ReadyNAS Duo comparison

[gerga]

1. Is the base box for the Netgear ReadyNAS Duo the same no matter the model (e.g. 2150 or 2110)? I understand that the 2150 comes with one 500GB HD and the 2110 comes with one 1TB HD... but other than the HD is EVERYTHING else about the box the same?
2. IF the base box is the same, then am I correct to assume that I could buy a 2150 and change the 500GB HD for a 1TB HD?
3. Assuming question 2 is true, what is the process / how complicated is it to configure a new, larger HD? I assume all the SW utilities to do this come with the unit.
4. If I buy a 2150 and leave the 500GB HD in it, could I later add a 1TB HD in the second bay? If so are there any configuration limits (e.g. would only run it in RAID 0 in order to take advantage of the extra capacity on the 2nd disk)?

Thanks

 

[claykin]

1. Is the base box for the Netgear ReadyNAS Duo the same no matter the model (e.g. 2150 or 2110)? I understand that the 2150 comes with one 500GB HD and the 2110 comes with one 1TB HD... but other than the HD is EVERYTHING else about the box the same?

Everything is the same. You can also buy the RND2000 which is the diskless version. IMO, the diskless is the way to go since you can purchase matched disks from the beginning and not have to play roulette to see what Netgear ships in your Duo. Get compatible disks (from the Netgear compatibility list) and away you go.

2. IF the base box is the same, then am I correct to assume that I could buy a 2150 and change the 500GB HD for a 1TB HD?

Yes. Much easier to do before you start creating volumes and adding data. If you wait, then you'll need to backup all data before upgrading a single disk.

3. Assuming question 2 is true, what is the process / how complicated is it to configure a new, larger HD? I assume all the SW utilities to do this come with the unit.

Firmware/OS image is on a EEPROM on the PCB. When a disk is inserted the Duo will write the firmware/OS to the disk. Your working firmware resides on the disk. Utilities are on a CD that comes in the box. These are for your PC/Mac client and not for the NAS. NAS addons are downloaded from the Readynas website.

4. If I buy a 2150 and leave the 500GB HD in it, could I later add a 1TB HD in the second bay? If so are there any configuration limits (e.g. would only run it in RAID 0 in order to take advantage of the extra capacity on the 2nd disk)?

Thanks

In Flex RAID mode the volume size is the size of the smallest disk in the array. When you upgrade the smallest disk to match the larger ones the volume will expand automatically. The Duo also support Flex RAID mode and in this case you could create a volume using the extra space from the 1TB disk, however it will not be redundant. I do NOT recommend you go this route.