@Wayne-TP hey Wayne thank you for the response. I found the two sources of the issue. One was formatting. And other was user error 

  @Rex74  Hi, what are your temperatures like? I have a Samsung SSD and the temperature is up to 50°C.

AI:

A temperature of 50°C for a SATA SSD in a device such as a hub (Tapo H500) is not dangerous (SSDs can normally handle up to 70°C), but in such a small, passively cooled box, it can cause unnecessary heating of surrounding components.

Reasons why your Samsung SSD is heating up and why the WD could be the solution:

1. Why is the Samsung SSD (248 GB) in the Tapo hub heating up?

Write characteristics: The Tapo H500 is used for continuous storage of video recordings from cameras. SSD drives (especially older or cheaper models without DRAM cache) can paradoxically heat up more than HDDs when continuously writing small data blocks, because the SSD controller must constantly perform write and erase operations in the cells (garbage collection).

Design: Samsung drives are powerful, which often means higher power requirements and heat production under load.

2. Why is the WD10JUCT (AV-25) specific?

The WD10JUCT model belongs to the WD AV-25 series, which is specifically designed for:

24/7 operation: They are made for recorders (PVR, DVR) and surveillance systems.

Low power consumption (SilkStream): This drive has a very low speed (probably 5400 rpm) and is optimized to consume a minimum of power. Less power = less heat.

Heat emission: Although it is a mechanical drive, this "AV" (Audio-Video) series is designed to run cooler than standard laptop drives.

What can you expect after replacement?

Temperature: The WD10JUCT will likely maintain a more stable temperature, perhaps around 35-45 °C. Low-speed mechanical drives for video can be very efficient.

Lifespan: For camera recording (continuous rewriting), this specific HDD is often more suitable than a standard consumer SSD, which could "die" sooner with this style of writing (unless it is an SSD designed for high load/high endurance).

Noise: The only disadvantage is that you will hear the HDD (quiet clicking/growling), while SSDs are completely silent.

Verdict: If the manufacturer (TP-Link) recommends this particular drive for the H500 model, it is because they have verified that it will cool down in that small chassis. In addition, switching from a 248GB SSD to a 1TB AV-HDD will dramatically extend your recording history. 50°C for an SSD in such a small device is not a tragedy, but with the WD drive, the hub will likely be in better thermal condition.

  @TomikB 

hi I think the main reason it heats up so much is due to its small form factor with low air flow. I ended up getting a laptop cooling fan and has greatly reduced the temputure to around 38c

however the continuous running of that fan has started making noises so I shut it off. It now runs at 48c 

I don't think the drive matters for the heat

In another thread, they write that the SSD overheated so much that it stopped working. The temperature of the SSD will certainly affect the temperature of the entire device. Yes, the H500 is small and the cooling is not the most effective, but temperatures up to 50 degrees should not be a problem. On Friday, I will install an HDD WD10JUCT (AV-25), so I will see if the temperatures are better. The Tapo app shows the temperature SSD.