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Products => Storage => : pertinax October 04, 2011, 05:25:16 AM

: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 04, 2011, 05:25:16 AM

Hi,

I have a LinkStation Duo with a pair of 500GB disks in Raid 0, my firmware version is 1.54

I have ordered a new pair of 1TB disks and wish to perform an upgarde.

Is it possible to do this by just swapping one drive at a time and waiting for the mirror to rebuild or do i have to start from scratch?

there doesnt seem to be a precise guide anywhere.

 

Most people who have tried this say it worked but the 1TB drive ends up with a 500GB capacity

 

if anyone could point me in the right direction it would be most appreciated.

 

Thanks

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: Jotin October 04, 2011, 08:16:45 AM

I cannot help you upgrade the HDD's as it voids the warranty. If you put in a 1TB disk a 500 GB disk already in there and try to rebuild the RAID array it will not gain the space. It will only use 500GB of the new HDD.

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 04, 2011, 09:12:08 AM

OK, thanks for the reply.

I guess it looks like a total rebuild then ?

can you suggest the best course of action to take that will be fastest way to set up my two new ITB drives on raid 0 ?

 

Many thanks

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: Jotin October 04, 2011, 09:57:20 AM

Like I said I cannot help you upgrade the drives. I know that other users here will be able to though. User Davo might be able to help you, he's a pretty helpful guy.

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: davo October 04, 2011, 04:30:30 PM

First of all, there is no way of doing this without loosing the existing data on the unit.

 

1. Create one large NTFS partition on each of the new HDD's and insert them into the Linkstation, the error LED will start flashing 6 times.

 

2. Download the TFTP image for your unit from here: ftp://24.153.165.234/array1/share/nas-recovery/TFTP%20Boot%20Recovery%20LS-WXL%201.33.exe? and the firmware from here: http://www.buffalotech.com/support/getfile/ls_series-154.zip?, you will also need the Nas Navigator software from here: http://www.buffalo-technology.com/files/downloads/NASNavigator2.zip?

 

3. Connect the Linkstation directly to the PC/laptop via the LAN cable and turn off all anti virus and firewall software. Set the IP address of the LAN card on the PC to be 192.168.11.1 and subnet of 255.255.255.0

 

4. Unzip the TFTP image and run the TFTPboot.exe file, once the black screen appears and is stuck at "accepting request" press and hold the function button on the unit for around 10 to 15 seconds. Once this is done you will see two sets of blocks passed.

 

5. Wait 2 - 3 minutes and run the Nas Navigator, it will as you to automatically correct the IP address, click NO, you should see the unit in EM mode and the IP address will be something like 169.254.23.49

Set the IP address on the PC to be 169.254.23.50 (make sure the first 3 sets of number are the smae but increment the last one by one digit)

 

6. Unzip the firmware and double click the LSUpdater.exe file and it should find the linkstation. Click Update and this should install the firmware for you.

 

NB. If during the firmware update you get a message like "Could not confirm weither partition exists" open the LSUpdater.ini file and change NoFormatting = 1 to NoFormatting = 0 , close and save the file, run the LSUpater.exe file again, right click on the title bar and select debug, make sure all the options on the left and right hand side are selected and proceed with the update again.

 

Let me know how you get on :-)

 

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 05, 2011, 02:53:45 AM

Thanks for the info davo,

 

I allready have the 1.54 firmware so i guess thats that part done allready

The link you gave for the TFTP image doesnt seem to go anywhere, do you have another link?

I gather i can make these partitions the full size of the disk ?

 

I am still waiting for one of the drives to come so i will keep you posted.

 

I must admit, i thought it would be a more simpler process than this, oh well.

 

Thanks

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: davo October 05, 2011, 03:09:46 PM

I've just tested the TFTP file and it download fine (using firefox 7.0.1)

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 06, 2011, 04:24:06 PM

Thats really frustrating because i use IE9, and im not about to change, I will have to do it through VMware i guess.

 

Scrap that, i have it now.

 

I will let you know how i get on when my disk turns up.

 

Thank you for all your help :smileyhappy:

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 07, 2011, 07:58:36 AM

After running the TFTP and holding the function button etc, it would still not be seen by NasNavigator 2 even after waiting 3/5/10/20 minutes, eventually i was able to proceed after several attempts.

 

So far so good, apart from the part in your instructions where you say "right click on the title bar and select debug" i was unable to do this as the LSUpdater just went off and started formatting the drives etc.

at the moment i am "waiting for finish of LinkStation booting" which seems to be taking forever.

 

once this is all done, can i asume that i will be able to change the IP address of the LinStation to something more appropriate for my network and then connect it back up to my router ?

 

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 09, 2011, 10:12:03 AM

davo

I am in serious trouble!

 

everything was going perfect, the new raid 1 array was set up, all folders where created, usernames / passwords etc. basically i got ait all back how i had it before.

I then copied all my files from my pc to the NAS, re mapped drives etc accross my network, all tested and working.

i powered the NAS down put it back where it used to go and powered back up and everything was fine.

 

I ebven tested web access etc, once i was happy i deleted the files from my PC.

 

I came into my office today and noticed the 6 red flashes on the NAS (what do i do now) i cannot acces the NAS at all, all my files were on it.

can i just put the old drives back in and everthing will revert back to how it was before?

 

HELP!

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: davo October 09, 2011, 01:31:24 PM

To gain access to the unit again you will need to TFTP it, however this will erase any and all data on the HDD. You dont keep a backup?

I dont know what will happen if you put the original HDD's in put put it like this, it wont make matters worse, you may gain access to the data again.

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 09, 2011, 01:57:27 PM

What an F ing nightmare this is, i wish i had never started, it took about 9 hours to get it all working fine and then "POP" its all gone.

 

At least i could recover all my files back because of windows 7.

 

As it happens i put the old disks back in and everything went back to how it was.

 

the question is, what went wrong and do i go through all this again?

 

I wish i had never swapped my Qnap for this blasted thing.

 

Any suggestions davo?

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: davo October 09, 2011, 02:59:31 PM

E06 usually equals bad firmware flash, although i have seen some issues with 1.54 being used in a RAID configuration. If you are to do it again maybe use an older version.

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 09, 2011, 03:47:08 PM

davo, just to let you know that i had been on firmware version 1.54 since it came out, and had no trouble at all with the old set up, why would i have needed to flash the same firmware again anyway?

 

I am starting again, i have put both the 1TB drives back in (Formated) i get the usual 6 red flashes, i run the TFTP and hold the function button for 10 to 15 seconds and get nothing on screen.

NAS just blinks Blue and has been doing so for 15 mins now.

what now?

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: davo October 09, 2011, 03:57:12 PM

Post a screen shot of the TFTP loader screen.

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 09, 2011, 04:00:19 PM

sorry davo :smileysad: forgot to disable firewall

 

while i am waiting to see it with NAS navi can you answer the question about the firmware, do i still need to deploy it ?

 

cheers

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: davo October 09, 2011, 04:07:51 PM

what question about the firmware?

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 09, 2011, 04:11:34 PM

davo

i am at the part of firmware update

I have had to change the LSUpdater.ini to show NoFormating = 0 and saved

I then run the LSUpdater again but what is this part about right clicking the title bar and selecting debug??

 

Also, the next question i have is that when i go to run the LSUpdater it shows the ip address as 169.254.156.142 (i have set mine to 143)

but the subnet mask on LSUpdater is 255.255.0.0 (mine is 255.255.255.0) should i change mine???

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: davo October 09, 2011, 04:26:46 PM

Yeah, in the LSupdater.ini file change:

 

VersionCheck = 0 (change it from 1)

NOFORMATTING = 0 (change it from 1)

 

[SpecialFlags]
Debug=1?

 

exit and save the settings.

 

Then run the LSUpdater.exe file and if you right click on the title bar you should see:

 

1.png

 

Then select debug and select the following options.

 

2.png

 

Then proceed with the firmware installation.

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 09, 2011, 04:38:49 PM

Oh cake!

i didnt change the version check part or add the debug bit, could this be the cause of my problems ?

 

btw, am i supposed to see two different graphics on your post cos both apear as triangles

 

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: davo October 09, 2011, 04:45:48 PM

Yeah, i posted a couple of screen shots, for some reason they appear in firefox but not Internet explorer :-P

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 09, 2011, 04:50:43 PM

i am afraid i am using my wifes pc as mine is offline due to setting up this stupid NAS box, could you email the pics to me?

 

 

cheers

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: davo October 09, 2011, 04:54:35 PM

done, now remove your e-mail from the post (for security reasons)

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 10, 2011, 02:44:24 AM

davo

I got everything back on raid 1 last night and left the unit initialising over night.

woke up this morning to a solid blue light.

was able to connect normally to the unit and eveything looked fine.

 

so before copying anythng to it i power cycled it.

 

it has now reverted back to 6 red flashes again.

 

do you think i am just flogging a dead horse here ?

 

I ran the TFTP again and got the device back and i now have this

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: davo October 10, 2011, 08:40:40 AM

There's maybe something wrong with one of the HDD's you replaced them with or maybe they are not compatible with the Linkstation. What type of HDD's are they?

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 10, 2011, 03:43:23 PM

they are samsung spinpoints, i looked them up on the comaptiblity list.

 

i can get Raid 1 set up and everything runs fine, it even checks the disks by default on a new set up.

 

as soon as i power cycle the unit the disks become alien.

 

I have never been that happy with this Linkstation really, it apealed to me before because it was RAID 1 (although i can get that working now), I could set it to power up and down at given times (which has never worked), It runs at Gigabit speed (which has never happened from this device on my gigabit network even with jumbo frames sizes set, it was good value for money (but you only get what you pay for).

 

sorry i'm ranting again.

 

 I think the answer maybe to put the two 500GB drives back in and sell it and go back to QNAP as i never had any issue with my old QNAP NAS (apart from it was a single drive only and i couldnt afford the RAID 1 version)

 

I appreciate all the help you have given me davo, would you like to but a nice linkstation duo ?

 

All the best

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: davo October 10, 2011, 04:05:06 PM

Haha, no thanks, i have multiple Linkstations, Terastations, Buffalo routers and a cloudstor already.

: Re: Upgrading Disks in LinkStation Duo
: pertinax October 12, 2011, 07:42:32 AM

davo

 

I seem to have another issue now.

when putting the old drives back in to the unit, it seems to end up in the same boat (6 red flashed)

 

I have i bricked this thing do you think?