I’ve bought 3 Vantec external hard disk cases. And I have to say I have been very disappointed and I just had to post about this even though it’s unrelated to code.
I have taken very good care of these cases. I have not mishandled either the cases nor the cords but from my experience each one has failed fast.
Specifically I have had the following problems:
1) Power. Either the power cord fails, or the actual inlet to the box fails.
2) USB Inlet fails. It becomes very loose over a short period of time resulting in failure with any USB cord you try. It ultimately renders your unit worthless
3) Connector to the Hard Disk is very weak. If you try to take out the hard drive several times, eventually the serial connector rips apart even when you are careful
The 3 (2 different models) of their products in all that make up this boiling pot of poor manufacturing which include the following:
NexStar 3 
(I’ve bought 2 of these and both failed miserably. Bought this a few months ago from Fry’s.)
(After a few weeks, I no longer get any power unit even though the cord shows a power light and cables are property in tact. Bought this 1 month ago from Fry’s.)
Remember that these cases are pretty cheap. So you get what you pay for as opposed to I would assume as opposed to a case such as a Simple Tech External Array 
which runs around $250. Maybe I just need to spend the $250 and forget these cheaper brands. But I have yet to pocket out that much money for an external box. Is it worth it to me? yes…but have not tried an expensive box like this yet. Maybe it’s time.
Do not be fooled by the looks and sleekness of Vantech cases. Buyer Beware on this particular company. I also suppose you get what you pay for at $30-50 a pop. To me that’s not that cheap but then again we’re talking about data security and reliability here so that might be a bit cheap if you think about it.
I’m looking for any recommendations for other brands. Specifically cases that support Dual Hard disks for on the go that you have personally owned, and your experiences with Vantec cases as well.
Print | posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 9:49 PM
