ReadyNAS Duo V1 works with 1 HDD but hangs with 2 HDD

[smpub2000]

Hello, I have a problem with a Ready Nas Duo V1 that I was trying to resolve. I saw a a lot of great posts on this forum so wanted to post the issues here.
Thanks in advance.

Device: ReadyNAS Duo V1 (RND2210-100), 2x Seagate 1TB - "barracuda". Home use only.
I couldn't find this information in the manual or online, but I assume it has a sparc processor.
Latest firmware.

1) Device Hung with 2 HDD:
Summary: ReadyNAS Duo V1 always works with 1 HDD but hangs when the 2 HDD is inserted after power down, and then the device is booted up.

After purchase, the device worked for a short while, and then hung and became inaccessible. Can't be detected over Raidar. Ever since, booting it up with 2 HDD causes the power LED to blink rapidly no matter how long the device is left turned on. It then has to be force turned off by pulling the power cord. Strangely, the device works ok when only 1HDD is in the NAS, and the other one is taken out.

Past debug attempts: This was a few years ago. I took the 2nd HDD out, put it in an external HDD reader/adapter and zero formatted it with seagate tools. All that worked fine, leading me to think the HDD is ok. I had to take the HDD adapter case off before putting it in the external reader, then back on to put into the NAS, so bit of a tedious process. Tried to work with support, but the warranty had run out and didn't purchase a new one (my bad for not contacting them earlier).

The NAS has been just sitting on the shelf turned off. I try to put some troubleshoot cycles when I can. Reading on this forum today, I am surprised how many people have had this device hung in a similar manner with the power led flashing. Support didn't tell me the issue was this common. I am surprised that Netgear will not provide a patch for this issue as it renders the device unusable and costs the user a ton of time (troubleshoot, backup, reset etc). Even if the disk were bad, the NAS should indicate that and *not* hang.

I assume I will have to try one of OS reinstall or factory reset/default.

I recently also upgraded the firmware to latest available, but that didn't fix the issue. I have backed up the configuration, and that gave me "etc" and "tmp" directories with files in them.

I would love to find a way to fix this, preferably without losing data, and how to avoid this issue in the future.

2) More recent issue: Incorrect IP Address My router recently changed, and the IP addresses handed by the router over dhcp are different. I may have set it to static ip a long time ago, so my bad. With one HDD in, readynas duo v1 starts and raidar detects it. But it shows the old ip address and I can't access its web interface (frontview) over the browser/http. Is there a way to reset the ip address so the device is accessible.

3) General backup question: Is there a way to snapshot all devices (PCs, linux x86, tablets, smartphones) on the network automatically to the NAS, so they can be restored from image. Can this work from the client (PC) side or the server/NAS side (i.e push vs pull)? If the machine which has the snapshot has to be replaced completely with a different machine, can the data be accessed in the snapshot? Any articles on this?

Thanks again for going through the questions and any responses.

[mdgm-ntgr]

1) so it works with either of the two hard disks installed by itself in the NAS? Or only with a specific one of the two? Did you run a long/extended test of both disks using SeaTools?
2) An OS Re-install would fix this. The other way is to change the I.P. of the NIC in your PC to be in the same range as the NAS, fix the NAS settings, then change the settings on your PC back to normal.
3) You can use backup jobs in Frontview for some purposes. Though depending on what you want backup software on your devices may work better. So long as they can backup to a share using the one of the standard file protocols available on the NAS it should be doable.

If the Duo fails then an ordinary x86 Linux machine could be used to get the data back. We also have a procedure that support can use to get at the data in one of our new models (there may be a fee for this).

[smpub2000]

^^ Thanks for the prompt response!
1) I only tried with the first HDD in the first slot. Not sure if putting the 2nd HDD will cause auto formatting/data loss when the 1st HDD is put back in the 1st slot? If this can be tried safely without data erase, I will try it.
Any insights into what causes the hang, and is the probability high/low that the device would get back into the state if fixed? I would like to try avoid it in the future.


2) Would an OS reinstall preserve data? Assuming the config would be wiped out, could users, passwords, quota, permissions etc from my config backup?
And if so, can I edit the device and gateway ip addresses in the interfaces file in the backed up config?

Update - 12:45 a.m Dec09/2014: I took your other recommendation and temporarily changed subnets on router and pc to match the NAS, and then configured the NAS to the new subnet. So I think the NAS is accessible now (with 1 HDD) over the network. Thanks!

Button to Hold, Time to Hold, LED flashes, Boot Menu Mode
========================================================
Reset, 5 seconds, 1, OS Re-install

A serial or usb access to the device to change settings over command line may help if available.

[mdgm-ntgr]

2) An OS Re-install leaves data intact and most of your config. The admin password and some network settings are reset.

Can you send me your logs (see the Sending Logs link in my signature)? Perhaps your logs will give an indication as to what has happened.

[smpub2000]

Regarding #2 - Device ip address needs change:
Update - 12:45 a.m Dec09/2014: I took your other recommendation and temporarily changed subnets on router and pc to match the NAS, and then configured the NAS to the new subnet. So I think the NAS is accessible now (still with 1 HDD) over the network. Thanks!

I will check into the log sending tomorrow. Hopefully it helps diagnose the root cause of the original problem and solve it, that would be fun.

[rouppe]

I also have had this happen quite regularly with my Duo v1.

The most recent was in the last few weeks. I moved house.

I powered down the NAS using the power button on the front of the NAS. Then I left the device for a couple of weeks as I sorted out the new house, internet access etc.

Last night I connected everything back together and powered on the unit. I got the same hang, and unable to find in RaidAR. In the past I powered off, pulled disk 2, and restarted. This allowed a boot and then putting the disk back in caused a re-synch. I put up with this.

However last night re-inserting the disk didn't work. The Duo saw the drive-add event, but then considered the disk dead. This is the third disk in 4 or 5 years where this has happened, and it's getting pretty annoying. It always happens to the disk in bay 2.

Its getting to the point where I'm considering buying a new NAS chassis just to get away from the sparc

[smpub2000]

@mdgm-ntgr - I have emailed the logs with the subject line "ReadyNas Duo boot issue with Disk2 - Logs - Attn: mdgm". Please confirm if you have received these.
I tried a new test today - to place it in the device after booting, it says the disk can't be used and the disk2 led constantly blinks. FrontView also says that the disk is "dead", however, I have trouble believing that because
a) when I connect it to my system through external USB, the device is marked healthy and disk partitioning tools are able to format it when I last tried it - it takes a long time to format a 1tb disk 😞 , and
b) The disk (in fact the entire unit) hasn't seen much use since purchase.

@rouppe, thanks for the post, it was good to know you are having the same issue with Disk2.

[mdgm-ntgr]

I have received the logs.

Have you checked the disk using SeaTools?

If the disk is O.K. then it sounds like you might have a faulty drive bay in your chassis.

Have you tried a different disk recently in the drive bay?

As the warranty on your NAS has expired then if the drive bay has failed then purchasing a new unit would be the best way forward.

[rouppe]

smpub2000

I have resolved (I won't say "solved") my immediate problem.

First I initiated an OS-reinstall with only 1 disk inserted. As per instructions:

• Power off the unit normally


• Push and hold the reset button on the back


• While holding reset press and hold the power button on the front until the LED's flash once then release all.

Lots of noise and flashing later, The unit was once again available. Note however the admin password had been reset, any ip address setting had been wiped and probably a few other things, but again this was signalled in the instructions online. I don't know how long it actually took as I went off and did other things for a couple of hours and came back later.

Reinserted disk 2. I thought nothing had happened, but after a couple of minutes the disk-add event was reported, and a re-synch began. Four or 5 hours later I was back in "redundant mode"

[vandermerwe]

rouppe, I suggest that you power down, remove disk 2 and test it with vendor tools' extended tests.