I have been hearing a bunch of bad news about SoHo NAS & failure rates and it is starting to make much more sense...
Today - Most junky soho NAS that are out there are showing Double figure failure rates! Yes 10% or above of course this info would never be published but I have reliable feedback from the resellers of certain brands when they are coming back to me for Snapservers and they don't want to risk Cheap NAS with a particular client
I
mega are undoubtedly the worst - throw any kind of decent load at any NAS that runs from firmware and it will just stop responding, Curiously some just don't take the issues of heat dispersion into serious consideration.
Like all fine things it comes down to pedigree.
SnapServers come from a Server hardware background. they started in mid 1998 from modest beginnings and are still going... 5 owners later - one fact to prove reliability; I have a 1999 model 2000 that is still running today.
Snaps started at about $3k when NetApps start-off prices were starting from $40+, snapservers makers really brought NAS to the masses.
The two strongest competitors where Maxattach & Cobalt Cube apart from Dell's OEM'ed version of the 4100.
For one model Maxattach's idea for redundant power was 2x PSU's each powering 2x HDD's, the cobalt was not around very long but all reports are that it was a real poor piece of work.
Off all these only Snap are still shipping today...
What makes a good NAS
- Operating system- Stability
- Operating system- Features
- Operating system- Reporting & Maintenance Utilities
- Operating system- Ongoing Development
- Hardware Reliability
- Hardware Strenth & Quality
- Customer Support Facilities
- Hardware warranty Length and expansion Options
- RMA Process & Speed for replacing HDD's
ZyX
L has a tough as nails box as well, it crosses & tick all the correct boxes, 50 down and not one failure in very rough environments - again this is all coming back to pedigree - the vendor has a long history in carrier grade manufacturing, apparently they also sell a bunch of units into the European market.
The most impressive SoHo NAS to me today apart from snap is QN
P, I have never used one I probably never will and it is probably just the same old soho crap dressed up real nice but QN
P do have the sexiest Gui available today.
I have a customer testing QN
P now so time will tell once we get them into a spot where they cannot run or hide... they will just have to sit there and process the traffic that is thrown at them then we will see if they can distance them selves from the crappy NAS ranks...
The scariest NAS are the ones with plastic shells or the ones that do not have metal on metal heat dispersion from drives to shell, If you cannot draw the heat away from the drives then your Data & $$$'s are at risk.
We may all have an affinity with SnapServers but if you are like me you will be keen to try any NAS you can get your hands on;
My questions are;
- What NAS have you tried?
- What was this NAS Used for?
- What are your views on that NAS?
- Have your experiences with their support been positive?
- Do you have any understanding of this NAS's failure rates?