[Phoenix32]

I feel kind of weird posting this, but after the PMs and e-mails I have received the last few weeks, I figure I better say something... Quite often, I get messages from people who sound like they are on their last nerve and can't find help, often not realizing help is available, at least to some extent.


For those of you having problems with your SNAP 4400, 4200, 4500, and 15000 units, there is help available beyond the red tape and high costs you get at Adaptec quite often. You are not alone out here. David (blue68f100) and I do have a fair amount of knowledge on these units now and will do our best to help out when and where we can.

Now, just so the messages go to the right place, I am a hardware, get it up and running kind of guy, and David is the IT and linux type guy. If you need help with hardware, ranging from parts like sleds to what goes where and what can and cannot be done. Or, how to install or upgrade your OS and reset things etc, I am the guy. In other words, I am the guy to get it up and running into a working OS. But if you want to know Linux stuff, networking security settings, and in general how to use the SNAP once it is up and running on a working OS, then David is your man. Simple huh?

With all that said, let me say a couple more things here. I won't speak for David, but a lot of what I say for myself here I am sure goes with him also. He can guide you as he wishes. But for me, I am not a business. I am not a salesman here trying to sell you stuff. I am not a huge eBay reseller. Etc etc etc. What I am is a fellow hobbiest who happens to be a retired hardware engineering technician who spends a lot of time working on these units. I do not do this stuff for profit or what not. I do this to try to be helpful to other users of these units.

However, I am also not here to be used and abused. I don't get my stuff for free, so if you need something from me, do not expect me to give it to you for free. I am not a charity. If you have one of these units, you know that they are not cheap. You may also know that support from Adaptec or technicians is also not cheap, not even close. So if you expect me to spend more than just a couple minutes trying to help you out, don't expect me to be your slave either. I have spent several hours online talking someone through something, and then when done, not even hardly got a thank you, much less anything else. With that said, though, I can tell you, I know what things cost, from parts to support, and I am a far cry from that. I do this to try to help, not make a profit. But just don't expect a lot of time or resources for nothing. Don't let this stop you from asking, just understand where I (we) are coming from if I (we) ask for something in return. There are many people on this forum who will tell you I (we) got them up and running and for far less (if anything at all) than it would have cost them anywhere else.

David (and others) can guide you better on their policies.

Back to the original intent of this message. Stop pulling your hair out and thinking there is no help out there. It is out there. And I do not mean just David and I either. Their are a lot of knowledgeable members here who, with a small thank you at the end, will help you out.