Buffalo Forums

Greetings,

For two years, I've been running two (2) LS-WVL units: RAID1 pairs of 3TB Seagate ST3000DM001 Barracudas, and they "fail" far too often. [Both units now at believed-current FW Rel 1.71.] Have replaced 5 drives over that period, but only after disk-checking/default-resetting/rebuilding arrays/etc., and testing using external systems and drive testing tools.  Sometimes, the WVL's have come out of "degraded mode" by drive checking and restarting a couple of times. But more often the drives are bricked. From other forums I've learned Seagate has been having quality problems; also mixing different builds (#'s platters/heads) under same model numbers; and also reducing warranties from once 5 yrs, to 2, and to 1...  For decades I've been a WD Caviar Black/Blue user; only recently trying Seagate (again, after many years' hiatus ). The NAS' otherwise perform as expected; no complaints, except I'm continually blowing $90-115 on new drives far too regularly. To say nothing of the time wasted.

I've found inexpensive aftermarket SATA II standard form factor adaptors for 2.5" SSDs, and while the cost per GB for SSDs is nowhere nearly as good as std. HDD's, at some point buying drives and time blown starts to make the SSDs look more attractive. I don't care about speed - I want high-reliability over time (much longer than what I have now).

Questions:
1) Has anyone had similar experience with xTB Barracudas? Has the build quality just fallen flat over recent time?
2) Are the WVL's just 'old', low-end units that really just haven't been all that reliable in general over time?
3) Has anyone had experience using form factor adaptors for SSDs as described in WVL's? How has it worked out? If well (or in any event) what brand/model SSD did you use?
4) Anyone have an opinion about my just biting the bullit and starting over with pairs of WD Caviar Blacks? Hitachi's? Others?

I RAID1 every system I have (6), and then back them up to other arrays on other machines, and for some really high investment media backing-up to a third RAID1 array on a third machine. Call me crazy, but when it's gone it's gone; and from my experience can you blame me? I do have to say, though, that my really poor experience with RAID1 has been with Seagate drives on LS-WVLs. That's just the sorry fact of it; I wish it wasn't so. Any thoughts from anyone will be greatly appreciated. Thanx...

swamphawk@hushmail.com