I just installed WHS2011 on my EX495 and everything went smoothly with the install (thanks for the instuctions!). However, WHS2011 doesn't install a driver for the eSATA port replicator. I have a SANS Digital towerraind drive connected to the eSATA port on the back, but WHS2011 doesn't see it. When I go into the device manager I see that there's and error in the driver for the mass storage controller, but when I try to install a driver in device manager it can't locate the appropriate driver.

Has anyone else run into this?

I think that I figured this out. I downloaded the SiI3531 64biy driver from http://www.siliconimage.com/support/sea ... d=80&cat=3 and now the drive is recognized.

Do you mind saying which driver exactly worked for you? I'll persevere with that one if I know it works.

I am trying to get a Drobo S working over eSATA and it's proving to be a real pain. It has worked in the past on my EX490 with WHSv1 but now on WHS2011 the best I can get is it to momentarily see the drive in device manager, report in explorer that the drive needs to be formatted and then it is lost again. The unit works fine over USB but that is not the point.

I've tried a number of different drivers from the link you provided but they all seem to have problems in that either then stop the unit from booting or there is a huge timeout whilst the unit tries to connect (server is unpingable, RDP drops etc).

Cheers,
Al

I used the driver named 3531_x64_w7_1.5.20.1_logo.zip, which can be found at http://www.siliconimage.com/support/sea ... d=80&cat=3 .

I have a Sans Digital Tower RAID and I've found that you have to power up the RAID tower first before booting WHS 2011.

Hope this helps,

Rob

Hey guys, i have questions about the EX495 as well ...

Right now, I'm still running the original home server software .... Was going to upgrade this machine to 2011.

I have a new DROBO S that I'm trying to connect via eSATA in the meantime, before I do the upgrade, and I can't seem to get it working with the system.

I have actually taken time to install the SI3531 raid control software so I can see what's going on when I plug in the DROBO. When I connect the drobo, the logs show a device is connected, and then about 90 seconds later it disconnects.

When I connect it, the system kind of hangs ... It isn't even pingable, but then after that errors out, the system returns to life, and i can see the logs ...

Checked the driver, it is running 1.5.20.1 for the SI chipset. Any thoughts? Maybe the RAID is too darn big? I have 5 x 3TB drives in there, though I don't think that should "really" matter.

System does connect just fine over USB, but performance obviously sucks.

Thoughts?

Well, it seems that I have the exact same problem as you do ... Server unpingable, RDP drops, for about 90 seconds, and then you see you can't access the drive.

You said that at one point you DID have it working on WHS_v1? Did you have to do any tricks to get it working? Also, if you did have it working, how large of a partition did you use? This obviously isn't a WHS_2011 problem if I am seeing the exact same issue with a stock install of WHS on a EX495.

UPDATE ...

Okay, on WHS_v1, on my EX495, I found that the driver version installed for the SI controller was 1.5.20.1 ...

Visited the SI site, and found when I selected 32-bit Windows 2003, the latest driver was 1.5.18.6.

That said, just for kicks, I replaced the 1.5.20.1 driver that was installed on the box, with the 1.5.18.6 driver, and BINGO, it works!

So, that remedies the problem of getting it working eSATA on the WHS based on 32-bit Windows 2003.

The problem however, is that for 64-bit OSs, the only driver available is the 1.5.20.1 version, and it sounds like we are seeing problems here with this.

Anyone else had any luck in WHS 2011 with the 1.5.20.1 driver?

ANOTHER UPDATE:

Appears that SI DOES have a 2008 (non-R2) set of drivers for 64-bit available.

http://www.siliconimage.com/support/sea ... cat=3&os=8

Maybe someone can try to the 1.5.18.6 or 1.5.18.8 driver and see if that fixes the issues.

It clearly is a driver issue between the SI controller and the Drobo S. In a previous post, someone talked about getting 1.5.20.1 working with a TEK drive array cabinet, which I beleive. But the trouble is, 1.5.20.1 has issues with Drobo.

I AM HAVING THE SAME NIGHTMARE!!!!!!!!!!!!

In Windows Home Server v1 I was able to get it working by installing v1.15.8 of the eSATA driver. That one was stable and would always work. However, when I try installing 2011, there is nothing I can do. I have tried every single 64-bit drivers that Silcon Image has available for the SIL3531 and there is just no go ....

I am thinking this is probably firmware on the 3531 related. They have updated firmwares, but you have to patch them in to a BIOS update for your computer, which we have no way (that I know of) doing.

Has ANYONE had any luck with Drobo on eSATA and 2011? I am at the point of retiring the EX495 if I can't get this resolved.

I believe to have found a 'workaround'.

I recently upgraded my EX495 with WHS 2011 and had the same issue with a LaCie 4Big Quadra External RAID Drive. I was experiencing the same issues as many others on this post (i.e. eSATA not working but USB working fine). With the Si3531 driver installed (Version 1.5.20.1 - Download File Name 3531_x64_w7_1.5.20.1_logo to be exact) the drive would only mount while being connected to the Home Server via USB.

The LaCie 4Big Quadra has 2 power modes which are selected through a switch in the back of the unit - 'Auto' and 'ON'. Auto is the recommended setting as it would allow the unit to hibernate along with the parent computer/server. Since my Server is never powered off, and after hours of frustration, I flipped the switch to 'ON' and allowed the unit to power on all the drives. Once this was completed (this takes about 20-30 seconds), I powered on the Home Server. I knew something had worked since the dashboard indicated that One or more new hard drives were connected to the server. My drive was immediately visible on the server while being connected via eSATA.

Here's a summary of the steps:
- Install the Si3531 driver.
- Power off the server
- Power on the external drive and ensure that it is fully powered on with all HDs spinning
- Power on the Home Server
- HOPE FOR THE BEST.

I hope this works for you.

For EX490, SI3531 driver also required. This driver works OK with PROBOX 4-bay enclosure via eSATA.

_________________
HP-EX490 (unmodified) running WHS 2011: 6.15TB storage
External Enclosure PROBOX HF2-SU3S2: 1.5TB storage

Can someone tell me the procedure for actually installing the driver once it is downloaded and unzipped. There does not seem to be an executable setup file.

@ rhornsby .....

Control Panel/System/Device Manager look at Storage Controllers - you most likely will have an alert on unrecognised hardware there ... Right-Click on the device-line then "Update Driver/Browse My Computer" ... point to where you put the driver package and follow the prompts. You should then get the controller recognised without error and the "!" Alert will go away.... Best of Luck with it.

_________________
HP-EX490 (unmodified) running WHS 2011: 6.15TB storage
External Enclosure PROBOX HF2-SU3S2: 1.5TB storage

I installed the latest SI driver for my EX495, (1.5.20.1). The Silicon Image says you should also install the lates BIOS, 9.1.0.0. While the driver works, the apparent transfer speed between the EX495 and the external eSATA drive is horrible. Some backups take > 8 hours. Does anyone know if the 9.1.0.0 BIOS is critical and resolves the speed issue and if it is needed, any ideas on how to install it on a EX495 since it requires the computer being booted with DOS?

Chuck