× NETGEAR will be terminating ReadyCLOUD service by July 1st, 2023. For more details click here.
Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
Reply

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

strig
Tutor

Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

Model: RN214

Firware: 6.9.3

OS: Used with both Windows and MAC OSX

Config: 4 disks (2 x 3TB + 2 x 4TB) RAIDed to give total of 7TB

 

Details: I am having significant performance issues with my READYNAS 214 and I believe it started with the most recent firmware upgrade to 6.9.3. It sits on a Gigabit switch on a Gigabit network and prior to the upgrade I was getting significant speeds - I can't remember exactly but much much faster - certainly fast enough to stream full HD video to my video player in the lounge which is no longer possible. I have used the NAS performance tester tool 1.7 and it is showing a speed of approx 0.7MB per sec..

 

I have tried restarting the ReadyNAS, router, switch etc. with no joy. The RN was about 80% full so I ditched a load of files no longer required and it is now about 50% full but the performance issues remain. It is slow from both my MAC and my Windows laptop and slow using either SMB or AFP.

 

Does anybody have any bright ideas as to how I can resolve this - I'm really not sure how to move forwards on this one.

 

Thanks

 

Russ

 

Model: RN21400|ReadyNAS 214 Series 4-Bay (Diskless)
Message 1 of 17
StephenB
Guru

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

Have you looked at the ethernet stats in the log file zip (network_settings.log)?

 

Are you using link aggregation?  If so, which mode?

 


@strig wrote:

 

Config: 4 disks (2 x 3TB + 2 x 4TB) RAIDed to give total of 7TB

 

 


XRAID would give 10 TB.  What RAID mode are you using?

Message 2 of 17
strig
Tutor

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

Thanks for the response - the network settings file is attached. There does seem to be quite a lot of dropped RX packets on the Ethernet. It is using X-RAID although it set itself up with 2 RAID groups so 6.34TB maximum is configured

 

Russ

Model: RN21400|ReadyNAS 214 Series 4-Bay (Diskless)
Message 3 of 17
StephenB
Guru

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade


@strig wrote:

It is using X-RAID although it set itself up with 2 RAID groups so 6.34TB maximum is configured

 


XRAID would have two RAID groups, but would still would give a 10 TB volume.  One RAID group would be 4x3TB RAID-5 (9 TB), the second would be 2x1TB RAID-1.

 

So if you are only seeing 7 TB with XRAID, then something must have gone wrong with the expansion.  Two FlexRAID RAID-1 volumes would give you a total of 7 TB.

 


@strig wrote:

here does seem to be quite a lot of dropped RX packets on the Ethernet.


Yes.  I suggest

  • trying a different ethernet cable
  • trying the other NIC port on the NAS
  • trying another switch port on the switch or router.
Message 4 of 17
strig
Tutor

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

I have tried those and unfortunately is makes no difference.

 

Russ

Model: RN214|4 BAY Desktop ReadyNAS Storage
Message 5 of 17
StephenB
Guru

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

If you are seeing the ethernet errors on both RN214 nic ports on multiple switch ports with multiple cables, then it seems likely that the NIC hardware on the RN214 is failing.  Note that the dropouts could have other causes, but the framing errors definitely point to hardware or cabling.

 

If you have another switch you could try, then maybe make one more test using a different switch.

 

Otherwise, I suggest starting the RMA process (warranty replacement) at my.netgear.com.

Message 6 of 17
strig
Tutor

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

Well after trying all sorts of combinations, I have figured out that the transfer speed is actually fine if my MAC or Windows laptops are connected using Ethernet - it is only when using wireless that the speed drops to less than 1MB/s. The odd thing is that the speed to/from the Internet is fine - I have a 200MB connection and download speeds from the Internet are fast so I am trying to figure out why the transfer speeds to/from the READYNAS would be throttled by the fact that it is a wi-fi connection.

 

All very strange 🙂

 

Russ

 

Model: RN21400|ReadyNAS 214 Series 4-Bay (Diskless)
Message 7 of 17
strig
Tutor

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

So I think it's more likely to be a router firmware download that has caused the issue...

Model: RN21400|ReadyNAS 214 Series 4-Bay (Diskless)
Message 8 of 17
KenBennett
Guide

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

Message 9 of 17
strig
Tutor

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

I will do that - it's not restricted to the one laptop though - it seems to be any device connecting to it via wi-fi - hence why I think the root cause is something at the router.

 

Russ

 

Model: RN21400|ReadyNAS 214 Series 4-Bay (Diskless)
Message 10 of 17
StephenB
Guru

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

What router are you using?

 

Have you recently changed routers (or reconfigured your WiFi on the router)?

Message 11 of 17
strig
Tutor

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

It is a Netgear R7000 router. I have done a failry recent firmware upgrade and did a full factory settings reset as all my parental controls stopped working. I then fully reconfigured it after the factory reset, but with the same settings as it had before. Just as a speed indicator from both my Windows PC and my MAC, with wi-fi, the transfer speed is on average about 700kB/s it seems whereas with Ethernet the transfer speed is up to 25MB/s. It is only the path from the laptops to the router that is different as the router to NAS is hard cabled via the switch.

I am tempted to revert the previous firmware on the router to see if it makes a difference...

Model: RN21400|ReadyNAS 214 Series 4-Bay (Diskless)
Message 12 of 17
StephenB
Guru

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade


@strig wrote:

It is only the path from the laptops to the router that is different as the router to NAS is hard cabled via the switch.


Is this a gigabit switch?  Also, what MTU are you using on the NAS (if not the default).

 

It might be worth connecting a laptop directly to the same switch, and measuring the wired performance from there.  Note that if both devices are connected to the same switch, the data stays on the switch, and won't flow to the router (and back).

 


@strig wrote:

 the transfer speed is on average about 700kB/s ... 

 


That is quite slow for the R7000.  

 

Maybe also try connecting the NAS directly to the router - testing both NAS->switch->laptop and NAS->router->Laptop (wired).  That  should help isolate the source of the problem.

Message 13 of 17
strig
Tutor

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

I think I have found the issue. If I connect the NAS directly to the router the transfer speed is very fast with both Ethernet and Wi-Fi (up to 30MB/s). The only time it all slows down is when the switch in in place, to which the NAS and my laptop is connected.

 

So I think it is the switch that is the culprit. I will get a replacement and I'm sure it'll be good. I'll let you know once I have tested it with it in place.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

Cheers,

 

Russ

 

Model: RN214|4 BAY Desktop ReadyNAS Storage
Message 14 of 17
strig
Tutor

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

Just to let you know that the new switch is in place and full speed is restored. I'm guessing the old switch got a bit cooked with this long hot UK summer we are having.

 

Cheers

 

Russ

 

Model: RN21400|ReadyNAS 214 Series 4-Bay (Diskless)
Message 15 of 17
strig
Tutor

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade

Out of interest, with the new switch in place I have run NAS Performance Tester again, and instead of getting 700kB/s I am now getting 114MB/s....so job done 🙂

Model: RN21400|ReadyNAS 214 Series 4-Bay (Diskless)
Message 16 of 17
StephenB
Guru

Re: Significant performance issues with RN214 since firmware upgrade


@strig wrote:

 I am now getting 114MB/s....so job done 🙂


Great!

Message 17 of 17
Top Contributors
Discussion stats
  • 16 replies
  • 1588 views
  • 0 kudos
  • 3 in conversation
Announcements