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Unfortunately there is no replacement part for the front panel. The best thing we can suggest is to get another Pro4 from a user or online store.
More or less your Pro 4 is already Out of waranty so getting a newer model is better. ReadyNAS OS 6 models.
IMO, getting a newer model NAS would be the best way to move forward here since Pro 4 is already EOL. Migrating data to OS 6 is easy as there is a guide for that.
to find a used unit (either using it for parts, or migrating your disks to it). Anything you find will be at least 5 years old.
replace the NAS with a current OS 6 x86 model. You can temporarily mount your disks in the new ReadyNAS, allowing you to offload the data to a backup. Then you'd complete the setup and restore the data from the backup.
Unfortunately there is no replacement part for the front panel. The best thing we can suggest is to get another Pro4 from a user or online store.
More or less your Pro 4 is already Out of waranty so getting a newer model is better. ReadyNAS OS 6 models.
IMO, getting a newer model NAS would be the best way to move forward here since Pro 4 is already EOL. Migrating data to OS 6 is easy as there is a guide for that.
Just bought it as a replacement. As we, as a family, was filling up our two disk buffalo duo too fast. So bought this, was the cheapest NAS I could find second hand. I will of course be bringing this up with UPS and the seller.
I got a used QNAP 4 bay NAS from ebay to use as my Backup NAS to my ReadyNAS 516.
The problem with NAS units from these companies is that once it's out of warranty, you can't send it in to get fixed. They don't normally sell spare parts. If you work on it, it's now out of warranty, and once it's out of warranty they still won't sell you any spare parts. They're nice that they are generally small and compact and ready to go. But they are all using custom parts. So you either throw it away or see if you can buy the exact same one used on ebay or something for parts if you can find one broken that someone wants to sell. Good luck with that.
The other option is to build your own NAS. You would be using more standard parts in general, and there's a number of OS's you can use designed for use for a NAS. If something brakes, you can generally just fix it yourself. You, of course, are your own tech support. It may be most costly and bulkier. Overall harder to set up for a new person. It's something I've been thinking about doing at some point.
If your NAS got damaged in Shipping, that's not good. You should have been on the phone with them that day.
Hi, Yeah I agree. Companies should have a parts department, for cases just like mine. Oh well. I’ve done a pretty good job fixing it all but if I ever sell it, I’ll obviously lose more money than I should because of it.
Second note: I really did have a self built Nas. Used FreeNas and for the most part it was really good. I did run into a few little problems. Motherboard failed and when I tried to get back into it, it took me a lot of faffing. Then of course came down to space. I really needed a smaller unit hence reason why I tried for a smaller purposely built nas.
@Bobski2000 wrote: Hi, Yeah I agree. Companies should have a parts department, for cases just like mine.
To sell parts a large quanity would have to be made and parts shipped to warehouses in various countries. Even for the most common replacement parts that would not be viable except for high-end rackmount units.
For units under warranty that fail NETGEAR would do an RMA of the entire unit. Once stocks run out of older units RMA replacements would be with a newer model (if available).
Note that the warranty for NETGEAR products is for the original purchaser from an authorised reseller.
In the past sometimes parts have been sent out from NETGEAR HQ to customers in the U.S. but that's the exception rather than the rule and would be more likely when the products aren't so old.
@mdgm wrote: To sell parts a large quantity would have to be made and parts shipped to warehouses in various countries.
That is true of course, and it would result in significantly high prices for parts. We see that already with replacement PSUs - buying a stock PSU and modifying the pinout yourself is much cheaper than buying a direct replacement.
The quandry I see (not directly relevant to the original poster's damaged shipment) is that the working life of the system exceeds the warranty length, and migrating to a new NAS OS can be expensive and result in a lot of down time. Buying a used NAS can get you up more quickly, but then you can't get paid support.
I have wondered if one solution would be for Netgear (or partners authorized by Netgear) to either sell certified refurbished ReadyNAS, or to offer a service to certify used NAS. These used NAS might only have a very short warranty (90 days perhaps), but would be eligible for paid support. This wouldn't need to span the full line - an 2-bay unit could be replaced with a 4 bay model for instance. This would have value for many customers, and might also keep more of the customer base with Netgear (when migration is painful, customers can and do consider competing NAS).
I see both sides of this. Really what this comes down to is we are a throwaway society. We don't waste time getting things fixed like in the past. As this evolved over time it's come down to this. Nothing gets fixed, just tossed in the trash. Even if you wanted to fix it, you can't. You know back in the old days that they even had wiring diagrams inside the product. So that whoever was going to work on it, had that info. Even if you wanted to get it fixed these days, it's now almost impossible.
The Good thing, at least when it comes to Electronics is that generally, these things are far more Reliable. I'm not talking like a Vacuum Cleaner, or Dishwasher, or a Home Appliance which in general is crap these days. Generally, Computers, Smartphones, etc are built to hold up pretty well. Always exceptions of course. Sometimes a company cuts corners to save money.
I do think that Power Supplies, which generally is what goes bad so often should be able to order and replace. Maybe if you stuck with just a selection of them in your own standard and can be used in many of your NAS units for a number of years and be replaced and not expensive as it's a common item used for years, it wouldn't be such a big deal. Then again, I have no idea what the failure rate for whatever company is and what the failure was. What stood out the most. This info is never given out. But from my own personal experience over the years, it's almost always the power supply.
It really comes down to, if you want a ready to go Unit that's small and easy to use. Buying an already built NAS is the way to go. Netgear has some really nice units and the software works well. But once the warranty is gone, or you got it used, or you didn't get it from an authorized seller, you're out of luck and on your own trying to do anything with it.
Or you build your own NAS using off the shelf parts and software. Again on your own, but you can build it to your specs and if something breaks, well you can swap out the broken part, whatever that may be. On the other hand, again no overall warranty. You need to know what you're doing for hardware and software. It's not going to be as small and compact. Or maybe not as easy to swap drives depending on the case you use. Could cost you more money, etc. If it's built to your own needs, then these negatives may not matter.
So long as your NAS works, Looks generally are not that Important. my NAS in my small Closet where most people would never see it. My other is in another room in a corner where you can't even see it. So looks? Not a big deal. It's a NAS after all. It just needs to work reliably.
FYI, the chassis for an NVX, Pro4, Ultra4, or Ultra4Plus will work as a replacement. The back panel is different, but the rest is the same, and swapping the motherboard is not that difficult (do that, don't try to replace the door). I bought a physically damaged Ultra4Plus and upgraded an NVX in just that way.
