Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the eSATA port on a Dell Computer

Introduction

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This article provides a reference on external Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) ports on a Dell computer. It goes over the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) by our end users and provides clear answers to each.

The questions vary from what the ports look like to how to troubleshoot them when something goes wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is an eSATA port and What does it do?

A Port or Connector:: A Port or Connector on a Dell computer has either holes or a slot that matches the plug or device that you are connecting to the Port.
External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) and external Serial Advanced Technology Attachment Powered (eSATAp):: This format has been around for quite a while and is an industry standard that defines the cables, connectors, and the communications protocols used for external storage devices. They competed with Firewire 400 and USB 2.0 to provide fast data transfer speeds up to three times as fast as its competitors.

Note: eSATA uses the same technology as that used in the internal Hard Disk Drive (Hard Drive) units of your computer. This saves having to translate data between the interface and the computer. Cables are serial and can be up to 6 and a half feet to 2 meters in length. Unless you are using one of the eSATAp ports, you require an external power source for the storage device. Regular eSATA ports do not supply power.

How does it work?

You must have one or more of the following components to connect your external device to:

A Motherboard with an eSATA connector
A SATA to eSATA converter
A PCI card with an eSATA connector

The goal of eSATA is to make your external storage devices as fast as your internal storage, by using the same technology. This should allow you to create external arrays using the same equipment that you would use inside the computer. In using the same technology as the internal storage, it removes any need for the computer to change or translate the data prior to use. (Ensure that your external device matches or is better than the specifications of your internal storage. These devices are backwards-compatible to a certain extent. However, plugging something older and slower to a new computer does not suddenly make that external device quicker.)

One limitation of the eSATA port is that it does not supply power through the same port. You require an external power source for your external device.

There is a newer port design eSATAp which not only supplies power, but is also able to be used as a USB port if necessary.

eSATA devices are Hot-Swappable, this means you can pull them out and plug them in, whilst the computer is still powered up and working.

What types of eSATA port are in common use?

There are two types of eSATA port in use. Select your version from the tabs below to see the available ports and plugs and what they can do:

eSATA
eSATAp

eSATA

eSATA was the first officially recognized version of the eSATA port that was widely adopted. The name means External SATA port.

SATA is a computer bus interface designed for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as Hard Disk Drives (Hard Drives) and Optical Drives.

It has data rates of 3 Gb/s depending on your computers revision of SATA.

It is not a power socket and any device plugged to it requires its own power source.

Port

Plug

eSATAp

eSATAp is a new port that combines eSATA with power and also allows USB connections from the same port.

eSATAp has had numerous names since it came out. It is also known as:

eSATAp
eSATApd
Power over eSATA
eSATA/USB
Power eSATA/USB
SATA on the go
eSATA/USB Combo
eSATA USB Hybrid Port (EUHP)

As this is a combi port designed to work with multiple standards, the USB or eSATA organizations have not formally approved it.

eSATAp can provide power at 5v and 12v and no changes to your BIOS or, or drivers are required to use this port.

Port

Plug

What are the SATA revisions and what do they mean?

The SATA revisions chart the changes in the technology that made the transfer speeds improve over time:

SATA Revision 1.0

Revision 1.0 came out in January 2003 and supported the first generation of SATA interfaces.

Their transfer rate was stated at 1.5 Gb/s. The uncoded transfer rate was 1.2 Gb/s (150 Mb/s). It did not support Native Command Queuing (NCQ).

This saw the end of the PATA standard from general use. (There was some backwards compatibility by using a bridging chip.)

SATA Revision 2.0

Revision 2.0 came out in April 2004 and supported the second generation of SATA interfaces.

Their transfer rate was stated at 3.0 Gb/s. The uncoded transfer rate was 2.4 Gb/s (300 Mb/s). It did support Native Command Queuing (NCQ.)

These devices were backwards compatible with Revision 1.0.

SATA Revision 3.0

Revision 3.0 came out in July 2008, but was finalized on May 2009. It was intended to improve the quality of service for things like Video Streaming and high-priority interrupts. It contained the following changes:

6 Gb/s for scalable performance
It was compatible with Serial Attached SCUSI (SAS) using the Serial ATA Tunneled Protocol (STP)
Isochronous Native Command Queuing (NCQ) streaming command for isochronous quality of service for streaming digital content
NCQ management features
Improved power performance
New connectors for specialist devices

Their transfer rate was Stated at 6.0 Gb/s. The uncoded transfer rate was 4.8 Gb/s (600 Mb/s).

The devices were backwards compatible with Revision 2.0.

SATA Revision 3.1

Revision 3.1 was released in July 2011 and introduced some new features to Revision 3.0:

mSATA was SATA for solid state drives (SSD) using a PCI mini card like connector that is SATA
Further power savings including a Zero power drive when in an idle state
Queued TRIM command for improved SSD performance
Link Power Management reduced the overall power demand of several attached SATA devices
Hardware Control Features enabled host identification of device capabilities
Universal Storage Module (USM) standard brought in for plug-in, powered storage for third party devices

SATA Revision 3.2

Also Known As: SATA Express

Revision 3.2 was released in August 2013 and introduced the following changes:

The new SATA interface combined the SATA and the PCI Express buses. Legacy SATA and PCI express storage devices could now co-exist
The SATA M.2 standard was a small form factor implementation of the SATA express interface using an internal USB 3.0 port.
Micro SSD introduced a new interface for miniaturized, embedded SATA storage.
USM Slim reduced the thickness of the USM from 12.5 mm to 9 mm
DevSleep enables low power consumption for always on devices
Hybrid information allows for higher performance from SSD-hybrid drives

Their transfer rate was stated at 16.0 Gb/s. As an additional benefit, the choice of PCI Express enables scaling up the performance by using multiple lanes and different versions of PCI Express. (For example: Using two PCI Express 2.0 lanes provides a total bandwidth of 1 GB/s. While using two PCI Express 3.0 lanes provides close to 2 GB/s, equating to effective 1969 MB/s.)

The devices were backwards compatible with Revision 3.0.

What Operating Systems support eSATA ports?

So far there has not been a popular operating system that has not supported eSATA. Everything from Apple, Linux, and Windows have support for these eSATA standards built into their operating systems from the base up. This is because it matches their native storage technology.

What types of devices use an eSATA port connection?

eSATA Devices

eSATA external devices are external storage devices. For example:

Optical Disc Drives (ODD, DVD)
Hard Disk Drives (Hard Drive)
Hard Drive Arrays
Hard Drive Docks
Also Network attached Storage (NAS) devices can also have eSATA ports for expansion using additional storage devices

External CD-ROM, DVD, ODD

There are several external disc drive devices available that use the eSATA connector. These cover several formats including Blu-ray. There are several computer formats now such as the Ultrabook. They do not include a floppy or disc drives and depend upon USB flash drive installs or the use of external devices such as these.

External case using internal hard drive

These are simple drive enclosures that allow internal drives to be used externally to expand your computers storage capabilities.

External case holding group of internal hard drive

These are simple drive enclosures that allow several internal drives to be used externally to expand your computers storage capabilities. (There is also some scope for RAID using these devices.)

External Dock for swappable internal hard drive

External hard drive docks have several uses. They offer instant access to any internal drive that you insert into the dock through a drive letter, without you having to mount the drive. This is the epitome of hot swappable. These docks are used for the following reasons:

To retrieve information from archive drives
To attempt to repair faulty drives
To attempt data recovery from faulty drives
To clone or image drives for use
To format or reinstall drives from backups.

It is a handy and versatile tool for any IT technician to have.

Network attached storage you can expand using eSATA devices

Network Attached Storage (NAS) is storage that is accessible on your network by anyone on your network. These devices can be several internal drives in series or in some type of RAID configuration. These devices can usually host a Printer and make it available to your network. It can also be expandable by adding extra or larger storage devices to them through an eSATA or USB connection.

How do I resolve an issue with a Device not detected or faulty on a eSATA port?

Note: If you have Accidental Damage Cover, damage is covered as part of the Accidental Damage package. We must know where the damage is and how it occurred when you contact your local Technical Support. If you DO NOT have any cover or no Accidental Damage cover, then any repairs are chargeable. Accidental Damage Cover is unlikely for external devices unless purchased with the computer on the same order.

You can check your warranty status on the link below:

Warranty status

Note: Confirm that your BIOS is NOT set to SATA legacy mode. eSATA is disabled as default with this setting.

The first step is to check the ports, the connector, and the cable for any wear and tear or damage that might be causing you problems:

Checking for damage is basic, it is looking at the eSATA port and visually checking if there are any:
- Cracks in the plastics surrounding the port?
- Any part of the port crimped or bent?
- Any pins from inside the port bent or missing?
- Any parts of the port missing or broken off?
- Any damage to the devices male connector?
- Any damage to the cable from the connector to the device?

If you identify any of the above, you must have a complete care warranty in place or be prepared for a chargeable repair call. (Your local Technical Support team can provide a quote for this repair.)
If there is no damage to the port or external device, then carry on with the next step.

Does the external eSATA device work ok in another computer?
1. Yes, then proceed with the next step.
2. No, then you must replace the external device.

Plug the external device to the port. If you move the connector whilst it is plugged into the eSATA port, does it affect whether the device is picked up or not?
1. Yes, then contact your local Technical Support team to take the connection issue further.
2. No, then go to the next step.

Have you ruled out a software issue in any way? There are three basic ways to accomplish this.
1. You can two ways swap your Hard Disk Drive (Hard Drive) with one from a similar working computer and see if the fault follows the hard drive to a new machine or if the issue stays with your computer? Follow your User Guide for instructions on removing any hardware parts as the steps change from model type to the model type or you can search on our support site using terms such as "your computers model type," "CRU" and "removal" to find a guide specific to your machine.
2. You can boot from an Ubuntu Live CD (Regardless of the operating system in use on the computer.) and check to see if you experience the same issue in another operating system. Ubuntu live CDs allow you to boot the operating system off the CD without installing it on your Hard Drive. You can download an ISO of the CD on the Download link below. Tap rapidly at the F12 key when the computer boots to the Dell Splash screen and choose the CD or DVD drive option from the boot once menu that appears.
  - Ubuntu ISO Download Link
3. You can run a factory restore or reinstall your Operating system.

Caution: Carrying out option 6c is to be done as a last resort and only if one of the other two steps could not be done. You MUST back up all data before carrying out this procedure. If you do not, the data is lost. Any operating system reinstall or factory restore involves formatting your Hard Disk Drive (Hard Drive). See the guides on the Windows portal for more information about these procedures.

Was the issue seen once the operating system and software was ruled out?
1. No, then the issue is resolved.
2. Yes, then contact your support to take this further, they take you through some hardware diagnostics. These are built in to your computer, and you can also access more on the Dell Support Site by entering your service tag.

See the additional information section at the bottom of this article for contact us instructions.

Note: If you are using Windows 7 64 bit with Service Pack 1, and still cannot detect your eSATA device follow these steps:

Reinstall the Chipset driver from your recovery media or from the Support site.
Run the fixit tool from Microsoft's Support site.
Restart your computer and check for the device.

What is the future of the eSATA port?

There does not appear to be any doubt that the eSATA standard has a clear cut advantage in the storage market.

However, the truth is that not many consumers are aware of the benefits of this hardware. Without customer demand to keep them in use, these types of port can end up replaced with a more generic port.

The two main issues with eSATA are:

The need for an external power source with regular eSATA ports
The fact that there is no single accepted standard for a powered eSATAp port.

There are no signs of a supported eSATAp being brought out soon either.

The current trend has seen most eSATA ports being replaced with USB 3.0 on most new motherboards and new standards such as Thunderbolt 2 being introduced.

This may see eSATA turning into a standard used in niche or specialty markets that can make the best use of its storage performance benefits.

Additional Information:

If you issue with another port on a computer, try the article below:

Troubleshooting Ports on your Notebook or Desktop Dell computer

If you require further assistance, contact technical Support.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the eSATA port on a Dell Computer

Resumen: This article provides answers to the most frequently asked questions about external Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) port on a Dell Computer.

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Table of Contents:

Introduction

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