ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
Hi All,
I have a pretty new ReadyNAS 104 system (August, 2015). Currently populated with 3 x 4TB WD RED drives, and a single Segate 3TB drive (to be upgraded once funds allow). Since upgrading to FW 6.4.0 I have found that the system will hang whenever a maintenance process is performed - Scub, Balance or Defrag, which I had scheduled previously.
I have now disabled all the schedules and left the system alone, but overnight it has hung again, after approximately 72 hours of normal operation. It responds to pings, but the GUI will not load, it has dropped off the network via all protocols, fails to allow you to SSH into it and pressing the power button (Once, twice and three times) has absolutely no effect. The only option is to pull the plug.
Also, after every hang, forcing a power pull, the system starts a complete resync of the volume, which always starts at 25.10% and takes about 4 days to complete over the 15TB of raw storage. Obviously this is putting undue strain on the disks everytime it is happening.
Happy to provide logs to any friendly Netgear Admins, and any advice from any of you lovely people would be gratefully received.
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
I'm having the exact same issue. I also have a ReadyNAS 104. Mine has 4 x WD Red 3TB disks, and has been working fine until I took the latest upgrade to 6.4.0.
I first noticed the issue when a balance operation (which I had set on a weekly schedule) was still running 24 hours later, and my ReadyNAS was still on, but could not be accessed via ssh or http, and I could no longer access the files on it. The only option I had was to pull the plug, after which it came up again and tried to do a resync. I could then access the GUI for about 5 mins, before it hung again and I couldn't access any of the services. After I while, I figured out that if I cancelled the balance operation by sshing in quickly after booting, before it hung, I could cancel the balance using the btrfs command. This worked, and after rebooting I was able to get into the GUI without the NAS hanging. I immediately disabled the scheduled maintenance tasks and deleted a bunch of snapshots and all seemed OK. But now I still notice that it hangs every few days and I have to pull the plug to reset it, which results in a full volume resync which takes over 24 hours.
It's very frustrating - clearly something is broken with the 6.4.0 firmware (I've tried flashing a new version from a USB stick in case my image was corrupted, but it didn't make any difference), but as per the release notes, you cannot downgrade again from 6.4.0, so I guess I just have to wait for the next update :-(.
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
Same here on a RN204 and RN102 devices so far after update.
The unit would appear in RAIDar initially, then drops off the network after boot, the management page is not available, but it still responds to pings.
In one instance we though the RN102 was faulty so we swapped it out.
Now we have an RN204 that is not accessible with 4 months of snapshots the client may need/want.
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
I've the same trouble. 1 x RN102 w/2 WD 1TB Greens, and 1 x RN104 w/4 WD 3TB (2Green 2 Red). The 102 seems to be doing better after doing a full factory default reset (all that was on it were personal Time Machine backups), but haven't really tested it hard yet. The 104 tho.. Hoo boy. Locks up during boot, locks up when sitting still doing nothing, locks up when accessing from work, locks up when looked at by my cat, locks up when trying to copy data off the NAS to my external HD (hooked directly to the NAS), locks up when trying to access it thru my Xbox 1, etc. Basically, it just locks up whenever I try to do anything with it.
Right now, I'm having slight success while copying the 104 data to an external HD hooked up to my iMac (SMB seems to work much better than AFP), but it's touch and go. I tried reflashing the FW, as well as reinstalling the OS, but both to no avail. I deleted the snapshots (and managed to save close to a TB of space) as recommended, but that didn't do anything as well. As a side note, I turned off COW as well.. Now I shouldn't have creeping data on my free space after a defrag.
I tried downloading the logs, but it locks up 😕
The unit was flawless until the 6.4.0 updates. When I performed the updates, both units locked up on rebooting (no activity on the drives). I had to reflash, etc..
I think I had to just vent a bit. They're not for business use, my NASes (NAE? What should be used for plurial? Lol..) are just home units, and while taking the time to copy everything off the units to reset/default is annoying/frustrating, it's not crucial.. Unless it eats my data, then it's not good.
I'm keeping an eye on the forums to see the progression of people's problems, and hopefully Netgear will have a solution for this quickly. If the reset to fac. defaults does not help in stability, well.. I hope they come out with a new FW quickly!
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
Thanks JennC,
Been following that thread as well. Not sure I want to try the downgrade just yet, but have followed through with the deletion of the snapshots, and other ideas. Still problematic. Waiting to do a full factory default to see if that will fix everything. Hopefully there'll be a 6.4.1 soon which fixes all these nagging problems.
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
I'm not sure its worth phoning the support number, you can save yourself two days of fruststration and simply not bother.
The fact is this is a very common problem and all the well intentioned workarounds are simply not adequate.
Ultimately the 104 is under-powered for what the firmware demands, and the firmware is simply trying to live up to the claims NetGear have made about how great their product is. This situation is likely to only get worse, and us customers will encounter no end of troubles until the device is out of support or end of life and we chuck them in the bin.
Put simply, the device is not fit for purpose. The same issues do not occur with the 204 and 214 which confirms that the device is simply under-powered for the bloated firmware and infefficient feature implementation.
I expect Netgear to offer a replacement unit which is fit for purpose, such as the 204 or 214. Anything short of this is a joke. Its too long Netgear have taken the mickey out of their customers and made them run around an intentionally unworkable black-hole of "support" until customers give up. Too long have they been able to supply inadequate products supported by a raft of products, and relied on other customers to provide workaround solutions (almost always involving shutting off key advertised features), as if this is OK.
Enough is enough, Netgear. Recall this garbage product, re-release it with an entirely different reduced set of functionality claims, and provide existing customers with a product which is actually able to perform as this one was advertised.
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
I think you have to forgive customers making comments like that on this forum. We have all been sold a terrible product which isn't remotely fit for purpose or adequately supported. The software is full of glitches and the hardware is inadequate. Support is beyond a joke.
I for one am very surprised that 6.4.0 did indeed have a beta release. How many people actually tried the beta release? How many came back with each of the raised issues? Which issues were still outstanding at time of release? Which features were actually tested by the (brave) beta testers?
It should only take a moment to pull up those answers and post them on this forum. If nobody does that, I will not believe beta testing was actually carried out to any reasonable or acceptable degree. Show me the data. Its very hard to believe adequate testing was done and yet somebody thought it was acceptable to actually release despite the droves of issues beta testing should've raised.
I think you have to forgive customers making comments like that on this forum...
I don't work for Netgear; I am a customer. I understand the frustration and I have experienced some problems first hand.
Though I think we are all better off if we can stay focused on the specific problems we're seeing, making sure that Netgear gets clear status back on what problems we've seen, and what we've tried (particularly what is resolved or still broken in 6.4.1-Txx). And making sure that as a community, we share whatever solutions/workarounds that we've found.
In my opinion just sniping at Netgear (though cathartic) doesn't accomplish anything useful, it justs adds noise to the forum.
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
Hi Stephen, I have to strongly disagree. This forum is precisely the place to snipe at Netgear. I came here because of my 104 hanging after 6.4.0 "upgrade".
It takes everyone expressing their frustration and unhappiness before management will even consider reflecting on the fact that they should move away from the software/hardware industry, because its not fair on everyone else for them to be in the supply chain.
You are helping them to think its OK to ditch providing proper support and get customers to support each other *instead*. If they said "you get 90 days of runaround on the phone then you might as well bin the product", not many people would buy it. If there was no-one helping Netgear out on this forum, they might actually hire the staff to figure out how to fix things - then these same staff might actually contribute to releasing a decent product in the first place. If these forums had enough people pointing out all the failings of Netgear which are associated with e.g. the 6.4.0 upgrade failutre and their experience of it, people would be less likely to buy their products, then perhaps free market economics can kick into effect.
All the "workarounds" on these forums involve disabling key features. If it was just the company saying "you have to shut off half the advertised functionality to get it working", every customer would be saying "well you shouldn't advertise a product as having all that functionality if it needs to be turned off to get the thing to work at all". However, thanks to the heroes at their keyboards (presumably in spandex capes) ... Netgear points to "workarounds" as "solutions" and use them an an extra way to waste your time while also using them to say "other customers are perfectly happy after they just did x,y as said on the forum".
By all means, if someone is deperate to get something going temporarily for a specific need at a specific time, help them to manipulate the heap of bits infront of them into a state where it can do that task. But please spare me the "keep these forums clean" nonsense - if they were, we would all be having a much harder time convincing Netgear they are the problem and customers are unhappy about it.
You are entitled to your opinion of course, and mine happens to be different.
My view is that since Netgear does have several employees engaged here, Netgear should be well aware by now that they have a crisis with 6.4.0. If the complaints already posted haven't delivered that message upstream to senior Netgear management, then they never will.
And those managers don't participate in the forum. So complaining directly to Netgear execs would (in my opinion) be a more effective way to ensure your dissatisfation is heard at the right level. Addresses/phone numbers of Netgear offices are on "contact us" on their web page; Patrick Lo is the CEO and is based in San Jose.
So I think its time to move on here, and try to get all our systems stabilized/working for now, and get the underlying issues fixed in 6.4.1. And shift the complaining to someone who has the authority to do something about it.
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
I've gotta be a glutton for punishment.. Just installed 6.4.1 on my working RN102, which still has non important, flushable stuff on it because of the 6.4.0 craziness, and geeze, full lock up of the device. Now I'll have to get home to see if I can access the device and check the logs. Losing faith in ya, Netgear; good thing I didn't install it on my 104..
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
Hello ViciousPariah and fragglerok,
Please contact support, it appears that you both have not contacted support line yet. This may need to be checked by L3. If you have downloaded logs with the previous FW prior to the update, please have it ready along with the logs using the current FW you have.
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
is there a 6.4.2 beta to try? 6.4.1 final has the exact same issue for me, hung while copying 6GB of data to my ReadyNAS 104 this morning, and now I'm in a 72 hour resync.
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
Hi All,
Just thought I would respond at what 'touch wood' has been a solution. I eventually had a few weeks of tooing and frooing with support, inbetween which 6.4.1 was released, which didn't resolve the issue.
Eventually it was escalated to L3 Support (although intitially they refused support as the old ticket had been closed and 90 days had passed since purchase - in their favour they did then provide support as it still was the same issue). After L3 dialled in to my system they then said it was a hardware fault and issued a full hardware replacement. I am now on Day 4 after migrating all disks (succesfully and with all data intact) to the new chassis.
Time will tell, but I will report back if this hasn't resolved the issue.
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
So, after 6 days of perfect performance the system hung again yesterday. I contacted support and it is immediately goiing to L3. After pulling the plug on the system, and watching it report 60 hours of resyncing it again has hung today (around 21 hours into the resync). Awaiting L3 support to get in contact but really beginning to feel the RN104 was not the product to purchase.
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
Hi tipster71,
Thanks for the feedback. I suggest that you continue to work with the L3 Engineer who handles your support ticket. Just update this thread on what happens next.
Re: ReadyNAS 104 system hanging frequently after 6.4.0 upgrade
Hi All,
So at the suggestion of Support I upgraded to 6.4.2 RC1 and (fingers crossed) I am now on Day 9 of perfect operation. I have now re-enabled Disk Spindown and Balance, Defrag and Scrub schedules on the volume, as these were initial activities that would cause a hang.
I am hopeful that this may be the soultion as RC-1's release notes specifically mention the following;
[Beta 1] Fixed potential hang due to a race condition when using the CPU's RAID5 offload engine. (RN104)
So far so good, but if that changes I'll let you all know. I have found no other issues with 6.4.2 RC-1 apart from the Disk Temps not displaying under the performance tab on my RN104, which has been reported back to L3 Support.
