My ReadyNAS 3200 is still on RAIDiator 4.2.28. The unit is working good. But I have problem finding reliable HDD from the compatible HDD list as most of them are refurbished unit and broke down after one to two months. If I upgrade it to OS6, will I be able to use newer HDD? What are the Pros and Cons of using OS6 on this legacy ReadyNAS 3200? Will I be able to revert back to RAIDiator 4.x.x if need to?
Model: RN12P0620|READYNAS 3200 12TB NETWORK STORAGE SYSTEM (6 X 2TB)|EOL
@dizzybin wrote: But I have problem finding reliable HDD from the compatible HDD list as most of them are refurbished unit and broke down after one to two months.
The HCL for legacy NAS hasn't been updated in some years. It's best to ignore it, and just get an enterprise-class disk. Ultrastar DC,WD Red Pro, Seagate Exos, and Ironwolf Pro are all reasonable choices. NAS-purposed disks might work, but they are not designed for a 12-bay rackmount.
@dizzybin wrote: If I upgrade it to OS6, will I be able to use newer HDD?
Well, you can use them now.
@dizzybin wrote: What are the Pros and Cons of using OS6 on this legacy ReadyNAS 3200?
Some Pros:
No volume expansion limits
More RAID modes and better control over RAID groups
Still under active development (and getting security fixes)
SMB 3.0 support
Cons:
Loss of paid support from Netgear
Some risk that a future firmware release won't work on your platform
@dizzybin wrote: Will I be able to revert back to RAIDiator 4.x.x if need to?
@dizzybin wrote: If I upgrade it to OS6, will I be able to use newer HDD?
BTW, there is a hardware limitation in your NAS. You are limited to disks of 2 TB or smaller in bays 5-12. You can use larger disks in bays 1-4. Converting your NAS to OS-6 won't change that behavior.
Also OS-6 (being current) might handle some new disk models better than OS-4.
