Ping Paul...New 256GB USB Drive

Post by jetjock
I want a new 256 GB USB drive. Checked Amazon and read the 1 star
reviews. It appears that NONE of them are any good! Samsung, SanDisk,
PNY or Amazon. They all fail early, constantly disconnect or any on a
number of different problems.
What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Had my Sandisks for years. Amazon 1 Star reviews ??
although those reviews are hard to believe. So buy at Newegg

KenW

jetjock

2023-09-11 16:11:15 UTC

Post by KenW

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Had my Sandisks for years. Amazon 1 Star reviews ??
although those reviews are hard to believe. So buy at Newegg
KenW

Don't think it matters much where it's bought.

Post by KenW

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

J. P. Gilliver

2023-09-11 09:13:46 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)***@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

science is not intended to be foolproof. Science is about crawling toward the
truth over time. - Scott Adams, 2015-2-2

Zaidy036

2023-09-11 13:55:03 UTC

Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)

If it is for desktop use look at
<https://www.amazon.com/SSK-External-Docking-Enclosure-Supports/dp/B08P1539VD/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2M735N31QK2AP&keywords=Hard+Drive+Dock+SSK+USB+3.0+to+SATA&qid=1694440285&s=electronics&sprefix=hard+drive+dock+ssk+usb+3.0+to+sata%2Celectronics%2C119&sr=1-5>
and install a HDD of the size desired.

Ken Blake

2023-09-11 14:32:15 UTC

Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)

I've long used external USB HD enclosures, but never a device like
this. Can you, or anyone else here who has used this, compare it to an
external USB HD enclosure? What's better about this? What's worse
about it?

I use an external USB HD enclosure for backup. Should I switch to
this? Why?

Zaidy036

2023-09-11 15:16:23 UTC

Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)

I've long used external USB HD enclosures, but never a device like
this. Can you, or anyone else here who has used this, compare it to an
external USB HD enclosure? What's better about this? What's worse
about it?
I use an external USB HD enclosure for backup. Should I switch to
this? Why?

I have two of these with HDD for backup including images. Exchange
weekly so one disconnected to protected from ransom attack. Use two so
do not wear them out by changing HDDs frequently. Operate by overnight
unattended batch. Reliable, economic, easier to use than an NAS, and can
easily increase HDD size if required.

J. P. Gilliver

2023-09-11 15:59:05 UTC

Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)

If it is for desktop use look at
<https://www.amazon.com/SSK-External-Docking-Enclosure-Supports/dp/B08P
1539VD/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2M735N31QK2AP&keywords=Hard+Drive+Dock+SSK+USB+3
.0+to+SATA&qid=1694440285&s=electronics&sprefix=hard+drive+dock+ssk+usb
+3.0+to+sata%2Celectronics%2C119&sr=1-5>
and install a HDD of the size desired.

(Or SS"D" of course.)

Post by Ken Blake
I've long used external USB HD enclosures, but never a device like
this. Can you, or anyone else here who has used this, compare it to an
external USB HD enclosure? What's better about this? What's worse
about it?

Better: you can use any HD (that it has connectors for*), and change
them a lot more easily than the sort of external HD enclosure you need
to find a screwdriver for (I think they may even be hot-swappable,
though not sure about that). Worse: bigger; need a power supply (though
external holders for 3.5" drives usually do too); more knockable
(slightly).

Post by Ken Blake
I use an external USB HD enclosure for backup. Should I switch to
this? Why?

Up to you.

* I have an older model (only USB2, but also has EIDE interface) - a
common red-and-black one with two slots. It has SATA in one slot, and
EIDE in the other. Useful for archaeology (-:. You can also get them
with two SATA slots. The ones with two slots (both SATA or SATA/EIDE)
sometimes have a button, which allows copying from one drive to the
other without needing the PC connection.

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)***@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

age. fac ut gaudeam.

Ken Blake

2023-09-12 15:11:43 UTC

On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 16:59:05 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"

Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)

If it is for desktop use look at
<https://www.amazon.com/SSK-External-Docking-Enclosure-Supports/dp/B08P
1539VD/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2M735N31QK2AP&keywords=Hard+Drive+Dock+SSK+USB+3
.0+to+SATA&qid=1694440285&s=electronics&sprefix=hard+drive+dock+ssk+usb
+3.0+to+sata%2Celectronics%2C119&sr=1-5>
and install a HDD of the size desired.

(Or SS"D" of course.)

Sure, but it's very rare that I need to make a change.

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Worse: bigger; need a power supply (though
external holders for 3.5" drives usually do too); more knockable
(slightly)

None of those are important as far as I'm concerned.

.

Post by Ken Blake
I use an external USB HD enclosure for backup. Should I switch to
this? Why?

Up to you.

Of course. I was just looking for guidance from people with experience
with this.

I think I'll stick with what I already have.

Post by J. P. Gilliver
* I have an older model (only USB2, but also has EIDE interface) - a
common red-and-black one with two slots. It has SATA in one slot, and
EIDE in the other. Useful for archaeology (-:. You can also get them
with two SATA slots. The ones with two slots (both SATA or SATA/EIDE)
sometimes have a button, which allows copying from one drive to the
other without needing the PC connection.

Paul

2023-09-11 16:57:13 UTC

Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)

I've long used external USB HD enclosures, but never a device like
this. Can you, or anyone else here who has used this, compare it to an
external USB HD enclosure? What's better about this? What's worse
about it?
I use an external USB HD enclosure for backup. Should I switch to
this? Why?

It's a "toaster". UASP is USB Attached SCSI Protocol, with a slightly
higher transfer rate.

You want sufficient mass in the base of the thing, so
it is not too "tippy". Some of them, actually had a weight
added to the base, to help.

The vibrations would not be well-controlled, if you
stuck two drives in a toaster at the same time, so you
want something other than a WD Blue hard drive for that :-)

Hard drives operate in "six axis of orientation", and
sticking them on-end like that is "legal". Some Dell
computers, have bays storing hard drives in that orientation.

With the odd exception, toasters don't have cooling air.
The drive could get a bit warm, but stay within the 50C-60C
limitations it has got. At least one toaster ("dock")
previously, had an 80mm fan arranged in toaster-orientation,
next to the drive, providing cooling. But that's probably
out of production by now.

The wall adapter sources 12V @ 2A. The wall adapters are not
usually over-generous with hard drives. Large capacity hard
drives, may draw less current on +12V during startup, than
smaller (1TB) boot drives. I would be happier with the idea,
if they would sell wall adapters claiming to source 12V @ 3A.
But they insist on the 12V @ 2A adapters.

When you shove a SATA SSD into a toaster, some toasters have a
plastic guide for smaller drives. As far as I know, the x-Y offset
on the connector, is the same on 2.5" and 3.5" drives, which is why
they can slide into the same style of hole (with their back resting
against the guidance materials).

*******

Please don't read the prices on these, OK ? :-) These
web pages are for their technical detail, not for prices.

This advert, serves two purposes. It shows the removable plastic
piece, that adapts the socket hole for 2.5" or 3.5" drives. And
Startech adverts give the "converter chip number". ASMedia - ASM225CM
The info is in the Technical Spec section.

https://www.startech.com/en-us/hdd/satdocku3s#overview-description

We look up the active chip inside.

https://www.asmedia.com.tw/product/d32yq49sx2YR9Jg6/d1Eyq85QN8GhBwRC

Compliant with Serial ATA Specification Revision 3.2
Serial ATA bus up to 6Gbps Signal bandwidth <=== SATA III, 530MB/sec or so

Compliant with USB3.1 Specification Revision 1.0 <=== 500MB/sec USB3 flavor

What the chip specification does not tell you, is how fast the
little processor inside the adapter chip is. For example, my
adapter here, only manages about 230MB/sec on a good day,
even though the "wire speeds" are in the ~500MB/sec range.
This makes the adapter "less than impressive with an SSD".

That's why, in addition to doing that sort of research,
you may need to read some reviews to see that "it's a good one".

For a hard drive, the one above is "good enough". If you were
shopping on price, and a Chinesium one offered that chip, plus
a good price, you might buy it. For working with SSDs (a person
running an SSD-only shop), you'd want to take more care to
read the reviews.

*******

This one, has the 10Gbps version of USB3, instead of the 5Gbps
interface of USB3 on the previous dock. This one is not a
"duplicating dock". Duplicating docks have additional buttons
on the top surface, to commence disk-to-disk transfer. A Duplicating Dock
can also be used for normal host transfers.

A Macrium transfer is less abusive (when cloning to an SSD for example),
so I'm not all-in on duping docks. Duping docks are fine for HDD-to-HDD,
but even then, you may not want the thing to spend all day doing a clone,
when Macrium and a regular toaster (like this one), would be faster.

https://www.startech.com/en-us/hdd/sdock2u313

ASMedia - ASM1352R

"USB 3.2 Gen2x1 to SATA 6Gbps RAID/Port Multiplier solution.
ASM1352R is ASMedia’s single chip solution to bridge
the USB 3.2 Gen2x1 to dual SATA interface."

A dock design, may not necessarily use all features of the silicon,
such as the RAID feature. The RAID feature is why it has a faster
USB3.2 interface. The chip can also be used in designs, such that
the user need not be informed about the RAID aspect (because it's disabled).

*******

The fastest sled you can get for external storage,
takes an NVMe in the tray. And has USB3.2 Gen2x2 for 2GB/sec transfers.
Since the largest NVMe easily available at present is 8TB in size,
that's about as much storage as you could put in one of those.
Your PC needs some sort of USB-C connector *AND* the wiring/silicon
inside the PC needs to support that protocol. Future PCs may
neglect to support exactly that protocol (it was considered an orphan
option when it was invented). But at the present time, with a PC
you built in the last couple of years, it might be workable.
For example, my PC has a USB-C, but it's only single channel USB3.2
and would get only half the bandwidth this advertises.

https://www.newegg.com/p/35G-00KP-00001

While there are faster trays than that (Thunderbolt), not many
ordinary PCs have Thunderbolt on the back. Some $1000 retail motherboards
have that. I expect the guy making these, isn't selling a lot.
You might expect 3.5GB/sec and 8TB max size. Also, at
speeds like that, sometimes the innards in the tray get
hot enough to "throttle".

https://www.amazon.ca/GiGimundo-Enclosure-Interface-Compatible-Aluminum/dp/B0B2LM8KKP

*******

Summary: A basic toaster is just as good as a "USB Hard Drive" like a Passport or a MyBook.
However, you the purchaser, are responsible for determining the "fit for purpose"
aspect. I did not know my adapter cable for SATA drives, was limited to 230MB/sec
by its internal processor. I have just one HDD that goes faster than that
(291MB/sec fake spec). If you work with SSDs a lot, you would spend extra time
looking for benchmarks for the purchase. That changes a five minute purchase, into
"day-long research" :-/

Paul

jetjock

2023-09-11 16:01:34 UTC

On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:13:46 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)

Kind of like a little more portability than that.

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Paul

2023-09-11 19:13:13 UTC

Post by jetjock
On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:13:46 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)

Kind of like a little more portability than that.

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

OK.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/16982/kingston-datatraveler-max-ufd-review-nvme-performance-in-a-usb-thumb-drive

On page two, you can see the device has a temperature problem that causes
throttling to a fraction of the write-rate.

*******

https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-DataTraveler-256GB-USB-C-Performance/dp/B09DVPH8NQ

https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-DataTraveler-256GB-Performance-DTMAXA/dp/B0B57T5G5L

They're rather long, but are supposed to use an SSD inside.

it cries out for a metal casing -- with heatsink fins :-)

One reviewer complained, it exceeded the current limit
on his computer. Good times :-)

You know you've got a good device, when it idles at 67C.

Maybe with a long cable, you can stick the thing in the
refrigerator freezer :-)

Paul

Jesper Kaas

2023-09-12 08:19:25 UTC

Post by jetjock
On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:13:46 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)

Kind of like a little more portability than that.

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

https://thepihut.com/products/ssd-to-usb-3-0-cable-for-raspberry-pi?variant=38191015559363

This is cheap(£6), small and works great. I have used this one and an
other similar, to SSD's working as boot and data disks for Raspberry
Pi 3 and 4 running 24/7 for maybe 2 years now. They work with a PC
also.

--
Jesper Kaas - ***@neindanke.online.no

J. P. Gilliver

2023-09-12 09:00:52 UTC

Post by Jesper Kaas

Post by jetjock
On Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:13:46 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"

[]

Post by Jesper Kaas

Post by jetjock
What's a fellow to do? Suggestions please.

[]

Post by Jesper Kaas

Post by J. P. Gilliver
Buy an SSD and put it in an external case? (Such may well be available
already made up, but probably cheaper to DIY.)

Kind of like a little more portability than that.

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

https://thepihut.com/products/ssd-to-usb-3-0-cable-for-raspberry-pi?vari
ant=38191015559363
This is cheap(£6), small and works great. I have used this one and an
other similar, to SSD's working as boot and data disks for Raspberry
Pi 3 and 4 running 24/7 for maybe 2 years now. They work with a PC
also.

That's the poor man's equivalent of the dock (the "toaster" we have been
discussing). Basically, an external SSD/HD case without the case! (The
electronics are inside the SATA connector.

Certainly, more portable than a case.

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)***@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Veni Vidi Visa [I came, I saw, I did a little shopping] - Mik from S+AS Limited
(***@saslimited.demon.co.uk), 1998

Paul

2023-09-11 11:35:00 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

I've had a couple failures on regular USB sticks, and I blame it on
the TLC flash, and un-sophisticated controllers. One stick died and
it had only done about seven ISO9660 writes or so. Even if you assume
the write life of the flash is 600 cycles (write amplification taken into
account), that's pretty shabby performance from an endurance perspective.

Whereas my old OCZ Rally2 with MLC chips in it, just keeps going. It's done
a ton of writes over the years.

It depends on what your objectives are for the stick are. A USB stick
can be carried more places, than a larger device.

One thing about some of those sticks, is they run a bit warm. Not warm
enough to break anything, but still suggestive they should not be using
plastic cases for the body. However, the sticks that use aluminum cases,
the electronics side is usually awful (chuck-ware). You can't win :-/

Maybe the low price of the item, will offset the reliability issues.
That's the only way I could "justify" a USB stick recommendation today.
I usually get a SanDisk Extreme (not a Cruze, nor an Ultra, for write
speed reasons). The Extreme usually have a better balance between read
and write.

*******

A form factor like this, is more likely to get the life from the flash chips.
It is more likely to have working wear leveling (static and dynamic).

2.3" x 3.5" x 0.5" with cables 1TB $85

https://www.newegg.com/samsung-t7-shield-1tb/p/N82E16820147837

Has consistent write rate. A little slow on random I/O. Which means,
if copying 10GB of small files, it won't be as snappy as some
of its competitors. But the sequential write is pretty good.
It won't be doing 800MB/sec on the 10GB small-file test.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/18734/samsung-portable-ssd-t7-shield-4tb-review-ip65-pssd-gets-a-capacity-upgrade/3

Paul

J. P. Gilliver

2023-09-11 13:10:55 UTC

[]

Post by Paul
One thing about some of those sticks, is they run a bit warm. Not warm
enough to break anything, but still suggestive they should not be using
plastic cases for the body. However, the sticks that use aluminum cases,
the electronics side is usually awful (chuck-ware). You can't win :-/

Indeed! And thanks for the tip. I had assumed (as of course I suppose
I'm supposed to) that the metal ones were superior. I still would _tend_
to go for them as by the nature of a USB stick, they're likely to get
knocked, and damage the connector, which is less likely (I think) with a
metal one. (I have a 16G one in a very short metal case that's never
given me trouble, but I can't say I use it _much_. Besides, I doubt I
could find ones that low a capacity now.) When looking at such sticks in
the supermarket, I _should_ go for the lowest capacity on offer - though
it seems daft when the next capacity up is only marginally more. (And
then there are the packs-of-three. What's up there?)

Post by Paul
Maybe the low price of the item, will offset the reliability issues.

As you said (I think) in the bit I snipped, it depends what you want
them for. If it's just "sneakernet" - transferring files from one
machine to another, including say home to work - doesn't matter that
much: if they die, they die (though could be irritating if home-work
involves a tedious commute). If for long-term storage (e. g. backup),
I'd not use them.
[]

Post by Paul
A form factor like this, is more likely to get the life from the flash chips.
It is more likely to have working wear leveling (static and dynamic).
2.3" x 3.5" x 0.5" with cables 1TB $85
https://www.newegg.com/samsung-t7-shield-1tb/p/N82E16820147837

Basically an SSD "drive" in an external case, though that one looks as
if it's been "shaved" a bit compared to the standard external cases.
[]

Post by Paul
https://www.anandtech.com/show/18734/samsung-portable-ssd-t7-shield-4tb-
review-ip65-pssd-gets-a-capacity-upgrade/3
Paul

Interesting line from that second article: "While Thunderbolt ports are
guaranteed to supply up to 15W for client devices, USB 2.0 ports are
guaranteed to deliver only 4.5W (900mA @ 5V)." Is that so? I thought
both USB1 and USB2 were limited to ½A, the only difference being speed.
(I assume "Thunderbolt" is just a fancy name for one of the USB3
variants.)

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)***@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Imagine a world with no hypothetical situations...

Paul

2023-09-11 17:18:31 UTC

The enumeration of the USB devices, carries the "rating" of the
device. A high-power USB2 would report "5V @ 500mA".
A high-power USB3 would report "5V @ 900mA".
These numbers are not real, and are not based on lab measurements.

However, on the circuit board, is a Polyfuse (self-resetting fuse),
and a USB2 dual stack uses a 1.1 ampere fuse. This means if
there was an *actual* current flow excursion, the fuse does not
start to melt, until it's been at 1.1 ampere for a fraction of
a second. Similarly, the USB3 has a fuse on board, and it might
be on the order of 2 amperes shared over two ports. If one USB3
thing is plugged in, then it can draw on the single fuse up to
the fusing limit. It's not a good idea, to put two hard drives,
onto the same USB3 dual-stack.

The declaration in USB devices is for "planning purposes",
such as switching between low power and high power mode.
A high power device, may not be allowed to draw 500mA right away.
It may start in 100mA mode, then switch up a bit later. There
can be protocols involving the "fake" numbers. But it's the fuse
that is the boss -- draw too much current, the fuse will ruin your
day. Yes, they cool off and reset, but you don't want to piss them
off, as they become mushy if you constantly overload and reset them.

For thermal reasons, laptops use silicon fuses and not Polyfuses.
Polyfuses are for well-ventilated desktops. The silicon fuses
trip faster and are more obnoxious if you're trying to abuse the
powering. But, the silicon fuses will be consistent performers,
and there are no "crystals to wear out" on them. I could not
tell you, what the programmed value for a silicon fuse is.
There were reports of some "opening at precisely 500mA" back
in the USB2 days, but I expect that's been fixed in later
designs. Intel issued an Application Note, warning designers
to "not be nitwits with your fuses". That's why the fusing
limits are higher now, at least on Polyfuses. Intel noted
that some designs had set the fusing too low (designers were
confusing the "boiler plate" current flow number, with what
their fuse should be).

The motherboard has a 100uF capacitor near the dual stack.
USB peripherals are allowed to use a 10uF bypass capacitor.
When you plug in a USB device, there is "inrush current"
which flows, as the 10uF capacitor charges instantly on
contact. The purpose of the 100uF capacitor, is to
supply the bulk electrons needed during the inrush, and
prevent a voltage transient from crashing the rest of the
computer. If a USB peripheral happened to use more than
10uF capacitance, bad things could happen (PC could reboot even).

Paul

jetjock

2023-09-11 16:14:51 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

I've had a couple failures on regular USB sticks, and I blame it on
the TLC flash, and un-sophisticated controllers. One stick died and
it had only done about seven ISO9660 writes or so. Even if you assume
the write life of the flash is 600 cycles (write amplification taken into
account), that's pretty shabby performance from an endurance perspective.
Whereas my old OCZ Rally2 with MLC chips in it, just keeps going. It's done
a ton of writes over the years.
It depends on what your objectives are for the stick are. A USB stick
can be carried more places, than a larger device.
One thing about some of those sticks, is they run a bit warm. Not warm
enough to break anything, but still suggestive they should not be using
plastic cases for the body. However, the sticks that use aluminum cases,
the electronics side is usually awful (chuck-ware). You can't win :-/
Maybe the low price of the item, will offset the reliability issues.
That's the only way I could "justify" a USB stick recommendation today.
I usually get a SanDisk Extreme (not a Cruze, nor an Ultra, for write
speed reasons). The Extreme usually have a better balance between read
and write.
*******
A form factor like this, is more likely to get the life from the flash chips.
It is more likely to have working wear leveling (static and dynamic).
2.3" x 3.5" x 0.5" with cables 1TB $85
https://www.newegg.com/samsung-t7-shield-1tb/p/N82E16820147837
Has consistent write rate. A little slow on random I/O. Which means,
if copying 10GB of small files, it won't be as snappy as some
of its competitors. But the sequential write is pretty good.
It won't be doing 800MB/sec on the 10GB small-file test.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/18734/samsung-portable-ssd-t7-shield-4tb-review-ip65-pssd-gets-a-capacity-upgrade/3
Paul

Thanks, Paul.

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

jetjock

2023-09-11 16:32:01 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I guess I should have said that all
the drive will be used for is transferring shows that I download
(mostly .mkv files) from my computer to the TV. Computer is older (Z95
MB) so it only has USB 3 ports in back so thumb drives are preferable,
but not required. They are much easier to plug into the TV. Most of
the shows run between 2-4GB, so transfer speed is pretty important, as
is number of read/writes. The 1 star reviews main complaints were xfer
speed and early failure...or both.

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

😉 Good Guy 😉

2023-09-11 17:28:25 UTC

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Paul

2023-09-11 19:28:41 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

If the motherboard has a USB3 20 pin header, you may be able to get
an adapter cable for usage in an optical drive tray opening on
the front of the computer. USB3 is 9 pins, so 20 pins is sufficient
for two sets of wires.

https://www.amazon.ca/axGear-Motherboard-External-Panel-Bracket/dp/B07DFVL8ZF

[ You can undo the screws, and just hang that thing out the optical drive hole ]

I don't own one of those. But I think both of my PCs are
equipped for it, at motherboard level.

My newest motherboard, has a different connector for it. But your
Z97 might be using the 20 pin header. While this is not the adapter cable,
it shows a device which adapts from the older 20 pin format, to the
newer thing-a-mabob they stuck on my MSI brand motherboard. They claim
that connector is actually USB-C.

https://www.amazon.ca/JoyReken-Vertical-Socket-Header-Adapter/dp/B08TW9S7B3

*******

And I'm not selecting expensive devices on purpose (like this
was a Cadillac dealership). The problem is, the cheap USB keys
just won't have good quality controllers inside, which forces
"shop by keyword" and the resulting choices end up being
more expensive than I'd like.

My OCZ one, is an example of a "good by accident" stick.
Back when they only made good flash. We need a lot more silliness
in the controllers now, to make up for the shit flash they're using.

Flash chips, don't even have to be "well-sorted" by the maker.
They can pass the chips off, for others to sort. And that's where
the "chuck-ware" sticks come from. The flash is just not first-rate stuff.
It's already got more than its fair share of spared-out chunks.

Paul

Char Jackson

2023-09-12 03:28:50 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Now that you've said what you're trying to accomplish, could you be talked into
doing the same thing but without any sneakernet?

I have a large video collection on a PC and all of it is available at the
various TV's at any time, all the time, without me having to physically
transport anything. I have a Roku box connected to an HDMI input on each TV, and
the Roku can use wired Ethernet or WiFi to connect to the network that the video
server is on, which is my home LAN. I can browse through the collection on the
TV, view movie trailers, see who the actors are, see all movies with a specific
actor, and so much more. Does that sound interesting? If so, instead of buying
another memory stick, look at the Roku models. I very recently bought a $30 Roku
for my sister and got her on board with the ease and convenience of having the
entire movie collection available to watch at any time. She and her husband
couldn't be happier.

A***@RightHere.com

2023-09-12 05:43:26 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Now that you've said what you're trying to accomplish, could you be talked into
doing the same thing but without any sneakernet?
I have a large video collection on a PC and all of it is available at the
various TV's at any time, all the time, without me having to physically
transport anything. I have a Roku box connected to an HDMI input on each TV, and
the Roku can use wired Ethernet or WiFi to connect to the network that the video
server is on, which is my home LAN. I can browse through the collection on the
TV, view movie trailers, see who the actors are, see all movies with a specific
actor, and so much more. Does that sound interesting? If so, instead of buying
another memory stick, look at the Roku models. I very recently bought a $30 Roku
for my sister and got her on board with the ease and convenience of having the
entire movie collection available to watch at any time. She and her husband
couldn't be happier.

Same here. Roku is IT!

jetjock

2023-09-12 15:41:09 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Now that you've said what you're trying to accomplish, could you be talked into
doing the same thing but without any sneakernet?
I have a large video collection on a PC and all of it is available at the
various TV's at any time, all the time, without me having to physically
transport anything. I have a Roku box connected to an HDMI input on each TV, and
the Roku can use wired Ethernet or WiFi to connect to the network that the video
server is on, which is my home LAN. I can browse through the collection on the
TV, view movie trailers, see who the actors are, see all movies with a specific
actor, and so much more. Does that sound interesting? If so, instead of buying
another memory stick, look at the Roku models. I very recently bought a $30 Roku
for my sister and got her on board with the ease and convenience of having the
entire movie collection available to watch at any time. She and her husband
couldn't be happier.

I do have a Fire Stick. I'll see if I can get that set up to work.
Thanks!

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Char Jackson

2023-09-12 18:14:16 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Now that you've said what you're trying to accomplish, could you be talked into
doing the same thing but without any sneakernet?
I have a large video collection on a PC and all of it is available at the
various TV's at any time, all the time, without me having to physically
transport anything. I have a Roku box connected to an HDMI input on each TV, and
the Roku can use wired Ethernet or WiFi to connect to the network that the video
server is on, which is my home LAN. I can browse through the collection on the
TV, view movie trailers, see who the actors are, see all movies with a specific
actor, and so much more. Does that sound interesting? If so, instead of buying
another memory stick, look at the Roku models. I very recently bought a $30 Roku
for my sister and got her on board with the ease and convenience of having the
entire movie collection available to watch at any time. She and her husband
couldn't be happier.

I do have a Fire Stick. I'll see if I can get that set up to work.
Thanks!

OK, the app that you should be looking for is called Plex. The free version
works perfectly and is all you need. I know it's compatible with Roku but I'm
not sure about Fire Stick.

jetjock

2023-09-13 16:12:02 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Now that you've said what you're trying to accomplish, could you be talked into
doing the same thing but without any sneakernet?
I have a large video collection on a PC and all of it is available at the
various TV's at any time, all the time, without me having to physically
transport anything. I have a Roku box connected to an HDMI input on each TV, and
the Roku can use wired Ethernet or WiFi to connect to the network that the video
server is on, which is my home LAN. I can browse through the collection on the
TV, view movie trailers, see who the actors are, see all movies with a specific
actor, and so much more. Does that sound interesting? If so, instead of buying
another memory stick, look at the Roku models. I very recently bought a $30 Roku
for my sister and got her on board with the ease and convenience of having the
entire movie collection available to watch at any time. She and her husband
couldn't be happier.

I do have a Fire Stick. I'll see if I can get that set up to work.
Thanks!

OK, the app that you should be looking for is called Plex. The free version
works perfectly and is all you need. I know it's compatible with Roku but I'm
not sure about Fire Stick.

It is compatible with the Fire Stick. I've looked at several YouTube
videos about it, but none show just how to use it to play movies from
my computer to the TV. Not really sure how a Fire Stick plugged into
my TV can access things on my computer. If you feel like taking the
time, a little tutorial would be appreciated, I used to be able to do
this stuff easily, but in the last few months I've noticed that I keep
having more and more trouble doing things that used to come easily. I
guess my 82 years are finally catching up with me!! In any case,
thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Paul

2023-09-13 17:17:29 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Now that you've said what you're trying to accomplish, could you be talked into
doing the same thing but without any sneakernet?
I have a large video collection on a PC and all of it is available at the
various TV's at any time, all the time, without me having to physically
transport anything. I have a Roku box connected to an HDMI input on each TV, and
the Roku can use wired Ethernet or WiFi to connect to the network that the video
server is on, which is my home LAN. I can browse through the collection on the
TV, view movie trailers, see who the actors are, see all movies with a specific
actor, and so much more. Does that sound interesting? If so, instead of buying
another memory stick, look at the Roku models. I very recently bought a $30 Roku
for my sister and got her on board with the ease and convenience of having the
entire movie collection available to watch at any time. She and her husband
couldn't be happier.

I do have a Fire Stick. I'll see if I can get that set up to work.
Thanks!

OK, the app that you should be looking for is called Plex. The free version
works perfectly and is all you need. I know it's compatible with Roku but I'm
not sure about Fire Stick.

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Does your Fire Stick have a model number ?

I don't know the product line, but sometimes when
there are different models, the behaviors or methods
change on them.

On this page, for example, you can see a FireStick PCB.
On the right hand end, are two antenna modules similar
to the type used on a GPS. The chipset on this one, is MediaTek.

https://www.aftvnews.com/new-mediatek-rooting-method-for-fire-hd-8-tablet-may-lead-to-rooting-the-fire-tv-stick-4k-fire-tv-stick-2-and-fire-tv-2/amazon-fire-tv-stick-4k-2018-circuit-board/

*******

You can see here, there's a server program and a client program.
It is likely the client program, where you would select "FireStick"
for the output. The client program "surfs" the library offered
by the Plex server.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/what-is-plex

You could also run that on two machines. If you had a general
purpose machine that perhaps functioned as a junkyard NAS,
you could load the Plex server on there, and it would be running
all the time. The client could display content on the local PC
LCD monitor, or presumably, via Wifi, it could stream to the FireStick.

We have one other USENETter, using different client-server software,
who does it this way. With two PCs. But with no difficulty at all,
you can run both pieces of software on the same PC if you want.

some sorta LAN
+-------------------------+
| |
Plex server PC Plex client RF
(low power, server) on some computer ---------- Firestick --- HDMI --- TV

The Firestick needs to get power. Similar to other devices
of the same class as Firestick. The HDMI connector has some
+5V power on it, but at relatively low current. If a device
like that needs more power, there may be additional connectors
for "vampire sucking" of power from other TV ports or such.
For example, I have an HDMI converter (HDMI to VGA) and
it draws the power for active conversion, from the +5V pin.

Paul

jetjock

2023-09-13 20:40:20 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Now that you've said what you're trying to accomplish, could you be talked into
doing the same thing but without any sneakernet?
I have a large video collection on a PC and all of it is available at the
various TV's at any time, all the time, without me having to physically
transport anything. I have a Roku box connected to an HDMI input on each TV, and
the Roku can use wired Ethernet or WiFi to connect to the network that the video
server is on, which is my home LAN. I can browse through the collection on the
TV, view movie trailers, see who the actors are, see all movies with a specific
actor, and so much more. Does that sound interesting? If so, instead of buying
another memory stick, look at the Roku models. I very recently bought a $30 Roku
for my sister and got her on board with the ease and convenience of having the
entire movie collection available to watch at any time. She and her husband
couldn't be happier.

I do have a Fire Stick. I'll see if I can get that set up to work.
Thanks!

OK, the app that you should be looking for is called Plex. The free version
works perfectly and is all you need. I know it's compatible with Roku but I'm
not sure about Fire Stick.

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Does your Fire Stick have a model number ?
I don't know the product line, but sometimes when
there are different models, the behaviors or methods
change on them.
On this page, for example, you can see a FireStick PCB.
On the right hand end, are two antenna modules similar
to the type used on a GPS. The chipset on this one, is MediaTek.
https://www.aftvnews.com/new-mediatek-rooting-method-for-fire-hd-8-tablet-may-lead-to-rooting-the-fire-tv-stick-4k-fire-tv-stick-2-and-fire-tv-2/amazon-fire-tv-stick-4k-2018-circuit-board/
*******
You can see here, there's a server program and a client program.
It is likely the client program, where you would select "FireStick"
for the output. The client program "surfs" the library offered
by the Plex server.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/what-is-plex
You could also run that on two machines. If you had a general
purpose machine that perhaps functioned as a junkyard NAS,
you could load the Plex server on there, and it would be running
all the time. The client could display content on the local PC
LCD monitor, or presumably, via Wifi, it could stream to the FireStick.
We have one other USENETter, using different client-server software,
who does it this way. With two PCs. But with no difficulty at all,
you can run both pieces of software on the same PC if you want.
some sorta LAN
+-------------------------+
| |
Plex server PC Plex client RF
(low power, server) on some computer ---------- Firestick --- HDMI --- TV
The Firestick needs to get power. Similar to other devices
of the same class as Firestick. The HDMI connector has some
+5V power on it, but at relatively low current. If a device
like that needs more power, there may be additional connectors
for "vampire sucking" of power from other TV ports or such.
For example, I have an HDMI converter (HDMI to VGA) and
it draws the power for active conversion, from the +5V pin.
Paul

Thanks, Paul.

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Char Jackson

2023-09-13 20:57:40 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Now that you've said what you're trying to accomplish, could you be talked into
doing the same thing but without any sneakernet?
I have a large video collection on a PC and all of it is available at the
various TV's at any time, all the time, without me having to physically
transport anything. I have a Roku box connected to an HDMI input on each TV, and
the Roku can use wired Ethernet or WiFi to connect to the network that the video
server is on, which is my home LAN. I can browse through the collection on the
TV, view movie trailers, see who the actors are, see all movies with a specific
actor, and so much more. Does that sound interesting? If so, instead of buying
another memory stick, look at the Roku models. I very recently bought a $30 Roku
for my sister and got her on board with the ease and convenience of having the
entire movie collection available to watch at any time. She and her husband
couldn't be happier.

I do have a Fire Stick. I'll see if I can get that set up to work.
Thanks!

OK, the app that you should be looking for is called Plex. The free version
works perfectly and is all you need. I know it's compatible with Roku but I'm
not sure about Fire Stick.

Like Paul said, Plex uses the standard client-server usage model. The Plex
server will need to be installed on the PC where your movies live, and the
client will be installed on the Fire Stick.

First, you'll need to download and install the Plex server on your 'movies' PC.
Plex will ask you to create a (free) account, and it'll ask you to provide a
working email address at that time. They'll use that address to periodically
tell you about (free) movies that are arriving or leaving the Plex on-demand
system.

Wait, I'm going to stop here and start over.

First, you'll need to install the free Plex app (client) on your Fire Stick.
Make sure it works by browsing through its hundreds of free live TV channels.
Watch a movie or two from their free on-demand library. If that all works well,
you can continue. If not, you'll need a better streaming device.

Obviously, in order for the Plex app to work on your Fire Stick, it'll need
network access to the Internet. If you've already configured the Fire Stick to
be able to access your LAN, and thus the Internet, then you're all set at the
client end of things. There's no separate network configuration within the Plex
client app. It simply uses whatever you've already configured on the Fire Stick.

Next, download and install the Plex server software on your 'movies' PC. Create
your free account. In the Plex server application, click on the wrench icon in
the upper right corner of the screen to open the settings dialog. Go down to
Manage -> Libraries. Add a Library, let's say you call it Movies. Next, you'll
add one or more folders to the Library. These are the folders on your PC where
you've stored your movie files. If you have a top folder and then sub-folders
for organization, just add the top folder. Plex will automatically scan and add
the contents from the sub-folders. I have Libraries called Movies, TV Shows,
Videos, and Concerts, for example, each with their own top folder and multiple
sub-folders. When you're finished creating your Libraries, Plex will scan the
files in those directories and then it will download the cover art, list of
stars, synopsis, subtitles (optional), etc.

Once the server is minimally configured, (there's a ton of things it can do, but
I'm trying to keep this basic), then you should be able to go back to the Plex
client app on the Fire Stick. It should automatically find your movie Library
and the rest is all obvious. Use your Fire Stick remote to move around and
explore the Plex client app. Plex is very Netflix-like in that it will
automatically generate categories such as Latest Releases, Recently Added
(movies that you've most recently added to your Library), and so on.

Once you pick something to watch, you can change the language (if your movie has
additional languages, of course), or you can toggle subtitles (if your movie has
subtitles). If you need subtitles, Plex will show you a list of subtitles from
which you can choose. Once you select a subtitle, Plex will download it and use
it. You can also see a list of the movie's stars. Clicking on one of them will
get you a list of other movies that they're in. Below that, you'll see movie
reviews, and up above you'll the Popcorn and Rotten Tomatoes scores, letting you
know what others thought of the movie.

I haven't even scratched the surface but I think you'll get the hang of it.

Post by jetjock
If you feel like taking the
time, a little tutorial would be appreciated, I used to be able to do
this stuff easily, but in the last few months I've noticed that I keep
having more and more trouble doing things that used to come easily. I
guess my 82 years are finally catching up with me!! In any case,
thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

You used to be a jet jock, for cryin' out loud. :-) If memory serves, you flew
the kind of jets I maintained in the USAF, including F-4E and F-4G.

jetjock

2023-09-14 16:11:49 UTC

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Now that you've said what you're trying to accomplish, could you be talked into
doing the same thing but without any sneakernet?
I have a large video collection on a PC and all of it is available at the
various TV's at any time, all the time, without me having to physically
transport anything. I have a Roku box connected to an HDMI input on each TV, and
the Roku can use wired Ethernet or WiFi to connect to the network that the video
server is on, which is my home LAN. I can browse through the collection on the
TV, view movie trailers, see who the actors are, see all movies with a specific
actor, and so much more. Does that sound interesting? If so, instead of buying
another memory stick, look at the Roku models. I very recently bought a $30 Roku
for my sister and got her on board with the ease and convenience of having the
entire movie collection available to watch at any time. She and her husband
couldn't be happier.

I do have a Fire Stick. I'll see if I can get that set up to work.
Thanks!

OK, the app that you should be looking for is called Plex. The free version
works perfectly and is all you need. I know it's compatible with Roku but I'm
not sure about Fire Stick.

Stopped using my Firestick a while ago when I started with YouTube TV.
Been waiting to hear from you before I dug it out and plugged it in
again! I'll dig it out and see if my feeble brain can get it working
again. Really appreciate all the advice. Plex sounds like a great
service.

Post by Char Jackson
Next, download and install the Plex server software on your 'movies' PC. Create
your free account. In the Plex server application, click on the wrench icon in
the upper right corner of the screen to open the settings dialog. Go down to
Manage -> Libraries. Add a Library, let's say you call it Movies. Next, you'll
add one or more folders to the Library. These are the folders on your PC where
you've stored your movie files. If you have a top folder and then sub-folders
for organization, just add the top folder. Plex will automatically scan and add
the contents from the sub-folders. I have Libraries called Movies, TV Shows,
Videos, and Concerts, for example, each with their own top folder and multiple
sub-folders. When you're finished creating your Libraries, Plex will scan the
files in those directories and then it will download the cover art, list of
stars, synopsis, subtitles (optional), etc.
Once the server is minimally configured, (there's a ton of things it can do, but
I'm trying to keep this basic), then you should be able to go back to the Plex
client app on the Fire Stick. It should automatically find your movie Library
and the rest is all obvious. Use your Fire Stick remote to move around and
explore the Plex client app. Plex is very Netflix-like in that it will
automatically generate categories such as Latest Releases, Recently Added
(movies that you've most recently added to your Library), and so on.
Once you pick something to watch, you can change the language (if your movie has
additional languages, of course), or you can toggle subtitles (if your movie has
subtitles). If you need subtitles, Plex will show you a list of subtitles from
which you can choose. Once you select a subtitle, Plex will download it and use
it. You can also see a list of the movie's stars. Clicking on one of them will
get you a list of other movies that they're in. Below that, you'll see movie
reviews, and up above you'll the Popcorn and Rotten Tomatoes scores, letting you
know what others thought of the movie.
I haven't even scratched the surface but I think you'll get the hang of it.

You used to be a jet jock, for cryin' out loud. :-) If memory serves, you flew
the kind of jets I maintained in the USAF, including F-4E and F-4G.

Used to is the key here!! :-) Hearing aids and scooters now. Never
made it to the G or E. They came after I got out and started with TWA
(which didn't last long). Only flew the F-4C. Wound up at FedEx in
'74. Flew about everything they had until the Gov't said I was too
stupid to fly anymore when I hit 60. :-) (65 nowadays) Been retired
almost as long as I flew for them. Thanks for all your help, Char!

jetjock<<<<<<<<<<

Char Jackson

2023-09-14 22:20:58 UTC

Post by jetjock
Stopped using my Firestick a while ago when I started with YouTube TV.
Been waiting to hear from you before I dug it out and plugged it in
again! I'll dig it out and see if my feeble brain can get it working
again. Really appreciate all the advice. Plex sounds like a great
service.

Good luck with it. I hope it works as well for you as it does for me.

Post by Char Jackson
You used to be a jet jock, for cryin' out loud. :-) If memory serves, you flew
the kind of jets I maintained in the USAF, including F-4E and F-4G.

I've only seen F-4C's at static displays and air shows, but that's fine because
they're all antiques and relics by now. Most of the Phantom's that I worked on
were converted to drone duty and were shot down over the Gulf of Mexico.

Frank Slootweg

2023-09-11 17:50:08 UTC