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[petehiggins]

Again, thanks for the input.

John: I initially tried the unit on the kitchen pass bar without drives installed. Since i am more interested in trying to recover my RAID 1 data I intended to configure the DNS-320 before installing my drives. I am still having a problem believing what tech support told me "that a repaired or new unit will reformat my drives".  When it wouldn't turn on, I thought it might require at least one drive installed so I un-boxed a new 1.5 TB Seagate and put it in. (Yes, I did check the drive in one of my removable trays to make sure it was good after it didn't solve the power on problem) I was careful to ensure it was seated and later last night tried with 2 new 1.5 TB 5900 RPM drives. My RAID 1 drives are 7200 RPM drives.

JavaLawyer: Yes I called DLink Technical support. All of their tech support folks that I have talked to are very difficult for me to understand. Even after I told him that the AC voltage measured 121.6 VAC and the new PS showed 12.24 VDC he had me plug it into another outlet. When that didn't work he had me un-box my original DNS-320 and try its power supply. When that didn't work, he gave me a case ID to start the RMA process -again.

D-Link RMA Department is the polar opposite! Very professional, courteous and easy to understand. They shipped me the replacement on Monday and I had it on Tuesday. I just got an email this afternoon that the second replacement is on its way and D-Link RMA will provide a UPS shipping label to return the first one they sent. Hopefully the "next" one will arrive tomorrow and work.

I'll post back with results, Pete

[JavaLawyer]

Good luck with your third unit. If this happens again, it will be the equivalent of a royal flush.
Let us know what happens.

[JohnSmith]

...When it wouldn't turn on, I thought it might require at least one drive installed so I un-boxed a new 1.5 TB Seagate and put it in. (Yes, I did check the drive in one of my removable trays to make sure it was good after it didn't solve the power on problem) I was careful to ensure it was seated and later last night tried with 2 new 1.5 TB 5900 RPM drives. My RAID 1 drives are 7200 RPM drives.

Did you try placing the 1.5 TB Seagate into the other drive slot to see if the unit would power on?  Also, what brand were the 2 new 1.5 TB 5900 RPM drives?  Tell me they were Hitachi or WD.  I wonder if the 320 doesn't like Seagate for some reason.

[petehiggins]

John Smith & All,

I received the third DNS-320 on Thursday afternoon and like my other two, it wouldn't turn on either. Both replacement DNS-320's came from new product with the box seal intact.

My original DNS-320 S/N PVPO1B3002369 fired right up and formatted two Seagate ST31500341AS 7200 RPM hard drives RAID 1. It turned on & off and worked fine for two months & 1 day. I used these drives because they are listed on D-Links web site as compatible with the DNS-320.

The first replacement I was sent S/N PVPO1B7001062 wouldn't turn on when I received it. I tried initially with just the power brick hooked up (no drives or Ethernet).  Not being sure if it needed a drive installed, I grabbed a new Seagate ST31500541AS 5900 RPM drive to try in it. It still wouldn't turn on. I also tried two ST31500541AS 5900 RPM drives (one in each slot for a RAID 1 configuration) with no luck. According to D-Link Tech. support, you do not need drives installed for the DNS-320 to turn on.

The second replacement S/N PVPO1B7001061 (notice they are sequentially numbered) also wouldn't turn on with its power brick. Worked with D-Link Tech. support & RMA folks on Friday and they are sending yet another one. (We tried a different outlet and after I verified 12.23~4 VDC, holding in the reset button for 10 sec.) I expect to receive it on Tuesday.

Fortunately, I am retired and D-Links RMA facility is only about an hours drive away, so on Wednesday I plan to drive down and return all three (or four?) so I don't get charged $149.99 ea. or their restocking fee.

If you think about it, plugging a power cord into a brick and plugging the brick into the DNS-320 isn't all that technically challenging and even at my age pressing the power button is manageable.

I'll post back with resolution -and, thanks for all the suggestions.

Pete

[JavaLawyer]

I'm dumbfounded by your story. Unreal. 
Keep us posted...

[petehiggins]

I received the third replacement DNS-320 S/N PVPO1B7001170 on Tuesday afternoon (23 Aug 2011) and like my other replacements, it wouldn't turn on. All three replacement DNS-320's came from new product with the box seal intact. The power brick with this one measured 12.27 VDC. I did try plugging it into a different outlet and holding the reset button in for 10 seconds with power applied which tech support suggested on one of the other units. I also tried installing a hard drive in it, but it still wouldn't turn on.

Per D-Link procedures, I called Tech Support (to no avail) to get a Case ID and then the RMA department. I was told that an RMA supervisor would call me back within 48 hours.

I now have four of these that won't turn on sitting in my family room.

[JavaLawyer]

I never heard of an RMA nightmare like this before. Short of an electrical issue in your home, the only plausible explanation I can think of for this series of mishaps is that you are receiving replacement units from the same lot, all of which share the same manufacturing defect.

Again, please let us know what you find out.

[ivan]

You would think that by now the RMA department would have tested the units they sent out.

[JavaLawyer]

You would think that by now the RMA department would have tested the units they sent out.

If it were only that simple. In all likelihood the RMA facility and shipping warehouse are completely dissociated from one another with minimal cross-communication.

[petehiggins]

I took all 4 DNS-320's back to D-Link's Fountain Valley, CA RMA facility (which is where I was told I had to return them). New boxes are shipped from a different facility, so they couldn't give me a working replacement.

When I got home I had an email from an RMA Coordinator stating "we can offer to swap your DNS-320 to the DNS-323 if you are interested.  Please review the DNS-323 specs and respond if you would like to proceed with this swap offer.  We can issue a call-tag and provide this model as your replacement.  Please respond."

I went to the D-Link web site, but the only 2-bay's I found listed were the DNS-320 and DNS-325. I did a web search and on reviewing the specs., it looked like the DNS-323 was an older 2-bay model with a 500MHz processor (37-38% slower).

I called and talked with the RMA Coordinator about upgrading me to the current model DNS-325 but he said his supervisor wouldn't approve that, so I am sticking with the DNS-320. He said they would test it before it was shipped to me. he expects it will ship next Monday or Tuesday.

Hopefully, I'll be able to report back next week that I have a working DNS-320

[JavaLawyer]

Unbelievable. Unfortunately, most D-Link owners who experience situations like this don't live a stone's throw away from D-Link regional offices.

[petehiggins]

After reading t121anf's post, I downloaded Ext2Read and ran it under Windows XP MCE. I hooked up one DNS-320 RAID 1 HD to a motherboard SATA controller. Ext2Read mounted and read sdb2 (the large RAID 1 data partition). I was able to transfer several files to an NTFS formatted partition.

I'll probably spend the weekend copying the RAID contents to an NTFS drive.

[JavaLawyer]

Ext2Read and R-Studio are two applications a number of DNS owners have successfully used to recover (or simply access) their DNS data. DNS users have had a greater measure of success with R-Studio for mounting and reading more complex RAID arrays and JBOD.

[petehiggins]

All,

DNS-320 S/N PVPO1B7001166 shipped Thursday night and was delivered @ 12:00 noon on Friday 2 Sept. 2011 by UPS. H/W Ver. A1 F/W Ver. 2.00. I COULD NOT GET IT TO TURN ON.

On arrival, I plugged the power supply into the DNS-320, the power cord into the power supply and then the wall socket. I opened the front door on the DNS-320 and pushed the power button.

Line voltage measured 121.7 VAC, unloaded power supply output measured 12.27 VDC.

I have tried the following DNS-320's all were H/W Ver. A1 F/W Ver. 2.00.
Original      DNS-320 S/N PVPO1B3002369 (lasted two months then wouldn't turn on)
1 st replacement   DNS-320 S/N PVPO1B7001062 (Sealed Box, wouldn't turn on)
2 nd replacement   DNS-320 S/N PVPO1B7001061 (Sealed Box, wouldn't turn on)
3 rd replacement   DNS-320 S/N PVPO1B7001170 (Sealed Box, wouldn't turn on)
4 th replacement   DNS-320 S/N PVPO1B7001166 (Open Box, wouldn't turn on, Tested?)

Thanks to “t121anf's” post on this forum, I have recovered all 815 GB of my original RAID 1 data.

To bad D-Link wants them back, I'd have a cute little doorstop for each bedroom.

[airprox]

Could I just say something that is probably stating the obvious, and given that you've been running the unit for 2 months is probably wrong, but you state that you "opened the front door on the DNS-320 and pushed the power button" are you talking about the the little flap at the bottom of the unit on the front?  With a USB port and a button next to it, because that's the USB copy button, not the power button.  The power button is the thin button on the front face of the unit about a quarter the way up on the right.

Really sorry if that sounds patronising, it's not intended that way, but the last post made it sound like you're pressing the wrong button, and at this stage, hell, you've may as well check everything!

Cheers
Al