SC101/SC101T Storage and Heat Generation

The SC101/SC101T is tested by NETGEAR to make sure that it operates in safe temperature limits. Computer owners are used to touching the outside case of a computer which is near room temperature, however it's not necessary for electronic devices to be at room temperature to operate safely.

Always follow a product's safety instructions for use. As noted in the manuals the Storage Central should be placed:

• Standing upright on its feet
• With ample ventilation
• With nothing placed on top
• Where it cannot be easily knocked over

The Storage Central is hotter when:

• You aren't using the latest firmware which includes hard disk standby, which spins the disks down when not in use.
• The disks are reading or writing
• Copying data to mirrored drives, since the writing activity happens on both disks
• Disk brands which naturally run hotter are used

How does heat affect the Storage Central performance?

Even when the Storage Central seems hot, the disk-drives are working within their normal specified temperature limits. In fact by placing back-up disk-drives outside a computer case you lower the heat generated around critical, heat-sensitive components in your PC, such as your CPU and memory. Also you reduce the heat produced by your computer's power supply. This actually can help protect and improve your PC’s performance.

As far as is known, the Storage Central has not caused a significant reduction in disk life.

This non-NETGEAR article HDD Diet: Power Consumption and Heat Dissipation, explains in detail hard disk heating, and also compares recent brands. Note that many of these disks, however, are NOT compatible with the SC101/SC101T.

N101566.asp Oct. 25, 2005