NAS up and running

[GeorgeO]

I have been using my NAS( got from Amazon on a recent US trip-in case anyone wants to know current pricing please check their site)) for the past 2-3 weeks and am quite happy with it. It is the Netgear ReadyNAS NV+ V2 4Bay unit, having USB 3.0 and GbE. I put my first 3TB drive and after it booted up, downloaded and installed the Slim Server S/w into it to allow my SBs to access my music wirelessly.

I transferred all of my music across my network into the new NAS, a bit tedious considering the amount of music. My network in my HT room where my NAS is currently located is a GBE network, though the Popcorn Hour with a 2TB internal HDD is still 100 base T, will need to address that at some point in time.

The NAS is been programmed to fire up at 6AM and shut down at 11PM. The current storage pace available is 5TB-3TB internal and 2 TB external, plan is to scale up eventually to 4 X 3TB, once HDD prices drop a bit. I hope to gradually migrate from the current crop of 2TB HDDs that I have. With multiple USB ports the storage can be augmented later if required.

Using the NAS, I dont have any issues accessing audio and video, whereas using a 3TB HDD both my media players were having some difficulty reading the data. Accessing audio files wirelessly works very well so far, as does accessing video via ethernet.

My ReadyNAS Duo which is now redundant has been spoken for, by a local buyer. I initially planned to sell it disk less, but am now planning to offer a 2TB along with it to the buyer, so that he can put it to proper use, appropriate to its capabilities. For me with 3TB beckoning on the horizon, I feel that's the way to go.

Strongly recommended!

 

[Shivam]

Any idea how the NV+ compares to NV+ V2 model in real life performance ?

I have the earlier 4 bay model, NV+. It was then supposed to better for streaming to upnp players but after sometime the firmware was upgraded in NV+ V2 model and after that I haven't come across any comparisons.

 

[GeorgeO]

Hi Shivam

Apart from the GbE and USB 3.0 features, I think the V2 can use 3TB( and maybe 4TB) HD drives whereas the older one could not.Performance wise I suspect there be not be much to choose from.

 

[gaurav_s]

Hi GeorgeO,
Any idea on its power consumption at idle time ?

Thanks

 

[Shivam]

Hi Shivam

Apart from the GbE and USB 3.0 features, I think the V2 can use 3TB( and maybe 4TB) HD drives whereas the older one could not.Performance wise I suspect there be not be much to choose from.

NV+ also has GbE but no USB 3.0.

I use the NAS for streaming music files (mostly flac).
I don't plan to use torrents on NAS because of the lack of security.
The total music is far less than 1TB and at present I have 2 TB drives running in RAID with two slots empty.

I was thinking of streaming 1020p content also from NAS. Can you please tell me the data transfer speeds that you are getting with the NV+ V2 ? If they are good, maybe I'll upgrade my NAS also to the newer version.

 

[anm]

congrats GeorgeO!
How do you stream video? Is there any software on NAS for video? What is the DLNA server?

 

[GeorgeO]

I simply use it as a source for both audio and video. For audio the Slim Server software is loaded, but for video, nothing. The media player accesses the NAS and plays the file over the network. No idea about power but it must minimal-no monitor, small form factor, no graphics card, no DVD ROM, etc.

Yes you're right Shivam, the NV+ had GbE, but IIRC the newer ones support 3 and 4TB HDDs. I havent measured data transfer speeds-all I know is that HD and BR files stream easily without any lag. How do I measure speed anyway?

 

[Shivam]

Just copy and paste some data over the network from your computer and see the speed at which the data is being written and then copy it back to a computer and see the rate at which it is being read from the NAS.
NAS is slower than hard discs connected directly to the computer's motherboard and so the limiting factor is the NAS here.

 

[GeorgeO]

That is a problem, I have two different floors on which I run two GbE networks-one for computer,printer, VoIP etc connected to a router and another one for HT only( NAS, media player) using a GbE switch-which doesnt have a computer at all. I plan to put a laptop there at a later date.

 

[manoj.p]

I think the current crop of nas are all limited in network data I/o speed. I have an nas too and same speed problem. I am thinking of ditching it and build a PC based nas.

 

[manny9]

Hi I am using Synology DS 411+ as my media source. Unfortunately I didn't do GbE in my apartment hence using a router as wireless repeater to a primary router. The secondary routers connects my PS3, PCH etc., Music streaming over wireless is prefect no issues. I am able to stream DVD rips and 720p videos without any issues whatsoever. But not able to stream 1080p bluray rips

 

[Shivam]

georgeo, sent a pm.

(I want to know about dlna service and how the files and folders are scanned.)

 

[GeorgeO]

Shivam

Just returned from a trip out of town and have replied.

 

[Shivam]

Shivam

Just returned from a trip out of town and have replied.

Thanks.
I have not got your pm though my inbox is not full.

 

[Shivam]

My ReadyNAS NV+ had a small problem. When I added a new folder for media, the NAS would keep on scanning again and again everytime it was booted.

I did a factory reset and added the needed folders before switching on the dlna service. Did a Manual scan of the added media files and then everything was fine.

I am not sure if this problems occurs with other firmwares too. I am using 4.1.7

 

[GeorgeO]

Mine uses Radiator 5.3.5

 

[Shivam]

Mine uses Radiator 5.3.5

I found slow read and write speeds with newer firmware and so I fell back to the old one. The present firmware for NV+ is 4.1.9
Yours is NV+ V2 and so the version number is still higher.

 

[GeorgeO]

I plan to up the disk capacity over the course of the next few months, as HDD prices have started to soften and retain a USB 3.0 external drive plugged into the NAS-this is to keep the portability option if I need it.