My old NAS (ReadyNAS RND4000 v3) has become unusable. It appears one of the channels no longer works and it will not even boot up now; get stuck in an endless checking cycle.
I want to replace it and I'm looking at the ReadyNAS 214 model.
Can I just put the old HDD's into the new one and retain my data (mostly media files).
Can I just put the old HDD's into the new one and retain my data (mostly media files).
No.
Netgear support can assist in migration (helping you mount the array temporarily so you can offload the data). Though the KB article on migration doesn't mention restrictions, it is possible that you'd need an x86 NAS (RN300 series or higher) for this to work. http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/29876?cid=wmt_netgear_organic
Another option is that you can mount the array in an x86 linux system on your own (perhaps using a linux boot cd if you don't normally run linux). http://home.bott.ca/webserver/?p=306
