Hard Drive Requirements

Follow the guidelines below when sending us your hard drive for the import or export of files from NetX. Hard drives sent for file exports will be reformatted and any existing files will be erased. 

If you need a device for a file import, we can provide a secure Padlock Drive with a capacity limit of 4TB. We are not able to provide our drive for file exports.

Shipping

Your organization is responsible for all costs associated with sending and returning a hard drive.  Please package your drive safely, include any required power supply and USB cords, and include a return label.

Formatting your hard drive using Windows

When transferring content to your hard drive, ensure that there are no restrictive security permissions in place that may prevent our ability to read any folder or file.

Drives formatted using Windows must use the exFAT filesystem. You must also set the correct allocation unit size AUS (a.k.a. cluster size) for compatibility with Mac.

1. My Computer
2. Right click HDD
3. Format
4. choose exFAT
5. Allocation Unit Size (AUS): minimum 128 kilobytes, maximum 1024k
6. Start

Formatting your hard drive using Mac

When transferring content to your hard drive, ensure that there are no restrictive security permissions in place that may prevent our ability to read any folder or file.

exFAT is preferred, but we will accept hard drives formatted APFS or HSF+ (a.k.a. Mac OS Extended):

1. Disk Utility
2. Erase
3. choose exFAT (or APFS or HSF+)
4. OK

Security

For the protection of your assets, we recommend encrypting at the drive level. Please do not encrypt individual files.

Hardware encrypted drives are permissible with the passphrase provided to NetX.

For information on secure transfer of passwords or software-level encryption contact your NetX Account Manager or NetX Support.

Connector protocol

Power supply cords and connector cables must be supplied with your hard drive. NetX only supports the use of USB3 cables, and at least one end must be USB3 A. 

NetX-supplied padlock drive

We can provide a secure 4TB storage device for shipping your assets to us for import. Contact your NetX Account Manager or NetX Support to make arrangements for the use of this device.

Connecting the drive to your computer

1. 1. Unpack the drive; remember to save the packing material for return shipping.

   2. Make sure the drive’s power switch is in the “0” position.

   3. Connect the included power supply to the drive.

   4. Connect the drive to your computer via included USB3 cable.

   5. Flip the drive’s power switch to the “1” position. At this point, a red lock icon should appear on the drive’s screen. 

Unlocking the drive

1. 1. Type in the 7 digit code provided by NetX. 

   2. Press the unlock button.

   3. The drive is now ready (red lock turns to green) and should appear as a device on your computer. 

   4. Read our File Ingest Policy before copying assets to this drive.

Returning the drive

1. 1. Pack the drive in its original shipping materials and return by courier.

   2. Be sure to include: Padlock Drive, power adapter, USB3 cable.