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difference between a Readynas Pro 6, Pro 6 Business Edition or Pro 6 Pioneer Edition
I am looking to buy a used 6-bay readynas Pro. How can I tell what I am buying just by the appearance of it? The model numbers are all over the place and I have no clue which is which.
The model numbers are all over the place and I have no clue which is which.
They are all of form RNDP6xxx-y00
The xxx relates to the number and size of the disks (if disks were purchased from Netgear). The "y00" relates to the hardware version: -100 was the first generation, -200 was the second generation.
There's also the Ultra Plus (which had the same hardware). Those part numbers were RNDP6xxU-200.
The model numbers are all over the place and I have no clue which is which.
They are all of form RNDP6xxx-y00
The xxx relates to the number and size of the disks (if disks were purchased from Netgear). The "y00" relates to the hardware version: -100 was the first generation, -200 was the second generation.
There's also the Ultra Plus (which had the same hardware). Those part numbers were RNDP6xxU-200.
Yes, this is the Pro pioneer. The hardware for the Pioneer and the BE is the same. The Pioneer does lacks some software features, including iSCSI, Active Directory and NIC bonding. If you choose to convert them to OS-6, they'd have the same feature set.
The x86 platform to avoid is the NVX, as it can't be converted to OS-6.
Re: difference between a Readynas Pro 6, Pro 6 Business Edition or Pro 6 Pioneer Edition
The Pro Pioneer only came diskless and was not updated to a newer processor, so there is only one base part number, RNDP600E-100. There may be differences in some letters that follow, which only affects which countries it was packaged for.
I understand that there are a few very early versions of the ProBE that use an older version of the motherboard that does not have the same processor upgrade capability as the later ones. The remainder can be updated to a CORE2 Duo up to an E7600, providing you first update the BIOS. IMHO, the added speed above the standard processor for the Pro6 (-200) models isn't enough to bother. But if you are upgrading a ProBE or Pro Pioneer, why not go "all the way".
I have been told that the Ultra6Plus also had the slower processor, but the one I have has the faster one. So I don't know if that's just bad info or if an unannounced shift was made along the way.
The ProBE and Pro Pioneer did also ship with the old round-button caddies while the newer ones have the square one, though they could have been swapped by the previous owner.
If buying used on eBay, you are asking the right questions. Especially when the seller is not the actual owner, they often incorrectly label the older ones as a Pro6.
"I understand that there are a few very early versions of the ProBE that use an older version of the motherboard that does not have the same processor upgrade capability as the later ones. "
This makes it even more difficult. I think everyone looking to buy one of these older model intends to upgrade either/both software or/and hardware. Knowing its upgradability is key.
"Especially when the seller is not the actual owner, they often incorrectly label the older ones as a Pro6."
This is exactly what I am faced with. He knows nothing about the NAS, and he just randomly copied some text from the internet. And the NAS also is missing a sticker, the upper one (the one with model, serial and mac address etc). All it has is a sticker saying Readynas Pro RNDP6000. As shown in the attached picture.
On the front of it, it says "ReadyNAS Pro, Advanced Network Storage".
I have a feeling this is pro 6, first version, not sure it is a PE or BE. I don't know whether this belongs to those "Very Early" un-upgradable BE model.
Re: difference between a Readynas Pro 6, Pro 6 Business Edition or Pro 6 Pioneer Edition
You say the sticker is missing, but the photo shows it obfuscated, so I'm assuming this is a picture of another unit just as an example. I also have one NAS without that sticker, and it did have it when I bought it used. The glue apparently dried up and it came off and got vacuumed up. I didn't realize it had happened till I retired the NAS. That unit is a ProBE, but I would suspect the Pioneer could have a similar problem. Which caddy type it comes with is going to be another clue, though also unreliable.
I only learned about the very early units when there was discussion in the old version of the forum regarding upgrade, I never had one. I don't believe they were non-upgradeable, they just couldn't use a CPU all the way to the same point as the newer one. I seem to recall that they could not use a CPU with an FSB faster than 800MHz. The NAS will always run the FSB at 800MHZ, even for a CPU rated at 1066, but the BIOS and other hardware have to support the chip. It's similar to the fact that none will support a CPU rated for 1333. From what I remember, there was no way to make that determination externally and even serial number was not a reliable method. If I am remembering correctly, that would limit you to the Wolfdale Pentiums, maybe all the way up to the E5800 @3.2GHz, which is still quite a boost from the original 1.8GHz processor.
One other thing to consider: Some units also didn't ship with a proper serial number (used the MAC address instead, like the NV), or the file that contains it in flash may have been corrupted. If you plan to upgrade to OS6 and need ReadyCloud, you will have to have a valid serial number. But without a picture of that label to provide the Mods, they won't be able to fix that for you.
