Dead RND4000 (ReadyNAS NV+)

[user4202]

Hello,

I have an RND4000 (ReadyNAS NV+) that appears to have died.  I've replaced the power supply unit and still no action, so I guess it's a circuitry fault somewhere.

The unit has a 3-drive array that it is very important for me to get the data off.  While I have some older USB backups, I was in the midst of a cloud backup sync which started duplicating files and I won't talk any further of that...!

So I think I have 2 options:

- Find another RND4000 'v1' and move my drives over to it

- Find a more modern Netgear ReadyNAS model that will allow the drives to be moved across, identify the existing array and recover the data

I'm posting here for some suggestions, perhaps to see if there is a compatibility table/matrix of what Netgear ReadyNAS models I can move my drives into, the array configuration detected and data recovered.

Another option is if some kind soul in Brisbane, Australia has a working ReadyNAS NV+ I can use for data recovery, I'd be very thankful.

Thanks.

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@user4202 wrote:

One more question if you can advise - would the differing versions of RND4000 make any difference in being a host for recovery?

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Any NV or NV+ v1 model will work. Note the NV+ v1 needs to say ReadyNAS NV+ on the front panel. Don't worry about RND4000v2 or RND4000v3 labels - they denote small hardware revisions of the same platform. Best to test it with a spare disk first.  After installing the spare, either match the firmware to your original NAS or install 4.1.16.  Try booting the NAS with the spare disk in every slot.

The NV+ v2 (which says ReadyNAS NV+ v2 on the front panel) will not work.  Ultras, Pros, or NVXs will not work either.

[StephenB]

The NV/NV+ are the only desktop NAS options for direct migration of the disks.  There is at least one rack mount model also.  Either way, you are looking at models that Netgear discontinued in 2011, so 10 years old at least. 

The drives can be mounted temporarily on an OS-6 NAS, but that requires assistance from Netgear paid support.  Several have struggled  to get that support recently (many here are thinking Netgear is exiting the NAS business).  And Netgear won't support used NAS.

You could get some USB adapter/docks, and then use something like R-Studio to recover the data. https://www.r-studio.com/data_recovery_linux/

[Sandshark]

Assuming your 3 drives are in XRAID/RAID5, you could use a Duo (V1) as well if it's just for file recovery.  The volume will show up as "degraded" because of no redundancy, but you should have the same access as you would on a 4-bay system with a failed drive.

[user4202]

Thank-you for the advice, I'll contact the R-Studio guys and keep an eye out for a working NV/NV+ to buy...

[user4202]

One more question if you can advise - would the differing versions of RND4000 make any difference in being a host for recovery?

@Sandshark  @StephenB 

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@user4202 wrote:

One more question if you can advise - would the differing versions of RND4000 make any difference in being a host for recovery?

---

Any NV or NV+ v1 model will work. Note the NV+ v1 needs to say ReadyNAS NV+ on the front panel. Don't worry about RND4000v2 or RND4000v3 labels - they denote small hardware revisions of the same platform. Best to test it with a spare disk first.  After installing the spare, either match the firmware to your original NAS or install 4.1.16.  Try booting the NAS with the spare disk in every slot.

The NV+ v2 (which says ReadyNAS NV+ v2 on the front panel) will not work.  Ultras, Pros, or NVXs will not work either.

[user4202]

Thanks @StephenB, I'm piecing this together.  It looks like the v1 was very popular (lots of them on marketplace websites) and not many samples out there of the v2.  Another way to look at this is perhaps the v2 was very reliable and no one is selling them  🙂

So if you could bear with me and just confirm if I've got this correct,  the 'front panel' is this badge on the front panel.  Anything that is simply "ReadyNAS NV+" is a v1 and I can disregard the various part codes listed on the serial number/barcode sticker on read or underneath showing RND4000, RND4000v2, RND4000v3 etc:

And from what I've seen of photos, the "ReadyNAS NV+ v2" is a darker colour grey but clearly shows the 'v2' in a different location on the front.  Again, the serial number/barcode stickers for a NV+ v2 will still list it as a RND4000 and should be disregarded as evidence.

[StephenB]

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@user4202 wrote:

So if you could bear with me and just confirm if I've got this correct,  the 'front panel' is this badge on the front panel.  Anything that is simply "ReadyNAS NV+" is a v1 and I can disregard the various part codes listed on the serial number/barcode sticker on read or underneath showing RND4000, RND4000v2, RND4000v3 etc:

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Correct.

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@user4202 wrote:

I'm piecing this together.  It looks like the v1 was very popular (lots of them on marketplace websites) and not many samples out there of the v2.  Another way to look at this is perhaps the v2 was very reliable and no one is selling them 

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Infrant/Netgear launched the original NV+ in February 2006 and continued building it until late 2011 - when it was replaced by the NV+ v2.  The NV+ v2 had a much shorter life - it was replaced with the OS-6 NAS line in 2013.

I've not seen any info on reliability of the v2, but the original NV+ was very well built, and many are being used (despite being slow and underfeatured by modern standards).  I have one still in service (though just as a secondary backup).

[Sandshark]

In addition to the longer duration of sale, the NV+ V2 appears directed solely at the home market where the V1 was also directed at (and was popular with) the small business market.  While the V2 has an "updated" GUI, it's also been (IMHO) dumbed down and made less capable, probably to steer businesses to the Ultra and Pro markets.

[user4202]

Hi @Sandshark , @StephenB ,

Some updates on this.  I found a working chassis to inserted a drive (never used in NAS before, not part of the original X-RAID) into slot 4, got it online and did all the firmware updates.  So far so good.

I then inserted drive 3 of my 3-drive X-RAID I want to recover into slot 3, and the ReadyNAS has automatically grabbed it and initialized it to use with the other drive I had in slot 4.  So basically, of my 3-drive X-RAID with production data I'm now down to 2 with unknown status on them.

My expectation was the ReadyNAS should have read the data on drive 3 of my 3-drive X-RAID, seen it was part of another ReadyNAS RAID and not automatically initialized it.  Obviously I'm wrong in this.

Do you have any suggestions on how I can insert the last 2 drives of my 3-drive X-RAID into the new chassis and have ReadyNAS attempt to recover it rather than initialize it?

Thanks,

[StephenB]

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@user4202 wrote:

My expectation was the ReadyNAS should have read the data on drive 3 of my 3-drive X-RAID, seen it was part of another ReadyNAS RAID and not automatically initialized it.  Obviously I'm wrong in this.

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Unfortunately, yes.   The NAS will format any drive that is hot-inserted, and add it to the existing array.

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@user4202 wrote:

Do you have any suggestions on how I can insert the last 2 drives of my 3-drive X-RAID into the new chassis and have ReadyNAS attempt to recover it rather than initialize it?

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Power down and remove the two drives currently the array.  Insert both of the last 2, and power up. 

[user4202]

I've done as you advised and the ReadyNAS booted off the remaining 2/3 drives with the original configuration - IP address, credential etc.  I can map to my data share and directory list data.

I've opened a few key files to test and that's worked without issue, so I've now inserted drive 3 back into slot 3 and will let it rebuild overnight...

@StephenB and @Sandshark thanks again, you have my sincere gratitude...