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Replace my old NetGear NAS with what Brand now that NetGear is out of the NAS game???
Now that NetGear has left the building and abandoned the NAS, what to do?
Older machines like my ReadyNAS Pro 6 are getting slow. Even when I upgraded it with OS6 and capacity (I am running 76TB) now. My machine has been a very dependable workhorse for 15 years! But these older machines are way too slow now with large drives (about 50X the original capacity the unit came with).
So time for a new NAS> would buy a NetGear NAS, but they do not make them anymore. So sad. Would buy one in a heartbeat.
So I researched some options on other brands.
Bit confused on how the other brands like QNAP, Synology, WD, etc. work. NetGear allows you dynamic expansion, both vertical and horizontal via X-RAID, and it works really well most of the time, except when it does not.
I tried using the other companies' RAID volume calculators, to compare how much data space you get with a certain size of a 6-disk Raid5. All seemed to offer lower capacity. i.e. X-RAID appears to me to be more efficient. And are there issues with vertical expansion, or hot horizontal expansion?
So here is the question. What to replace my grandfather NAS with? Parameters are:
1 Cost under $2,000 (bare, no drives)
2. Minimum 8-Bay NAS for magnetic (spinning) drives. # of SSD slots irrelevant.
3. As close to the "feel" of a NetGear machine as possible, for quickest learning curve for someone like me who does not do programming.
4. Drive hot swap ability (guessing they all do that)
5. MUST!!! Work with WD Red Pro drives.
6. No drive size limit. I know that even NetGear said back then my unit will work with up to 500mb drives, but today running 18TB drives. Because they did not exist back then.
7. Should be lightning fast! And allow RAM upgrades with at least 2 RAM slots.
8. Small office use with a wired 100/1000 LAN.
9. Good/great reputation for being as good or better than NetGear.
It is a tough choice for me, since I am not familiar with all the brands and models that popped up since 2008.
I figured that I would just buy a new ReadyNAS of some model, but astonished to now find out they stopped making them in 2021. Bad timing on my part.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer an opinion.
11 Replies
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Readynaspro wrote:
Now that NetGear has left the building and abandoned the NAS, what to do?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer an opinion.
I'm not looking right now, as my main NAS (a 526x) is fast enough for my needs. My older Pro-6 is used for backup. Another factor is that my NAS are not exposed to the internet, so I think that the security risks involved with running obsolete versions of linux are manageable for me.
If I were looking, I'd focus first on these brands (no particular order):
- Synology
- QNAP
- Asustor
Prices for 8-bay units look like they are around $1000-$1500 diskless,
Another possibility I'd look at is getting an 8-bay thunderbolt enclosure, connecting it to an always-on PC and creating shares on Windows. If you already have a suitable PC, then prices are a bit less (some options are about $900)
There will be a learning curve, no matter which path you pick. And you will need a way to migrate your data, as all of these paths will require reformating your existing disks.
To add to what I am looking at, some ideas here from what I foung from one online vendor:
QNAP TVS-HX74 (Diskless)
QNAP TS-873A-8G-US 8 Bay Ryzen (Diskless)
QNAP TS-832PX-4G-US (Diskless)
QNAP TVS-872XT-i5-16G-US (Diskless)
Synology 8 bay NAS DiskStation DS1821+ (Diskless)
Synology 8-bay DiskStation DS1823xs+ (Diskless)
TerraMaster F8-422 (Diskless)
Asustor AS6508T 8 Bay Lockerstor (Diskless)
Asustor AS6510T 10 Bay Lockerstor (Diskless)
Buffalo TeraStation 5810DN (Diskless)
------------------------------
I am completely unfamiliar with brands other than NetGear, so your help is appreciated.
Parameters I missed:
- Needs to be desktop type, not rackmount.
- May have to increase my budget.
Readynaspro wrote:
I am completely unfamiliar with brands other than NetGear, so your help is appreciated.
I've looked at some on-line reviews, but only own ReadyNAS. So I can't give you much more info.
You are only using the NAS for storage - is that correct? No need for installing apps, virtual machines, or GPU acceleration?
Also, your network is 1 gigabit - are you thinking you might upgrade it to multigig in the future (2.5 gb - 10 gb)?
Correct, only use is storage. Some streaming to TV from NAS (works well with the old NetGear NAS). No apps.
Running over Cat5+ wiring. Built for 100 speed on wiring. Switches are gigabit switches.
So pushing the envelope on speed over Cat5+.
Typically measuring about 90Mbps upload and 600Mbps download at best. Often lot less.
The NAS is within 200 feet from the workstations, and so must run over wifi or Cat5+ (not USB).
Yes, would like to upgrade to multigig speed, but running new wires thru building is complex and problematic. It can be done. Right now no need as the workstations are not set up to take advantage of those speeds. But at some point I may string up Cat6A or Cat8 wire and change out switches to futureproof.
- Synology
- QNAP try this
Why not just go with a newer model of ReadyNAS which has better performance than your Pro 6. They are easily found on eBay. I am using RN516, RN716 and RN626. All are excellent and I have had no issues. Currently using 10TB drives in each machine.
davelexky wrote:
Why not just go with a newer model of ReadyNAS which has better performance than your Pro 6.
That is an option, as long as you are ok with:
- Purchasing used, and therefore having no warranty
- No software support from Netgear.
- Software built on Debian 8 ("Jessie") which has been deprecated/archived.
- Getting a ReadyNAS platform that was launched over 5 years ago.
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