Netgear NV+ (RND 4000) - how to connect large discs without formatting
Hello.
I purchased a device for the ability to connect four disks to it - 2 by 3 TB and 2 by 2 TB. Use as a storage of different files.
Questions:
1) Does the device support large disks? What is the maximum volume? I have a 3rd version of the RND 4000.
2) Is it possible to connect the drives (in NTFS) with files to the device so that they simply appear in a network folder? WITHOUT a disk being formatted the first time it is mounted?
Re: Netgear NV+ (RND 4000) - how to connect large discs without formatting
While there are no specific size limitations in the latest OS for your NAS, there are expansion limits. Any absolute size limitations you see in online specs are old and based on the available drive size at the time your NAS was released, about 10 years ago, At some point, the RAM and CPU limitations of the NVX likely make larger drives sizes impractical, but not impossible.
The older NAS also don't handle differently-sized drives as well as the new OS6 ones. But as long as you start with all the drives, you should get 3TB + 2 x 2TB available (the remaing 3TB dedicated to RAID redundancy, assuming you are using XRAID).
The only way you can use a drive with data already on it with the NAS is in a USB enclosure. If you insert it internally, the NAS will wipe it clean with a Linux EXT format.
While you didn't ask, your NAS cannot be updated to OS6. While some legacy units can, the NVX is a 32-bit system, so it can't.
Re: Netgear NV+ (RND 4000) - how to connect large discs without formatting
So, OK, I understand about the disks with the files, thanks! Just do not understand whether it is possible to connect in series each disk and use all 4 disk without RAID?
As if all the drives are connected to a network and can be seen in a networked environment?
And yet, when I installed a 3TB drive, the device formatted it for only 700 GB. The rest of the volume remained empty ...
I purchased a device for the ability to connect four disks to it - 2 by 3 TB and 2 by 2 TB. Use as a storage of different files.
...
And yet, when I installed a 3TB drive, the device formatted it for only 700 GB
@Sandshark was thinking you have an NVX, but your post says you have an RND4000v3. That's actually a Sparc NAS that has a limit of 2 TB disks.
The 700GB volume size you got when you installed the 3 TB confirms that your unit can't handle GPT formatted disks. There is no workaround - you'll need to limit the disk size to 2 TB.
Just do not understand whether it is possible to connect in series each disk and use all 4 diskwithoutRAID?
As if all the drives are connected to a network and can be seen in a networked environment?
It is possible to set up the system in FlexRAID mode. In that mode you can create one volume per disk (selecting RAID-0 for each disk). I find it simplest to do the initial FlexRAID install with only one disk, and then add the rest of the disks after the initial setup. You'd then put some shares on each. You'll see the full share list over the network - no reference to what drive each share is on.
Tell me please, whether the device is working with X-RAID2?
No, it uses the original XRAID. That supports adding disks to empty slots ("horizontal" expansion).
If you were to upgrade disks to a larger size later ("vertical" expansion), you'd need to upgrade all four before the array would expand. Though with the 2 TB size limit, you'd be better off just starting with 2 TB drives.
Also, your ReadyNAS only supports SMB/CIFS 1.0, which is being deprecated by both Microsoft and Apple.
My own NV+ is still in service, but I only use it as a backup of my main NAS.
