My Experience with eTRAYz (NAS)
- Thread starter ashishkesarwani
- Start date
The etrayz is available around 8.5 to 10k INR. Hard-disks are to be bought seperately. At this pricepoint, there are other NAS boxes available but not in India.Hmm...then I dont understand how the etray NAS is available at such a low price compared to the other solutions in the market. What gives?
For Eg: When the Linksys NAS in link below was in stock, it costed only 89$ with free shipping within US
Amazon.com: Cisco-Linksys Network Storage System with 2 Bays (NAS200): Electronics
Recently GeorgeO had posted a deal where the Netgear ReadyNas Duo was available in US for 199$ whereas it usually retails at around 300$. I would have bought this if I did not have the etrayz already.
noking
Member
Dear Friends,
Would any body be kind enough to help me/guide me to config my new E-Trayz..my immediate use of E-trayz is to stream movies thru LAN(1st Preference) and maybe thru wifi.
I would not be downloading anything directly to E-trayz because i have recently shifted my broadband connection to BSNL 3G thru USB and yet to find a quality Router for same.
any fast help will be highly appreciated.
Regards
Would any body be kind enough to help me/guide me to config my new E-Trayz..my immediate use of E-trayz is to stream movies thru LAN(1st Preference) and maybe thru wifi.
I would not be downloading anything directly to E-trayz because i have recently shifted my broadband connection to BSNL 3G thru USB and yet to find a quality Router for same.
any fast help will be highly appreciated.
Regards
Sur noking, please give me a call and I shall take you through the install to the best of my ability
You got PM.
ashishkesarwani
Well-Known Member
All you need to do is to open etrayz and then install a Hdd into it and then connect the same to your computer's Ethernet port or your router's, then put an Ip address manually like 192.168.0.2 on your computer's Ethernet adaptor and you are good to go for installing the downloaded installation software from Xtreamer site. Follow the onscreen instructions and after 15 minutes you will have your new Nas working.
This may be a little off-topic but I have been thinking over the last week about the benefits of a NAS over a full-fledged desktop CPU.
From what I could figure out from this forum and googling in general, the cheapest NAS available in India, such as eTRAYz, will cost about 10-12k. It will support at max. 2 hard disks of 2 TB each. The specs suggest that it will support torrent downloading, DDNS, FTP and so on. I will get a cheap low end OX processor with a bagfull of numerous bugs in firmware which will supposedly be resolved in years to come (though there is no specific time frame given). There may be cooling issues or related noise issues with the cooling system too.
Now, compare this with a custom-built desktop CPU, which I can easily access over the network using my laptop and remote desktop. I can hand-pick each component on my own and install all kinds of software that should be able to do whatever a NAS may be able to do. Lets say I build a very basic system of the following type:
Processor AMD ATHLON X2 240/2.8GHz 2970
Motherboard ASUS MAN 68AM 2295
RAM Corsair 2GB 800 MHz 2325
Cabinet IBALL 612 1500
Total 9090
As can be seen, the total turns out to be lower than any NAS available in the market (with warranty in India). Moreover, depending on the motherboard, I get a system that can support 4-6 hard disks as against only 2 by a NAS in the same price range. I have full freedom to install the OS and softwares of my choice. And I am pretty sure that a dual core processor would definitely be better than an OX processor. If I increase my budget by only Rs. 3000 more, I can actually get an AMD quad core processor in!
Further, based on my basic understanding as of now, it may be possible to even use this system as a media streamer. All I need to ensure is that the motherboard I am using has a DVI out port, so that I can connect a DVI to HDMI convertor to it. Then it should be possible to connect this system to any LCD television for beautiful HD display.
The only disadvantage of such a system over a NAS is the size and weight of the system. Obviously, it would be about 3-4 times bigger than a 2-bay NAS and would weigh about 8-10 kgs overall. But then, I don't intend to carry a NAS around with me; its simply going to stay put in one corner of my room, so this shouldn't be much of a bother.
Overall, I am getting highly inclined to buying a desktop CPU than an eTRAYz. Kindly help me out if I am wrong or missing an important difference between the two.
From what I could figure out from this forum and googling in general, the cheapest NAS available in India, such as eTRAYz, will cost about 10-12k. It will support at max. 2 hard disks of 2 TB each. The specs suggest that it will support torrent downloading, DDNS, FTP and so on. I will get a cheap low end OX processor with a bagfull of numerous bugs in firmware which will supposedly be resolved in years to come (though there is no specific time frame given). There may be cooling issues or related noise issues with the cooling system too.
Now, compare this with a custom-built desktop CPU, which I can easily access over the network using my laptop and remote desktop. I can hand-pick each component on my own and install all kinds of software that should be able to do whatever a NAS may be able to do. Lets say I build a very basic system of the following type:
Processor AMD ATHLON X2 240/2.8GHz 2970
Motherboard ASUS MAN 68AM 2295
RAM Corsair 2GB 800 MHz 2325
Cabinet IBALL 612 1500
Total 9090
As can be seen, the total turns out to be lower than any NAS available in the market (with warranty in India). Moreover, depending on the motherboard, I get a system that can support 4-6 hard disks as against only 2 by a NAS in the same price range. I have full freedom to install the OS and softwares of my choice. And I am pretty sure that a dual core processor would definitely be better than an OX processor. If I increase my budget by only Rs. 3000 more, I can actually get an AMD quad core processor in!
Further, based on my basic understanding as of now, it may be possible to even use this system as a media streamer. All I need to ensure is that the motherboard I am using has a DVI out port, so that I can connect a DVI to HDMI convertor to it. Then it should be possible to connect this system to any LCD television for beautiful HD display.
The only disadvantage of such a system over a NAS is the size and weight of the system. Obviously, it would be about 3-4 times bigger than a 2-bay NAS and would weigh about 8-10 kgs overall. But then, I don't intend to carry a NAS around with me; its simply going to stay put in one corner of my room, so this shouldn't be much of a bother.
Overall, I am getting highly inclined to buying a desktop CPU than an eTRAYz. Kindly help me out if I am wrong or missing an important difference between the two.
itarus: It is not like we did not know all this when we bought the eTrayz. Just a choice we made consciously. A computer is a replacement for most things today. But there are many more things to it that just cost. To name a few - power consumption, purpose built product, easy integration with other products from same company (xtreamer in this case and some security camera solution coming up in future etc), tiny footprint, aesthetics, noise-less. Ease of use is also key. Sometimes you don't want a custom built solution that does everything - one that is dependent on the geek in the house to tweak and troubleshoot, you will constantly keep tweaking your things and spend time on phone calls explaining to your family how to make it work. Been there, done that! Other members in the family may not be as technically inclined as us thus making them lose interest and going back to good old DVD player. They prefer turn off a switch and menu based interaction with the system.
You seem to have made up your mind, so why bother? We are eagerly waiting for a firmware update which is expected in year 2020 and thats just the Beta version mind you
.BTW, DVI will only do High Definition video, what about HD Audio, more money? Your pricing too is too good to be true, people really like round figures don't they?
Last edited:
noking
Member
Sur noking, please give me a call and I shall take you through the install to the best of my ability
You got PM.
Thanks a lot for the guidance with your patience & time you have given me my e-trayz is up & running :yahoo: and thanks to Hi-fi Vision made a new friend today.:clapping:
noking
Member
Thanks a lot for the guidance:clapping:
chetansingh, the etrayz NAS is available through member xtreamer.india, who is a dealer. You could express your interest by PMing him or posting on this thread: http://www.hifivision.com/sale-dealer/7700-xtreamer-now-hfv-4.html#post134288
santhol2: I apologize for my post. I guess I am still a noob and wasn't aware of the HTPC concept (which is what I ended up describing in my post). I take my words back.
I have been going through some of the key requirements of building an HTPC (in this and some other forums) and am still evaluating whether something like an HTPC would serve my immediate needs or would it be a NAS like eTRAYz.
I have been going through some of the key requirements of building an HTPC (in this and some other forums) and am still evaluating whether something like an HTPC would serve my immediate needs or would it be a NAS like eTRAYz.
Sorry for the sarcasm in my post, must have came across as rude. Chill, no need for apologies and taking words back etc buddy.
Why not? A HTPC can do the work of regular PC, HT, DAC/Transport for Stereo, NAS, downloader and more. There are folks on our forum who have done it. Just post your thoughts\queries in the HTPC section, experts will help you make the decision and also guide you in building your PC
.
HI!!
I was wondering if there was an easy way to copy data to etrayz. As we all know that copying vide Network takes ages in etrayz.
I did use UFS explorer and connected the etrayz HDD to my PC directly. My PC is based on Win7. It turns out that I can copy from the etrays disk but not vice-versa. So I can make a backup of this disk but thats it.
So, if any of you guys can provide an easy and faster way to copy data to etrayz than pls post here.
BTW: I have installed MiniDLNA server on my etrayz. With this utility, I can stream media straight from my etrayz to my PS3. Thereby avoiding the need to turn on my PC.
Cheers!!
I was wondering if there was an easy way to copy data to etrayz. As we all know that copying vide Network takes ages in etrayz.
I did use UFS explorer and connected the etrayz HDD to my PC directly. My PC is based on Win7. It turns out that I can copy from the etrays disk but not vice-versa. So I can make a backup of this disk but thats it.
So, if any of you guys can provide an easy and faster way to copy data to etrayz than pls post here.
BTW: I have installed MiniDLNA server on my etrayz. With this utility, I can stream media straight from my etrayz to my PS3. Thereby avoiding the need to turn on my PC.
Cheers!!
Update:
I just connected back the HDD into etrayZ and now the etrayz is NOT reading the same!!! This is perhaps the most unreliable electronic product I have come across in my life. All I did was to explore the HDD in my PC. Thats it.
After a lot of restarts, I connected the HDD to slot B in etrayz. And, to my surprise it is working fine. I gave it a couple of restarts and it is still working fine. I also connected the HDD back in slot A. Still not working. So reconnected the same in sot B and its working fine till now.
Now, I am in fix. Should i reinstall OS on etrayz so that the HDD works in SLOT A or should I continue to work in SLOT B.
Any suggestions?
Sumit
I just connected back the HDD into etrayZ and now the etrayz is NOT reading the same!!! This is perhaps the most unreliable electronic product I have come across in my life. All I did was to explore the HDD in my PC. Thats it.
After a lot of restarts, I connected the HDD to slot B in etrayz. And, to my surprise it is working fine. I gave it a couple of restarts and it is still working fine. I also connected the HDD back in slot A. Still not working. So reconnected the same in sot B and its working fine till now.
Now, I am in fix. Should i reinstall OS on etrayz so that the HDD works in SLOT A or should I continue to work in SLOT B.
Any suggestions?
Sumit
noking
Member
hi friends,
Is any body using Squeezebox server on Etrayz & has anyone tested etrayz with Popcorn C-200.
Regards...
Is any body using Squeezebox server on Etrayz & has anyone tested etrayz with Popcorn C-200.
Regards...
Hey Ashish/Santosh,
Hows the etrayz + xtreamer combo going on with you guys. Please share/update your experiences recently.
I have started using my etrayz again (after a long time), setup just fine. But need to work on two issues that I'm facing right now.
1> Not able to download from RS/HF (with premium account) - Jdownloader on my notebook shows that the files are available, but etrayz goes to Preparing >> END >> and then Failed state for these URLs
<< Working on this right now
2> Need to configure the WAN access for eTrayz so I can access it from outside, I tried using port # 9000 - no luck yet. Ashish, do I have to configure anything else? I already have my etrayz IP in DMZ on my router. I have ddns setup in my etrayz. However, not configured anything apart from those.
Let me sync up again and hopefully I will make better use of etrayz+xtreamer now.
Thanks.
EDIT: OK, looks to be one of my accounts was expired. need to fix the remote access over WAN now.
Hows the etrayz + xtreamer combo going on with you guys. Please share/update your experiences recently.
I have started using my etrayz again (after a long time), setup just fine. But need to work on two issues that I'm facing right now.
1> Not able to download from RS/HF (with premium account) - Jdownloader on my notebook shows that the files are available, but etrayz goes to Preparing >> END >> and then Failed state for these URLs
<< Working on this right now2> Need to configure the WAN access for eTrayz so I can access it from outside, I tried using port # 9000 - no luck yet. Ashish, do I have to configure anything else? I already have my etrayz IP in DMZ on my router. I have ddns setup in my etrayz. However, not configured anything apart from those.
Let me sync up again and hopefully I will make better use of etrayz+xtreamer now.
Thanks.
EDIT: OK, looks to be one of my accounts was expired. need to fix the remote access over WAN now.
Last edited:
ashishkesarwani
Well-Known Member
Hey Ashish/Santosh,
Hows the etrayz + xtreamer combo going on with you guys. Please share/update your experiences recently.
I have started using my etrayz again (after a long time), setup just fine. But need to work on two issues that I'm facing right now.
1> Not able to download from RS/HF (with premium account) - Jdownloader on my notebook shows that the files are available, but etrayz goes to Preparing >> END >> and then Failed state for these URLs
2> Need to configure the WAN access for eTrayz so I can access it from outside, I tried using port # 9000 - no luck yet. Ashish, do I have to configure anything else? I already have my etrayz IP in DMZ on my router. I have ddns setup in my etrayz. However, not configured anything apart from those.
Let me sync up again and hopefully I will make better use of etrayz+xtreamer now.
Thanks.
EDIT: OK, looks to be one of my accounts was expired. need to fix the remote access over WAN now.
I am very happy with the product at its present state, after the firmware upgrade to 1.7V it has become stable.
For your 1st question I.e about downloading through the RS and other sites I am not the right person to answer this as I don't use this capability of etrayz right now.
About your second question do you also have a modem of router before the etrays's connected route, if so then you also need to use DMZ in that modem/ Router for the IP address of the etrays connecxted router, also make sure that all the IP address which you have assigned to your etrayz as well as the route/Modem should be static.
Once you are through with the above settings then search on google for a Port Open checking site, as there you will be able to find whether the ports have opened or not? If everything is right then you should get the open status for the port number you enter on the site in front of your current IP address prrovided by your Internet provider. Check for ports 9000 and others on which etrayz work.
Quite new here and noob in the home theater world. Bought an etrayz and it was not upto my satisfaction. So sold off the etrayz saving the Hard Disk full of my data. Connected to my XP PC and it is not recognizing the HDD> Any chance someone here will point me in the right direction to recover all the data in the HDD connecting to a PC.
Thank you in advance for all your help with this.
Thank you in advance for all your help with this.
Welcome to HFV shiv.
Retrieval of data from your HDD depends on how many HDDs you were using in the eTrayz. Was it one or two?
If it was a single HDD config, you can do it by just connecting it to a PC that has Linux installed and copy your data off it.
If you had two HDDs, then it gets a bit complex as eTrayz would have prepared your HDDs to act in an extended mode (that is 2TB + 2TB = 4TB single partition). This also brings in some other issues like GUID etc.
Ashishkesarwani had used some software (I forget the name) and was able to retrieve his data successfully. PM him and draw his attention to this thread:
You may find some useful info on this issue in my earlier post:
http://www.hifivision.com/media-streaming-players/7455-my-experience-etrayz-nas-6.html#post134045
Retrieval of data from your HDD depends on how many HDDs you were using in the eTrayz. Was it one or two?
If it was a single HDD config, you can do it by just connecting it to a PC that has Linux installed and copy your data off it.
If you had two HDDs, then it gets a bit complex as eTrayz would have prepared your HDDs to act in an extended mode (that is 2TB + 2TB = 4TB single partition). This also brings in some other issues like GUID etc.
Ashishkesarwani had used some software (I forget the name) and was able to retrieve his data successfully. PM him and draw his attention to this thread:
You may find some useful info on this issue in my earlier post:
http://www.hifivision.com/media-streaming-players/7455-my-experience-etrayz-nas-6.html#post134045
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