I am the proud owner of a ReadyNAS NAS 316 unit (6 drive bays). In fact … I am a long term Netgear ReadsyNAS client whom owns 1 x NV+, 1 x NVX, 1 x 316 and 2 x 628 units.
However … I recently wanted to upgrade the HDDs in my 316 NAS unit for larger capacity HDDs.
Upon attempting to remove the HDD caddies / HDD trays the front sections cracked and broke away from the metal part (see images supplied).
Upon inspection, the plastic portion of the HDD trays have become very very brittle and fragile. It seems the plastic used in the product is not really of the right type and not durable enough.
I am seeking a set of replacement trays please so that I can update my 6 x HDDs. At the moment when I try to remove the drives / drive trays (even delicately), the front plastic section simply cracks and crumbles away from the mtal tray. The 316 NAS unit is out of warranty, so of course, I do understand if there is a nominal charge applicable for replacement HDD trays. Refer to images attached.
Can you please help?
Regards, A
Model: RN31600|ReadyNAS 300 Series 6- Bay (Diskless)
Sorry to hear on what happened on your trays to be honest I have not yet encountered such issue with my RN102 NAS which is quite old as well. Have you placed the unit on cold or hot locations at anytime? Since it's plastic there might have been an occurrence of such where temp has something to do with it.
The easiest I can think of getting replacement trays would be to check online for sellers where they have trays from their old ReadyNAS avaiable or you can contact Support and check for stocks that can be purcahsed thru them
>> "Have you placed the unit on cold or hot locations at anytime? Since it's plastic there might have been an occurrence of such where temp has something to do with it."
No, actually I have not placed the unit in any cold or hot locations. The unit has always been kept and operated in an open space, well ventilated environment (not endlosed) located on top of a side table in the living room near the wall mounted TV.
I do live in Singapore where ... the average ambient indoor temperature is between 25 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius all year round. Thunderstorms occur on 40% of all days in a year. Relative humidity is in the range of 64% – 96% and averges 80%.
If I was to speculate it appears that the plastic used in the metal and plastic composite HDD tray design is not really of the right polymer / compund for the job and does not remain pliable over time; instead becoming very brittle.
Being located in Singpaore would not likely help, but that should not be a disadvantage or a product operating environment restriction.
I note the earlier design of HDD trays was more robust than the current generation. The earlier trays had the locking and release fulcrum made of mild steel. The current generation use a plastic release fulcurm and it simply is not sturdty enough as the plastic ages, which really compromises the strength of the front assembly of the HDD tray. All plastics release thier polimers over time and degrade in a variety of ways.
>> The easiest I can think of getting replacement trays would be to check online for sellers where they have trays from their old ReadyNAS avaiable.
I have tried this option and sadly can not locate any. It appears Netgear has pulled these from sale. Ganeral Internet, eBay and Amazon searches do show a few listings (but only a very few) in the past, but all show as NIL stock.
>> You can contact Support and check for stocks that can be purcahsed thru them.
I would certanly be willing to try, but I would kindly request the specific email and a contact person's name to work with on this vexing problem with my 316. Coming in on a genral enquiry channel will take hours on to top of the hours and days I have already spend trying (without success) to source trays. Can you assist me in some way to make the right support connection by email and name please? Else I fear it will be an ever revolving door without any real progress.
Regards, A.
Model: RN31600|ReadyNAS 300 Series 6- Bay (Diskless)
I am thinking that is is more likely that this particular tray was just defective.
I haven't seen this, even on my RN102 (which was a pre-production beta unit, and wasn't built with the normal manufacturing process). But I live near Boston (US), so my climate is completely different. But I also haven't seen this posted before - and if it were due to material choice, we should have seen this from other posters.
The best option is to contact paid support. Personally I'd ask for a courtesy replacement, but they might need to charge. While you can try to get a used tray (or even a used NAS for parts), that would likely be more expensive (and in the case of a tray, might be from a rack-mount or legacy ReadyNAS).
I suggest removing/inserting the remaining trays a few times, and see if they seem ok.
I'm by no means an expert in ReadyNAS use, but more of an interested domestic user. I was bouncing through this forum when I came across your post and, especially interesting, your photo of your problem.
And from the discolouration I can see looks very much like rust, as well as the crumbling plastic. So I can only imagine that where you had your NAS has a high amount of moisture in the air, hence your crumbling plastic and discoloured metal parts.
At this part of my post, I do not know where in the world you live, i.e. a country with a humid climate, or if you have stored or placed your NAS in a humid room or area. Either way, you will have to check all your NAS computers to ensure that they are not afflicted with the same problem, i.e. moisture intrusion. And then you will have to move your NAS computers to a more controlled environment so you don't loose them, along with all your data.
Next, if Netgear cannot supply you with new HD trays/caddies, your best bet will be to try Ebay, I say this because I recently bought myself a ReadyNAS Duo v2 (a covid19 lock-down purchase) from my country's Ebay online store. And I presume that wherever you live your nearest Ebay store will have similar products for sale.
Finally, I wish you the best of luck hunting down your Netgear spare parts and in mitigating your humidity problem.
>> I am thinking that is is more likely that this particular tray was just defective.
I do not believe that Netgear is in the habit of making defective products, unless maybe they had a defective batch? Netgear prides itself on quality as I understand it.
>> I suggest removing/inserting the remaining trays a few times, and see if they seem ok.
I gingerly tried a second HDD tray. Nope. That is how one broken front facia with fulcrum became two broken HDD tray front facias. The plastic front facias with lever mechanisms built into the plastic as a protruding nodule on all 6 trays are just to brittle with age! The trays move easily and freely once the HDD SATA connector releases from the ReadyNAS backplane board; no resistance there! It is the lever action and SATA connector release force expected to be supported by the plastic front facia with fulcrum assembly thay just cracks and crumbles when you try to gingerly release a drive for replacement. See image.
Model: RN31600|ReadyNAS 300 Series 6- Bay (Diskless)
I've just read in one of your post that where you live has, on average, 80% humidity all year round. I fear that even if you manage to replace the damaged parts of your NAS you will inevitability suffer from the same problem some time in the future.
Therefore, in order to lessen the destruction of your NAS computers, may I suggest that you purchase a Dehumidifier. I have no idea of how large a device you will need or how much it will cost you but I would think that any electrical device not specially made, i.e. hardened, to work in your country's climate will eventually fail unless special precautions are taken.
Marc, Is Netgear going to help with this or not? The plastic in the trays should not have failed if they were made of the right type of plastic. The ambient operating temperature range, etc is not a factor according to the units rated operating parameters. Regards.
Marc, Is Netgear going to help with this or not? Or am I just wasting my time here on this channel. As an electrical engineer and from a family whom was in the plastics business, I really do not want to be here for idle speculatiion from all and sundry. The plastic in the trays should not have failed if they were made of the right type of plastic. The ambient operating temperature range, etc is not a factor according to the units rated operating parameter ranges. Regards.
Model: RN31600|ReadyNAS 300 Series 6- Bay (Diskless)
The easiest I can think of getting replacement trays would be to check online for sellers where they have trays from their old ReadyNAS avaiable or you can contact Support and check for stocks that can be purcahsed thru them
So start by contacting support and asking for replacement trays.
FWIW, I totally agree that the trays should not have failed.
Did you buy that unit new? It certainly appears to have been stored for a long time in an inappropriate environment, as there is what appears to be a significant amount of rust on the metal components of the drive support frame. There is also a built-up of dust that should be cleaned out periodically, though that is unlikely to have contributed to the problem you are seeing.
At some point in the history of the ReadyNAS, but before the native OS6 units were introduced, the plastic components did get thinner. It is noticable in the thickness of the locking mechanism, and I have had one of those thinner ones crack in transit. Then came the removal of the metal in the locking mechanism with the OS6 models. Whether there was a change in polymer at either time, I do not know. What the point was of adding a tool-less mount system, which would be rarely used, while reducing the robustness of the locking mechanism, which would be used more often since one should be periodically removing the drives for dust removal, I cannot say. Maybe just because it looks good on a spec sheet.
The hardware manual isn't as detailed in drive insertion as it should be. When inserting a drive, one should be pushing it in (where the button is works well) as well as dropping the handle. If one only uses the handle and tries to "wedge" the drive in using it, that is going to put a lot of stress on the plastic handle.
FYI, the trays from any legacy desktop (but not rack-mount) ReadyNAS will also fit your unit. They do lack the tool-less mounting feature and provisions for a 2.5" drive (so an adapter is needed). Some, of course, will also have that hard-to-use round push button, but it's easy enough to open them with a small screwdriver instead.
Also, you may see some Chenbro caddies that look like they will work. But if you look closely, they are the mirror image of a Netgear caddy and do not work, at least in a desktop system.
Folks, Really? Some of your remarks are so condescending and off the mark by a long shot. All sorts of off-centre, left field, unrelated observations and comments. Not really helpful folks. The issue is simple. The HDD trays, of blended materials construction (nickel coated mild steel caddies and injection moulded plastic facias), have failed due to aged brittle plastic. The plastic used in the HDD trays (model RTRAY09-10000S), which by the way ... is still the current HDD tray model in many of Netgear's deskside units, is simply not of the right quality and polymer blend to go the distance! The unit was purchased new and has only ever been used in a loungeroom (and in an open space, not in a closed cabinet), setting of a residential home. The unit is out of warranty and now and approaching 7 years old. I have two 628X units in primary use now and the 316 is acting as a reserve for some backups and non-critical data, but other than the brittle plastic HDD tray facia’s it’s a good functioning unit.
I was simply seeking any assistance in locating new / replacement HDD trays (model RTRAY09-10000S) for purchase. There is nothing I can locate via WWW, eBay, Amazon, etc. It seems that Netgear is not selling trays into any spare parts distributor model / market channels. Very disappointing.
In fact, it is rather clear by the policies … Netgear purposefully only want to support in-warranty units and are not interested in any spare parts channels for loyal customers whom own their ReadyNAS products and want to keep them in service after the warranty expires (aka Netgear is adopting and essentially imposing a “disposable” culture). After much effort I can find no replacement parts channels to purchase (not for free) a replacement set of HDD trays also no one here on this Community has been able to refer me to a channel to purchase HDD trays.
Netgear clearly want their out of warranty products in landfill rather than to support their loyal clients maintain their NAS units. A sales and after sales support model that is qustionable in today's "green" ecologically conscious world and certainly is left wanting.
Model: RN31600|ReadyNAS 300 Series 6- Bay (Diskless)
Did you purchased the NAS locally in Singapore? I'm not sure if Support will be able to send in a replacement in that Region but I might be able to ask.
If you have registered your NAS at www.netgear.com kindly provide me the SN and your contact details so I can try to help out. Kindly send it via PM.
I understand your frustration. I suspect there is some skepticism simply because many of us have ReadyNAS of similar age that don't show any evidence of tray degradation. But clearly you do need replacements, and I agree many of the comments were off-topic.
@Sandshark did offer one practical suggestion when he observed that the trays from any legacy desktop (but not rack-mount) ReadyNAS will also fit your unit.
There are two older tray designs for desktop ReadyNAS - the oldest one has a circular button on the front. That particular design tends to stick, but there is an easy way to release it when it does. Both will fit.
You sometimes can find non-working (or untested) ReadyNAS sold on ebay and similar sites. Older ReadyNAS are often inexpensive, and use trays without the molded facia. For example, there's an NV+ offered on ebay for ~$65 that looks like it includes 4 trays. The seller will only ship to US and Canada, so that particular unit won't work for you. But there are others that do appear to ship to your location. You do need to make sure that the unit includes the trays (as sometimes they don't). The seller might also be willing to only ship the trays.
FWIW, I do see a couple of sites that appear to have the trays in stock:
There could be others (I didn't google extensively). No idea whether the sites above actually have them, or will ship to your location. But they are expensive - going the used ReadyNAS route would be similar cost (or cheaper), and the older tray design might actually last you longer.
Yes, I did purchase the unit in Singapore a long time ago. The serial number is 3C62350100896.
I stress again, I am not looking for a free hand out, as the unit is technically out of its offical warranty period. I am simply seeking the ability to purchase relacment HDD trays (at a reasonable and fair price) to replace the ones that have become brittle and unusable (as I need to upgrade the HDDs in the unit to larger capacity HDDs.
Regards, Angus
Model: RN31600|ReadyNAS 300 Series 6- Bay (Diskless)
Thank you for your suggestions. I am not aware if those earlier Netgear ReadyNAS tray types will fit and work. To my assesment, they are different at the latch point. The fulcrum (for locking and release) in those earlier models (both the early round button and also the sliding square type - picture attached) is metal all the way to the latching point (see tray image attached). The ones with the full metal fulcrum design are certinaly however a better more durable design for sure (i.e. they do not employ a poor industrial design plastic fulctum that simple cracks off with age!). Also, yes I concur, those early round button type trays certainly did stick!
I have attached a photo of the side panel where the HDD trays latch in. I am not so sure those all metal fulcrum trays are a workable fit. On my assesment, I do not see it. I reamin open minded on that. So by all means please do let me know your final assesment on that option. If they do fit, this does open up more options for me to try and secure a set of 6 replacement HDD trays.
eBay has items come and go from time to time. Earlier searches were dry. It can be hassle when the supply is limited, as you need to watch for new listings like a hawk. And on top, shipping costs from US to SG start add up, especially if I can not secure all 6 trays needed in one go. A search (including subject and description worldwide) on eBAY just now cetainly shows some used metal fulcrum trays, but nil RTRAY09-10000S trays (plastic fulcrum design).
On the WWW search front, I see the listing you refer me to claims to have stock. I will email them over the next 24 to 48 hours to see if that is "in-stock" stauts is up to date.
However, at USD 43.99 per tray...thats rather steep when we get to 6 trays. It would be much simpler if Netgear simply supported thier customers in country with a nonminal (selected) spare parts service. When a manufacturer makes parts scarce all that happens is the seconday market respondes with extortionate stratospheric prices due to limited supply (aka ye olde ... supply and demand curve economics).
Regards, Angus
Model: RN31600|ReadyNAS 300 Series 6- Bay (Diskless)
I am not aware if those earlier Netgear ReadyNAS tray types will fit and work. To my assesment, they are different at the latch point. The fulcrum (for locking and release) in those earlier models (both the early round button and also the sliding square type - picture attached) is metal all the way to the latching point (see tray image attached). The ones with the full metal fulcrum design are certinaly however a better more durable design for sure (i.e. they do not employ a poor industrial design plastic fulctum that simple cracks off with age!). Also, yes I concur, those early round button type trays certainly did stick!
I have attached a photo of the side panel where the HDD trays latch in. I am not so sure those all metal fulcrum trays are a workable fit. On my assesment, I do not see it. I reamin open minded on that. So by all means please do let me know your final assesment on that option. If they do fit, this does open up more options for me to try and secure a set of 6 replacement HDD trays.
As I told you, they do work. They do latch differently, but the current ReadyNAS clearly were designed to accept them, and I have done that myself. The reverse doesn't work, the legacy units don't have provisions for the newer latching mechanism. One thing is that they don't have provisions for a 2.5" drive. so you'd need an adapter to use them.
I say the trays from the rack-mount units won't work based on posts in this forum that they aren't even compatible with the legacy desktop models. Some are clearly different, but I've never had a rack mount system that uses the trays that look like those for the desktop units, so I can only rely on what I've read.
The current caddies are different from yours in that they are designed to accept drives with the alternate mounting pattern used by a lot of larger drives, but they also work with your NAS.
The old ones had a metal re-inforcing plate on the handle, but the ones for OS6 native units do not, so they can break if forced. The handles are not intended to be used as levers to force the drive in. The drive should be pushed in and the handle will drop down on it's own or take just a small amount of pressure to droip. Once the handle has dropped nearly all the way, then you can press in on it to latch it.
Your best bet may be to look for a used ReadyNAS "for parts" rather than just trays. The going price for trays is $25 for the oldest (with the round button that gets stuck) and $30-$35 for the middle model or newest ones. All of the ones designed for desktop systems will fit your NAS. The ones with the round button are actually pretty easy to release with a small screwdriver, and you really shouldn't be removing and replacing drives a lot, anyway. Unfortunately, some users re-selling a ReadyNAS don't include the caddies (which drastically reduces their worth), which makes finding caddies alone all that more difficult.
I'm having the same problem too, only the black plastic part that is damaged. Hope NETGEAR will care its relationship with us their fans of ReadyNAS devices. The product itself is solid and durable, it's a pity that this plastic latch has become brittle over the years, since it maybe accessed frequently as needed, continual support or an improvement for the material used for this part hence is necessary.
