E-Port Docking Station - eSata port

Is the eSata port on the E-Port docking station (combined USB 2 and eSata) a powered port? For that matter, is the eSata port on a laptop (i.e, E6xxx series) considered to be "powered" or "unpowered"

I'm having a hard time finding an external HDD which supports eSata via a "standard" eSata connector. I use to have a Seagate Freeagent Xtreme which worked with a standard connector (eStata-eSata), but Seagate does not make this kind of product anymore - they all require a "powered" eSata port to connect into.

Thanks,
Harvey

 

The eSATA ports on both the e-port and the computer are USB / eSATA combo ports. A suitable plug can use the USB contacts for power and the eSATA contacts for data.

John

 

Thanks John. I wasn't sure since the manual for the E-Port simple refers to it as a combo port - nothing is said as to whether it satisfies the definition of "powered" as required by Seagate.

As I indicated, the connector on the Freeagent Xtreme was an eSata-eSata (i.e, both connector ends were identical). The newer Seagate's require a different connector to plug into the HDD (probably proprietary) and state the need for a "powered" eSata port.

Harvey

 

Technically there is no such thing as a powered eSata port, it is not an official standard...but in practice it is essentially a eSata port and a USB port combined and the pins actually connect to both buses. Now, it is essentially being done the same by all but there is no guarantee. Before this configuration came about you generally had to connect both an eSata cable (for data) and a USB cable (power only).

The port on the port replicator is the same type as the one on the notebook.

 

Thanks. FWIW, there does not seem to be many external drives which now support eSata. On somewhat of a tangent, my son just purchased a new Alienware Aurora R3 and while it has an eSata port, I cannot find any documentaion as to whether or not it is "powered" - any thoughts?

Thanks,
Harvey

 

Look at the port. The powered eSATA ports in notebooks are all, as far as I know, USB / eSATA combo ports so they include the USB contacts and plastic tab. A desktop may have just a plain eSATa port which will lack the USB contacts and tab. The rationale for plain eSATA could be that desktop users are most likely to have 3.5" HDDs which need their own power supply. Desktops also tend to have more USB ports.

John

 

I had my son call Alienware tech support and ask them - they indicated it was powered. He also said that it looked like a powered port - they are apparently of different sizes (???). We'll see when we try connecting the HDD.

Thanks,
Harvey

 

sad thing is there are not that many power-over-esata mobile hdd's (2,5") out there. i got the verbatim store'n'go, but it was a joke, only reaching 10mb/s (write cache off).

i guess i have to wait... no high demand on powered-over-esata devices?

 

Correct. For instance the eSATA port on the HP Elitebook 8740w is not powered because it doesn't have the USB 2.0 pins within the eSATA port. Therefore, an OEM is not obligated to have their eSATA port powered with USB 2.0.

 

I would just buy an inexpensive enclosure from www.newegg.com or something which has eSATA (make sure the internal interface is SATA also) and get a SATA 2.5 drive. That's what I did, it's cheaper and it works great. The enclosure comes with a cable that goes from the power input to a USB port (which is almost always next to an eSATA port on a notebook) and gets it's power from there. You end up with two cables but it's no big deal. You can get pretty decent capacity for under $100 total and always upgrade the drive in the future. Mine also has USB 2.0 so I can connect it to other people's computers that don't have an eSATA port (which is most of the time).

This is likely going to be your own real solution. The drive manufacturers that sell pre-enclosed drive solutions aren't likely to jump on the powered eSATA bandwagon as it isn't a standard and therefore there is a much smaller market as all notebooks won't have it. And the drive biz is cutthroat so they don't waste money on projects that don't have a lot of potential.