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Aspirant

Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

I have a client in a design studio where we installed a 2 disk (2x3TB) Readynas 102 about a year ago.

 

The PC's on the network see the folders really quickly but the two Macs seem to have a problem opening shared folders and files.

 

It can take up to a minute or more when double clicking on a folder for it to open.  Do it on the PC and its instant.  They are also complaining that to open an artwork file can take forever as well.

 

We have just installed a new 1GB netgear unmanged switch (needed to anyway) but that has made no difference.

 

As everything seems to open ok on the PC it is clearly an Apple to readynas issue or so it seems.  I think they recently upgraded the OS on both the macs.  I know very little about Macs so any ideas appreciated.

 

Thanks

Message 1 of 70
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

Hello barryd,

 

I have some questions below:

  • Are the Mac machines and Windows connected to the same switch where the NAS is?
  • Are the Mac machines using gigabit LAN cards?
  • Have you already tested if the Mac machines get the same problem when it tries to access one of the computer's shared folder on the network?
  • Which file protocol do you use to access the NAS on the Mac machines?
  • What's the Mac OS version of the two?
  • What's the firmware version of the ReadyNAS?

Regards,

JennC
NETGEAR Community Team
Message 2 of 70
Aspirant

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

Thanks for the quick reply

 

I will answer what I can and come back to you with the other answers (I am not onsite)

 

Yes everything is connected into the same switch in a cabinet

Yes the macs are on gigabit lan cards

No I have not got them to try and access a shared folder on the PC but will suggest this

From memory I think the protocol was SMB but I cannot be sure and Im not sure how I check

Will also check the OS versions

As regards the firmware version of the readynas can you check this from the PC admin page?  I suspect its not been updated since it was installed?

 

Thanks again and will try and get the answers to the outstanding questions.

Message 3 of 70
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

There is a backend settings change that may help with SMB directory listing performance from Mac OS X


Can you send me your logs (see the Sending Logs link in my sig)?

Message 4 of 70
Aspirant

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

Hi

 

Thanks for the further replies.  Sorry but I was away over the weekend.

 

All they have come back to me so far with is the Readynas firmware version which is 6.1.6

 

I am going to see if I can get remote access to the mac later today which might speed things up a bit

 

 

Message 5 of 70
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

That is very old firmware released almost two years ago.

To apply the change I was thinking of I would need the firmware to be updated to at least 6.2.5, I think.

 

The logs would be helpful in case there are other factors at play.

Message 6 of 70
Aspirant

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

Thanks

 

I will sort out the logs today for you and take it from there.  Is it easy to upgrade the firmware and can it be done from the webconsole as I can remote into a local PC to do that?

Message 7 of 70
Guru

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

It can be upgraded over the web interface.  

 

Upgrade to 6.2.5 first; don't attempt to go directly to 6.4.x.  You can manually download 6.2.5 here: http://downloadcenter.netgear.com/en/product/ReadyNAS-OS6#searchResults  

 

Extract the image file from the zip.  Manual installation is done from the system->settings page (at least it is with current firmware).

 

There are some issues with 6.4.x firmware btw.  I recommend updating backups before any firmware update or disk manipulation - but I think its particularly important in your case.   So I'd update (or create) a full backup before beginning.

Message 8 of 70
Aspirant

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

OK thanks

 

Ill get the operator in the studio to make sure they take a full backup ASAP and they I will try and remote in and do the firmware upgrade.

 

Will come back to you

 

Regards

Barry

Message 9 of 70
Aspirant

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

Firmware upgraded now.  I think I have to "Run a balance" not sure how to do this.

Message 10 of 70
Guru

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

It changed a bit in 6.4.x, so I am working from memory here.

 

There should be a settings wheel next to the volume icon on the volumes page.  Try clicking that.  If you don't see balance, but you do see maintenance schedule, click on that option and schedule a balance.

 

At some point in the past the volume maintenance was on the system settings page, so if you aren't finding the settings wheel then look there too.

Message 11 of 70
Aspirant

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

Thanks. Will have a look but is it cruicial as I did a search on here and found a few people had had problems after running a balance.

 

I am 240 miles away from the client and dont want to bring it a halt and have to go down to sort it out.

 

 

Message 12 of 70
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

I believe the volume maintenance schedule was in a different section of the web admin UI in 6.2.x.

We'd recommend scheduling defrag and balance to run weekly, but at times when the NAS will be used lightly.

Message 13 of 70
Aspirant

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

I am not doubting you but they tell me its been very slow connecting from the Macs since it was installed over a year ago.  The PC's on the network have no problem accessing it instantly. 

Message 14 of 70
Aspirant

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

MDGM has been helping me with this issue and is trying hard to resolve it.  He made some changes in the backend to the SMB protocols but sadly it has made no difference.

 

The client this morning reported that there is no change in the connection speed from the Macs.  It is taking about three minutes to open a folder on a share from the mac and its pretty instant on the PC next to it.  I even got them to swap the PC and Mac ethernet cables to see if it was that but just the same.  PC quick, Mac Slow.

 

I am at a loss as to what to try next.  I did find a couple of threads where there were similar issues with Apple products and Readynas but no real solutions.  There must be thousands of users with Apple and readynas though.

 

Any further ideas greatly appreciated.

Message 15 of 70
Aspirant

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

Just another thought.  I logged into the Nas remotely today and clicked on the SMB setting.  Even though it was green it said do I want to enable it for workgroupl VOLUME.  Ive just left it for now.  Is it enabled?

 

Also could it be a Workgroup or DNS issue?  I have a recolection in my alded old brain of a similar problem some years ago where (I think it was a PC) was going off searching the internet for a share before realising it was local and finding it on the local network.  All the PC's are within a Windows 7 Workgroup as well. 

 

Just now when I remoted into a PC at the site I clicked on Networks and the available PC's came up in windows explorer but the readynas was last and took about 40 seconds to appear.  After that it was instant and the shortcut on the PC is always instant.

 

I think its a network issue somewhere.  I dont think there is anything wrong with the Readynas.  I asked the Mac users to leave the two Macs on so I could try a few things but sadly they must have gone to sleep and I cannot remote in over the weekend but will see if I can get them to stay awake next week.

 

Any thoughts on this or am I clutching at straws?

Message 16 of 70
Aspirant

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

One more thing.  Would installing Raidar on the Mac help?

Message 17 of 70
Guru

Re: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

-If you can access the NAS shares from file explorer in the Windows PCs, then SMB is enabled.

 

-It is best to have all the PCs and the NAS in the same workgroup.  There is an old guide for doing that with macs here: http://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-change-workgroup-mac-os-x-easy-networking  I'm not a mac user, so I don't know if the guide works with current OSX.

 

-If "check for updates" succeeds in the NAS web ui, then you have a good DNS configuration already.

 

-Not sure if RAIDar 4.3.8 installation on the mac accomplishes, but it does no harm.

 

 

Message 18 of 70
Aspirant

Betreff: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

I also have had problems browsing on mac over samba my rn102 nas. so i did some wireshark tracing, and I can definitely say, that is Apples problem, not Netgears. You see, all other network clients on my network, such as Windows or Linux/Android have no time problems to open huge folders... But not so on Mac. So if you try to open a folder with Finder, this damm things asks not only the list of file from server, but try to opens every one of them! I could not understand why, but this is a Finders issue. Try "ls" on same folder in terminal (from Mac /volumes/..) and you will get the list of files as soon as on the windows machine! 

On the other side, i have never problems to open huge files, only to browse into folders....

Message 19 of 70
Aspirant

Betreff: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

Thanks for that.

 

I have accessed both macs remotely this evening and tried all the different protocols. All the same. I even tried different DNS settings as I wondered if it was trying to resolve the folder on the internet but its not that.

What I have discovered is that it will take 1 to 2 minutes to open a folder in the main artwork folder but then next time you go into that same folder its instant, like it remembered what was in it. Click on the next one and its back to taking ages again.

It only seems to be the main artwork folder as well where there are hundreds of folders and sub folders.  So yes a large folder!

I copied one folder into a new test folder and it opened that one straight away.

Any further ideas?

Message 20 of 70
Aspirant

Betreff: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

I have started tackling this problem from the Apple end and it seems there is a known bug in Finder in OSX.  I posted about it here.  http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/1410993-apple-imac-and-netgear-readynas-102-problem?page=1#ent...

 

There is a post by David CSG where he links to page 4 of this thread

http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/439085-smb-share-slow-to-load-in-finder-on-macs?page=4

There seems to be a solution that involves Samba and vfs_fruit.  Its all way over my head to be honest but it does appear like this chap has a solution although it seems a complex one.  As you can see they have suggested me talking to Netgear about implementing it so it would be useful to hear the experts views.
Message 21 of 70
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Betreff: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

I think I already applied the backend settings change that was mentioned in that Spiceworks thread on your system.

Message 22 of 70
Aspirant

Betreff: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

OK thanks, I will update the other thread on Spiceworks and let them know.

Message 23 of 70
Aspirant

Betreff: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs

Hi folks. 

 

No progress really although the Spiceworks thread has been updated with further input today.  You can find it here. http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/1410993-apple-imac-and-netgear-readynas-102-problem?page=1#ent...

 

It is clearly Apple Finder that is the issue and one of the posters today has suggested this "Get a demo license of SAN-MP and make an iSCSI LUN from that ReadyNAS and try that."

 

Firstly I have no idea how to make an iSCSI Lun on the Readynas.  I can download a demo of the SanMp software for the Macs but what is involved in setting up the NAS as an iSCSI Lun?   I think at this stage if the NAS has to be reformatted or has to have any major changes made then its not a big issue.  Is it possible to apply this solution and test it on a separate part of the NAS? 

 

Any suggestions as to if this is a viable solution and if so how to apply it.  I really need to crack this as I have a fair few customers in the print and design industry wanting NAS drives and at the moment I dont know what to suggest to them.

 

Many thanks.

 

 

Message 24 of 70
Guru

Betreff: Readynas 102 connection problem with Apple Macs


@barryd wrote:

 

 

I have no idea how to make an iSCSI Lun on the Readynas. 

 


Start here:

 

iscsi.png

iSCSI creates a virtual disk on the NAS.  This can only be accessed from one device at a time (so the files are not shared), and the NAS has no way to know what's in the LUN.  It's just opaque storage for it.

 

You'll want a "thick" LUN and be careful on the size.

Message 25 of 70
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