Scott,
I've had two NetGear ReadyNAS units to date, Having previously used DroBo ones.
I started out with the 4 bay unit, I think called the ReadyNAS NV+ and sold
that recently and upgraded to the newer model of the same unit.
The new model supports both iScsi and regular FS at the same time, so really
handy if you have one machine on all the time and do a lot of file movements to
your NAS... But, it also supports FS at the same time, so you get the benefit
of your iOS devices and other computers on your network having access to the
unit.
The latest model supports the full Sata2 speeds and is notably faster with my
WD RE4 2TB drives.
It also can backup to either a USB hard drive connected to it, or over the
network / internet to another location. I have an old DroBo in a different
building from here with some old drives running RAID0, i.e. stripe rather than
any form of mirroring, this means that I get a complete copy of my data off of
my NAS, so the likelihood of both failing at the same time is remote to say the
least.
My main NAS runs with X-RAID, NetGear's version of Beyond RAID running on it,
and thus I have expandability to 3TB dries if needs be, as the system is
hot-swapable, and also redundant by one drive. Effectively RAID5.
There are no nasty auto refresh sections of the NetGear ReadyNAS HTML
interface, it works very well, and I found it very easy to setup...
You have the usual sort of options ranging from, I'm a pro, to, just manage it
all for me.
Well made, solid unit with a real feeling of build quality to it.
Not sure when DroBo started putting magnetic flaps on, I've bought DroBo up and
until the end of last year, buying one of their 5 bay FS machines, whilst yes
the front removable cover is magnetic, and always has been with DroBo. The
plastic flaps which seal the hard drive bays when not in use, are plastic and
of poor quality and design, with a single side spring metal clasp to keep them
shut... I've broken quite a few, and reading online, so have many others.
Regards,
Neil Barnfather
Talks List Administrator
Twitter @neilbarnfather
TalkNav is a Nuance, Code Factory and Sendero dealer, for all your
accessible phone, PDA and GPS related enquiries visit www.talknav.com
URL: - www.talknav.com
e-mail: - serv...@talknav.com
Phone: - +44 844 999 4199
On 22 Mar 2012, at 09:45, Scott Howell wrote:
Neil,
Ok, sorry if I misunderstood your message. Btw, I understand that Drobo has
gone to some sort of magnetic solution for the door flap. Which Netgear did you
choose? I am not as familiar with their products, but I would be curious how
accessible is the interface and what made you choose the Netgear. THe WD's
interface is really tricky just because of the fact it refreshes at odd times
and things just behave in a really curious way. :)
THanks,
On Mar 22, 2012, at 5:20 AM, Neil Barnfather - TalkNav wrote:
Scott,
Absolutely, it was not my intention to say that, just bevause it is not
accessible, we should give up on it... Or like wise, as it is expensive.
The DroBo is a good product, when it was unique in the market place, as in the
Beyond RAID technology and the hot swap drive solution it was worth every penny.
Now though most venders have a solution that is comparable, and in every case
I've found, notably cheaper too.
I have bought 4 DroBo's over my time, they are nice units in terms of the
actual box, very Apple-essk in their feel and build. I do have issues with the
drive bay flaps, which cover the bays when not in use, these are poorly made
fin bits of plastic that are easily broken off, and have a single sided flimsy
bit of metal to make them spring mounted.
The NetGear on the other hand is entirely metal, and far better build quality,
and is more feature rich...
With droBo you have to choose either a FS (file server) or an iScsi connection,
or USB. The NetGear ReadyNAS solutions at the higher end of their range, which
are still half the price of the DroBo equivalent, has two RJ45 connections for
both FS and iScsi duel interface, as well as a host of other options.
Anyway, I'm not here to sell you a NetGear solution, but can tell you that it
works, and is notably more cost effective than a DroBo.
Regards,
Neil Barnfather
Talks List Administrator
Twitter @neilbarnfather
TalkNav is a Nuance, Code Factory and Sendero dealer, for all your
accessible phone, PDA and GPS related enquiries visit www.talknav.com
URL: - www.talknav.com
e-mail: - serv...@talknav.com
Phone: - +44 844 999 4199
On 21 Mar 2012, at 23:13, Scott Howell wrote:
Neil I hear you, but there is no reason not to explore the possibility to make
the dashboard accessible as well. I have a WD solution that has a pretty
difficult html interface and it gets the job done as well. However, I would
certainly not discourage anyone from using a solution just because of the price
or interface if that is what they really wanted to use. I do not know much
about the Net Gear products, but I assume they allow you to hotswap drives as
well?
On Mar 21, 2012, at 8:30 AM, Neil Barnfather - TalkNav wrote:
No, the DroBo dash board is not accessible, from both an accessibility and cost
point, the NetGear ReadyNAS appliances are both accessible, using an HTML based
interface, but also far cheaper and just as reliable in my experience.
They also take advantage of a sort of expandable flexible RAID solution NetGear
call X-RAID, essentially the same as Beyond RAID which DroBo uses.
Regards,
Neil Barnfather
Talks List Administrator
Twitter @neilbarnfather
TalkNav is a Nuance, Code Factory and Sendero dealer, as well as an Apple iOS,
Macintosh and Android accessibility specialist. For all your
accessible phone, PDA and GPS related enquiries visit www.talknav.com
URL: - www.talknav.com
e-mail: - serv...@talknav.com
Phone: - +44 844 999 4199
On 20 Mar 2012, at 22:35, Scott Howell wrote:
All,
I was talking with someone today about nas devices and some issues I have been
having. He mentioned the Drobo which I know is pretty expensive and he was
explaining that you access the Drobo via a dashboard app that also requires you
to install java. I asked if he had ever thought to see if it were compatible
with VoiceOver, but he did not. So, I was curious if anyone on the list has
used a Drobo and can comment on the accessibility of the Dashboard.
I'll post my other issue in a separate post regarding my nas problem.
Thanks,
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