DSM-G600, DNS-3xx and NSA-220 Hack Forum

I think the best option here is to have people link in references to whatever might help you.  It takes a long time to write out all of the nitty-gritty steps, and the various "add-ons" for the DNS-323 are really championed by different people with various goals.  Here's my opinion of what you need:


- install your two drives
   - my opinion based on my own experience is that it's easier and seems more robust to install both drives and format them in "Standard" mode, meaning they are two separate volumes and two separate shares on the network
   - use the first disk (_right_ side of the box, also called HD_a2) for running hacks and sharing data on your network
   - use the second disk purely as a backup

- upgrade to the latest firmware
   - get the official v1.04 from D-Link if you're in the US
   - reformat your drives after upgrading, even though this isn't strictly necessary

- install basic fun_plug package
   - fun_plug is the start of getting into the DNS-323 with a command-line interface and being able to enable "add-ons" (hacks)
   - best option by far is fonz' package
   - where to get fonz' package and basic instructions: http://www.inreto.de/dns323/fun-plug/
   - thread discussing it: http://dns323.kood.org/forum/t422-Updated-fun_plug.html
   - my own version of the instructions: http://backupnetclone.sourceforge.net/i … ion01.html
   - alternative manual method: http://dns323.kood.org/howto:fun_plug

- (very optional) use a USB key (flash drive) to run your hacks and fun_plug
   - this helps your drives only spin up when they are reading/writing data and separates your hacks from your data
   - one howto: http://dns323.kood.org/howto:external_drive
   - my own version of the instructions: http://backupnetclone.sourceforge.net/i … on01a.html

- start system for backing up first drive (HD_a2) to second drive (HD_b2)
   - simplest/easiest method is to follow these instructions: http://dns323.kood.org/forum/t1150-Tuto … night.html
   - if you want a fancier way of backing up, I wrote something up, too: http://backupnetclone.sourceforge.net/
   - other "dumber" methods are also available, such as just using a Windows backup program to copy from one volume to the other; this has the main disadvantage of being slower and less reliable since it depends on the Windows machine to pass all the data through

- change from the built-in uPnP server to a better one that supports the PS3
   - here's where I don't have any experience
   - try searching for PS3 in the forum
   - I think firefly and mediatomb are the two top contenders...


In the future, hopefully some of these things will be packaged up into more formal add-ons.  Here's a thread about doing this:
http://dns323.kood.org/forum/t1523-%28A … cture.html

I'm sure others can contribute more...

Last edited by blbrown (2008-02-15 18:00:28)

To add on the great advice given here already, I also use the 323 as a backup file server with 2 hard drives. I started out running Raid 1 but have since switch to Standard. I use software to schedule my backups from the LAN to Drive A. Then also schedule a run right after the backups to copy files from Drive A to Drive B. This way, I am never tied to a 500 Gig Raid array. When a new disk is required or when larger drives drop in price, all I do is replace one of the drives and I benefit from the larger storage space. Once the drive backups are complete, I pop in a 2nd larger drive and the system just increased in capacity without reformatting / rebuilding Raid arrays.

I don't use the Drive A to B schema as described in the long thread. I use a 3rd party software to schedule and run my backups so I can easily control when and where files go. Not being linux knowledgeable, I use a piece of Windows based backup software.

Sounds like we are in the same boat. Hope this can help.

mealto wrote:

blbrown wrote:

- if you want a fancier way of backing up, I wrote something up, too: http://backupnetclone.sourceforge.net/

I have been checking your software out but have not installed it yet. So does backupnetclone copy from Drive A to Drive B without going over the network? meaning, transfer speeds should be pretty darn fast right?

Also, is it a Windows program? Would love to try it out but not knowledgeable enough in ssh commands.

BackupNetClone is a Linux program (actually a set of scripts)--it runs natively on the DNS-323 and can back up files within the DNS-323 or from anywhere else onto the DNS-323.  I'll tell you up front that it takes some time and effort to do the install.  Also the instructions on my webpage aren't yet complete--you can always ask questions, but it will take some effort on your part to fill in the blanks...

As for speed and reliability, it should be the same as the http://dns323.kood.org/forum/t1150-Tuto … night.html  The nice thing about this method (rsync on the DNS-323 directly between the two disks, whether using BackupNetClone or the forum tutorial) is it doesn't depend on anything else--it can be totally disconnected from the network and still do its internal backup.

It should be very fast going from disk to disk, but I haven't done any actual benchmarks on this.  Has anyone else tested this?

blbrown wrote:

- my own version of the instructions: http://backupnetclone.sourceforge.net/i … ion01.html
...

I had a look at you instructions but some parts are missing, I get a 404 error.