2006
    I belive that lemonlime is correct, you will be able to get one USB2 card that fits in the PC.

    One thing about mine Dell 8250 (P4 2.66 GHz) that it managed these transfer speed with the external USB2 MAPOWER drive.
    XP-SP1 --> ~16 MB/s
    XP-SP2 --> ~22 MB/s

    My DFI motherboard (Opteron 165) with nVIDIA nF4 managed ...
    XP-SP2 --> ~33 MB/s

    Note,
    The VIA driver update is managed by Microsoft.
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