Maximum, it is possible to connect 4x2TB disks in a RAID.
However, I run the device under the following conditions:
HDD: 3x1TB (Western Digital Caviar Green)
RAID: 5
Connection: USB
A manual was with me in the bag is not in, but this is downloadable on the website of Fantec.
[1] It is screwed directly to the hard drive is a way to handle that is to assist in removing the drive from the enclosure.
[2] At the back adjusts to how many sheets you want to include in the RAID
[3] RAID mode select
[4] IMPORTANT IS NOT IN THE INSTRUCTIONS: Connect to PC or other device via one of the interfaces,
otherwise the part of principle does nothing ever !! It only lights up the FANTEC LED, but neither fans nor hard drives
are switched on. This one thinks the same one has done something wrong.
After a few seconds the device is configurable already on the PC, such as a "normal" USB hard drive.
Since nothing in the manual can be found on how the housing behaves exactly when a disk fails, I've tried that.
### TEST
[1] copied 10GB data on the RAID system
via USB to reach here max. 30 MB / s.
[2] plate no. 1 removed, and manual formatting.
[3] case turned on:
Now the RESTORE LED flashes. The status LED of the entnommmenen disk, and the ERROR LED, stay out (no flashing etc.)
The data will remain in this state still accessible!
. [4] No 1 plate reintroduced:
Now the RESTORE-LED, the ERROR LED and the status LED of the hard disk red flashes. The data remain accessible!
The RESTORE mode takes about 10 hours per TB !!!
. [5] disk No. 2 away:
Data can be accessed, restore seems to have funtkioniert. For safety, I have the CRC32 checksums of all copied
Files can compare with the originals. All have agreed.
### PRO
[+] Compact and handsome
[+] Henkel system for plate removal
[+] Status lights (if you know what these mean ...)
[+] Easily configurable
[+] Automatic fan control: on the lightest stage very quiet
[+] Housing and plates remain cool at all times
[+] Interfaces
[+] Seems to work reliably
[+] Data at any time (except meltdown) accessible
### CONTRA
[-] On / off button can not push (works but vll this is "defect" only for me!)
[-] Instructions very poor
[-] Pricey
[-] Partial misleading LED combinations (eg ERROR and RESTORE shine each time for a few seconds)
### UPDATE November 2011
The device still works smoothly and reliably! Meanwhile, I have 4x2 TB drives installed (maximum) and had no data loss. In addition, I have also purchased the successor model "QB-35US3R" which Perfectly also operates continuously!