Network hard drives can't be checked for health status?

[Jan Alter]

Having just purchased a network storage drive from Buffalo I was interested
in knowing how it could be checked for it having problems, such as bad bytes
or sectors, drive, read, or write speed etc. One can readily check hard
drives connected via SATA, USB or ATA with diagnostic software from the
drive manufacturer. According to the tech from Buffalo there isn't any way
to do that. He said that if there were a problem with the drive one would
get an error when attempting to connect it through the network. I've been
searching Google and haven't found anything at this point but am still
wondering if there isn't a way to monitor network drive's health before a
physical problem crashes it.

 

[Paul]

Having just purchased a network storage drive from Buffalo I was interested
in knowing how it could be checked for it having problems, such as bad bytes
or sectors, drive, read, or write speed etc. One can readily check hard
drives connected via SATA, USB or ATA with diagnostic software from the
drive manufacturer. According to the tech from Buffalo there isn't any way
to do that. He said that if there were a problem with the drive one would
get an error when attempting to connect it through the network. I've been
searching Google and haven't found anything at this point but am still
wondering if there isn't a way to monitor network drive's health before a
physical problem crashes it.

You don't say what model you've got, but it appears some kind of
admin package, has access to SMART info.

http://forum.buffalo.nas-central.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=642&view=previous

webmin-smart-status - SMART drive status module for webmin

If you're stuck in Windows, like WinXP, you can always install
some version of Linux in VPC 2007, and install such a package
in there. (At the moment, I'm playing with Gentoo in such a setup.)

Paul

 

[Jan Alter]

You don't say what model you've got, but it appears some kind of
admin package, has access to SMART info.

http://forum.buffalo.nas-central.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=642&view=previous

webmin-smart-status - SMART drive status module for webmin

If you're stuck in Windows, like WinXP, you can always install
some version of Linux in VPC 2007, and install such a package
in there. (At the moment, I'm playing with Gentoo in such a setup.)

Paul

Thanks for your Interest Paul.
I'm working with a LinkStation LS-XH1.5TL-US
I was wondering from the start if the SMART information for the drive could
be handled by anything. So it appears that administrative software can read
it. It's good to know. Bottom line is to be backing up the network drive as
well to an external backup.

 

[mike]

Having just purchased a network storage drive from Buffalo I was interested
in knowing how it could be checked for it having problems, such as bad bytes
or sectors, drive, read, or write speed etc. One can readily check hard
drives connected via SATA, USB or ATA with diagnostic software from the
drive manufacturer. According to the tech from Buffalo there isn't any way
to do that. He said that if there were a problem with the drive one would
get an error when attempting to connect it through the network. I've been
searching Google and haven't found anything at this point but am still
wondering if there isn't a way to monitor network drive's health before a
physical problem crashes it.

I have a similar problem with a used Hawking HNAS-1.
Write speed is slow, but sometimes it's VERY slow,
like it's having trouble writing.
I'd like to run the fsck or chkdsk or something on it.
Since it doesn't show up as a drive in win7, windows tools
don't seem to be useful. Network functionality is one thing
typically missing from freeware diagnostic tools.

Only thing I can think to do is build a linux system, remove the drive
and attach it directly to the computer.

There's gotta be a simpler way????

What does it take to change the drive in one of these?
Looks like it has a linux os. That on a ROM? or on the HD,
in which case, how does one upgrade the drive?

Thanks, mike

 

[GMAN]

Thanks for your Interest Paul.
I'm working with a LinkStation LS-XH1.5TL-US
I was wondering from the start if the SMART information for the drive could
be handled by anything. So it appears that administrative software can read
it. It's good to know. Bottom line is to be backing up the network drive as
well to an external backup.

I dont mean to butt into your conversation but yes, you should backup the
network drive to a backup drive. A network drive should never be considered as
"THE" backup. A networked drive is more of a central point that all your PC's
and media players and such can access more readily. Any important stuff should
be at least at two locations at all times (2 seperate drives) or one on site,
and one off site. But at the very least, backup that networked drive.

 

[GMAN]

I have a similar problem with a used Hawking HNAS-1.
Write speed is slow, but sometimes it's VERY slow,
like it's having trouble writing.
I'd like to run the fsck or chkdsk or something on it.
Since it doesn't show up as a drive in win7, windows tools
don't seem to be useful. Network functionality is one thing
typically missing from freeware diagnostic tools.

Only thing I can think to do is build a linux system, remove the drive
and attach it directly to the computer.

There's gotta be a simpler way????

What does it take to change the drive in one of these?
Looks like it has a linux os. That on a ROM? or on the HD,
in which case, how does one upgrade the drive?

Thanks, mike

Install this program it it will allow read and write access to EXT3
formatted drives under windows

http://www.fs-driver.org/


http://www.hawkingtech.com/support/details.
php?CatID=33&FamID=117&ProdID=242#Manual

 

[Jan Alter]

Install this program it it will allow read and write access to EXT3
formatted drives under windows

http://www.fs-driver.org/


http://www.hawkingtech.com/support/details.
php?CatID=33&FamID=117&ProdID=242#Manual

Thanks,

I'll give that a shot. It didn't start creeping into me until recently
that even the network drive would have to be treated as tenderly as the
regular internal drives. Backups upon back ups, upon backups. Oh that
convenience of having a 'nifty network'.

 

[mike]

Install this program it it will allow read and write access to EXT3
formatted drives under windows

http://www.fs-driver.org/

Need help understanding how that helps.
Basic problem is that the drive is NOT a native drive installed in the
system. If I'm gonna pull the drive out of the case and put it in a PC,
all I gotta do is boot a live linux cd to fsck it?????

Response from Hawking was:
"In the HNAS1, there's a HD diagnostics that will tell you whether or
not there's an issue with the HD."
No clue how to access it.
Wonder if there's a serial console port on the board somewhere?