Macpower & Tytech Pleiades USB/LAN Installation and operating instructions

External Storage Enclosure for
3.5” Hard Drive
Pleiades USB/LAN
User Manual
& Installation Guide
v1.1

Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION - 1 - CHAPTER 4 – LAN DISK SETUP - 11 -
ICON KEY -1-NETWORK INSTALLATION ON A PC - 11 -
NETWORK INSTALLATION ON A MAC -11 -
THE PLEIADES USB/LAN - 1-
PACKAGE CONTENTS -1-CONFIGURING THE LAN DISK -11 -
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS -2-LOGIN ON A PC - 11 -
PC REQUIREMENTS -2-LOGIN ON A MAC -11 -
MAC REQUIREMENTS -2-SYSTEM INFORMATION -12 -
INTERFACE INFORMATION -2-MAINTENANCE -12 -
SMB SERVER -13 -
FILE ACCESS ON A PC - 13 -
CHAPTER - 2 INSTALLING THE HDD - 3 - FILE ACCESS ON A MAC -14 -
PREPARING THE ENCLOSURE -3-FTPCONFIGURATION -14 -
HARD DRIVE ASSEMBLY -4-DISK UTILITY -15 -
FAQ - 15 -
CHAPTER 3 - SYSTEM SET UP - 5 -
INSTALLATION ON A PC USING USB 2.0 - 6-
WIN2000/WINXP WITH USB - 6-
WIN98/SE WITH USB - 6-
UNPLUG PROCEDURE -6-
INSTALLATION ON A MAC USING USB 2.0 - 7-
MAC OS 9.X/10.X WITH USB - 7-
MAC OS 10.2 OR ABOVE WITH USB 2.0 - 7-
UNPLUG PROCEDURE -7-
PARTITIONING &FORMATTING -8-
ABOUT THIS MANUAL -16 -
PC RUNNING WIN98/SE OR WINME - 8-
PC RUNNING WIN2000 OR WINXP - 9-
MAC OS - 10 -

Package Content
may vary,
depending on
vendor & version.
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Icon Key
Throughout this manual you will see icons on the left margin
that denote either Notes or Special Remarks as outlined below:
General Notes and Tips
Remarks for PC users and Microsoft Windows OS
Remarks for Mac users and Apple Macintosh OS
The Pleiades USB/LAN
The External Storage Enclosure “Pleiades USB/LAN” is made
of high quality aluminium, excellent for heat-dissipation.
Available with various types of interfaces, this is the perfect
solution for additional external storage, data backup as well as
for transferring data between computers and platforms.
Product Dimensions: 23.0cm x 14.0 cm x 5.0 cm
9.05” x 5.50” x 1.95”
Package Contents
•Pleiades USB/LAN
•External Power Adapter;
Input 100-240V, Output 12V/2A, 5V/2A
•Power Cord
•Interface Cable
•Aluminium Stand
•Driver CD (USB driver required for Win98/SE only)
- 1 -

If you forgot the
login, press and
hold the reset
button, turn on the
device and wait for
ten seconds before
releasing it. This will
reset the device to
its factory default
settings.
System Requirements
PC Requirements
•Minimum Intel Processor II 350MHz, 64MB RAM
•USB 1.1 equipped PC; WinME, Win2000, WinXP
•USB 2.0 equipped PC; WinME, Win2000, WinXP
•10 Mbps, 100 Mbps or 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet card, or a
USB-to-Ethernet converter equipped PC; Win2000, WinXP
Mac Requirements
•Minimum Apple G3 processor, 64MB RAM
•USB 1.1 equipped Mac; Mac OS 9.1, 9.2, 10.1.5, 10.2, 10.3
•USB 2.0 equipped Mac; Mac OS 10.2, 10.3 or more
•10 Mbps, 100Mbps or 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet card, or a
USB-to-Ethernet converter equipped Mac OS 9.2, 10.2 or
more.
Interface Information
1. Status Lights
Amber = HDD Access (HDD)
Yellow = System Status (SYSTEM)
Green = Network Status (LINK)
2. 10/100 Auto sensing port
(RJ-45)
3. Reset Button
4. USB 2.0 Interface
5. Power Receptacle
6. Power Switch
X
Y
Z
[
\
]
- 2 -

Your unit might
come with an
installed hard drive.
Before opening
such an enclosure,
please read the
warranty and any
other notes from
your vendor
carefully before
doing so, as this
might void your
warranty.
Chapter - 2 Installing the HDD
Preparing the Enclosure
Remove the 4 screws on the bottom, slide the case off the
body, remove the screws for the top cover and open up the
case.
- 3 -

The hard drive
jumper settings
should be master or
factory default.
Be careful not to
damage any cables
or components and
double check the
connection between
the cables, the
bridge board and
your hard drive
before you close up
the case.
Hard Drive Assembly
Connect the ATA cable and the power line to your hard drive.
Install the hard drive and fasten the screws. Align the top cover
with the body and fasten the screws, before you slide it back
into the casing. Fasten the 4 screws on the bottom and
connect your power adapter and interface cable.
- 4 -

Make sure your
computer is
connected to the
same network as
your LAN disk.
Do not connect
the USB and
Ethernet cables at
the same time!
To assure optimum
performance on the
network, only use
network switches
and routers.
If you buy a spare
power adapter,
make sure the
specifications are
identical with the
power adapter
supplied!
Chapter 3 - System Set Up
In LAN mode, the Pleiades is attached to an Ethernet switch or
router. Each user on the network can use the LAN disk and
access it using FTP or SMB.
In USB 2.0 High Speed mode, the Pleiades is directly attached
to a single computer via the USB port.
A few tips on how to connect your external storage enclosure:
•Do not cover the Enclosure and leave enough room around
it for the drive to cool down
•Do not expose the product to water or humid conditions
•Always check for visible damage and defects of power and
interface cables before use
•We recommend using the cables and adapter supplied with
your product
- 5 -

If the system
doesn’t recognize
the drive, turn on
the power first,
before connecting
the USB cable.
For safe removal of
your drive and to
assure that no data
is lost, always follow
the unplug
procedure. If not, an
error message will
show up.
Installation on a PC using USB 2.0
Win2000 or WinXP with a USB connection:
•Turn on your Computer and start Windows
•Connect the Pleiades and turn it on
•Let Windows search and install the driver automatically
•Open “My Computer” to see your external hard drive **
Win98/SE with a USB connection:
•Turn on your Computer and start Windows
•Insert the driver CD into your CD-ROM
•Connect the Pleiades and turn it on
•Follow the onscreen instructions and install the drivers
•Open “My Computer” to see your external hard drive **
Unplug Procedure:
•Click on the taskbar icon for external hardware
•Choose your external hard drive and confirm to remove it
** For factory new drives and formatting, see “Partitioning & Formatting”
- 6 -

If the system
doesn’t recognize
the drive, turn on
the power first,
before connecting
the USB cable.
For Mac OS 8.6, the
USB extension has
to be at least v1.41.
For save removal of
your drive and to
assure that no data
is lost, always follow
the unplug
procedure. If not, an
error message will
show up.
Installation on a Mac using USB 2.0
Mac OS 9.x or Mac OS 10.x with a USB connection:
•Turn on your computer and start Mac OS
•Connect the Pleiades and turn it on
•No driver installation required
•The external drive will mount and show up on your
desktop**
Mac OS 10.2 or above with a USB 2.0 connection:
•Turn on your computer and start Mac OS
•Connect the Pleiades and turn it on
•No driver installation required
•The external drive will mount and show up on your
desktop**
Unplug Procedure:
•Drag the external hard drive icon into the trash bin
•Turn off your device
** For factory new drives and formatting, see “Partitioning & Formatting”
- 7 -

You can choose to
create several
partitions through
USB but be aware
that only the first
partition will be
recognised on the
network (LAN disk
function).
The drive has to be
formatted using the
FAT32 file system.
Instead, you may
also use the disk
utility of the LAN
disk to format the
drive. Connect the
device to your LAN,
login, go to disk
utility and choose
“Format”.
Partitioning & Formatting
Be aware that this will destroy all your existing data on the
drive, so make sure you have a backup! This step is usually
only required the first time you install a factory new hard drive,
if you change the format or want to erase all data on your drive.
PC running Win98/SE or WinME:
MS-DOS command “fdisk” (press Enter to confirm)
•Type “fdisk” and press Enter
•Select ”Y” and press Enter
•Enter "5” to change the drive
•Select the drive you want to format
•Choose “1” and follow the onscreen instructions
- 8 -

The drive has to be
formatted using the
FAT32 file system.
If NTFS is used, the
drive will only be
recognised on USB.
If you use Win2000
or WinXP and
FAT32, the biggest
single partition you
can create will be
32GB. To create
larger partitions,
you need to use the
DOS command
under Win98SE or
WinME or use 3rd
party software.
You can choose to
create several
partitions through
USB but be aware
that only the first
partition will be
recognised on the
network (LAN disk
function).
PC running Win2000 or WinXP:
Disk Management Program
•Right click on “My Computer” and choose “Manage”
•Select “Disk Management”
•Choose the drive you want to format and right click on it for
further commands (Choose New Partition)
•Follow the Partition Wizard and create a FAT32 partition
Alternatively, you can also format the LAN disk using the disk
utility option. Connect the device to your LAN, login, go to disk
utility and choose “Format”.
- 9 -

The drive has to be
formatted using the
FAT32 file system
(MS-DOS).
If Mac OS extended
is used, the drive
will only be
recognised on USB.
If you can not see
the drive, make
sure the jumper
settings of your
hard drive are
correct, there are
no extension
conflicts and the
power is turned on!
You can choose to
create several
partitions through
USB but be aware
that the only the
first partition is
recognised on the
network (LAN disk
function).
Mac OS:
Mac OS9.2 and earlier, does not support creating partitions on
an external drive. To do that, you would need to purchase
additional 3rd party software, connect the drive to the internal
IDE bus or upgrade to OS X.
For Mac OS X, use the Disk Utility to format and create
partitions on your external disk.
•Select “Disk Utility” in the utilities folder
•Choose your external drive and create a FAT32 partition
(also called MS-DOS on the Mac)
Alternatively, you can also format the LAN disk using the disk
utility option. Connect the device to your LAN, login, go to disk
utility and choose “Format”.
- 10 -

To connect the LAN
disk to your network,
an additional switch,
router or hub may
be required.
If you connect the
LAN disk to your
computer directly,
make sure to obtain
the IP address and
DNS settings
automatically,
otherwise you may
not be able to find
the device.
To find out the IP
address of the LAN
disk on your local
network, use the
SCAN utility
included on your
CD.
Chapter 4 – LAN Disk Setup
Network Installation on a PC
•Turn on your Computer and start Windows
•If you have the USB disk connected, disconnect it
•Connect the Pleiades to the local network and turn it on
•Confirm that your Local Area Network settings are
correct and that your computer is connected to the
network
Network Installation on a Mac
•Turn on your Computer and start Mac OS
•If you have the USB disk connected, disconnect it
•Connect the Pleiades to the local network and turn it on
•Confirm that your Local Area Network settings are
correct and that your computer is connected to the
network
Configuring the LAN disk
Login on a PC
Open your browser and type STORAGE or if connected
directly to your computer type 169.254.0.1. If you have more
than one device connected at the same time, type STORAGE-
xxxx, whereas the xxxx stands for the last four digits of your
Mac address as seen on the bottom of your device (example
STORAGE-2343).
Login on a Mac
Open your Terminal and type “nmblookup STORAGE”, copy
the corresponding IP address and paste it into your browser or
if the LAN disk is connected directly to your computer, type
169.254.0.1 into your browser. If you have more than one
device connected at the same time, type “nmblookup
STORAGE-xxxx, whereas the xxxx stands for the last four
digits of your Mac address as seen on the bottom of your
device (example STORAGE-2343).
- 11 -

If you forgot your
personal login,
press and hold the
reset button, turn on
the device and wait
for ten seconds
before releasing it.
This will reset the
device to its factory
default setting.
By default, the
system is using
English. If you want
to store or transfer
files with a different
encoding (different
language), please
choose the
corresponding
language from the
drop down list.
If the encoding
doesn’t match the
language of your
files, the transfer
can not be
completed.
A pop-up dialog box will appear prompting you for your
username and password.
Default Settings
Username: admin
Password: admin
We strongly suggest you to change this, as soon as you are
logged in, to prevent unauthorized access.
After login, you are able to configure and customize all your
settings from that screen. By default, the system is setup, so
that it can be used without further modification.
System Information
If required, you may change any of the settings such as
hostname, group name, login, time, encoding and IP
configuration.
Maintenance
The tools found under maintenance can be used to upgrade
the firmware of your LAN disk and to reset the device to its
factory default settings. Read the description displayed for
each tool for more details.
- 12 -

The public folder is
created by default.
You may access it
immediately after
the system is ready,
without any further
setup or login.
Make sure you are
connected to the
same network as
your LAN disk.
If you can not
access the drive
using STORAGE,
use the IP address
and make sure your
firewall is setup to
allow the access.
If you have
assigned a
password for your
shared folder,
please input the
correct username
and password to
access your files.
SMB Server
When creating or sharing folder(s) we suggest using the
English alphabet for file names. For other languages, please
remember to change the language under “Status” to match
your encoding. To add more folders, click on “Create”, then
move the folder to your sharing list and set a password if
needed. The maximum number of SMB folders that can be
created on the LAN disk is 16.
Now that you have set up the files you wish to share on your
LAN disk, you can access them from other computers on your
LAN.
File Access on a PC
Use the Windows Explorer and type \\STORAGE or map it as a
network drive. To map a network drive, click on Tools, choose
“Map Network Drive…” and follow the wizard. Your folder path
will look something like \\storage\public as an example.
Windows 2000/XP users can use the built-in backup utility for
backing up and restoring files to the LAN disk.
1. Click the Windows Start button, choose Run, then type
“ntbackup” in the input box and click <Enter>
2. Use the wizard and follow the instructions
3. When prompted for a target place to backup, click on
the <Browse> button and select the Mapped Drive
- 13 -

Make sure you are
connected to the
same network as
your LAN disk.
If you have
assigned a
password for your
shared folder,
please input the
correct username
and password to
access your files.
If the anonymous
FTP folder is set to
a shared folder with
password access,
the access will be
overwritten and the
folder can be
viewed without
further login.
For FTP access to
your LAN disk from
your client, please
use dedicated FTP
software.
File Access on a Mac
Click on “Go” and choose “Network”. Browse for your LAN disk
“STORAGE-xxxx”, which by default can be found in the
WORKGROUP folder.
Alternatively, select “Go” and choose “Connect to Server”. Type
smb://STORAGE or the more detailed smb://STORAGE-xxxx,
whereas the xxxx stands for the last four digits of the LAN disk
Mac address. When you connect to it, you will be asked to
choose a folder and after entering the login, you can then
access the LAN disk.
FTP Configuration
When creating or sharing folder(s) we suggest using the
English alphabet for the file names. For other languages,
please remember to change the language under “Status” to
match your encoding.
To add new folders, click on “Add”, name your new folder and
confirm it by clicking on “Add”. After the new folder has been
created, highlight it and click on “Modify” to setup the access
rights and sharing list according to your requirements.
Remember to click on “Modify” again to confirm and save your
new settings.
- 14 -

If you don’t use the
disk utility to format
the drive, make
sure that you
choose the FAT32
file system,
otherwise it won’t
be recognised on
the network.
Formatting the disk
will erase all your
data on the hard
drive. Make sure to
backup you files
BEFORE you click
on “Format”!
Please read your
warranty carefully,
as this may vary
between different
vendors!
If you experience
network connection
problems, use the
IP address instead
of the STORAGE
name.
Disk Utility
You may use the disk utility to format your drive, scan for disk
errors and set the idle time before the device switches to
standby mode.
When you format the drive using the disk utility, it will create a
single partition using the FAT32 file system. If you create other
partitions when connected through USB or choose a different
file system, keep in mind that the LAN disk is only able to
recognize the first partition and it has to be FAT32.
FAQ
For RMA and other questions, please contact your vendor or
check out their online support area!
Q: I forgot my login, what do I do?
A: If you forgot your personal login for the LAN disk, press and
hold the reset button, turn on the device and wait for ten
seconds before releasing it. This will reset the device to its
factory default settings.
Q: SMB access doesn’t work on Mac OS 10.4.
A: With earlier versions of Mac OS 10.4, the LAN disk can not
be accessed through SMB. Please upgrade to Mac OS 10.4.3
or later to resolve this problem.
Q: FTP access on my Mac doesn’t work.
A: The FTP utility on the Mac will be able to read the data on
the LAN disk but you can not write new data to the drive. To do
that, you will need to install a dedicated FTP application, which
can either be a free utility or professional shareware program.
- 15 -

Q: My HDD is not recognised.
A: Please make sure to set the jumper of your hard drive to
Master when you install the drive and then use the disk utility of
the web admin interface to format the drive.
For troubleshooting
and to upgrade the
firmware, connect
the LAN disk
directly to your
computer using the
standard Ethernet
cable.
Q: I get Error Code -36
A: The Finder cannot complete the operation because some
data in "smb://storage" could not be read or written.
If you get the above error message, use the IP address instead
of STORAGE. See following steps:
1) Log in via your web browser.
2) Under SMB Server, make sure the folder you want to access
is in the Shared List - for example, the PUBLIC folder without a
password.
3) Go to IP Config, make sure it is set to Automatic IP and write
down the IP address you see there.
4) Go to your Finder and select Go/Connect to Server
5) Type smb://IP/PUBLIC and hit Connect. For the IP use the
IP address you wrote down in step 3, for PUBLIC use the
name of the folder you added to the Sharing List in step 2.
6) If the LAN disk is connected directly to your computer using
the Ethernet cable, the default IP address is 169.254.0.1.
LAN disk settings
do not apply when
the disk is mounted
via USB connection.
If you can not find
your city on the time
zone list, please set
the time manually
by changing the
numbers for “Time”,
then saving the new
setting.
About this Manual
The firmware this manual is based on might be different from
your device. Images and descriptions might therefore slightly
vary between this manual and the actual product you have.
© Copyright 2006 by Macpower & Tytech Technology Co., Ltd. all Rights Reserved
The information contained in this manual is believed to be accurate and reliable. Macpower & Tytech
Technology assumes no responsibility for any errors contained in this manual. Macpower & Tytech
Technology reserves the right to make changes in the specifications and/or design of this product without
prior notice. The diagrams contained in this manual may also not fully represent the product that you are
using and are there for illustration purposes only. Macpower & Tytech Technology assumes no responsibility
for any differences between the product mentioned in this manual and the product you may have.
- 16 -