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Forum Discussion
Largest HD Size on ReadyNAS Duo V2
I have got a Duo V2 with what the Firmware check says is the latest firmware, Raidator 5.3.13,
The two TB drives in it are getting smaller everyday.
What is the largest HDs I can put in as a replacement?
Thanks
5 Replies
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Hi Smiley4187,
Welcome to the Community!
You may also check the Hard Disk Compatibility List for reference for the highest drive capacity that it can support. Note: The HCL might not be updated for the Duo V2 since it is already EOL.
Regards,
JohnCM_S
NETGEAR Community TeamI'm not sure where you are getting that information. JohnCM_S, but I would expect a Netgear moderator to have his facts straight. The DuoV2 absolutely can support drives >4TB. I put 6TB's in one and it worked just fine. The original documentation only lists 4TB because nothing bigger existed at the time. There may be a limit in the firmware of the volume size, but I know it's at least 12TB. If there is a real hard limit, please get your facts straight and post it.
Now, with the slow processor and small memory of the DuoV2, there is perhaps a practical limit, especially with multiple users. But used by a single user where speed is not critical (like as a backup device for a computer a newer NAS), a bigger volume certainly is a viable option.
As far as the hardware compatibility list goes, it is woefully out of date. It even lists drives like the WD Caviar Green and Seagate Baracude DM and DL drives that are very poor choices for a NAS (at least when part of a RAID array)..
JohnCM_S wrote:
The maximum drive capacity that you can put on the Duo V2 is 4TB. You may also check the Hard Disk Compatibility List for reference.
The duo v2 HCL hasn't been updated for years, and 4 TB was the largest drive available when it became end-of-life.
As far as Netgear support is concerned, the ceiling is 4 TB. But there is at least one poster here who was able to use 6 TB drives in their NV+ v2 (which has the same architecture as your duo v2). Another was able to install 2x8TB drives in a duo v2, though he did run into some snags: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Using-your-ReadyNAS/Tutorial-8TB-drives-installed-in-Readynas-duo-v2/m-p/1278776#M129512
I know an NV+v2 can go to at least 12TB, so the volume size limitation on a Duo running the same firmware should be the same. I believe I have read here that there is one, but I don't recall if it really is 12TB or something bigger. But I can see that the authors of the OS (or maybe even the Linux under the hood) might not have considered the possibility of very large drive suppport in the tool set. But I, too, have put 6TBs in a Duov2 (just as a test, I didn't leave them there long) and know they work without any necessary jumping through hoops (at least with the most recent firmware at the time, which I cannot remember).
Interesting reading about the 8TB drives. I wonder if it will go even bigger -- maybe by starting with a bigger initial drive. Personally, I'd recommend an investment in a newer NAS before putting that much drive in a Duo, but it would be interesting to know.
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