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Topic: External Harddrive Questions ??

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XyVoX

Hi i need to get a proper external HD as im currently using a USB stick but wished to know do all 2.5" drives require the use of 2 USB ports on the Wii U using one of those Y-cables to power the drive correctly ? and do you have any recommendations on a decent enclosure for a 2.5" drive as i have a 1tb drive coming, thx

XyVoX

Pootypie

XyVoX wrote:

Hi i need to get a proper external HD as im currently using a USB stick but wished to know do all 2.5" drives require the use of 2 USB ports on the Wii U using one of those Y-cables to power the drive correctly ? and do you have any recommendations on a decent enclosure for a 2.5" drive as i have a 1tb drive coming, thx

I would recommend to get a usb hub instead because it gives you more space rather than wasting 2 usb slots on the wii u. I have a usb hub connected to my wii u and I still have 3 slots left. My hub has 4 slots and there is external hard drive (it needs y cable but if you connect it to the hub there is no y cable needed), the gamecube controller adapter (which takes up two slots) and the charger for the wii u pro controller. Although if you get what the above poster posted then I don't think you need y cable/hub to make it work with wii u. Just remember that 2tb is the maximum compatible.

Pootypie

Switch Friend Code: SW-4862-0398-5013 | 3DS Friend Code: 5198-3100-0796 | My Nintendo: Pootypie | Nintendo Network ID: BlueMario1998

blaisedinsd

Nintendo recommends externally powered hard drives. I have had problems with Y cables and hubs so I would follow that recommendation if you can.

SW-7087-5868-6390

XyVoX

blaisedinsd wrote:

Nintendo recommends externally powered hard drives. I have had problems with Y cables and hubs so I would follow that recommendation if you can.

Yeah the trouble with externally powered drives are that when the device either Wii U or PC power down the drive/enclosure remains powered on well at least it does in any of the various enclosure ive ever used.

XyVoX

FargusPelagius

@XyVoX:
No sure what drive your suing but most modern USB 2 or USB3 externally powered drives automatically power down when the device it is connected too powers down. The problem your referring too usually happened with older USB devices, anything built in the last 4 years won't react like that.
Mines a 1TB Buffalo Drive station USB 2 got it in January 2013 for £50, no problem yet, it's actually faster than the Wii Us 32gig internal storage memory, so god knows what cheap pap they put in the machine.

FargusPelagius

erv

My advice is to go with an externally powered version. I've got a toshiba one, a canvio 2tb in white. It works like a charm. And if you're a download only person like I am, you'll find that 1tb or more is really welcome, especially if you want to keep downloading discounted games for later months.

Don't bother with either Y cables or usb storage disks. Usually, unless you get the very expensive ones, the usb ssd storage can't handle the amount of read and write happening with the disk and forms bad clusters on it physically. The better solid state disks fix that but, well, you'll need that power to get that functionality thus making a stick a moot option.

I bought a wii U with that hard drive from the start and never bought a disc based game beyond black ops 2 which wasn't in the eshop. Couldn't be happier about the way it works.

Switch code: SW-0397-5211-6428
PlayStation: genetic-eternal

Nintendo Network ID: genet1c

XyVoX

erv wrote:

My advice is to go with an externally powered version. I've got a toshiba one, a canvio 2tb in white. It works like a charm. And if you're a download only person like I am, you'll find that 1tb or more is really welcome, especially if you want to keep downloading discounted games for later months.

Don't bother with either Y cables or usb storage disks. Usually, unless you get the very expensive ones, the usb ssd storage can't handle the amount of read and write happening with the disk and forms bad clusters on it physically. The better solid state disks fix that but, well, you'll need that power to get that functionality thus making a stick a moot option.

I bought a wii U with that hard drive from the start and never bought a disc based game beyond black ops 2 which wasn't in the eshop. Couldn't be happier about the way it works.

So are your drives 2.5" or 3.5" and thinking about it all my enclosures including those vertical hot swaps are all over 5 years old.

XyVoX

Sean_Aaron

I have a hub and it works a treat with my Seagate portable and the Toshiba Canvio 1TB backup disk. I also run my GameCube controller adapter through it and have my Gamepad charging through it and connect a Neet AirPlay device through it.

I think the thing you need to be careful of with hubs is that not all of them output enough voltage to power a USB hard drive, so you really need to make sure to check the output voltage or the description to ensure it states it will run hard drives. That will mean that the cheapest ones aren't an option and you shouldn't assume that having external power means the hub is suitable. If Nintendo had only used a better USB controller that delivered more bus power this wouldn't be that difficult!

BLOG, mail: [email protected]
Nintendo ID: sean.aaron

erv

@XyVoX: I went with 3.5 inch because portability is not an issue and usually the 2,5 ones are the portables without power supply which don't really seem to work.

Also, for the same capacity, the price ratio works in your favour.

Switch code: SW-0397-5211-6428
PlayStation: genetic-eternal

Nintendo Network ID: genet1c

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