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USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212

manufwi
Aspirant

USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212

Hi all,

if I connect my USB HD (WD Elements 25A2) to the usb front port of my RN-212 before starting it it is recognized, I can use it (I back the WD up to the RN-212).

But if I connect the USB HD when the RN212 is running already no luck: I cannot see it on the web interface, not even in dmesg (I sshed to it to check), there is no mention, no error!

I attach the log when it works (WD connected before starting the RN212).

Hope someone can tell me how to solve that as it is cumbersome (to say the least) to have to switch off my RN212 to plug in the USB HD...

TIA

Model: RN21200|ReadyNAS 212 Series 2- Bay (Diskless)
Message 1 of 13
JohnCM_S
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212

Hi manufwi,

 

Welcome to the Community!

 

May I know the current firmware of the NAS?

 

Are you having the same issue when you try it on the other USB ports?

 

Have you also tried using another USB HDD to see if you will get the same issue?

 

Regards,

Message 2 of 13
manufwi
Aspirant

Re: USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212

Thx for your reply.

A bit more tests: I plugged the same USB HD to the USB rear port and there it worked right away. I then plugged it back to the USB front port and it was also recognized right away...

Then I rebooted the RN212 and tried the front port again: it did not show up, same problem as originally described.

So it is correctly detected: if already plugged in the front port BEFORE starting the RN212, or at anytime if plugged in the rear port, or plugged in the front port if it has already been plugged in the rear port.

HTH

Emmanuel

Message 3 of 13
manufwi
Aspirant

Re: USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212

Hi,

I thought it was resolved but had the same problem yesterday: I plugged the same usb HDD to the REAR port this time (as it was the one working before) but the rn212 hanged completely (no ssh, no ping I was not even able to power it down using the button, I had to unplug it!).

Once again the only thing that made it work was to plug the usb hdd BEFORE powering the rn212 up.

Could this be a power problem?? This is with my WD elements usb HDD

I will try with another usb HDD.

TIA

Message 4 of 13
manufwi
Aspirant

Re: USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212

And I just tried with another usb HDD (seagate 2TB) and it is not recognized (nothing in dmesg either) in any port (front or rear).

Hope someone can help.

Message 5 of 13
StephenB
Guru

Re: USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212


@manufwi wrote:

 

Could this be a power problem?? This is with my WD elements usb HDD

 


Possibly.  Do you have an AC power adapter for these drives?  

Message 6 of 13
manufwi
Aspirant

Re: USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212

Nope they both have only one plug.

Thx

Message 7 of 13
Sandshark
Sensei

Re: USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212

Do you have one of those Y cables that connects the power of two USB ports together for one device?  I don't know the current spec for the NAS USB ports, and USB3 should have enough, but it's worth a try.

Message 8 of 13
manufwi
Aspirant

Re: USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212

Thanks, I will try that if only I can find one of these cables around.

Message 9 of 13
manufwi
Aspirant

Re: USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212

Hmm I could not find a Y USB3.0 cable, could this be resoolved using a powered usb 3.0 hub ?

THX

Message 10 of 13
StephenB
Guru

Re: USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212


@manufwi wrote:

Hmm I could not find a Y USB3.0 cable, could this be resoolved using a powered usb 3.0 hub ?

THX


Yes.  Though sometimes hubs get the NAS confused.

 

I am seeing them though - for instance here: https://www.amazon.com/Duttek-Splitter-Charging-Converter-Extension/dp/B07FGDWM7B

Message 11 of 13
manufwi
Aspirant

Re: USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212

I tried with a powered hub, its even worse: connecting while the nas is already up either crashes it (no reply to ping not web administration page not even being able to power it down by pressing the button I had to unplug the mains...) same thing when trying to power up the nas with the usb hdd already wired to the usb3.0 hub... Very disappointing, this is a elements 2a52 WD external drive...

Ill try the Y cable later on and report here anyway.
Emmanuel

Message 12 of 13
manufwi
Aspirant

Re: USB HD only recognized if plugged in before booting my RN212

OK so it works but I have to use the Y cable: the power end to the USB hub and the data end to the NAS directly; that is the only way I could get it to work reliably. This is really weird.

It really looks like the NAS power is on the weak side...

But hey it works...

 

Message 13 of 13
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