Hanley

I was away all last week so my new NAS, the Netgear ReadyNAS NV+, has been sitting there waiting to be opened!!

First impression when I opened the box was - wow I didn't realise it would be that small!!

Down to business then, I had 4 SATA disks but they were of mixed capacity and cache levels (8-32MB), 2 x 1TB and 2 x 500GB but I decided to lob them all in anyway.

Putting the disks in is very straightforward, if you've popped disks out of servers before you'll know what I mean, simply press the catch at the bottom, lift the flap and pull the caddy out. Screw the disk into the caddy using 4 of the supplied screws and plug the caddy back in, locking it in place.

Initial set-up is non existent really, Connect the NAS to your network, plug in the power and switch it on, install the RAIDar software onto your PC or MAC and this detects the device on your network.

First thing it asks you to decide is what type of RAID configuration you wish to use, you can opt for the industry standard allowing RAID 1, 5 etc or you can opt for Negears X-RAID, apparently the X stands for expandable. The theory is you can add additional disks to the unit, or disks with larger capacity and X-RAID will automatically expand the volume on the fly.

For ease of use (as I'll be replacing the 2 500GB disks with 1TB ones in a few days) I chose X-RAID.

It uses the size of the lowest capacity disk so it assigned 500GB from each disk, created a single volume giving 1.4TB capacity.

I timed it at around an hour for the volume creation.

While the volume was creating I plugged our printer into the rear of the unit, configured the printer to broadcast via Bonjour for my MacBook, installed in around 2 minutes to my Mac and my Windows laptop. That's the wireless printing sorted.

Logging into the browser admin utility allows you to perform all kinds of tasks. I started by creating all the shares I required and ticking the box to allow AFP to the shares.

It took most of Sunday to copy all my data to the NAS, I copied around 15GB of photos, 30GB of music, 70GB of home movies, 50GB of applications and around 600GB of DVDs.

One of my main requirements when buying a NAS was to allow wireless Time Machine backups from my MacBook - how easy was this??

Log into the web based admin utility
Click Backups
Click Time Machine
Click 'Enable Time Machine Support'
Enter username and password to be used from the Mac
Enter the maximum size to be given to Time Machine (I selected 500GB)
Click Apply

Go to your Mac
Open Time Machine preferences
Select 'Choose Disk'
Your NAS volume will be visible
Select it entering the username and password

Time Machine will the perform an initial backup and job done, hourly backups will be done from then on.

You can follow a process to migrate any exisiting Time Machine bundle to your NAS, I couldn't be bothered to be honest!!


I haven't done any real performance testing yet, I appear to be getting around 25MB/s when copying to the NAS, 1GB memory chip is on order from Crucial so I'll compare this to the current 256MB.

I'm also using a mish mash of disks at the moment with cache ranging from 8MB - 32MB so once the memory is upgraded to 1GB and all my disks are 32MB cache I would expect that number to go up.

I plan to test streaming tonight to my Popcorn Hour and my AppleTV to see how it handles large video files.

I haven't even started looking at configuring backup jobs when I plug in a USB disk, iTunes server, scheduled power downs and power ups etc.

Overall I'm extremely impressed, setup was an absolute breeze and the unit is whisper quiet when it's turned on and loaded with 4 disks, you have to put your ear close to the unit to hear it.

MMT WRX

Nice one mate

Keep us posted please.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Good stuff

Had any chance to use the email notifcation yet?

I'm still toying between a Duo and a NV+. The deciding factor I think is I'm goingto use SSH or https to do the remote backup.

It looks like the duo doesn't natively support SSH, however it appears that there is an add-on that enables it in some form. But I'm not sure if that will integrate or work in the same fashion as the NV+ does with rSync via SSH (as it does here: Setting up Rsync over SSH : NETGEAR ReadyNAS Community). Or would using https suffice?

MMT WRX

Ali,
If you go with the Duo, BT shop seems to be about the best buy at the moment with the free HDD. Note the free HDD offer ends at the end of the month though.

Hanley

E-mail notifications work great

My 2 1TB disks arrived yesterday so in order to replace the 2 500Gb disks I just pulled them, pulled the first one and watched the NV+ start squealing, e-mail arrived in my inbox within around 5 seconds telling me a disk had been pulled from bay 3.

Another e-mail followed 30 seconds later to say a 1TB disk had been plugged into bay 3 and resync was in progress.

Did the same with the other 500GB disk and so I'm now configured with 4 1TB disks using X-RAID which currently gives me a single volume of 2.9TB.

Tested streaming last night, no problems experienced on the AppleTV or the Popcorn. I've only tested DVDs at the moment, a 4.7Gb DVD launches immediately and plays fine, with a 9GB DVD there was a delay of around 20 seconds for the initial load and playback was seamless thereafter.

Hopefully I'll test some HD material at some point.

Overall I'm very happy with the NV+, having used it for a few days and now it's all configured I'm glad I paid a higher price for the Netgear over the Buffalo. Timed power off and power on works great so I've set it to go off at midnight and back on at 7am.

I'm happy with the redundancy I now have with the disks but as a seocnd layer of safety I've plugged a 1TB USB disk into the rear USB port and it now takes nightly incremental backups of all my data.

MMT WRX

Just ordered a Readynas Duo RND 2110 1T hdd + free 1T hdd from Scan.

The other places I had bookmarked (BT and Dabs) dont have stock now and have increased their price.

So it should be delivered Tuesday...get ready for some questions

(This could turn out to be a very expensive door stop)

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Thread subscribed....

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

After some scratching about, it seems the NV+ doesn't support SSH or SSL for online backup (had to sift through all the intructions to find that); seems I got mixed up between the NV+ and the NVX (damn dyslexia ). The NVX is alot more money.

So, simple way round; get a pair of Duos and link them via VPN. Probably via one of these at each end: Wired VPN/Firewall Router - FVS318G from NETGEAR. I know I could use a PC instead (actually I already do that, but I'd rather have something that is more automated), I need to replace my switches anyway so may as well have these for that little extra.

MMT WRX

WOOOOOOOOOOSH...WTF?

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I'm planning to use the internet to backup between two ReadyNAS units.

Obviously it would nice if the link was secured, hence SSL (https: same thing used when you log into your bank or webmail etc.), or SSH (similar, but more fiddly and more hardware dependant).

The naughty thing is the data sheets says the ReadyNas Duo/NV+ supports https(ssl) security and SSH commands, but its only for remote user login, not for automated incremental backups to a remote location. There are scripts and add-ons that will allow it, but apparantly its very slow (well backing up via the internet is not going top be quick anyway as my upstream speeds are only 0.5mbps, but that can always be upgraded).

So a way around this is to set up a secure link between the two networks using some other means (vpn -virtual private network), that way the two ReadyNAS units will operate as if they are on the same network.

Does that make more sense?

The idea is disaster-proofing on a budget. Say if I had a fire, flood or my ReadNas was stolen. I will have another at a different location with a full backup.

MMT WRX

A little better yes

If you're going for the Duo with the free hdd from Netgear, remember, the offer runs out end March

Edit to add: The BT link I used earlier and Dabs price has gone up from £253 to £293 now and aren't in stock. Transparent are still showing 14 stock at £253.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Make that 12: Just got both of mine today (via transparent; they were the chepaest place on google shopping that still had stock).

Despatched same day next dail deilvery

F**cked up by Parcel Farce's blind "owner/driver" not bothering to find the correct address and dropping it off at a post office thats miles away, when there is one down the road. Meaning I have to trapse about to pick it up or get it re-deilvered on on Friday. Funny, Citylink, DHL, UPS and Fed-ex have no problem finding us.

First impressions; Quite a small unit. External brick power supply (boo, at least its not a wall wart).

Not had time to do anything else.

MMT WRX

Mine was waiting when I got home today as well.

I was suprised how small it is.

Have you downloaded the form to send for the free drive? Read it carefully as Iv'e read a couple of things where people have had their claims turned down becuause they've not quite done it correctly.

What drive is in yours, mines got a Seagate Pipeline?

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Yes: 1TB Seagate piplines.

Not sent off for the drives yet; filled the forms in ready. But I thought I should make sure they work OK first.

Switching it for the first time was a bit of a shock with the noise of the fan, which then slowed down to a noisy drone/whine for a minute. I thought no way is this acceptable. Then it slowed down further and its now just a distant hum.

Just using NTI shadow, everything seems somewhat straightforward. I still need to sort out proper permission and access control, as well as the backup via VPN. Also it seems that gigabit LAN will be beneficial, especially for full backups, which is to be expected.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Will either of you ReadyNAS guys be using the Bit Torrent feature? If so could you let me know how easy it is to set up and run?
Preferably before the end of the month

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Have you guys seen the 'Community Add-ons' section of the ReadyNAS forums?

NETGEAR ReadyNAS • View forum - Community Add-ons for ReadyNAS NV+/Duo

Might add more functionality that you hadn't realised might be available?

Hanley

I have no plans of using the BitTorrent feature but after looking at Neanderthals link I'm going to have a look at NZBGet

Dedrater

Did you manage to monitor the power consumption yet Hanley?

RichB

Daft question but these Ready NAS units, do they come with 1x TB and you can then claim your free extra drive from Netgear? Dabs spec says Total Storage Capacity - 1 TB
Installed Devices / Modules Qty 1 (installed) / 2 (max)

Then there is a claim form on the Netgear site...

Being thick so can someone advise.
Rich

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Rich, the ReadyNAS Duo comes with one drive (be it a 500Gb or 1Tb drive). You can then claim for a free additional drive from Netgear equivilent to the one you got with the machine.
The actual box has two bays, you can run both drives for storage or have one drive 'mirror' the other one so that the data is extra secure. If you just use both as storage then if you would have 2Tb of storage space (if you bought the 1Tb drive package). If they're set to mirror then you'll only have 1Tb.

Hanley

Did some basic testing using my energy monitor.

I seem to run at 60W loaded with 4 disks.

I tried copying a few large files but didn't notice any major increase in power consumption so 60W seems about right for mine.

MMT WRX

As Neanderthal has quoted, RND2000 is diskless, RND2110 1x1000gb hd and RND2150 1x500gb hd. All have 2 bays. If you buy before the end of March you can claim an equivalent size drive from Netgear via a downloadable form.

Neanderthal, I doubt I will use the Bit Torrent feature. Thanks for the Link to the Readynas forum though.

Dedrater

That really is astonishing, when I run my server, it is a 900W PSU, that is probably peak Wattage for the whole system loaded I guess, but look at the energy saving, it's like me running 2 fuggin flood lamps in my garden 24/7.

Not something you think of when in work, probably not if you are a Systems Analyst either.

It's worth buying on this point alone.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Probably not, unless top gear starts again and my PVR misses it.

I wouldn't use it for iffy downloads anyway, as there is no way of running peerblocker with it.

Been using it a bit more now, and I think I should point out that the hard disk isn't the quietest in the world, the motor is quiet, but the heads clunk about quite loudly when accessing and it resonates through the casing, and the fan is louder than all five fans in my PC, which its currently sat next to. I'd put it around 25db at a guess for the fan and 27db for the hard drive, assuming my PC is around 23db

I should point out my main PC is very quiet (although still needs to be quieter - new silent PSU is next on the cards) and has near silent hard drives (three of them), which makes the NAS alot more noticeable. I'll have to find somewhere I can hide it out of earshot, might even stick it up in the attic

MMT WRX

Mines still in its box

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

I'll give you £100 for it as you clearly don't want it

MMT WRX

I have cut the UPC barcode off the box and sent for the free hdd before that expires, so that's something. I was going to do it today but we have a gang coming round for dinner. It will probably be next weekend before I get chance now.

If not I'll bear your generous offer in mind.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

eBuyer have these in stock for £245, so tempted....
How are you all getting on with it?
My 'plan' would be to put it in my garage or loft and have it set to switch on and off with the timed function and use a 200mbs homeplug for the connection.
Sane or flawed?

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Oh well, couldn't resist it, ordered it from eBuyer. Wasn't going to pay £10.50 for delivery though so it won't get here till next Thursday

MMT WRX

Oh bugger that £100 was so tempting as well.

Does the Ebuyer one have the free HDD offer? I couldn't see it.