NAS with RAID - Buffalo or Netgear?

[soveryapt]

Ok, so NAS with RAID (for my home setup).

 

I currently have a Buffalo LinkStation Duo with 3x 3TB Drives in, but it seems to run a bit clunky at times. Mainly used as my central backup point for my 2 Macs as TimeMachine, but also has on it my other general backups of bits and bobs (more archived stuff I guess) since it's RAID to give that bit of redundancy.

 

Anywho, I just wondered, we've just got a rather large Netgear ReadyNAS at school which I quite like the interface of, so I'm considering whether I purchase an empty ReadyNAS 102 (so the equivalent model of my current Buffalo) and just putting drives across. I'm aware I'd have to use a go between drive to make sure things copied over okay with different RAID controllers and such, but I just wondered what peoples thoughts were.

 

Do you have experience with either? Which would you say is better?

 

I don't have a massive budget, and the only reason I'm considering it is I've found a new ReadyNAS 102 for £109, so saving £50 or so.

 

Thanks

Andy

[jinnantonnixx]

Have you thought about a home-brew? Something like a tiny HP Microserver (which I have), I think there are some good cash-back deals floating around.

 

For an OS, if you don't fancy a stock OS (I use Centos), you can get a good-to-go NAS operating system for free, something like FreeNAS Project - Open Source Storage - FreeNAS Project

 

Long term, this will be a far more flexible solution that any pre-packaged NAS systems.

Edited November 28, 2013 by jinnantonnixx

[CyberNerd]

Buffalo or Netgear?

 

QNAP !

[soveryapt]

Have you thought about a home-brew? Something like a tiny HP Microserver (which I have), I think there are some good cash-back deals floating around.

 

For an OS, if you don't fancy a stock OS (I use Centos), you can get a good-to-go NAS operating system for free, something like FreeNAS Project - Open Source Storage - FreeNAS Project

 

Long term, this will be a far more flexible solution that any pre-packaged NAS systems.

 

Yeah, I've considered it. I do have a Ubuntu Server running at home as well on a Fuji server box which I could RAID within, and that looks after most of my home server requirements in terms of media server, "off grid" testing web platform etc, so I could technically put it into that, but I like the idea of having it in it's own box out of the way instead of all eggs one basket.

 

QNAP !

 

Lol .. someone obviously didn't see the limited budget comment .. most QNAP NAS that have the 2 drive bays are 3-4 times the cost of the NetGear one .. but thanks anyway ..

[Michael]

Both are very good really, but I think I've deployed more Netgear's (top of my head). Some of the bigger/better NASes support RAID5 and not just RAID1 typically found with smaller NASes.

 

The biggest NAS I've built is 12TB, with approx. 8TB useable after formatting on RAID5.

[CyberNerd]

Lol .. someone obviously didn't see the limited budget comment .. most QNAP NAS that have the 2 drive bays are 3-4 times the cost of the NetGear one .. but thanks anyway ..

 

yeah sorry. In that case I'd go with a self build using an old Motherboard (nothing fancy) and FreeBSD to get the advantage of dedupe.

[rich_tech]

We have a 4 Disk Buffalo Linkstation LS-QVL 8tb here thats replaced our old unit, original one was a single disk half a terabyte unit, that died after fan failure about 5 years into use. We use it as our staff media server and offload our VM backup information to it also

 

I have it setup in Raid5 and it gives us about 5.5 tb of usable space afterwards.

 

Works well, only thing I will say, is when you get it, patch it up to max as we had massive issues initially sharing it on our network and mapping it because of the low level of firmware the unit came with.

[soveryapt]

Both are very good really, but I think I've deployed more Netgear's (top of my head). Some of the bigger/better NASes support RAID5 and not just RAID1 typically found with smaller NASes.

 

The biggest NAS I've built is 12TB, with approx. 8TB useable after formatting on RAID5.

 

Yeah, just deployed (well in the middle of doing so, installed should perhaps be the word at this stage) a NetGear 4 Bay 1U Unit which is offering 8TB on RAID4 in a school. Works nicely and I like the interface, hence considering the NetGear 102 to replace my buffalo at home. which just seems a little slow and clunky.

 

yeah sorry. In that case I'd go with a self build using an old Motherboard (nothing fancy) and FreeBSD to get the advantage of dedupe.

 

Tis ok, I'd love to have a bit more cash to throw about on personal projects .. maybe I need to up my hourly rates! lol ..

 

We have a 4 Disk Buffalo Linkstation LS-QVL 8tb here thats replaced our old unit, original one was a single disk half a terabyte unit, that died after fan failure about 5 years into use. We use it as our staff media server and offload our VM backup information to it also

 

I have it setup in Raid5 and it gives us about 5.5 tb of usable space afterwards.

 

Works well, only thing I will say, is when you get it, patch it up to max as we had massive issues initially sharing it on our network and mapping it because of the low level of firmware the unit came with.

 

Indeed, I always have a read up on firmware for such devices, make sure there are no major bugs with the latest release that people are moaning about, then patch it up. I was surprised to find my Buffalo was actually on latest firmware when it arrived actually.

[twin--turbo]

I would never buy another Terrastaion again without having it to demo for a few weeks..

 

Ours is flakey with AD, and NFS performance is terrible.

 

Rob

[3s-gtech]

I have a number of Terastations, and now a Netgear ReadyNAS and a ReadyNAS Pro. The Netgears eat the Buffalos in hot sauce. They absolutely blow them away IME.