[slackline]

What Dobbin says re: why more RAM would speed things up.

With transmission, where did you download from?  THe home page is http://www.transmissionbt.com/ but you may find the site readynas.com useful (if you've not come across it yet).

From there there appears to be pre-compiled binaries to install see here (you mention a .bin file so you've probably already been to this site, I'm just guessing though as you don't say).

You may however want to have a good read around that site, it appears to go on about RAIDar which sounds like its a suite of additional software to install and run including a torrent client.

Looks like a useful site though, lots of documentation (try that for 2100 as the 2110 model you've got isn't listed, often the numbering can be a bit off like that, its the case with my printer), forums that appear to be active and software continuing to be updated and maintained with new versions.

I've not read the documentation at all, but to gain full "power" to the Linux OS its running you'll have to enable SSH connections then ssh from a terminal (or if you're on M$-Windoze then use something like PuTTY to connect).  That said if you get the RAIDar thing installed you may not have to as it may (I've not read enough about it*) then have a WebUI to do everything from.

* I've not time or inclination to read much, at least until I buy one myself.


EDIT : This sub-forum is for the built-in torrent client, you may as well try that out before worrying about trying Transmission.

[underground]

Cheers Neil, right on all counts. It was a definite case of asking before Googling!

[Paul B]

Is there anymore beta on this?

I'm looking for something with RAID1 preferably. Easy to setup, not too big, not too expensive etc. I was tempted by the cheapy netgear on Ebuyer but the reviews aren't glowing.

[underground]

Is there anymore beta on this?

I'm looking for something with RAID1 preferably. Easy to setup, not too big, not too expensive etc. I was tempted by the cheapy netgear on Ebuyer but the reviews aren't glowing.

I found mine pretty easy to set up, got it RAIDed (it does it automatically, all i did was slot in the drive I got free with the voucher). Easy to use remotely over wireless via the browser accessed UI, really quiet and doesn't get hot. Transmission is a decent BT clint and also works remotely. It email me when stuff happens to it. Like slackers says, the forums are a useful source of info and support, always a bonus. If you do know about linux there's probably a lot more potential in it but I don't know what I'm doing, and don't have time to spend finding out at the mo.

I would like a Jungledisk plugin for a bit of additional peace of mind...

[Jim]

Any reason why I shouldn't be buying one of these?????
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/225067
will it work with the PS3?
that is very cheap IMO.
If so will be ordering one and sticking a couple of 2TB drives in it.
Also SSD's have come down a lot in price and are pretty affordable.
Should speed up the computer no end

[Paul B]

Thats the one I mentioned Jim. Seems to get some mixed reviews in other places and seems a bit more picky with which manufacturers drives it works with plus I think you can only use it for mirrored backup.

The price is tempting though. Speaking to a few people 'Buffalo' keeps getting recommended.

Edit: unlike the other boxes you seem to configure it via an internet connection and some of the services are premium ($$$). I'd prefer my functions all to work without paying more.
I've also read things about it not having auto reset after power failure and a clunky front end. I guess that isn't a big problem for most people.

[underground]

I had a Netgear sc101 a while ago - that had a proprietary OS on it and it was shocking. Got rid before I lost data.
My Readynas Duo was 200 quid including a 1TB Seagate drive, and I got a second 1TB drive for ree by redeeming a voucher.

Now the deal is with 2x2TB instead http://www.ebuyer.com/product/186685. Not bad for a decent bit of kit IMO

[Bubba]

The Icbybox NAS 4220 I've got seems better value than some of the ones posted here and it's been perfectly reliable for over a year.

[Control freak]

Like I said before - my netgear to a while to get going to its full potential, but now its up and running I works a treat (just upgraded to 2x 1.5Tb WD HDDs too). Primarily used for backups from my PCs/laptops and for storing our ever growing movie collection which it streams quite happily to the PS3 via Ethernet over Powerline adapters. Ive just upgraded the firmware to the latest beta which has a number of enhancements, the main one I was looking for tho is GUI support for DLNA indexing across multiple volumes (I have 2 x USB HDD plugged in the back). This is possible prior to this but you had to connect using something like winscp and then manually edit the config file

[slackline]

Ive just upgraded the firmware to the latest beta which has a number of enhancements, the main one I was looking for tho is GUI support for DLNA indexing across multiple volumes (I have 2 x USB HDD plugged in the back). This is possible prior to this but you had to connect using something like winscp and then manually edit the config file

Not clear if the upgrade has provided what you were looking for, but if not see if you can get Mediatomb installed on it.  Its a uPnP server that makes all of the music/video/pictures available to DLNA enabled devices like the PS3 and has a simple WebUI for management (although initial configuration may require ssh'ing into the box (winscp is a Windows Secure CoPy client for getting files too and from servers)).

[slackline]

rsync shouldn't over-write things, thats the whole point of it, it should only copy over whats changed between two directories (e.g. a new file or if you've edited an image file only the bits of the image file that were altered).  It doesn't sound right that its backing up everything afresh each time its run though.

Before investigating permissions check whether the timestamps match between the two systems, because if you do the initial rsync (which will have copied everything over) and somehow the system clock on the NAS has been modified, it may have altered the timestamps on all the files, so when rsync is run again it thinks everything is old and needs updating.

Some info in the FAQ, try using the -t and -i flags mentioned (or see -man rsync- for more details on what they are).

[slackline]

Ok, its just that its hard to determine whether its poor wording or mis-understanding of how things work (although I do remember I wrote the same when originally extolling the virtues of rsync, and expect you would have remembered, but I bothered to provide context for others who may not have been familiar, although increasingly I'm thinking I shouldn't bother being so explicit).

Another option to check is the --modify-window=1 option (seems applicable on Windows systems, although I have a vague recollection your using OSX so that may not be an issue, although there are further caveats to the underlying HFS file-system that is likely being used under OSX).

The -i function will show why files are being updated and should point to some potential problems/solutions.

[underground]

slackline and thesiger: what do I use for backups?

Good question - I assume that the two disks in the machine are the same as each other and basically both get upated at the same time - so if one fails, the other stays running and hen a replacement for the failure is slotted in, it re-syncs with the good volume and that's that.

It took no effort on my part to achieve this, it was all handled by the NAS.

I don't back up my C: drive though as I'm about to flatten it and reinstall the OS. All my files are kept on the NAS and in the case of photos and videos of the kids etc. I back them up onto Amazon S3 using Jungledisk.

The last bit is very slow, which is why it'd be nice to have a Jungledisk plugin on the NAS so it could run 24/7 without needing the PC on making noise at night.

[Paul B]

any opinions on which drive manufacturer to use? I seem to remember Samsung being recommended before?

[slackline]

A suggestion (wasn't thinking earlier otherwise I'd have mentioned it  )...

Rather than a NAS, any harm in setting up RAID within the desktop so that data is mirrored on the drives there?

Downside is that a power surge could potentially fry both drives (and it voids your useless warranty by opening the box to install the second HD).

Pesronally I have 2 x 1Tb drives for data in the desktop, a 500Gb for the OS (which actually is on a 20Gb partition and uses ~5Gb) and other shit.

I do still have a NAS (NSLU2 with a 500Gb + 250Gb on it).

You'd need to look at off-site storage to protect against your house/flat burning down though, so beyond a power surge frying things there's not really any disadvantage and its certainly cheaper than buying a new NAS (especially if you have to buy a new desktop too).

If other hardware beyond the mirrored RAID drives fails, extract them and stick them in the new desktop.

[Paul B]

The NAS can be hidden somewhere which (hopefully) would reduce the chance of it getting stolen during a break-in. TBH when they did break in they took obvious electrical items and the array of mine (and Bubba's  ) camera gear on the kitchen table might attract their eye first...Before they took laptop, video camera, watches etc. and left the desktop. (When we went away we stuck the previous desktop in the freezer with a few empty boxes of fish fingers for camo)

I was thinking of a dropbox account for keeping those files I really wouldn't like to lose ever. Flickr provides a backup for most photos under that genre. I know its not ideal uploading full-res JPGS to it but the benefit of them being there outweighs the other issues (in my case).

[slackline]

Fair-do's.

You could always stick the box somewhere else and access it as a via thin-client, but thats hassle to set up and would require a second desktop (albeit cheap/not very powerful)/laptop and I've no idea what M$-Windows software you'd need (or even if its possible with M$).

Dropbox is a good idea, and a brilliant solution/software/service, it really does "Just work^TM", and there are also clients for Android/iOS.

[Jim]

any opinions on which drive manufacturer to use? I seem to remember Samsung being recommended before?

yes, samsung spinpoint are highly thought of, quiet, cool and reliable. however they don't seem to be doing a SATA3 yet....

[underground]

 

slackline and  : what do I use for backups?

What I meant was what software utility do use to copy the files from your PC to the NAS. ie rsync or the utility built into the ReadyNAS or something else?

I get ya; well, the nas is assigned a drive letter so I just use windows explorer or directory opus and treat it like any other volume/directory structure.
Judging by the question though, am I missing something or are we talking about different things?

[slackline]

What you've done is mount the network drives as NFS so that they are seen as well network drives.  You then copy things over as required.

rsync works differently and is ideal for incremental backups (see my posts earlier in the thread for links and info on rsync).

It uses an SSH connection to synchonise local files (on the HD of your windows machine, as you've assigned letters) to a remote directory no the NAS.  As to which is the fastest, I'm not sure, would have to do bench marking and I've not the time to search for someone who has.

Either way, you can still use rsync to manage synchronising to the mounted NFS as it works just as well with two "local" directories (even if one of those is a network drive that is mounted locally).  It doesn't care whether the local and 'remote' directory are on the same server/different computers, or different drives on the same computer, or different directories on the same drive.

Of course if you're not doing incremental back-ups don't bother with rsync.

[Paul B]

yes, samsung spinpoint are highly thought of, quiet, cool and reliable. however they don't seem to be doing a SATA3 yet....

You had me at Yes. Care to enlighten me as to why SATA3 is (or isn't?) of importance to me in this setting?

[Jim]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_ATA

[Paul B]

quicker, got it.

[Tris]

I bought one of these babies a few months back (and stuck 2 x 1Tb drives in it - RAID 1 mirror).

It's feckin' ace. Got so many great features. All kinds of streaming (audio/video/photo) to Android/iPhone/DLNA etc. Bung your photos on and it builds them into web photo albums automatically, has bit torrent manager, web cam manager, multi-tasking UI which is fully customisable etc etc. Highly recommended...

[Paul B]

I plumped for the ReadyNas duo in the end. Ebuyer were doing a stupendous 2TB deal for a few hours but had limited stock so I've ended up with 2 x 1TB (or 1TB with one to claim).

I'm quite impressed by the relatively small footprint of the NAS. I'm not that impressed that the torrent client lacks encryption (an issue as my ISP throttles like mad). I can't actually do that much with it yet as I'm still without a PC.