Author Topic: Propose Solutions to Buffalo NAS frustrating problems  (Read 6351 times)

itadmin

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Propose Solutions to Buffalo NAS frustrating problems
« on: May 24, 2009, 11:23:09 PM »
   

After so many problems with Buffalo NAS, my management has decided to migrate all our users to a real file server and throw away all our linkstations to avoid all these Buffalo related frustrations. Buffalo can make their NAS more usable by addressing these frustrating and unreliable issues we have been facing:

 

Issue 1: Power Unit in Linkstation spoiled, and repair cost = half the cost of brand new linkstation. We have no choice but to repair because we can't find the old model anymore and swapping harddisk to new linkstation won't work (according to Buffalo Tech Support)

 

Propose Solution: Use external power adapter instead of build-in. It's easier and cheaper to replace.

 

Issue 2: Network Port in Linkstation spoiled, and repair cost = twice the cost of a brand new linkstation to replace the mainboard.

 

Propose Solution: have dual Network Port or use more reliable components. We don't mind paying more for quality hardware. Buffalo NAS spoiled too easily.

 

Issue 3: Backup Freeze, Factory Default setting is the only way to resolve this, but it will wipe off user database.

 

Propose Solution: Option to terminate a running backup, and Function to import and export settings, especially user settings.

 

Issue 4: Backup confusing and incomplete

 

Propose Solutions: Have a complete mirroring feature to another linkstation on the same network. Backup to have append feature to keep multiple versions. Label backup option clearly with proper description.

 

Issue 5: When Buffalo NAS spoiled, there is no alternative to restore it.

 

Propose Solution: Ensure new NAS is back-compatible with old models so that when our NAS spoiled, we can replace it easily by purchasing a new one and transfer the data and setting over instead of repairing (since repair cost is more expensive than new purchase). The problem with most NAS is that the hardware used is non-standard, making replacement almost impossible when hardware spoiled.

 

Hope my feedback helps,

 

Boon Hong.

Message Edited by itadmin on 05-24-2009 11:25 PM
Message Edited by itadmin on 05-24-2009 11:25 PM

jeffla

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Re: Propose Solutions to Buffalo NAS frustrating problems
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2009, 11:45:56 PM »
    
Message Edited by jeffla on 05-25-2009 10:39 AM

itadmin

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Re: Propose Solutions to Buffalo NAS frustrating problems
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2009, 01:15:50 AM »
   

Are these Buffalo-only problems? Or does most other brands of NAS have the same problems?

 

Issue 6: User management is too primitive. When the users get too many, there is no proper tool to search or sort. Worse is that the order is sort by default according to the sequence of users entering into the system first and there is no way to change this.

Propose Solution: Add search or sort tool. If not, at least sort by alphabetical order will help greatly. Also, it will be helpful if there is exception option. As such all users are allow to access this folder except...


itadmin

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Re: Propose Solutions to Buffalo NAS frustrating problems
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2009, 03:35:50 AM »
   

Issue 7: There's more user management issue: When a user is given write permission to a folder whereby everyone is given read-only. But because this user who is also in the everyone list, get downgraded to read-only despite having write permission. Thus, the group account become quite useless because of this wrong priority bug.

 

Proposed Solution: If a user has conflicting permissions, the highest permission level should be taken into account, not the lowest.

 

Issue 8: No fix disk utility. Linkstation indicate read error and check disk option did not find any problem. We have to take out the harddisk and boot into a Linux to run fix disk utility to resolve this, then put back the harddisk into the linkstation.

 

Proposed Solution: Have a proper disk check and fix utility, or verify data to avoid such corruption.


Colin137

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Re: Propose Solutions to Buffalo NAS frustrating problems
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2009, 10:54:36 PM »

"Issue 1: Power
Unit in Linkstation spoiled, and repair cost = half the cost of brand
new linkstation. We have no choice but to repair because we can't find
the old model anymore and swapping harddisk to new linkstation won't
work (according to Buffalo Tech Support)

 

Propose Solution: Use external power adapter instead of build. It's easier and cheaper to replace.

 

Issue
2: Network Port in Linkstation spoiled, and repair cost = twice the
cost of a brand new linkstation to replace the mainboard.

 

Propose
Solution: have dual Network Port or use more reliable components. We
don't mind paying more for quality hardware. Buffalo NAS spoiled too
easily."

 

Our products are NAS devices, not fileservers. The devices are built
to be small and efficient. This allows us to fill a niche market that
is not covered by much more expensive fileservers. Replacement parts
are outside of our niche, because as you've noticed, repair services
cost a significant fraction of the product's low cost.

 

The newer Linkstations have external power adapters, and the newest Terastation III has dual network ports.

 

 


 

 

"Issue 3: Backup Freeze, Factory Default setting is the only way to resolve this, but it will wipe off user database.

 

Propose Solution: Option to terminate a running backup, and Function to import and export settings, especially user settings.

 

Issue 4: Backup confusing and incomplete

 

Propose
Solutions: Have a complete mirroring feature to another linkstation on
the same network. Backup to have append feature to keep multiple
versions. Label backup option clearly with proper description."

 

The new Terastation III has such features. The backup software works fine in all but a few scenarios, which are usually caused by some irregularity in the configuration or firmware, thus resetting the device and reflashing the firmware is the usual fix.

 

 

 

 

"Issue 5: When Buffalo NAS spoiled, there is no alternative to restore it.

 

Propose
Solution: Ensure new NAS is back-compatible with old models so that
when our NAS spoiled, we can replace it easily by purchasing a new one
and transfer the data and setting over instead of repairing (since
repair cost is more expensive than new purchase). The problem with most
NAS is that the hardware used is non-standard, making replacement
almost impossible when hardware spoiled."

 

We reserve the right to update our hardware when technology is made available, in order to keep our prices low, and our customers satisfied. Every consumer and business electronics manufacturer does the same thing.

 

"Issue 6: User
management is too primitive. When the users get too many, there is no
proper tool to search or sort. Worse is that the order is sort by
default according to the sequence of users entering into the system
first and there is no way to change this.

Propose Solution: Add
search or sort tool. If not, at least sort by alphabetical order will
help greatly. Also, it will be helpful if there is exception option. As
such all users are allow to access this folder except..."

 

The Terastation III and Linkstation LS-XHL have much-improved user management functions. The permissions that you wish to set are really only available on a dedicated fileserver, not a NAS.

 

 

 

 

"Issue 7: There's more user management issue: When a user is given
write permission to a folder whereby everyone is given read-only. But
because this user who is also in the everyone list, get downgraded to
read-only despite having write permission. Thus, the group account
become quite useless because of this wrong priority bug.

 

Proposed
Solution: If a user has conflicting permissions, the highest permission
level should be taken into account, not the lowest."

 

This is normal behavior on our products, not a bug. "Most-restrictive" permissions (Linux and Unix) as used by our products are more secure than Windows's "least restrictive" permissions.

 

 

 

 

"Issue
8: No fix disk utility. Linkstation indicate read error and check disk
option did not find any problem. We have to take out the harddisk and
boot into a Linux to run fix disk utility to resolve this, then put
back the harddisk into the linkstation.

 

Proposed Solution: Have a proper disk check and fix utility, or verify data to avoid such corruption."

 

The disk check performs a filesystem check on the RAID or single disk. Further utilities can cause even more damage to the data, especially when used by someone not experienced with them. The great majority of our customers are not tech-savvy, because our devices are built with user-friendlyness as a higher priority than infinite flexibility. If you wish to have COMPLETE control over a computer system, you must build and install the OS yourself.

Message Edited by Colin137 on 05-26-2009 10:56 PM

itadmin

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Re: Propose Solutions to Buffalo NAS frustrating problems
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2009, 11:22:06 PM »
   Thanks Colin for your respond. It's good to hear that Terastation III has resolve most of the frustrations we experienced in the previous models. The main concern is, 5-10 years from now, if Terastation III is spoiled, are we able to purchase Terastation VI or V and swap the harddisks over to continue operating our file server smoothly?

Colin137

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Re: Propose Solutions to Buffalo NAS frustrating problems
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2009, 02:51:21 PM »

There's no way of knowing for sure. The main reason the disks from the old HD-HLAN series Linkstations and HD-HTGL series Terastations aren't compatible with the new devices is because they used IDE hard drives, and the new units use SATA. However, when new product series come out, the operating system and hardware will most likely have changed, which in many cases would prevent the swapping of disks.

 

If you want to be able to swap hardware from one device to another over a 5-10 year period, your best bet is to invest in a fileserver, not a NAS.

Message Edited by Colin137 on 05-27-2009 02:54 PM

itadmin

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Re: Propose Solutions to Buffalo NAS frustrating problems
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2009, 08:04:13 PM »
   My old linkstation is already using SATA, but harddisk interface is not the main concern. It's the availability to find replacement when hardware failure occur. This will mean that NAS, especially buffalo brand is only good enough for temperory storage, because the data will no longer be accessible anytime when the NAS spoil. It's just risking our data in a time bomb, isn't it?

Colin137

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Re: Propose Solutions to Buffalo NAS frustrating problems
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2009, 09:31:46 PM »

As I've noted previously, replacement parts are typically not available with NAS, because the cost of the replacement parts and service would be a significant fraction of the original purchase price. The devices were not designed to be user-serviceable because it allows us to keep our prices low and stay competitive.

 

Furthermore, relying on ANY data storage solution without a good backup plan is quite simply a BAD idea. The most common type of hardware failure is a hard disk problem. This goes for ANY device that uses a hard drive, not just a NAS. RAID can offer SOME protection against this, but it is certainly not failure-proof. There is simply no substitute for a good backup plan. A normal backup plan includes multiple levels of backups on different devices, and some measure of offsite backups. If you have a NAS that fails under warranty, we will replace it, but as with every manufacturer I've ever heard of, the data is NOT covered under the warranty.

 

Should a hardware failure other than a hard disk problem occur, the data is still accessable in most cases. This requires either a Linux machine or Windows+UFS Explorer. But if you have the data backed up, it's much easier to restore. I hope I've helped clear the issues up.


tanjl

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Re: Propose Solutions to Buffalo NAS frustrating problems
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2009, 02:36:29 AM »
   

Brilliant replies Colin, will definitely print your feedback and stick it on my office wall!

 

:smileyhappy:


Dustrega

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Re: Propose Solutions to Buffalo NAS frustrating problems
« Reply #10 on: June 17, 2009, 06:59:04 AM »
Fantastic stuff Colin! Two thumbs up! :robotvery-happy: