Hi, everyone.
I've just registered, and this is my first post.
I don't know how much use this would be to the op, but I've been looking at the CipherChain range of hardware encryption modules from Addonics as a solution to what I was originally after in a new PC build.
Before finding this, I had read other forums describing the ATA password function and how it was needed to make use of SEDs, and how few, if any, motherboards actually support it. Only one manufacturer that I know of, Asrock, do provide some support via their custom tailor made beta bios if you request it of them, and if it's available for a particular motherboard model. But having read a few newegg Z97 reviews, there are just too many unknowns with that option.
I'm still reading up on it, but on the surface, the advantages I see with the CipherChain option are as follows:
1> It is OS agnostic, and operates transparently between the drive and controller. No drivers are needed anywhere.
2> It is not tied to any motherboard or dependent on a specific motherboard function. If a motherboard fails, the module and encrypted drive can still be used on another motherboard.
3> A drive with SED functionality does not need to be used at all. Any SATA drive can be used.
4> A removal physical Cipher key is used instead of a password. (Personally, I do like passwords. But that's just me.)
I'm not totally sold on the idea of using one of their products, and if there are other alternatives to CipherChain, I'd be interested to know about them. CipherChain just happens to be the best solution I have found for my set of circumstances. One aspect of this option that concerns me is the lowly 150MB/s transfer rate that they state.