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

Let's just say that my experiences have NOT been similar to yours, and I have thrashed the RAID on my box pretty thoroughly.  My drives are 250GB, so I don't know if that's where your problems originated.

The Linksys NAS200, just like the D-Link DNS-323, is linux based and unless I'm mistaken, also uses software RAID, and I'm willing to bet that you'll also find some of the linux source to be identical - in short - watch out for similar issues.

Where I'm coming from is this - software RAID generally lacks the robustness and reliability of hardware RAID.  Hardware RAID controllers are expensive so including one would have a significant impact on price, and these devices - both of them - being consumer devices, are built for a price conscious market and compromises have to be made.

Good luck with your NAS200.

http://www.cnet.com.au/desktops/storage … 406,00.htm
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2208939,00.asp
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/content/view/30127/75/

I just noticed - the PCMag review says

In addition, you can't hot-swap its drives, so if one goes down you'll need to back up the remaining drive, replace the broken one, and rebuild RAID configuration from scratch. These aren't killer negatives in a home environment, but they're inadequate for the office.

I don't have a problem with the hotswap part, but that backup/replace/rebuild from scratch and presumably then restore absolutely sucks, and that has certainly NOT been my experience with my DNS-323.

Last edited by fordem (2008-01-27 17:08:43)

I neither had the same problems as "raid1king" actually no problems at all with installing and formatting two Samsung SpinPoint F1 HD753LJ 750 GB SATA-300 32MB cache in the DNS-323

Works like a dream. Used ext-2 formatting and 600MB Raid1 (mirrorring) and the rest 150+150MB as JBOD with bios 1.03

As You had the problem at 94% of formatting every time - I would bet on a faulty drive, not on faulty processorboard however that does not explain that the NAS200 worked with the same drives - except if You installed the drives opposite (drive 0 in DNS became drive 1 in NAS200) or NAS200 only partioned less than 94% of the 750MB.

Another possible explanation could be that the DNS BIOS didn´t like Yr drive models? Not very likely as it seems that the DNS can handle almost anything complying to standard.

Hi Fordem,

fordem wrote:

I just noticed - the PCMag review says

In addition, you can't hot-swap its drives, so if one goes down you'll need to back up the remaining drive, replace the broken one, and rebuild RAID configuration from scratch. These aren't killer negatives in a home environment, but they're inadequate for the office.

I don't have a problem with the hotswap part, but that backup/replace/rebuild from scratch and presumably then restore absolutely sucks, and that has certainly NOT been my experience with my DNS-323.

I played with raid a bit and PCMag review is not entirely right it seems.  When a disk in raid configuration fails, the DNS downgrades, can send you e-mail alerts and will (eventually) light up the amber led indicating disk failure.

If you then turn off the device, insert a new unpartitioned disk, power up and log on to the web interface, it will simply prompt you to format the newly inserted disk.  Once format is complete, it will require a reboot again, after which the DNS will sync.  The status page will show amount of time required to complete the sync.

Regards,

Jaya

- Also if you create WR groups in FTP the icon only show ReadOnly.

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Attachments:
rwbug1.jpg, Size: 15,991 bytes, Downloads: 157

raid1king wrote:

My friend is using a NAS200 and had no problems.  I'm still testing the NAS200 unit as I have given up on the DNS-323.  I'm sure that my fault with the DNS-323 is with the fact that I'm using 2 x 750G WD7500AAKS-00RBA disks.
To be fair I reformatted the disks using NAS200 and then swapped back to DNS-323 and it worked 1st time to format into RAID1.  The RAID is still flaky for reliability when you break the mirror and recreate it. 

- In addition the user group are so basic its pointless having them.  You can NOT have a user in more then one group.
- When you add more then one group to the same volume the DNS-323 creates multiple shares.

The question is - does the NAS200 rebuild the RAID like you think it should - or does it require a backup/reformat/restore like PCMagazine says it does.

I spent a part of the day reading reviews of the NAS200 and right now I'm not too impressed with what I've read

Nisken wrote:

This is even more important when trying to resync a RAID 1 setup with a new exchanged drive, either because You had a crash on one drive and need to exchange it - or more likely that You have three drives and use one for external backup. If You don´t blank that external drive before putting it back - Yr RAID might resync with the old data....again D-link says this use is not recommended, but it seems to work if You always remember to blank the external drive before reusing it.

I am wondering if you can achieve the goal of using the third drive for off-site backup by doing the following:

1/  Use mdadm to tell DNS-323 that the drive you are about to remove is faulty and take it off-line.  Make this persistent across power cycle.  DNS-323 will now run downgraded.

2/  Power down, swap the disk, power up, and then use mdadm add the replaced drive.  This would ensure sync process is from 'good' to the 'faulty' drive.  Perhaps use fdisk to blank the disk before you add the drive using mdadm.

Comments anyone if this will work?

Jaya

HI Mig,

My only problem at the moment is I have yet to work out how mdadm information is conveyed to the status page of the web interface.  If anyone has worked this out I would appreciate some hints.

I found out that fdisk on 1.03 returns errors even on good disks, the web scripts do not check for errors and report "success" for example, even when you pull the disk out while fdisk or mke2fs is running.

Jaya

frodo wrote:

Just one comment.
Since when was FTP secure?
...
Use fun-plug and ssh or only use FTP in your home.
Cheers

I agree and I don't think anyone said FTP (or for that matter TELNET) is secure.

I like to run theses box with only SAMBA and only for the local network as enforced by the router.

If I wanted to access into the box through other means even from outside the network, I first connect to a host on the local network which has access to the admin share, then enable the service (FTP, TELNET or WEB) through the share for that particular purpose and duration.

Jaya