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Forum Discussion
ReadyNASser
Mar 29, 2017Tutor
HGST DeskStar NAS 4TB latest model compatible with RN526X/EDA500? Hard Drive recommendations?
Hello NETGEAR and ReadyNAS Community, I just purchased my first NAS, the six-bay RN526X, along with the five-bay EDA500 expansion chassis with sixth-bay hot spare. My plan is to use six 4TB d...
cpu8088
Mar 29, 2017Virtuoso
deskstar is basically for desktop computers. should opt for ultrastar for nases or servers
also wd red is a tad better than green and spinning at 5x00rpm. should go for at least red pro, se or re models. now the wd gold replaces re as top server grade hard drive.
ReadyNASser
Mar 30, 2017Tutor
Thanks for the input. My understanding is the DeskStar is for home NAS's on a desktop (as opposed to a rackmounted server). Despite its enterprise-grade hardware, the RN526X is a desktop NAS. My usage is going to be fairly light, and with 12 drive bays, I would prefer something cooler and quieter than the DeskStars or most enterprise-grade drives, and something designed specifically for NAS. So I've decided to take a chance on Seagate's new 4TB IronWolf NAS drives, and have ordered 6 to start. In comparing their specs to Seagate's cheapest enterprise-grade drive, the IronWolf matched or exceeded some of them, and did so at a lower RPM and dB level with newer technology. I looked at the IronWolf Pro, but it seems to be unavailable in the places the regular IronWolf is sold.
- cpu8088Mar 30, 2017Virtuoso
a 6 bay nas will generate lots of vibration. deskstar is designed for desktop computers usually no more than 2 hard drives in them. or suitable for some domestic 2 bay nases. but to use deskstar for 6 bay nas? i really doubt its suitability.
regarding using eda for backup. do u have it on with the nas all the time? shouldnt your backup be off line and switch on when necessarily for update?
- ReadyNASserMar 31, 2017Tutor
Where are you getting the information that DeskStar NAS drives are designed for desktop computers or small NAS's with no more than 2 hard drives? HGST doesn't state anything about drive bay ranges or limitations on their site or in their data sheet. I'm sure one could use them in a 6-bay NAS as they are sold as NAS drives. The Backblaze hard drive reliability blogs that found the HGST drives had the lowest failure rates would suggest that they are also more than capable of surviving in massive datacenters, with dozens and dozens in their rack-mounted servers. Even though I didn't choose HGST DeskStar NAS drives for my NAS, I'm curious as to why you doubt their suitability.
Regarding backing up from the RN526X to the EDA500, I don't have either unit set up yet as I'm awaiting the hard drives. My idea was to use disk spin-down just for the EDA500, but it doesn't look like you can enable it on a per-volume basis, which would be useful for this purpose (I could keep the main unit up 24/7, and the disks in the EDA500 could be "sleeping" until they get a backup command from the RN526X). Powering the EDA500 on when needed and then back down would be best, I think. The EDA500 has a separate power button, and I know it's possible to send a command from the ReadyNAS web interface to gracefully shutdown just the EDA500. Shouldn't it also be possible to power it back on with a backup command from the main unit? If not, when I'd like to back up, I could always power the EDA500 on manually with the button on the unit itself. I suppose it would be better (easier?) to have a second NAS to use as a backup, but that is not something in the cards for me now as someone who just purchased and has yet to set up his first NAS.
- cpu8088Mar 31, 2017Virtuoso
i referred to deskstar, not deskstar nas.
deskstar nas is like wd red a rebadged green with added features for using in a nas environment. again wd red pro is higher grade from red for nas use.
regarding backblaze test reports u will see that there are many who treat them with a grain of salt. mainly concerning the control room temp, conditions of servers, stability of power supplies, and buying bulk batches at lowest price,.
if u really concern about maintenance very frequently doing defrag, scrub and balancing u are going to stress your hard drives. flimsy hard drives may give u 2-3 years while better ones may last a lot longer. initial savings on acquisition costs may not be a saving at the end.
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