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[jonpaul]

Hello there: Have 4 pcs new Seagate NAS 2TB drives, loaded up and selected RAID5.

But the unit goes to 6% complete on formatting VOLUME_1  after hours and then never changes.

Is it normal? How long usually to format 2TB? DNS-343 IS working OK as it did format a Hatachi 1 TB drive no problem but as a JABOD, not RAID.

Many thanks!

Jon

[JavaLawyer]

Your situation reminded me of another issue other users encountered some time ago:
http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=47484.0

Please keep in mind that RAID-5 formatting is rather complex and it was implemented on the DNS-343 during a time when AFT HDDs did not exist. Although the last FW update for this unit added AFT support, the ability to format HDD in complex configurations seems to have been hit or miss, if the threads on this board are representative of the DNS-343 user-base.

As I stated in my last reply to you (in another post), I have two DNS-343s with 8 HDDs all in standard configuration and haven't had so much as a hiccup in 5+ years. The users who typically experience issues (based on the threads in this form) seem to be those using complex RAID configurations.

The DNS-343 was released in early 2008, which makes this NAS well over 7 years old if you factor in pre-release development time. HDD technology, RAID implementations, and NAS implementations have evolved dramatically since that time. The newer ShareCenter models take advantage of all these factors as well as support for 4TB HDDs. Don't get me wrong, my DNS-343s have proven to be rock-solid for data warehousing and I don't expect to stop using mine anytime soon.

DNS-343 - RAID-5 is NOT a Backup

[jonpaul]

Hi again I thought the same so I tried to restart and fromat as indicvidual drives, NO array.

1. Stops with Formatting Volume_1 at 7% and no further!

2, In BOTh RAID5 and individual formatting, when it stops progress, the D-Link goes OFF THE NETWORK!

The D-link OLED still displays that message BUT you cannot access the D link via LAN anymore.

ONLY fix is to reboot, BUT same thing again and again.

Can I escalate to D-link tech support?

Could the new Seagate 2 TB drives be incompatible?

YIKES!

Very upsetting.

Jon

[jonpaul]

I just unplugged the LAN and replugged, it IS back on the LAN, and format (individual) is now at 17%. So its not hopeless!

About how long for a format on a 5900 RPM 2TB drive, hours? Days?

THANKS!

Jon

[JavaLawyer]

I just unplugged the LAN and replugged, it IS back on the LAN, and format (individual) is now at 17%. So its not hopeless!

About how long for a format on a 5900 RPM 2TB drive, hours? Days?

THANKS!

Jon

If I remember correctly, formatting an individual 5900 RPM 2TB HDD as Standard Configuration took well under and hour.  Please keep in mind that it's been over two years since I've formatted a HDD in my DNS-343 so I could be off in my estimates.  How long has yours been going so far?

You can certainly try the toll free number listed here (i.e. there's no harm other than your time): ShareCenter - Important Posts & Information.

[JavaLawyer]

Have you made any progress resolving this issue?

[jonpaul]

JavaLawyer!

I have lots of wasted time and information, but no joy.

1, None of the new Seagate 2TB will work on DNS-343, FW 1.03, 1.04, 1.05. You start any tpy of RADI or individual drive FMTt, wait some hours (or days!), at the end it completes FMT of ONE drive and FAILS. This is consistent for either one or 2 or all 4. During FMT the device may loos network connection and the oLED display show false info eg "formatting ....7%" forever, ignore both.

2, I took the SAME drives and mounted to the old  DNS- 323, (in service for years), very easy and fast FMT of 2 at a time and drives are recognized fine.

3, Take any of the formatted drives in step 2 above, mount in DNS-343, it WILL NOT recognize at all and wants to format from scratch. Or it MAY recognize ONE in position #1, but never 2 or more.


Repeat  this drill on all 3 FW avail, no joy. Apparently a format in a lunix OS is NOT interchangeable between devices. It means if a DNS-xxx HW fails you may have unreadable drives, as just swapping to another similar or same model they will not be recognized.

4, D-Link support: You are joking? The 1-800 are designed to lead you on a voice attendant maze, with endless options and then new 1-800 numbers to call. You will never get a human op. After about 20 min I gave up. Besides IF a human answered,  the nice lady in Bangalore will ask me to reboot my PC!

I think D-Link considers these obsolete and not supported anymore. Mine was new in the box! One can only imagine their support on newer models.

5, I asked Seagate about my drives, they say get a different NAS.

My veteran IT colleagues advise avoid low end consumer NAS like D-Link, use professional grade NAS brands. Or forget any commercial NAS, just build your own.


Conclusions:

I am out the $$$ for D-link DNS-343 and 4 drives, plus countless hours wasted, normally billable to clients.  I have 4 perfect Seagate 2TB drives that cant be returned. Usable elsewhere but a waste. The Seagate 4 TB I started with would have been FAR better for my needs but were returned when you advised ONLY 2TB max is supported. Another waste. And I STILL have no working NAS for the project started a month ago!!!!

D-Link DNS  HW good, but unsupported and incompatible FW makes it useless. D-Link support is non-existent.

Options: Get a known good brand 4x NAS, forget the DNS-343

Mount the 2x  drives in my existing DNS-323 and buy yet another 2 DNS-323, risk that they may work.

As a computer tech since 1960s, I have NEVER had such a frustrating experience to do what should be  a trivial setup.

TOTAL UNMITIGATED DISASTER.

If you can provide me with the email and tel for the D-Link CEO, I shall write him a letter.

For a screenshot of both 343 failed and 323 success, please see this link:

http://blanchepaul.org/DNS343.jpg


I am still open to your thoughts.

With Kind Regards,

Jon
MSEE

[JavaLawyer]

JavaLawyer!

I have lots of wasted time and information, but no joy.

. . . .

D-Link DNS  HW good, but unsupported and incompatible FW makes it useless. D-Link support is non-existent.

Options: Get a known good brand 4x NAS, forget the DNS-343

Mount the 2x  drives in my existing DNS-323 and buy yet another 2 DNS-323, risk that they may work.

As a computer tech since 1960s, I have NEVER had such a frustrating experience to do what should be  a trivial setup.

TOTAL UNMITIGATED DISASTER.

If you can provide me with the email and tel for the D-Link CEO, I shall write him a letter.

For a screenshot of both 343 failed and 323 success, please see this link:

http://blanchepaul.org/DNS343.jpg


I am still open to your thoughts.

Here's a thought. . . If you format the HDD as a standard volume in the DNS-323, can the DNS-343 read the newly formatted volume? I'm fairly certain that Standard Volumes are cross-compatible between these two units.

This is the only public contact number that I have:
D-Link Technical Support: 1-888-851-6464

[jonpaul]

Hi JavaLawyer, yes I figured the exact same and again wasted hours: The 2TB Seagate DO format FINE in DNS-323, when you swap to DNS-343 either it will not recognize at all and want to fmt again OR it will recognize only one of 4.

If you JUST insert one and leave other bays empty, its OK.

Go figure.

I shall probably dump all D-link NAS  and go for Synology or QNAP.

Anyone want to buy or swap for DNS-323 or DNS-343?

(:-: )

Jon

[JavaLawyer]

Yes, the DNS-343 is finicky when it comes to HDD placement. A HDD created as a Standard Configuration will always successfully mount in Slot #1, but will not mount in slots 2-4 unless the HDD was originally formatted there.

[JavaLawyer]

What make/model HDDs did you purchase?

After reading your thread I did some data mining through the forums looking for  potential relief. I came across these two older threads:

• http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=57193.0
  
• http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=52187.0
  
• http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=52614.0
  
  

If it's not too late, here are some alternative HDDs that "may" work. Again, these HDDs were not necessarily tested by D-Link.

[JavaLawyer]

Hi JavaLawyer, yes I figured the exact same and again wasted hours: The 2TB Seagate DO format FINE in DNS-323, when you swap to DNS-343 either it will not recognize at all and want to fmt again OR it will recognize only one of 4.

What make/model HDDs did you purchase?

[jonpaul]

Hello have 4 pcs Seagate  ST2000VN000-1H31  2TB, SPECIFICALLY designed and optimized for NAS use. Works on ALL other NAS.

j

[JavaLawyer]

The primary difference between NAS vs. PC HDDs is the error recovery controls in the HDD firmware. NAS HDDs have error recovery controls designed specifically for RAID-type configurations, whereas PC HDDs do not have this feature. The ERCs can actually hamper performance on a desktop PC. That said, this feature (or lack thereof) should not have any impact on the ability of the HDD to properly format in the host device. In short "NAS Compatible" simply means that the HDD is optimized for performance on a NAS, but has nothing to do with whether the HDD will work on a NAS vs. PC.

HDD compatibility is based strictly on the HDD technology and the NAS ability to accommodate newer HDDs. Again, the DNS-343 is quite old. The last firmware update that addressed HDD compatibility was released in May 2012, and HDDs have changed quite a bit since that time. The DNS-343 is two generations behind the latest ShareCenter product line.

DNS-321/323/343 (3rd gen) > DNS-320/325/345 (2nd gen) > DNS-320L/327L (newest)