Dedicated Blue Iris PC - External HDD via USB 3

[John Joseph]

Hi,

quick question - is it suitable to have a dedicated PC with an internal SSD drive for Windows, with a Western Digital Purple for the recording connected externally via USB 3 (assuming there's no room internally for it) ?

Thanks

 

[mat200]

Hi,

quick question - is it suitable to have a dedicated PC with an internal SSD drive for Windows, with a Western Digital Purple for the recording connected externally via USB 3 (assuming there's no room internally for it) ?

Thanks

Hi John,

I wouldn't trust an external USB HDD for constant streaming of data, I would be more comfortable using SATA or eSATA.

That noted, I have not actually seen any definitive reviews or articles on using an external USB 3 HDD for recording streaming data.

 

[SyconsciousAu]

Hi,

quick question - is it suitable to have a dedicated PC with an internal SSD drive for Windows, with a Western Digital Purple for the recording connected externally via USB 3 (assuming there's no room internally for it) ?

Thanks

I'd have a few concerns. First is bandwidth. With Modern IP cameras streaming 10Mb per second in some cases, you could potentially overwhelm even USB3 bandwidth if you had enough cameras. Two is the USB enclosure itself acting as a bottleneck. Three is longevity. External USB drives are designed for the odd read write where speed is not really an issue, nor is heat. You are going to ask the drive and the enclosure to do continuous read/writes 24/7. That sounds like failure waiting to happen.

E Sata PCI slot bracket | eBay

get something like that instead if space is an issue.

 

[Cor]

I have 2 external Hd's with USB 3, because I wanted to bolt the Hd's to the wall.
17 Cameras recording 24/7 , no problem , running for about a year now.

Cor

 

[Mr_D]

I'd have a few concerns. First is bandwidth. With Modern IP cameras streaming 10Mb per second in some cases, you could potentially overwhelm even USB3 bandwidth if you had enough cameras. Two is the USB enclosure itself acting as a bottleneck. Three is longevity. External USB drives are designed for the odd read write where speed is not really an issue, nor is heat. You are going to ask the drive and the enclosure to do continuous read/writes 24/7. That sounds like failure waiting to happen.

E Sata PCI slot bracket | eBay

get something like that instead if space is an issue.

I wouldn't worry about bandwidth. SATA3 at 5Gbps is faster than even the fastest hard drive, assuming there's nothing else on the bus.

Heat could be a concern, especially if you're using a pre-made USB drive with no cooling.

 

[John Joseph]

Thanks for all your replies. It was primarily incase there was a space issue with a PC I may end up buying. If it helps, I’ll only be running two cameras initially, maybe a third to add at a later date, so not a major system with loads of writes at all.

 

[Mr_D]

Thanks for all your replies. It was primarily incase there was a space issue with a PC I may end up buying. If it helps, I’ll only be running two cameras initially, maybe a third to add at a later date, so not a major system with loads of writes at all.

I have a Dell Optiplex SFF (small form factor) desktop and it can hold a 3.5" SATA drive along with a 2.5" SATA SSD in the optical bay. It's maybe half the volume of a typical desktop mini-tower. Don't get the super tiny PCs which are basically laptops and not really fit for BI anyway.

 

[bigjoe99]

I have 2 external Hd's with USB 3, because I wanted to bolt the Hd's to the wall.
17 Cameras recording 24/7 , no problem , running for about a year now.

Cor

You must be running one of those new fangled WD fuschia drives

Honestly, the worst USB2 externals I've run across could write at about 25MBps....quite adequate for handling 10mbps streams. Even a cheap USB3 enclosure should be able to to sustain at least 100MBps with a decent drive.

Also, the type of interface has no bearing on the longevity of the drive, and external drives don't run hotter than internals. Not sure where these goofy myths come from.

My main concern with USB externals is the PC hibernating to save power, so make sure all that stuff is disabled.