Newegg has a deal where I can purchase the ReadyNAS 316 and a 4tb drive for $558. This seems like too good of a deal to pass up. Currently I'm using a Dell PC as a media server (Plex/Kodi) and have been migrating my storage to network attached drives using a Western Digital MyBook (4tb) and a WD MyCloudMirror (8tb). I've recently lost two internal 3tb drives on the PC so I'm looking for an option to do NAS and eventually have some backup in place. I've been hesitant to pull the trigger on a full out NAS due to cost and wanting 4-6 bays for future growth. However, at this deal I'm ready to jump. I'm just worried that since this box has been out for nearly 3 years I may be a bit late to the party.
It is one of the Os 6 platforms - which is the most recent ReadyNAS OS. So I think it is a safe purchase. However, I don't work for Netgear and I have no inside info on upcoming launches.
If you plan to run plex, another option would be the RN214 (which was just released). But at current newegg pricing, the RN316 is a better deal.
At this point I don't plan to run Plex from the NAS... though that could be a possibility in the future. I'm going to still run it from the Dell (I have a backup server running on my iMac also). I do worry about the speed of transfer of the media files from this system. I guess I'm still just a bit confused over NAS systems. I'm quite the geek when it comes to technology, but hot swappable NAS systems are still new to me and I'm working to figure out what I want out of it beyond storage... and backups.
Several apps are available, but limiting it to storage/backup is a fine approach.
Apps can be found at http://apps.readynas.com/pages/ and https://rnxtras.com/ Its important to realize that most of these are third-party apps, and Netgear doesn't warrant that they work (and doesn't provide support for them).
Plex tends to run slower on the NAS (particularly library updates), and full HD transcoding might stutter/stall. The benefit is that you don't need to leave the PC running 24/7.
Right out of the gate I will not have any redundancy running, I have only a 4tb and 5tb drive to install into the 316. If I later add another 4 and another 5tb drive will I be able to span those to become backup drives for the earlier installed drives? Or will I lose the data on those existing drives?
I don't really understand raids completely as I've never used them. My backup systems to date have simply been OS based such as TimeMachine.
The speed of transfer should be fine (unless you are sending stacks of data). My RN104 can hit about 20-25MB/s write, and upto 70-80 MB/s read.
If it is just for streaming media via plex, I can have 3-4 kids all using plex on their iPads at the same time, with no noticeable slowdown. (Although the Plex Media Server runs on my HTPC macmini, not o nthe NAS).
If the NAS will only be effectively working as a File Server, you can probably get awya with a RN104. I have been very happy with mine, and for the price, it really can't be beat.
My RN102 is in jbod mode, and does ~50 MB/sec write and 70 MB/sec read.
The RN102 has worked out ok for me, but there are a lot more problems with the RN100 series reported here than there are for the higher end models. Plus it is a poor choice if you want to host the plex server on it. It's inability to transcode is a huge drawback for plex.
Right out of the gate I will not have any redundancy running, I have only a 4tb and 5tb drive to install into the 316. If I later add another 4 and another 5tb drive will I be able to span those to become backup drives for the earlier installed drives? Or will I lose the data on those existing drives?
I'd set up in jbod, not RAID-0 (giving you two volumes).
Another option (more space efficient) is to destroy the 5 TB volume, switch to xraid, and then expand (adding smallest disks first). The smallest disks that can be added would be 4 TB. You'd keep the data on the 4 TB volume, but would need to reload the 5 TB contents from backup.
You're full of great information. Thanks. I just checked compatibility of the 5tb Toshiba drive I have and it's not compatible so I'll be starting only with a WD Red 4tb drive. I'll add more as needs grow and money permits. Going to go ahead and do the 316 so I'm sure I'll have many more questions.
Really? I thought that was the main reason for using RAID and giving up storage space to do so? Now I'm really confused. Why wouldn't I just make backups rather than using RAID? What's the benefit?
RAID is for redundancy. So if a disk fails, you can keep working without losing any downtime. Depending on the amount of data, it can be quicker / easier to recover from a disk failure. Just swap the disk, and wait for the resync. No need to track down the (offsite) backup, or wait for it to download from the cloud. You can continue with very little down time.
But a RAID array won't help you if your ReadyNAS unit dies, or if your house burns down, or if the entire unit is stolen. That is why you need a backup. A backup will also cover you if you have a disk die during a resync, or if you accidentally delete a file.
RAID is for redundancy. So if a disk fails, you can keep working without losing any downtime.
Another way to say the same thing: RAID keeps your data available during routine disk replacements and during storage expansion. If you are running a business, then this is a critical feature - loss of availability is down time that costs you. For most home users, it is more of a convenience. However, it still is nice to be able to continue accessing data when manipulating disks.
But a RAID array won't help you if your ReadyNAS unit dies, or if your house burns down, or if the entire unit is stolen. That is why you need a backup. A backup will also cover you if you have a disk die during a resync, or if you accidentally delete a file.
Yes. Though I'd add that the OS6 snapshots can also give you protection from a file deletion.
RAID and backups are complementary.
Yes. Backups keep the data safe; RAID keeps it available. If you can only afford to do one, then do backups.
Also - you can use a ReadyNAS for storage consolidation even if you don't care about RAID.
Right now I have at 5tb, 2x2tb and 2x4tb hard drives with media spread across them, my ReadyNAS will have one 4tb drive. My idea was to eventually get everything over onto the NAS and use RAID as my backup. So now that I have a better understanding, I'm going to have to figure out what to do and I'm thinking I'll use the NAS for disk storage, not for RAID and then figure out where to backup what I need to backup. As these are all media files, I've never worried about backing them up until this month when I've lost a few drives and all the data on them. Thankfully the data is not irreplaceable so it's not a huge deal... just a pain. I think it's the shear amount of data that would need to be backed up that freaks me out and stops me from doing anything. Enter the idea of the NAS and what I figured would be my solution.
Thanks for taking the time to educate me. I've learned a lot from this thread. Regardless of how I use it, I'm excited for my ReadyNAS to arrive. 🙂
Well, my new ReadyNAS 316 arrived this afternoon and I have got one 4tb WD Red drive installed, another on the way that I'll be adding Monday. Right now it says I'm in JBOD mode, will it stay that way when I add the 2nd drive? Should I just keep it in JBOD forever if I'm going to backup off of the NAS unit?
My goal is to use the 316 as my drive holder and then backup to the 2 WD Cloud drives I have once I move all the data around. What's the best configuration mode for me to do that with my new box? I ultimately do not want to use RAID at all.
So far, I like it. Setup took me a minute as I had an issue with hitting "ok" on the box during setup using ReadyCLOUD and then I kept getting could not communicate errors. Ended up having to set it up manually. Now I'm just digging around in the settings and getting a feel for it.
