# Multiple external hard drives



## scredsfan (Feb 10, 2006)

I searched the forum but couldn't find any recent posts on connecting multiple hard drives to a 622. I currently have one Western Digital external drive connected to my 622. Is it possible to have a second external drive connected to the 622? If so, how is it done?


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## ChuckA (Feb 7, 2006)

Only 1 drive at a time can be connected to a USB port on the receiver. Some folks do use a USB hub with multiple drives attached to it and I guess that works as long as you only have one connected drive powered on at a time.


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## olds403 (Nov 20, 2007)

A usb SWITCH will work. I have one connected to my 722 with 3 WD 1T drives connected. It is true that you can only have 1 drive connected at a time, but using the switch and only powering 1 drive at a time works perfectly.

I believe my switch is from Kensington, it has 4 ports that I can connect drives to and 1 port out to the dvr. It has buttons on top that you use to select which drive you want to access. I just have to push the button to disconnect the present drive before I push the button to connect a different one when changing drives.


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## scredsfan (Feb 10, 2006)

When connecting multiple ehd's to a 622, what USB switch do most folks use?


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I don't do this myself.. I just manually connect/disconnect... but I know others have used hubs.

I believe any brand/make will work as long as the USB hub/switch has its own power. In other words, you can't use one that needs to be powered by the receiver.


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## olds403 (Nov 20, 2007)

The usb switch that I use is the Kensington ShareCentral 5. It has its own power supply, and each port has its own on off button. I paid 59.99 for mine from J&R but it is available from many retailers.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

Use a SATA/USB hard drive dock.

Swap the drives in and out of the dock to change drives.


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## olds403 (Nov 20, 2007)

Isn't it easier to push a button on a switch than to swap out the drives themselves?


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

How many switches do you have?

I have 6 external drives that I use on my 622.


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## olds403 (Nov 20, 2007)

I am running 3 drives on a 4 port switch.


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## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

Hmmm.. Wow I was not aware of the number of people having multiple External drives for their Vip receivers... Can people that have multi EHD configurations sound off with the following info. I think it would be helpful. (Plan on adding this to the tips and tricks section)

1 - What type of switch do you have. (Make, Model, Number of ports). 
2 - How many EHDs do you have and what are their storage capacity.


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## TulsaOK (Feb 24, 2004)

Ron Barry said:


> Hmmm.. Wow I was not aware of the number of people having multiple External drives for their Vip receivers... Can people that have multi EHD configurations sound off with the following info. I think it would be helpful. (Plan on adding this to the tips and tricks section)
> 
> 1 - What type of switch do you have. (Make, Model, Number of ports).
> 2 - How many EHDs do you have and what are their storage capacity.


I have:
1TB Western Digital My Book Essential
640Gb Western Digital My Book Essential
320Gb Western Digital My Book Essential

I have one cable connected to my 722. I unplug and plug each time I want to change drives. I don't change that often. I have one drive that contains programs that my wife doesn't like but I do. One drive for movies. One drive for complete network series programs when the networks are in re-run mode. 
It does take a trip to the back of the TV to change cables, but like I said it happens maybe twice a week.


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## Galaxie6411 (Aug 26, 2007)

Good info, my 750GB WD is nearly full of movies and I have had to clear some TV series out that I never was able to watch to make more room. I've had this idea in the back of my mind for quite a while now. My 622 is also acting a bit flaky so I am afraid of losing everything on it at any time, it would be nice to put nearly everything elsewhere just to be safe. Plus if the 922 ever comes out and is affordable I can move everything off the 622 and not lose anything in the switch.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I just have 2 drives. I have a 1TB, and a 500GB both of which are Western Digital Essentials.

I basically keep one at each of my receivers (622 and 722), though I have swapped them back and forth before.


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

I have 5 EHD. 
2 Western Digital 500 GB Mybook
1 Western Digital 620 GB Mybook
1 Western Digital 750 GB Mybook
1 Seagate Freeagent 1.5 Tb Desk

No switch, I manually switch drives. And I have 3 Vip622's that I move drives between


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

I have 1 - 500GB WD, 4 - 250GB Seagate, 1 80GB WD hot swapped to one 622 with a Thermaltake BlacX SATA/USB 2.0 dock.


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## olds403 (Nov 20, 2007)

I have the Kensington ShareCentral 5 usb switch with 3 drives, and 1 port open for a 4th one.

all my drives are 1T WD mybook essential drives.

Works like a charm. The switch sits on top of my 722, all I have to do is select which drive I want using the buttons on the switch.


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## TulsaOK (Feb 24, 2004)

olds403 said:


> I have the Kensington ShareCentral 5 usb switch with 3 drives, and 1 port open for a 4th one.
> 
> all my drives are 1T WD mybook essential drives.
> 
> Works like a charm. The switch sits on top of my 722, all I have to do is select which drive I want using the buttons on the switch.


Does that require any adapters or do the original cables work?


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## olds403 (Nov 20, 2007)

The switch comes with usb cable that plugs into the dvr, all the drives came with their own usb cables, so I didn't have to buy any other types of cables or adapters


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