USB Caddy keeps dropping out

[laserblazer]

We have a USB SATA caddy on our curriculum server that works pretty flawlessly. I recently got the same model, except it supports USB 3.0, for the admin server and that keeps dropping out. I just went down to school to let a teacher in, who had lost her keys and the backup had failed. Pulling out and replacing the usb lead got it running again but for how long? It's a Dell Optiplex server and it only has 4 usb ports 2 rear and 2 front. All of these are used and I'm wondering if the logical step would be to get a USB 3.0 card for the caddy.

[SYNACK]

What OS is the server running, some hardware is a tad messy under USB and looses its connection requireing an unplug/replug to detect it again. Had it with a certain brandx brand of USB drives on a server on server 2003 but had less issues with 2008. Replacing the caddies made it better but USB will tend to fail for long term links. A USB3 card may help if the host drivers are better. If there is any power managment stuff then you can try disabling that also.

[mac_shinobi]

Also using the USB Ports on the back ( rear ) of the server, I tend to use the ones directly underneath the onboard ethernet port. Does it do the same on a similar server or just this one ?

[laserblazer]

They are both 2003 and the curriculum one is fine. I might swap the caddies over and see if that makes a difference. I'm using the front port at the moment because the rear ones are full of mouse/keyboard. I suppose I could try putting the mouse/keyboard into a hub and that would free up a port.

[AngryTechnician]

For the new caddy to have USB 3 support it's almost certainly an entirely different SATA to USB chipset from the old caddy, so frankly all bets are off regardless of how good the old one is. No caddy manufacturers make their own chipsets, so the new chipset might not even be from the same company as the old one.

 

I would be pointing fingers at the caddy before even thinking about anything else being the issue.

[laserblazer]

I would be pointing fingers at the caddy before even thinking about anything else being the issue

 

You could well be right. That's why I thought swapping them over might help. If the problem goes with it, I'd say the caddy is at fault. It is the second one we got as the first had bits rattling about inside!

[laserblazer]

Swapped the caddies over and both seem to be fine now.