Chirping like a cricket

[distortedloop]

My 2TB TeraStation (HS-DHTGL/R5) has started making chirping noises like a cricket randomly, but at least a couple of times per day.

 

When I check the front panel, no indication of a problem.  When I check the web interface for the unit, no indications of problems.  RAID status is normal, no messages or warnings anywhere. 

 

The chirping really sounds like a cricket, a long series of rapid beeps lasting a minute or two that just stops on its own.

 

Any ideas what might be up?

 

 

 

 

[daoswald]

Could be the fan spinning up to a higher speed (or lower speed) than typical.  Imagine a couple times a day the NAS passes some temperature theshold (either by getting warmer, or cooler), and the system reacts by altering the fan speed.  Different speeds can result in different squeeking or chirping noises.  This could be an early indication of fan failure.  And it could be occurring without any perceptible evidence from the standpoint of the NAS's monitoring software.  The NAS will detect fan failure, but not fan chirping.

 

 

[distortedloop]

The fan occurred to me, but I've never heard a chirping fan before, always a whine or squeal, but I figured what the heck, better check the fan.  

 

FiLTHY with dust.  I cleaned out the fan and other areas of the unit and powered it back up.  12 hours without  cricket chirping session yet; too soon to tell for sure, but I suspect this was the problem.

 

On a side note, that's an amazingly quiet fan on the TS version I have, at least when it's not doing a cricket imitation.

[daoswald]

I had a LinkStation Live that I thought the fan was failing on.  Then I held a vacuum to it (which probably wasn't a great plan, as it could cause the fan to spin way beyond specs), and afterward, the noise went away.  Glad to hear yours is ok now.  I think the more recent Buffalo NAS product have easily replaced fan assemblies.  I know my newer LS-XHL has a little trap door that can be removed for simple access to the fan.