DLINK NAS 323 issue

[SwatKat]

Hi. I have a Dlink 323 for almost 14 years. Have 2 HDD mounted in it, NOT in RAID, just separate volumes. Was mainly used for backup, without online access.
All was OK, but couple of days ago early morning, while removing a plug from the mains, I unadvertedly removed the plug of the NAS. The fan was working, but again, no computer on my local network was on so the HDD were not theoretically supposed to be working - so nothing should have been writing to the units.

I tried plugging back the cord but nothing happens - both leds flash blue and then the left one turns amber and that's it. The unit is not powering on.
- tried removing one and both HDD - the same.
- tried resetting the unit - the same
- tried holding down power button for different series of seconds and still nothing.Fan does not tun on. Only amber lighjt on left led.

1. Is there something I coudl do to revive the unit?
2. As the HDD were not in RAID, is there a tool to have them sen in Windows? Plugged one of the disks and I can see it in Disk management but I guess it's formated using Linux FS.

Any advice? Thank you.

 

[Tech Junky]

formated using Linux FS.

Should be readable in Linux then. Grab a Linux ISO and boot from USB to verify.

As to reviving things.... 14 years is quite old and it might have let the magic smoke out when you pulled the plug. I would start shopping for a new one or DIY one out of a PC. I don't recall what the lights mean but, there could be a simple fault like the fan doesn't spin when powering causing it to not "boot". Check the manual and see what the lights are trying to tell you.

I run a "NAS" off a PC w/ Linux and it offers better performance than most off the shelf options because you're not constrained to what's being packaged for you. I get ~450MB/s from the disks which are in a Raid10 setup + a hot spare in case one fails. Since you already have the disks then it's even cheaper to put some funds into your own custom setup. Then you just need to decide how small or big you want to go and what kind of performance you want out of it.

Depending on the size of the disks / data switching to SATA SSDs might be an option to consider since I'm guessing the drives might be just as old as the NAS was. Even newer HDDs have come a long way since then as well. Each drive these days should be hitting north of 200MB/s.

 

[SwatKat]

Thank you for your input. Will try to find a new unit, but since I'm from Eastern Europe, these things are pricier here and harder to find. First will try the Linux boot solution

 

[Tech Junky]

NAS are over priced in general for keeping things simple for those that don't think outside the box. The HW inside of them is relatively cheap and the margins on them generate huge profits for the companies selling them. Building one from a SFF PC or slightly larger would only be in the $200 range. It all depends on what you want to invest now or for the long term. Any PC case will work depending on your number of drives now and future needs. For larger needs an ATX MOBO will provide more SATA connections ( up to 8 ) but, you can also use smaller setups and add SATA HBA cards that add 2-8 more connections from a PCIE slot.

Besides just simply storing data what else would you like to do? Make it into a media server? Host Plex for media - music, movies, TV?

 

[L&LD]

The value of a NAS is the reliability, stability, and dependability it offers. That is priceless vs. the cost of the hardware for most with a desire to keep their digital assets protected.

DIY is a great learning tool, and/or for those who know what they're getting into. It isn't mostly about data protection.

I've used three NAS units in the last ~15 years. All of them are still working. I doubt any DIY project can say the same.

 

[SwatKat]

Welk I own this since I was younger and was fiddling with movies, music etc. last 5 years I’ve barely added something new to the disks, but I’d hate to loose all info stored.
If I messed up something when unplugging I kinda don’t want to invest a ton of money (100usd for our salaries is significally higher than in US for example) and being able to read the info on the dirives connected to my computer as normal disks would suffice.

 

[Tech Junky]

being able to read the info on the dirives connected to my computer as normal disks would suffice.

Shouldn't be an issue if only the nas chassis died. Even disk enclosures would work hanging off USB ports. You just need Linux to read the data and convert the disk to ntfs so windows can read it or use a vm of Linux to access the data.

I've used three NAS units in the last ~15 years. All of them are still working. I doubt any DIY project can say the same.

Good for you. I sold my nas as I wanted a streamlined solution vs several devices. PCs last just as long as you maintain them and fix things like fans when they need to be replaced. There are plenty of people still running ancient PCs in the 10+ year old range. As long as you keep them clean they will keep running.

 

[dosborne]

I still run 3 x DNS323 boxes. Love them other than the HDD size limits.
You should consider FFP0.5 as it allows for great customization.

howto:1st_steps - DNS323Wiki

dns323.kood.org

You may not need to boot linux. I believe an ext2fs driver for windows will give you access to the drives.