Always on or always turn off?

Hi :slight_smile:

Just wondering what everyone else does or thinks on this issue.

I keep my device on all the time – or at least I try to – just because I keep thinking that, if I do turn it off, the device will have to compile the Media Library each time I turn it back on, delaying my immediate access to the local content I have on my NAS.

I say “I try to” keep it on because I do notice that, after a week of it being on, the device turns itself off, and then I have to literally unplug it and plug it back in to get it to work again.  I assume by that behavior that the device overheats from being on all the time and shuts itself down as a preventative measure.

So just to make sure I don’t have a faulty device that needs to be replace, let me ask the rest of the forum – Does anyone else experience this?  Or is this something wrong with my particular device?  Do any of you keep it on all the time and experience no problems, or do I have to exchange this one for one that does not have this particular “bug”?  Also, does the device indeed  re-compile the library each time it is turned on, or am I just incorrectly assuming it does so?  And if it does re-compile each time, that does limit my immediate access to the my local content, right?

Thanks; I think I still have time to return the device to my local Best Buy and get a new one if this one does indeed have a unique problem, so if anyone can offer their opinions, I’d appreciate it.

I turn mine off every time I’m done using it and have experienced no lag or re-compiling when it’s turned back on. Not sure about the particulars of yours shutting itself off after such extended activity, but don’t be afraid to turn the box off :slight_smile:

At most I leave mine on for a day - usually because I fall asleep at night watching something and the device is left on.
I have a 3TB HD connected to it.
So I can’t really comment much on your situation.
I do find that it’s kind of annoying when I eject my HD and power the SMP off - when I turn the SMP back on it does not detect my HD. I have to either unplug/replug the power or USB cable of my HD to get the SMP to recognize it again. So I may just end up leaving my SMP turned on much more often now so I don’t have to do that.
If you are having doubts about your device why not just return it. Edit: Or you can email Western Digital. They are pretty good about answering emails quickly. Ask them if it’s supposed to turn off after x amount of time from heat issues.

Fennec, after ejecting yor drive, are you powering off the SMP by holding the Power button for 5 seconds? Remember that if you don’t do it this way, you’re only putting it into standby mode (and without ejecting anything attached if you didn’t do it beforehand), which may explain why it doesn’t recognize your storage device after turning it on again, as it’ll still be waiting for you to remove it.