External USB RAID Device?

[ittimjones]

So, I have a bunch of USB flash drives that I've accumulated over the years. I want to use the storage on my network, but I want it to show as one single entity.

So, does anyone know of an external device in which I could connect a USB hub with multiple USB drives (or HDD's, or w/e) to that would RAID or span the media?

I plan on connecting the data to my router, as I have this router that can do alot with attached storage: http://www.asus.com/Networks/Wireless_Routers/RTN66U/

 

[ittimjones]

I know you can span USB devices in Windows 7 Ultimate, but I'd really like it to be a standalone device...

 

[ittimjones]

So, nobody in all of the Tom's Hardware land has any input?

 

[ELMO_2006]

Hi...

No such hardware exists - not yet!

 

[ocmusicjunkie]

If we are talking years of data, I would suggest you get it all onto more stable media and use that for your setup. Flash memory is not generally intended or expected to maintain itself over time for archieve situations nearly as well as a HDD platter will. Get a nice external enclosure and 5400rpm 2.5" sata II drive. Upload all the files to the drive with it internally connected to your pc (this will save days of bottlenecking the write speed via a usb connection), then move the drive to the enclosure afterwards. The enclosure plus a 320gb Scorpio Blue would be under $75....

 

[ittimjones]

If we are talking years of data, I would suggest you get it all onto more stable media and use that for your setup. Flash memory is not generally intended or expected to maintain itself over time for archieve situations nearly as well as a HDD platter will. Get a nice external enclosure and 5400rpm 2.5" sata II drive. Upload all the files to the drive with it internally connected to your pc (this will save days of bottlenecking the write speed via a usb connection), then move the drive to the enclosure afterwards. The enclosure plus a 320gb Scorpio Blue would be under $75....

Not even on the same planet of what I'm talking about... thanks for the reply tho.

 

[ittimjones]

Hi...

No such hardware exists - not yet!

I'm starting to think that. I can't imagine that it would be that complex to make...

 

[ittimjones]

Some sort of data manager?

I can't imagine this technology is that difficult to fabricate. I mean, basically a stand alone RAID card with interfaces...

 

[FireWire2]

There are some basic problems you have there with USB flash - it DOES not do well in RANDOM read and write...
When you try to W/R in the same device it slows down to 3~5MB/s. this is not a device you want to use... USB flash intends for portable