Replace my old NetGear NAS with what Brand now that NetGear is out of the NAS game???
Now that NetGear has left the building and abandoned the NAS, what to do?
Older machines like my ReadyNAS Pro 6 are getting slow. Even when I upgraded it with OS6 and capacity (I am running 76TB) now. My machine has been a very dependable workhorse for 15 years! But these older machines are way too slow now with large drives (about 50X the original capacity the unit came with).
So time for a new NAS> would buy a NetGear NAS, but they do not make them anymore. So sad. Would buy one in a heartbeat.
So I researched some options on other brands.
Bit confused on how the other brands like QNAP, Synology, WD, etc. work. NetGear allows you dynamic expansion, both vertical and horizontal via X-RAID, and it works really well most of the time, except when it does not.
I tried using the other companies' RAID volume calculators, to compare how much data space you get with a certain size of a 6-disk Raid5. All seemed to offer lower capacity. i.e. X-RAID appears to me to be more efficient. And are there issues with vertical expansion, or hot horizontal expansion?
So here is the question. What to replace my grandfather NAS with? Parameters are:
1 Cost under $2,000 (bare, no drives)
2. Minimum 8-Bay NAS for magnetic (spinning) drives. # of SSD slots irrelevant.
3. As close to the "feel" of a NetGear machine as possible, for quickest learning curve for someone like me who does not do programming.
4. Drive hot swap ability (guessing they all do that)
5. MUST!!! Work with WD Red Pro drives.
6. No drive size limit. I know that even NetGear said back then my unit will work with up to 500mb drives, but today running 18TB drives. Because they did not exist back then.
7. Should be lightning fast! And allow RAM upgrades with at least 2 RAM slots.
8. Small office use with a wired 100/1000 LAN.
9. Good/great reputation for being as good or better than NetGear.
It is a tough choice for me, since I am not familiar with all the brands and models that popped up since 2008.
I figured that I would just buy a new ReadyNAS of some model, but astonished to now find out they stopped making them in 2021. Bad timing on my part.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer an opinion.
Now that NetGear has left the building and abandoned the NAS, what to do?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer an opinion.
I'm not looking right now, as my main NAS (a 526x) is fast enough for my needs. My older Pro-6 is used for backup. Another factor is that my NAS are not exposed to the internet, so I think that the security risks involved with running obsolete versions of linux are manageable for me.
If I were looking, I'd focus first on these brands (no particular order):
Synology
QNAP
Asustor
Prices for 8-bay units look like they are around $1000-$1500 diskless,
Another possibility I'd look at is getting an 8-bay thunderbolt enclosure, connecting it to an always-on PC and creating shares on Windows. If you already have a suitable PC, then prices are a bit less (some options are about $900)
There will be a learning curve, no matter which path you pick. And you will need a way to migrate your data, as all of these paths will require reformating your existing disks.
Re: Replace my old NetGear NAS with what Brand now that NetGear is out of the NAS game???
Correct, only use is storage. Some streaming to TV from NAS (works well with the old NetGear NAS). No apps.
Running over Cat5+ wiring. Built for 100 speed on wiring. Switches are gigabit switches.
So pushing the envelope on speed over Cat5+.
Typically measuring about 90Mbps upload and 600Mbps download at best. Often lot less.
The NAS is within 200 feet from the workstations, and so must run over wifi or Cat5+ (not USB).
Yes, would like to upgrade to multigig speed, but running new wires thru building is complex and problematic. It can be done. Right now no need as the workstations are not set up to take advantage of those speeds. But at some point I may string up Cat6A or Cat8 wire and change out switches to futureproof.
Yes, would like to upgrade to multigig speed, but running new wires thru building is complex and problematic. It can be done. Right now no need as the workstations are not set up to take advantage of those speeds. But at some point I may string up Cat6A or Cat8 wire and change out switches to futureproof.
The question then becomes how much extra are you prepared to pay for a NAS that has multi-gig ethernet?
I'd guess a bit more, but not too much - as you might never upgrade the infrastructure.
Typically measuring about 90Mbps upload and 600Mbps download at best. Often lot less.
Cat 5e should be giving you gigabit in both directions. One thing you go do with ssh is load iperf on the NAS. If you also load it on the PCs, you can measure network speed without file storage times getting in the way. But that is a sidebar.
Correct, only use is storage. Some streaming to TV from NAS (works well with the old NetGear NAS). No apps.
ok. so likely DLNA.
Overall, your use is fairly basic. FWIW, so is my own. My main goal is to consolidate storage (including PC backups). I run my applications on a Windows PC that has the NAS data volume mapped to a drive letter. Separating storage from applications gives me more flexibility, and helps ensure that the NAS remains stable.
Anyway, you don't need a system with the highest-end processor, GPU acceleration, and PCIE expansion slots. No need to run virtual machines, no high-compute applications like video transcoding. Some of the more expensive NAS on your list do seemed aimed at users who do want those features. So you could rule them out.
One thing to keep in mind here - 7 to 10 years from now, any processor you get will seem slow. What you are looking for is file transfer speeds that are limited by your network (~100 MB/s for gigabit). Using some SSDs for caching or as a second volume might be a better way to boost performance than investing in a faster CPU. I suspect a lot of your current data is either archival (so slower speeds might be ok), or media files (where mechanical disks give all the speed you need for playback). Other data (particularly folders with lots of small files) benefit the most from SSDs.
All the NAS on your list have enough bays. Maybe start with the cheapest, and look for reviews that give you performance info. NasCompares is one youtuber you can check out, there are others (and review websites). That might rule out some of the cheapest models on the list. Then take a look at how much extra you'd need to pay to get 2.5-10 gb networking, and a couple of NVMe slots to give you SSD speeds for some shares later on. The idea on NVMe is that SATA SSDs might well disappear during the lifetime of the new NAS. Likely you'll end up somewhere between the cheapest and most expensive model.
Re: Replace my old NetGear NAS with what Brand now that NetGear is out of the NAS game???
You are absolutely correct. I use my NAS in an identical way to how you use it. Identical. Data access and storage for multiple PCs with offloaded data from the PCs (zero user data on PC workstation), centralized PC backups, etc.
I use a simple Windows based program called LAN Speed Test, https://totusoft.com/lanspeed thru which you point to a file folder on the NAS to write data to, and read data from. Guessing there is a bottleneck somewhere in my network that I need to find?
But then I used a program you recommended it the past called NASTester 1.7, and that shows both read and write speed averaging 100 MB/Sec. Hmm. So it is possible the other program I was using, LAN Speed Test, is providing wrong data? It is showing write speed 1/10th of what NASTester 1.7 reports. I do prefer to use windows-based programs, rather than having to SSH some program onto the NAS, that programs like "iperf" require.
The other points you make are all very valid, and I will take them into consideration. Thank you again.
I use a simple Windows based program called LAN Speed Test, https://totusoft.com/lanspeed thru which you point to a file folder on the NAS to write data to, and read data from.
But then I used a program you recommended it the past called NASTester 1.7, and that shows both read and write speed averaging 100 MB/Sec.
FWIW, I've used both. Both are useful in measuring the file transfer speed.
That speed depends on disk performance, the network, and the smb server software itself. Sometimes it's useful to separate network speed from the other factors. iperf lets you do that (there is a windows version also).
As far as comparing the two program results - one thing that matters is the file size. Overall, small file transfers and folder browsing tend to be a lot slower with SMB than large file transfers. So you might check if the file size used with lanspeed matches the file size with NasTester.
Re: Replace my old NetGear NAS with what Brand now that NetGear is out of the NAS game???
Ah good point. One that I forgot to mention. File size used in both was similar at 80MB. I also noted that a small file size took much longer to transfer the same amount of data.
I will try to find a windows version of iperf. Thanks for that suggestion.
Re: Replace my old NetGear NAS with what Brand now that NetGear is out of the NAS game???
Why not just go with a newer model of ReadyNAS which has better performance than your Pro 6. They are easily found on eBay. I am using RN516, RN716 and RN626. All are excellent and I have had no issues. Currently using 10TB drives in each machine.
