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[Tom]

Active support? Yes. Of course. Firmware upgrades that fix security issues? Of course! Firmware upgrades that add a s***load of new features? Rare.

[jamieburchell]

Where exactly was it written on your unit or in its manual that you are entitled to continuous firmware upgrades that add additional features at no additional costs?

Where is it written that it is OK to purchase a product which doesn't work as advertised because of software bugs and not expect a firmware update?

The web server crashing on an invalid username, formatting the wrong disks after a RAID failure... these are issues that I don't want to run in to and I'm pretty sure weren't advertised. EXT3 support was removed and file system tools such as scan disk and defrag which were advertised got removed.
I don't even know if the wrong drive formatting issue has been fixed. There was talk about a serial number check. If the RAID rebuild doesn't work, the product is as good as useless.

Aside from the extra features (which to me are a bonus) it's stability I am interested in.

[fordem]

If the RAID rebuild doesn't work, the product is as good as useless.

Actually - as desirable as it is to have the ability to rebuild a RAID array, it's not a requirement for a RAID array to be functional.

As long as the data remains available in the event of a disk failure, then the array has served it's purpose - the first arrays I worked with a decade and a half ago did not have provision for rebuild as today's own do.

[jamieburchell]

Actually - as desirable as it is to have the ability to rebuild a RAID array, it's not a requirement for a RAID array to be functional.

As long as the data remains available in the event of a disk failure, then the array has served it's purpose - the first arrays I worked with a decade and a half ago did not have provision for rebuild as today's own do.

Regardless, the DNS was designed to rebuild the array. If it doesn't do it properly, it's not doing what it was designed and advertised to do.

[jeremy]

I bought my NAS when the beta firmware was released, and NFS was one of the features. I feel that I have a right to expect that, and to expect it to work.

[fordem]

Regardless, the DNS was designed to rebuild the array. If it doesn't do it properly, it's not doing what it was designed and advertised to do.

Slightly different criteria being used there my friend - my point was not if this device was designed to rebuild the array, but rather whether that RAID without a rebuild feature will do what RAID is required to do - namely ensure that the data remains accessible.

But - since you raise the point - I've been using a DNS-323 for over 30 months, starting with firmware rev 1.02b, and I have upgraded and tested RAID1 rebuild on every firmware version - and it has NEVER failed in any of my tests.

In short - the RAID rebuild works when done as D-Link has instructed - if you (not personally) or anyone else, chooses to deviate from thise instructions, or to go around swapping disks backward and forward (as some people think they should be able to) and experience difficulty & data loss - where does the blame lie?

[jamieburchell]

- if you (not personally) or anyone else, chooses to deviate from thise instructions, or to go around swapping disks backward and forward (as some people think they should be able to) and experience difficulty & data loss - where does the blame lie?

I agree. For me the DNS has always worked fine and I am happy with it (all the while it is working). I have read a few posts along the lines of "It formatted the wrong drive!" though, which are somewhat disturbing.
I would of course have a backup of the data before I did anything but it is an inconvenience.

I still think given Dlink have created a forum specifically for a beta firmware and have excited its customers with the promise of a new version with lots of features and fixes, that the least they could do is supply us with an update now we are all intently watching and anticipating like a heard of helpless sheep.

If there isn't going to be a new version, fine, just say and I'll stop checking for it. It's just plain rude for Dlink not to acknowledge these posts.

[Scottk]

In short - the RAID rebuild works when done as D-Link has instructed - if you (not personally) or anyone else, chooses to deviate from thise instructions, or to go around swapping disks backward and forward (as some people think they should be able to) and experience difficulty & data loss - where does the blame lie?

Whoa now!

I know you are talking RAID here... But just in case...

I have a PROVEN and very well documented case when not using RAID, that the unit absolutely, positively formatted the wrong hard device even when I followed the instructions 100% correctly.

Even worse, it TELLS you its formatting the correct device, even while its formatting and destroying all your data on the wrong device.

I know the new 1.08 firmware is suppose to fix this, (by checking serial numbers), and I sure hope it does.

But to suggest that the "Formatting the wrong drive" is a user problem/error, is completely bogus!

Just because you haven't been bitten by the bug, does not mean it doesn't exist.

BTW, I can handle lots of small bugs, but formatting the wrong drive probably is one of the worst things that this product can do.
(The worst of course would be it corrupting files randomly, at least that isn't happening...)

[fordem]

Whoa now!

I know you are talking RAID here... But just in case...

I have a PROVEN and very well documented case when not using RAID, that the unit absolutely, positively formatted the wrong hard device even when I followed the instructions 100% correctly.

Even worse, it TELLS you its formatting the correct device, even while its formatting and destroying all your data on the wrong device.

I know the new 1.08 firmware is suppose to fix this, (by checking serial numbers), and I sure hope it does.

But to suggest that the "Formatting the wrong drive" is a user problem/error, is completely bogus!

Just because you haven't been bitten by the bug, does not mean it doesn't exist.

BTW, I can handle lots of small bugs, but formatting the wrong drive probably is one of the worst things that this product can do.
(The worst of course would be it corrupting files randomly, at least that isn't happening...)

Sometimes I wonder what you guys really know ...

I know the new 1.08 firmware is suppose to fix this, (by checking serial numbers), and I sure hope it does.

That serial number check has been in the firmware for awhile now - I don't recall exactly when it was introduced, but it certainly is NOT new to 1.08.

As for not being "bitten by the big", I'm not going to say it does not exist, what I will say is that I have yet to see it happen, or to see any thing more than an anecdotal reference to it happening (such as this one).

I will also say that unless you (or anyone else - including D-Link) can provide a sequence of steps guaranteed to reproduce the phenomenon (perhaps one out of every three or four tries), it's going to take some time to identify the cause, fix it and then test it - and before you (or anyone else) jumps on me yelling about that's not my job, or whatever, I simply pointing out that undocumented intermittent problems are the hardest to locate.

Yes, I have seen enough posts to convince me that there is a problem, to the point that I caution people about making backups before removing/replacing disks, but the majority of those posts have been rants about lost data rather than "documented" reports.

[Scottk]

As for not being "bitten by the big", I'm not going to say it does not exist, what I will say is that I have yet to see it happen, or to see any thing more than an anecdotal reference to it happening (such as this one).

I will also say that unless you (or anyone else - including D-Link) can provide a sequence of steps guaranteed to reproduce the phenomenon (perhaps one out of every three or four tries), it's going to take some time to identify the cause, fix it and then test it - and before you (or anyone else) jumps on me yelling about that's not my job, or whatever, I simply pointing out that undocumented intermittent problems are the hardest to locate.

Yes, I have seen enough posts to convince me that there is a problem, to the point that I caution people about making backups before removing/replacing disks, but the majority of those posts have been rants about lost data rather than "documented" reports.

I write drivers for a living, and trust me, I know all about bugs and trying to find and fix them, especially the intermittent, rare or race'y ones.

However, this one is NOT a difficult one to trigger, and is pretty shocking that it exists still in at least 1.07.

I posted my exact sequence in this post:
http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=4724.msg30189#msg30189

I haven't complained about the issue since I posted that, because honestly, burn me once, shame on you, burn me twice, shame on me.
I simply won't allow the bug/failure to burn me again.

But I do feel bad for others that absolutely will run into it, and will end up losing all their data because of it.

[fordem]

Scottk

I hope you don't mind if I ask you to back track a few posts - specifically I need you to re-read my post, the one that you quoted, and specifically to re-read the section that you quoted.

In short - the RAID rebuild works when done as D-Link has instructed - if you (not personally) or anyone else, chooses to deviate from thise instructions, or to go around swapping disks backward and forward (as some people think they should be able to) and experience difficulty & data loss - where does the blame lie?

Now go re-read your post in the thread that you linked to - I believe you can be considered the epitome of my example ...

Did your disk fail ? No.
Did you replace the failed disk as per D-Link's instructions ? No.
How did you get into the incorrect disk formatted/lost data situation ? By swapping disks.
Where does the blame lie ? Not with D-Link.

Now - do you have a documented case of someone who followed D-Link's instructions and had the wrong disk formatted ?  Or do you have more evidence that says that there is a bunch of folk out there creating problems for themselves and pointing fingers at D-Link?

[nickCR]

I see we are all anxiously awaiting the 1.08 release from the numerous post bickering back and forth about the anticipated release dates, etc.

I have had experience with software development in the past and it's not easy in anyway shape or form to hit target dates. Especially when you are a big company, that supports tons of products.

One incorrect packet can set the developers all the way back to the white board which unfortunately means missing release dates.

I think DLink should only post a beta when it's ready and not comment on potential release dates. As much as we would like to know this information it only makes them look bad when the date isn't met. I would rather they take all the time in the world and release a version that has been tested throughout. In this case we are dealing with DATA STORAGE and I can't afford a catastrophe.

Not only will I patiently wait for the release but once released i'll let you all play with it and as long as I don't see 50 posts about how it blew up your data i'll dl and install.

I really don't care for new features as much, as I care about truly stable releases which honor the features that were on the box / manual when I bought it. If they take a feature out that I liked I would not be happy, but given a reasonable explanation from Dlink I would understand. I think an explanation for any removed features is very important and it better be something like that the feature was causing a bug or something of sorts.

Guys/Gals just wait for it. It will come eventually.

[Scottk]

Scottk

I hope you don't mind if I ask you to back track a few posts - specifically I need you to re-read my post, the one that you quoted, and specifically to re-read the section that you quoted.

Now go re-read your post in the thread that you linked to - I believe you can be considered the epitome of my example ...

Did your disk fail ? No.
Did you replace the failed disk as per D-Link's instructions ? No.
How did you get into the incorrect disk formatted/lost data situation ? By swapping disks.
Where does the blame lie ? Not with D-Link.

Now - do you have a documented case of someone who followed D-Link's instructions and had the wrong disk formatted ?  Or do you have more evidence that says that there is a bunch of folk out there creating problems for themselves and pointing fingers at D-Link?

Wow.  Just wow.

I followed the EXACT procedure as given by DLINK for installing a drive into a non-RAID setup.

NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING that is on that 2nd disk should affect disk 1, when in a non-RAID setup.

I don't care what is on that 2nd disk. Windows partitions, Linux partitions, or some random TrueCrypt disk.

It SHOULD NOT touch the first disk.

PERIOD.

Even WORSE, is when D-Link's firmware ACKNOWLEDGES that its not going to touch the first disk during the whole process of bringing that 2nd disk in...
But then it goes and trashes the first disk anyway...

Surely you can agree that if the above is true, its a problem, right?

Otherwise, using your theory, if I install a 2nd hard disk into Windows, that happened to have some Linux partitions on it, that Microsoft is well within its rights to format/delete the *1ST* disk as well as the 2nd disk?

Look, I know you like the DNS-323 device.

Heck, I like it too.
Its a cute little device, and the fact that it runs Linux and we can fun_plug it is great too.

But this is a real issue, and one that WILL eat people's data, as shown by the threads on this Forum, as well as the threads on the other-not-supported-not-acknowledge-will-void-your-warranty fun_plug Forum.

Anyway, we probably should stop posting about this Failure here, as this thread isn't the best place for it.

[fordem]

I followed the EXACT procedure as given by DLINK for installing a drive into a non-RAID setup.

Interesting - so in your mind - re-installing a disk previously installed in the unit and which had been removed & reformatted - counts as the EXACT procedure for installing a drive into a non-RAID setup.

Had you been installing a drive not previously installed in the unit - or not recently removed from the unit - the unit would not have had the drive's serial number in flash.

What you did was to creating a situation which the developers had not foreseen and planned for - but - what the heck, it should handle all anomalies gracefully and not crash & burn, right?

And in your mind - this problem was not caused by the user's previous actions - I hear you, I just don't believe what I'm hearing.

[TrueDeek]

So now that the DNS321's firmware is almost released will we see some movement on this unit?

From DNS321 Beta Forum today from D-Link Multimedia :
1.03 build 12 will be ECN'd as final. Working on packaging up all the nick nacks and what not for release today or tomorrow.

At least take a moment and update us on a possible release date of a full firmware or new beta or at very least that specific issues are causing this delay (broken fingers, damaged email server, flaky internet access, desperate need to be begged for updates etc...)