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[ChibaMan]

Hi All,

Are there alternative firmware for the DNS321 (other than DLink's offering)? I know this would probably not be supported but I have a Linksys WRT54GS and have found the non-Linksys firmware to have many more features and more active development.

Thanks in advance
CM

[fedup]

I would like to know myself, it would sure be worth giving up the warranty/support from dlink. I think it's rather rediculas that it's been more then 6 month without this firmware update that they claim is in the works.

[_RT_]

Google "funplug". 

[ChibaMan]

RT - excuse me if I am wrong - but my understanding was that funplug allowed you to run scripts/programs. I wanted to know if there was a firmware I could download which would totally overwrite DLinks. Are there any opensource products out there?

Thanks
CM

[D-Link Multimedia]

Pretty sure this is a support forum for d-link products and d-link firmware....let me check...yep.

[ChibaMan]

OK - I appreciate that this is a DLink forum - but I thought that DLink was open (or not closed) to the idea of people using alternative firmware. Apologies for my incorrect asumption.

But I know I am not alone with regards to the slow release rate for new firmwares - so it is natural to seek resolutions....

[JordiBoy]

Pretty sure this is a support forum for d-link products and d-link firmware....let me check...yep.

Working for a software vendor, I definitely appreciate your standpoint, but the fact that so many people are seeking alternative firmware should send a message to D-Link.  The bug fixes have not been deployed quickly enough. 

While everyone appreciates the new features you are adding, we cannot even use the DNS-321 for its primary purpose due to the constant permission issues.  Fix the bugs and make the product usable then add new features.

[nrf]

I espoused that idea in the past but it doesn't seem to sink in - more features means more hype for more sales and that seems on equal footing with fixing the problems of the customer base.

that is why mine is on the shelf and not something I proudly show off to my friends!

[ECF]

We are working on developing new firmware and there IS beta firmware available if you would like to try it out. Check out the beta code! child board.

[ChibaMan]

Thanks ECF.

I looked at the Beta software - apart from the fan staying on it was stable.
But I was looking forfunctionality such as:

• Scheduled powering on/off
• Backing up to a network drive
• Bittorrent

The backing up to a NAS is the only thing stopping me from using as my Data NAS Box.

Regards
CM

[fedup]

Hate to say it guys, but they just don't care. The're going to do what they want and at the pace they choose. I wish I would get that through my own head and quit bying dlink products. At some point in time this company will realize how unfair they have treated their customers. Unfortunately that is usually too late for those companies. With todays economy, it's amazing to me how they treat customers. Lets face it, does it really take 7 month to write some code? I just come to thhe forum in hopes that someone found some work arounds. I gave up on dlink long time ago.

[ChibaMan]

I spent a long time going through the forums and one thing is constant. Dlink has many unhappy customers with regards to the the DNS321 and the lack of production firmware upgrades.
I will "vote with my feet" and walk away from DLink products - I have heard great things about FreeNAS and ReadyNAS so I will look into ReadyNAS first. It may be more expensive but support community seems more active.

DLink Multimedia - you prove a point which I have made to many technical people I have worked with or trained. You can teach someone to be technical but you cannot train everyone to have good customer facing skills. You have to realise that WE are your clients. You represent DLink - please remember that when you post a sarcastic message.

I read somewhere that DLink are not selling too many of these devices so there is not much effort to update the product - not sure if this is true or not. If so, the lack of firware updates is only helping to kill sales. When I ordered this product I sung it's praises - that was short lived after I found out the ITB drives I had purchased had an issue but months later the issue had not been addressed. I am now telling people to spend a bit more on a fully supported NAS, build a FreeNAS or Windows Home server.


One

[ChibaMan]

One last thing.

I understand that the DLink people on this forum do not have the power to make change - but you need to make the right people know that they are losing current and future business.

[D-Link Multimedia]

Chiba,

Thank you for your input. While there may have been sarcasm in the post, you must also realize that we must police these forums heavily.  Your original post can simply be reworded as "how do I hack this box", which is completely not supported nor a tolerated discussion on these boards.

I understand there is plenty of frustration with the release dates on firmwares but we will not rush any firmware which could possibly damage a customers data or device and we will put as much effort into a quality build on release as possible.

That being said, we also have not stopped adding to these devices since release. If you were to go to the store and pickup a 1.00 unit of any of these units, they are a different device today and have a good list of features on the way. The only critical bug I have seen in the DNS-321 is the network access issue which has/is being addressed next firmware. I am sorry that we did not release a patch for that particular issue but you have to understand these patches would still require time, scheduling, quality control and in the end, just like on the Hitachi drive fixes people would still not be satisfied because it was a single change update.

If you still think that the 'right' people are not aware of the current product issues, then I ask you to read the release notes in each beta section for the product. I don't even request you to test the firmware, just glance at the different notes to know that we are making efforts in each device we sell.

[ChibaMan]

D-Link Multimedia

Thank you for replying. I have read the release notes but the end result I am afraid is in a fully supported firmware. I like many other people bought this unit as a backup device, but cannot fully trust it. I was not aware of all the issues until I joined this forum - I just wanted some "nice to have items". But after spending time on this forum and browsing the internet - I have seen a great deal of unhappy customers. I a not a software developer, but I work alongside developers. When our users notify us of bugs in systems the issues are put forward and the business have to prioritize which issue needs to be addressed first. Thes high priority items are then put on a workslate and an ETA for delivery given. I may have missed this - but I could not see any such ETA for delivery. Customers who have spent money on a product which has issues have the right to know that their concerns are being addressed (which I think DLink have covered) and when the issues will be resolved. If I missed an ETA, I apologise. Note I am not asking for an exact date - if you told me Q4 2009 then at least I would have hope.