Netgear: Upgrade policies + updates for ReadyNAS

homeadmin · Oct 1, 2015

Hello there,

this is my first post in this forum, although I've already read a lot here.

I'm currently into the market for replacing my oldish Synology DS212+ -- it just became too slow for what I'm doing with it nowadays.

So I'm looking for a 2-bay NAS with a small form factor running in my living room. The new ReadyNAS 212 got my attention, but I've some questions open before buying:

- Apparently it's a Debian-based distro (nice!), does this also apply for the non-x86 NASes (e.g. ARM)?
- What about Ready-NAS OS6 updates, how does Netgear handle those, in other words, does Netgear care about older devices so that they also get those updates?
- What's Netgears policy for major versions, e.g. from OS6 to OS7 -- do get already bought devices such major updates as well? Any experiences somebody can share here?

The reason why I'm asking the above questions is because with my (old) Synology I still am able to use the latest DSM versions (their OS), although I'm not a big fan of it anymore (now having a Debian chroot running on it).

Thanks in advance!

stevech · Oct 1, 2015

On this forum, for several years, users by far choose Synology or QNAP and ReadyNAS is rarely heard of anymore.

My DS212 (not +) just sits and works. Running the latest DSM OS. So far, I can't justify $$$ to replace it. On my list, Netgear for NAS is near the bottom. Netgear for ethernet switches, top of the list.

homeadmin · Oct 2, 2015

I wonder why this is that way? The ReadyNAS OS does seem to be a good (and Debian-based!) choice. Of course, after taking a look at their "apps market", they cannot (yet) keep up with the variety Synology has to offer here .

So anybody else who can shed some light on my initial questions? Thanks!

thiggins · Oct 2, 2015

homeadmin said:
I wonder why this is that way? The ReadyNAS OS does seem to be a good (and Debian-based!) choice. Of course, after taking a look at their "apps market", they cannot (yet) keep up with the variety Synology has to offer here .

Forums tend to be an echo chamber, reflecting the opinions of the most frequent posters. We have more vocal QNAP and Synology fans/users here, which is why you see them recommended more often.

NETGEAR is a major and respected NAS vendor, with a decent product in ReadyNAS and much larger market share than Synology or QNAP, based on the most recent data I saw.

They have opted to go a different way using BTRFS vs. EXT4. This provides the advantage of better data protection and unlimited volume snapshots. The downside is that BTRFS takes more CPU, so with equal hardware, a ReadyNAS is going to have lower throughput than an EXT4 based product. For specifics, check the NAS Charts.

NETGEAR does not release as many updates for any of its products than other vendors. They have never charged for firmware updates or OS upgrades.

claykin · Oct 2, 2015

thiggins said:
They have never charged for firmware updates or OS upgrades. If I remember correctly, OS6 was supported on all models except for those using the old Infrant processor.

Tim

OS6 is only supported on newer RNxxx models

The original Infrant CPU units were supported up to 4.1.x
Original x86 CPU units (NVX, Ultra, Pro models) were supported up to 4.2.x
Short lived NV+ v2 and Duo v2 (first gen ARM designs) used OS5.x
Current RN units (ARM and x86) are the only models to officially support OS6.

Some users have managed to install OS6 on the older x86 (64bit) units such as Pro, Ultra models, though this is unsupported.

NETGEAR Guy · Oct 2, 2015

OS6 came into play many months ago and NETGEAR were first to use BTRFS which was a step ahead of EXT4 for functionality.

Updating from 4.x to 6.x is not officially supported, but some users have posted instructions how to do so.

The current 100, 200, 300, 500 and 700 series desktop NAS units support OS6. There are also a few OS6 supported rack mount models.

There are no current plans to move to OS7.

However, it's possible to replicate (ReadyNAS Replicate) and rsync between OS4 and OS6 units.

claykin · Oct 2, 2015

NETGEAR Guy said:
OS6 came into play many months ago and NETGEAR were first to use BTRFS which was a step ahead of EXT4 for functionality.

Updating from 4.x to 6.x is not officially supported, but some users have posted instructions how to do so.

The current 100, 200, 300, 500 and 700 series desktop NAS units support OS6. There are also a few OS6 supported rack mount models.

There are no current plans to move to OS7.

However, it's possible to replicate (ReadyNAS Replicate) and rsync between OS4 and OS6 units.

NETGEAR Guy

Can you please pass along to the powers that be @ Netgear, the new support forum design is terrible. Its a huge step backwards in usability and only serves to make it more difficult for end users to find answers. The previous forum was one big plus for Readynas products. The help and info available on the previous forum was unmatched by your competitors. Unfortunately, this new setup just ended that advantage for me and others I know who visit the forum regularly.

And, just to clarify, only the x86 64 bit CPU 4.2.x units can be <unsupported> upgraded to OS6. Units like the NVX cannot as they are 32 bit CPU.

NETGEAR Guy · Oct 2, 2015

Will certainly pass on your comments to the product team...

thiggins · Oct 2, 2015

Thanks for your posts, Claykin. I've removed my comment about upgrades from my original post.

sfx2000 · Oct 2, 2015

thiggins said:
Forums tend to be an echo chamber, reflecting the opinions of the most frequent posters. We have more vocal QNAP and Synology fans/users here, which is why you see them recommended more often.

NETGEAR is a major and respected NAS vendor, with a decent product in ReadyNAS and much larger market share than Synology or QNAP, based on the most recent data I saw.

Good point - lot of QNAP/Synology as this is what many are running, but also traffic sometimes is driven here due to the, erm, interesting communities on the vendor forums.

The ReadyNAS line of NAS boxes are quite good - and review quite well as decent performers..

homeadmin · Oct 2, 2015

Thanks for all your answers. Before buying I simply want to make sure that I don't get stuck as with certain (Android) cellphones: Buy it with the version it came with, and if you want to upgrade to a new version: Just get a new phone.

In that respect Synology did a lot things right, even if they use a pretty home-baked (and outdated) Linux, but with my old DS212+ I still can use the latest DSM updates, fully supported.

So I'm basically still missing some hard facts which say: "Buy a new ReadyNAS 212 and you don't have to worry about updates in the next X years, e.g. upgrading from OS6 to OS7, and so on, including security fixes."

claykin · Oct 3, 2015

homeadmin said:
Thanks for all your answers. Before buying I simply want to make sure that I don't get stuck as with certain (Android) cellphones: Buy it with the version it came with, and if you want to upgrade to a new version: Just get a new phone.

In that respect Synology did a lot things right, even if they use a pretty home-baked (and outdated) Linux, but with my old DS212+ I still can use the latest DSM updates, fully supported.

So I'm basically still missing some hard facts which say: "Buy a new ReadyNAS 212 and you don't have to worry about updates in the next X years, e.g. upgrading from OS6 to OS7, and so on, including security fixes."

Obviously no one other than Netgear can tell you with certainty, but I would recommend you not expect the same type of OS upgrade path with Netgear like you typically see with QNAP and Synology.

If you review my list from above, you will see that each series of NAS has seen several updates within their respective OS version, but none have received a full upgrade (officially supported that is) to a new OS.

Plus, in my history with Netgear NAS products, they simply don't move as quickly as QNAP and Synology to jump on the next big thing. That's not necessarily a bad thing though....

homeadmin · Oct 3, 2015

@claykin: Thanks, your list definitely helped me. I'm still unsure though, so I have to do some more research first. Do happen to know if there's a way to get a pure Debian on ARM on a RNxxx? I don't necessarily need Netgear's OS6 and also would be fine to run it with a stock Debian distro.

@NETGEAR Guy: So there's no official word on further update plans for the RNxxx devices, so it might be or might be not get an update to OS7/OS8/...?

stevech · Oct 3, 2015

For me, and just me, past incompetence in worse-than-Bangalore customer tech support for enterprise products has soured me forever for all but Pro-Ethernet switches.

sfx2000 · Oct 4, 2015

homeadmin said:
Thanks for all your answers. Before buying I simply want to make sure that I don't get stuck as with certain (Android) cellphones: Buy it with the version it came with, and if you want to upgrade to a new version: Just get a new phone.

In that respect Synology did a lot things right, even if they use a pretty home-baked (and outdated) Linux, but with my old DS212+ I still can use the latest DSM updates, fully supported.

Phones are different beasts - the pace of development on both the HW and SW level there is very fast - and older devices tend to not get updates...

With NAS units - probably better that we're not seeing that level of change, as we want/need stability to be the absolute priority - as long as security/bug fixes are rolled out in a timely manner, all should be good...

L&LD · Oct 5, 2015

homeadmin said:
Hello there,

this is my first post in this forum, although I've already read a lot here.

I'm currently into the market for replacing my oldish Synology DS212+ -- it just became too slow for what I'm doing with it nowadays.

So I'm looking for a 2-bay NAS with a small form factor running in my living room. The new ReadyNAS 212 got my attention, but I've some questions open before buying:

- Apparently it's a Debian-based distro (nice!), does this also apply for the non-x86 NASes (e.g. ARM)?
- What about Ready-NAS OS6 updates, how does Netgear handle those, in other words, does Netgear care about older devices so that they also get those updates?
- What's Netgears policy for major versions, e.g. from OS6 to OS7 -- do get already bought devices such major updates as well? Any experiences somebody can share here?

The reason why I'm asking the above questions is because with my (old) Synology I still am able to use the latest DSM versions (their OS), although I'm not a big fan of it anymore (now having a Debian chroot running on it).

Thanks in advance!

Sounds like you don't need an off the shelf NAS, you can build your own as you want Debian on it, right?

The biggest advantage for QNAP and Synology is that they support their products with recent firmware versions for a very long time. The hardware is moot with firmware that has security holes in it.

The ReadyNAS would not be a choice I would give to my customers for that specific reason (lack of ongoing updates, at least for security patches).

homeadmin · Oct 5, 2015

L&LD said:
Sounds like you don't need an off the shelf NAS, you can build your own as you want Debian on it, right?

The biggest advantage for QNAP and Synology is that they support their products with recent firmware versions for a very long time. The hardware is moot with firmware that has security holes in it.

The ReadyNAS would not be a choice I would give to my customers for that specific reason (lack of ongoing updates, at least for security patches).

Right, as I'm running Debian on a lot of my stuff and want as much control as possible over my NAS -- that's why Netgear's RNxxx is tempting for me, plus Btrfs against bitrot + snapshots (running a JBOD setup for backups, no need for RAID really).

Netgear: Upgrade policies + updates for ReadyNAS

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