Promise Comments: Quieting Down the Promise SmartStor NS4300N and NS4300N Review!

[PromiseNasDude]

Since the review by Tim in December/January we have continued to make improvements and enhancements to the product. Before we getting to the details, I just want to convey that we truly APPRECIATE EVERYONES BUSINESS (good or bad). I am dead serious!

The Fan Noise Issue - We are aware of this issue (naturally), we APOLOGIZE and we are working to release a new model of the NS4300N with "Fan Control" in the next few months (yes "Fan Control). The refresh NS4300N fan idles at roughly 1200 RPM instead of the current (and locked) 2800+ RPM. The difference in noise is "Night and Day". In fact, I have one of the new units on my desk in the office and I easily forgot the unit is there (beyond the fact I am running Digital Media testing 24/7). Those of you who are bothered by the noise can call support, ask for me (Billy) and I will place you on a list for exchange once the new units are available. Naturally you MUST return the old unit (turn around will be very fast, I Promise - No pun intended). Again, we apologize for the inconvenience and annoyance the noise issue has caused.

Here are a few updates on key enhancements:

XBOX 360 Support - Microsoft does NOT support Generic UPnP or DLNA on the 360. The PS3 on the other hand is UPnP and DLNA Certified (smart move by Sony) therefore the PS3 works with no issue. Basically Microsoft only allows the 360 to "discover" Windows PCs (of course) leaving us to implement Windows Media Connect to support 360. Good news is we are about to release our new DLNA Plug-In that features XBOX 360 Support (I am testing NOW), Media Tagging (so Digital Media Players will display correct Album, Artist and Title info), Fix for the Timeout issue with the Popcornhour and a fix for the Media Scan issue (sometimes Media Scanning fails, requiring a reboot). The new Plug-In will also support MOV, MP4 and M4V files. We are trying to include MKV support in this release as well (no Promises as it might have to come shortly after - again no pun intended).

iTunes Server Plug-In – We are working to implement Video Support for the iTunes Plug-In. You will be able to stream and playback MOV, MP4 and M4V files using iTunes Client on MAC and Windows (instead of just being able to playback music only).

SmartNAVI GUI for Windows and MAC – We recently released a cutting edge Management GUI for Windows called SmartNAVI. SmartNAVI allows for many tasks to be handled at the Desktop instead of always needing to access the embedded Web Management. Features include the ability to Access Shares Directly, Manage Users, Manage Volumes and Permissions, Configure Plug-Ins, Configure Network Settings (basic), download Torrents, HTTP/FTP Downloads via Download Center and more. See screenshots attached.

Constant Service Releases – We are VERY dedicated to resolving bugs reported and also to enhancing and adding features to the product (unlike other companies) as you can see from my comments above. We are currently working to release SR5 FW (and Plug-Ins) and have no plan to stop releasing updates anytime soon. Continued support of the product is number 1 for “MYSELF and for the PROMISE TEAM. I will be glad to assist on any questions or issues in addition to accepting feedback on features or possible enhancements.

Enough rambling from me.. I am available anytime and welcome (as I mentioned before), any and all feedback.

Thanks.


UPDATE ON NS4300N Rev B EXCHANGE, SEPTEMBER 17th, 2008 - We will be ending "sign-ups" for the Exchange Program in one week on September 24th (Midnight). We would love to run the offer for ever but managing cost and inventory will eventually become an issue. Please send PM or contact support @ support.promise.com by midnight of the 24th.

 

[rotrav]

Regarding fan noise

Hi, Billy!

I'm from Romania and I wish to know if by any chance my unit can also be exchange when the the new more silent units will be available. Thank you for your support!

Best regards!

rotrav

 

[iwod]

Any speed improvement?

 

[PromiseNasDude]

Yes, but for AFP ONLY (MAC). Writes for AFP improve by rougly 70 to 80 percent. The firmware is still in test and things could change (either way). Read Performance remains the same.


As for SMB, I will discuss this in the near future.

Thanks.

 

[mgraves]

When might these new, quieter units be available at retail?

Michael

 

[PromiseNasDude]

When might these new, quieter units be available at retail?

Michael

To be honest, I do not have the exact date but this does NOT mean it is a long way out. The golden sample is ready (see image - notice LEDs are brighter green and actually wrap around the light pipe) and will go to manufacturing soon pending some final reviews (process is nearly done). I will keep everyone in the loop. If you own one now and desire the change, remember to contact me via PM or via Technical Support (using on-line support is fine - no need to call).

 

[iwod]

i hope this new unit will get smb a retest as well

 

[PromiseNasDude]

Yes, I am working with SNB to retest. Thiggins will keep you guys updated.

 

[Alan Page]

Antec mod

I used an Antec SmartCool, but noticed that the fan speed was reported as below 1,800 rpm. I soldered a 10 k-ohm resistor across the Antec fan thermistor and now the fan is consistently above 1,800 rpm. Noise is still significantly reduced.

 

[khambati]

Nas 4300n

I just bought one of these and I am happy with the NAS. I also have to say that your customer service is excellent.

Here are a few things (not so good) which I noticed in the 2 weeks I have used it.

1. Performance with gigabit network running a compatible disk drive (Seagate SATAII 1TB drives) is a maximum of 25MB/s (read) with RAID 5 setup. I was expecting more when reading data from the NAS to a Macbook Pro. Is performance improvements possible via updated FW? I am on v1.04 with JUMBO frame enabled. I have also removed the jumper cables on the Seagate drives to speed them up.

2. Fan noise. If I take you up on your offer for a replacement, how do I transfer all my data to the new unit. Will I be able to just move the drives from the original unit to the new unit and keep all the data intact? I currently do not have the data backed up.

3. DLNA setup: There is no documentation on how to setup and access the data on the PS3. I can see the top level folders (music, video, pictures) on the PS3 but they are all empty when viewed on the PS3. I have put a sample (MP3, JPEG, AVI) file in each of these folders on the NAS.

 

[PromiseNasDude]

I just bought one of these and I am happy with the NAS. I also have to say that your customer service is excellent.

Here are a few things (not so good) which I noticed in the 2 weeks I have used it.

1. Performance with gigabit network running a compatible disk drive (Seagate SATAII 1TB drives) is a maximum of 25MB/s (read) with RAID 5 setup. I was expecting more when reading data from the NAS to a Macbook Pro. Is performance improvements possible via updated FW? I am on v1.04 with JUMBO frame enabled. I have also removed the jumper cables on the Seagate drives to speed them up.

2. Fan noise. If I take you up on your offer for a replacement, how do I transfer all my data to the new unit. Will I be able to just move the drives from the original unit to the new unit and keep all the data intact? I currently do not have the data backed up.

3. DLNA setup: There is no documentation on how to setup and access the data on the PS3. I can see the top level folders (music, video, pictures) on the PS3 but they are all empty when viewed on the PS3. I have put a sample (MP3, JPEG, AVI) file in each of these folders on the NAS.

Hi khambati, appreciate it the feeback.

1. The performance you are experiencing is right on par. The average performance for reads via SMB and AFP is around 15 to 25 MB/s. Writes under AFP will be improved in the next FW for the NS4300N and NS2300N. SMB reads and writes will see no improvement. NAS products are limited by their SoCs and even the Thecus 5200 Pro with the 1.2 GHZ Celeron reads and writes (real world performance) at 40 to 45 MB/s. But this product cost 800 bones. Our next gen NAS will MORE than double in read performance and MORE than triple in write at the same price point (MSRP 499.00).

2. Send me a PM with your details so I can add you to the exchange list.

3. The manual has some info on loading Plug-Ins such as the DLNA Plug-In. Our website is about to see a major overhaul and once that is done, I will have tons of DLNA - Media Streaming content up. You can load the DLNA Plug-In using the Web Interface (PASM) or SmartNAVI. Is using SmartNAVI the Plug-In can be loaded under NAS Management. Once Plug-In is loaded, enable the Plug-In. At this point the service will be to scan the media in the Music, Pictures and Video Directories. Our new DLNA Plug-In I discussed earlier post is now available for download. One item I forgot to mention was that we fix a PS3 Divx issue as well.

Need anything else, let me know.

Thanks

 

[khambati]

Hi khambati, appreciate it the feeback.

1. The performance you are experiencing is right on par. The average performance for reads via SMB and AFP is around 15 to 25 MB/s. Writes under AFP will be improved in the next FW for the NS4300N and NS2300N. SMB reads and writes will see no improvement. NAS products are limited by their SoCs and even the Thecus 5200 Pro with the 1.2 GHZ Celeron reads and writes (real world performance) at 40 to 45 MB/s. But this product cost 800 bones. Our next gen NAS will MORE than double in read performance and MORE than triple in write at the same price point (MSRP 499.00).

2. Send me a PM with your details so I can add you to the exchange list.

3. The manual has some info on loading Plug-Ins such as the DLNA Plug-In. Our website is about to see a major overhaul and once that is done, I will have tons of DLNA - Media Streaming content up. You can load the DLNA Plug-In using the Web Interface (PASM) or SmartNAVI. Is using SmartNAVI the Plug-In can be loaded under NAS Management. Once Plug-In is loaded, enable the Plug-In. At this point the service will be to scan the media in the Music, Pictures and Video Directories. Our new DLNA Plug-In I discussed earlier post is now available for download. One item I forgot to mention was that we fix a PS3 Divx issue as well.

Need anything else, let me know.

Thanks

Thanks for your reply.

Some clarification.

1. You answered this question to my satisfaction.
2. What is PM? Also you did not answer my question about transfer of data to the new unit if I just replace the disk drives.
3. I had already installed the DLNA plugin as per the install directions. Everytime I populate the VIDEO/PICTURES/MUSIC folders, do I have to go back into the PASM and toggle the enable button? Is this when it reads those folders and make them available? Additionally, does it only make files available at the top level of the folders available or does it scan sub folders as well.

Thanks once again.

 

[PromiseNasDude]

Thanks for your reply.

Some clarification.

1. You answered this question to my satisfaction.
2. What is PM? Also you did not answer my question about transfer of data to the new unit if I just replace the disk drives.
3. I had already installed the DLNA plugin as per the install directions. Everytime I populate the VIDEO/PICTURES/MUSIC folders, do I have to go back into the PASM and toggle the enable button? Is this when it reads those folders and make them available? Additionally, does it only make files available at the top level of the folders available or does it scan sub folders as well.

Thanks once again.

Sorry for missing the question. We have a featured called Recover. The Recover feature will import an array that is new to the Enclosure. We store the array and config information in the Flash and on the drives. If the NAS needs to be RMA, you can recover array and config settings by using the recover feature under RAID Management.

For the DLNA Plug-In, once the Plug-In is loaded and enabled, you are done. What version are you using? Build 12 has Scan issues that sometimes required NAS to be rebooted. The new version (see link below) resolves the issue. We support a ton of formats and containers: MOV, MP4, MP3, MPEG, AVI, DIVX, WMV, M4V, JPEG, WAV and others. We are working on MKV and m2ts support which will be added in the near future. Make sure PS3 is also on latest FW. You can also use SmartNAVI to load and enable Plug-Ins (much easier). What version of FW are you on?

http://www.promise.com/support/download/download2_eng.asp?productId=177&category=firmware&os=0&go=GO

Please let me know.

Thanks.

 

[iwod]

Nice i cant wait for your Next Gen NAS. If CPU really is the bottlneck then i can see Dual Core Atom will solve this problem is the near future.

 

[sonicstorm]

Hey Billy,

I have a question about the DLNA plugin. Is there a limit on the number of files and folders that it can recognize? I have a fairly large collection of music, pictures and videos all placed in the appropriate volumes (Music, Pictures and Videos), and they are organized into several nested folders, e.g. MUSIC VOLUME > Albums > A > Artist - Album > Music Files.

The reason why I ask about the limit of files is because when viewing available media using DLNA on the PS3, the list of music only goes to the letter S (nothing between T and Z), and not all the music in the S folder is shown. Also, the Video volume does not show up on the PS3.

I am currently using version 01.01.0000.01 of the DLNA plugin.

Any suggestions or tips to get the full library listed?

Thanks!

 

[PromiseNasDude]

Hey Billy,

I have a question about the DLNA plugin. Is there a limit on the number of files and folders that it can recognize? I have a fairly large collection of music, pictures and videos all placed in the appropriate volumes (Music, Pictures and Videos), and they are organized into several nested folders, e.g. MUSIC VOLUME > Albums > A > Artist - Album > Music Files.

The reason why I ask about the limit of files is because when viewing available media using DLNA on the PS3, the list of music only goes to the letter S (nothing between T and Z), and not all the music in the S folder is shown. Also, the Video volume does not show up on the PS3.

I am currently using version 01.01.0000.01 of the DLNA plugin.

Any suggestions or tips to get the full library listed?

Thanks!

Hi Sonic, sorry for the delay..

Did you install the Plug-In over the previous Plug-In or did you install clean removing the old Plug-In first?

If so, please let me know the directory structure and the number of files (by content) so I can compare to other issues we have seen? You can send PM if you like. A few of you have experienced similar issues and I have asked the Engineering Lab to investigate.

Let me know.

Thanks.

 

[jimmyjam]

Is there a way to move files from one folder on the the NAS to another without copying the files over the network? Basically I want to move my TV and Movie folders into the Video folder without taking hours of copying all the files from each folder over the network. Just a quick move like windows does.

 

[PromiseNasDude]

Is there a way to move files from one folder on the the NAS to another without copying the files over the network? Basically I want to move my TV and Movie folders into the Video folder without taking hours of copying all the files from each folder over the network. Just a quick move like windows does.

Hi Jam, sorry for the delay. Yes, you can. Use "Cut" instead of "Copy" to quickly move files from one directly to another. I do this often. Should work fine.

Thanks..

 

[iwod]

Am i correct that the new with Variable Fan Speed Control NAS is 4300N. While the one without is 4300 without the "N" in the end.

If they are both "4300N" Model, how could i tell which one is new version and which one is not. The place i live in all have blue box and no red as mentioned.
Does that mean they are all new?

Also wondering why the review only concentrate on Raid 5. How about non Raid pure read and write test?

 

[thiggins]

That is not correct. The product is the NS4300N, with original and "Rev B" versions. I was told by Billy that the Rev B product will come in the Blue box. He will need to clarify.

As noted in the review, I retested RAID 0, 5 and 10 with 100Mbps, 1000 Mbps and 1000 Mbps 4k jumbo frame LAN connections. I cited just a few examples. Hit the NAS Charts to look at the other results.