Arlo Pro Portable HD

[ralfyguy1]

Can I use a Portable Hard Drive that has no power supply with the Arlo Pro Base Station, or would this overload the USB port? I don't want to get a ordinary Hard Drive that is constantly running. Otherwise I considered a inexpensive 128GB USB Flash Drive. But for the about same money you could get a Portable HD with way more storage.

[TomMac]

In the USB 1.0 and 2.0 specs, a standard downstream port is capable of delivering up to 500mA (0.5A); with USB 3.0, it moves up to 900mA (0.9A).

Many HDs require more...

a 16gb or so will provide a lot of storage.

I find the speed stick easier, BTW, as it must be removed to view the files anyway ( and it's simple )

[ralfyguy1]

So Arlo Pro is USB 2.0?

[jguerdat · Accepted solution]

Yes. There's no need for the extra speed of USB3.x since there's never enough data flowing to require it. Use of a USB3.x device would make downloading to a computer faster, though.

[ralfyguy1]

I decided on a Sandisk USB 3.0 128GB Flash Drive for $35. That should last a couple of years of recordings.

[jguerdat]

One thing to remember is that a USB3 drive doesn't necessarily mean it transfers data that fast. Many thumb drives peak out at well below USB2 speeds. It's the electronics inside (memory chip and/or controller) that make the difference. Check out comparisons for sustained transfer rates between various drives if speed is important to you.