Warning: geeky post ahead.
Lately I’ve been struggling a lot with how to manage the many, many, MANY gigabytes of digital photos I have stored. Some day I’ll write a post about my workflow and archiving system, but suffice it to say I have a ton of CDs and DVDs filed away. It’s becoming a major pain in the butt. So I have been considering other options, and a NAS (network attached storage) system is looking really attractive. For my needs, the Infrant ReadyNAS NV+ looks like a great solution. But today, I discovered a very annoying problem.
The ReadyNAS is available in a number of configurations, with various numbers and sizes of disks included. Historically, one of the configurations included no disks, so you could buy your own and add them in. That not only gives you more flexibility, but it tended to save a fair amount of money too. Unfortunately, NetGear acquired Infrant earlier this year, and they’re in the process of revamping the product line. As part of that, they’ve apparently eliminated the diskless version of the ReadyNAS from the product lineup. Last week when I started thinking about, there were diskless units in stock a few places. Now there are none. This makes the ReadyNAS a much more expensive proposition.
Let’s look at a couple of examples.
4×250GB configuration
| Before | |
| Diskless ReadyNAS NV+ | $650.00 (the price listed on shop-infrant.com before it disappeared) |
| 4 Seagate Barracuda ES 250GB Drives @ $80 | $320.00 (NewEgg.com) |
| Total | $970 |
| Now | |
| ReadyNas NV+ with 4 Seagate Barracuda ES 250GB Drives included | $1200 |
| Per-drive cost | $137.50 |
2×500GB configuration
| Before | |
| Diskless ReadyNAS NV+ | $650 |
| 2 Seagate Barracuda ES 500GB Drives @ $150 | $300.00 (NewEgg.com) |
| Total | $950 |
| Now | |
| ReadyNAS NV+ with 2 Seagate Barracuda ES 500GB Drives included | $1200 |
| Per-drive cost | $275 |
There’s only one word for this: suckage. I hate it when a good company gets acquired and the product line gets screwed up.
I’m still considering going with the ReadyNAS, but I’m also seriously looking at other options. If you have something you really like, please speak up! Anything I’m going to consider needs at least 500GB of storage in a RAID configuration with the ability to add more, and great compatibility with Macs.
Update: I decided to go with the ReadyNAS anyway. It ended up costing me about $150 more than it would have before, but such is life…
Update 2: For those of you stumbling across this post from Google, there’s some discussion of the topic on Infrant’s forum that may interest you.
Glad I’m not the only one who just noticed.. a bit too late.
I’m in a similar boat with tons of DVDs and just 1.3TB on my main system. With 750GB Seagate HDDs running about $210, I was hoping to get an empty gigabit NAS and fill it with 750GB over time [got two already].
So, it looks like a DIY setup is landing on my options list as well. I’ll start looking in the ITX scene to see if they got a 4 SATA board out there yet.
If you find anything, I would like to hear as well.
BTW, you think the $275/HDD was bad.. check out the 4×750GB for $3100 ($210×4 $650).
The ReadyNAS NV was recently named a PC World Best Buy and at some point in time PC Magazine’s editors choice. I can only imagine that this is keeping prices high. Also, Netgear isn’t paying what you and I are paying for those HDD’s at NewEgg, so selling the unit with drives installed can only be pushing profits up even more.
Thanks for the post. I spent a lot of time looking for the diskless version as well before I stumbled across your post. Good to know I am not crazy.
I am also considering the option of building my own with an old case and MB. I’ve got four sata drives and a Adaptec SATA 8port board. I’m considering installing Ubuntu Server 7.04 with LVM.
I’ve had a diskless ReadyNAS on my shopping list for a couple months, and was almost ready to pull the trigger. Then everywhere I looked they were unavailable or sold out.
The lowest prices I had seen were around $620, and I was planning on 4 500GB Seagate drives at about $110 - $120 each. I think that’s the sweet spot for disks these days.
I’m in the same boat. I finally decided to pull a trigger on a diskless NV and now they’re nowhere to be found. Netgear must be crazy. My “research phase” re: buying the right NADS just got extended.
Hi All,
The very best to every one. As a person who spent quit some time playing with electronics, and is currently employed in technology. I have a particular respect for persons or companies who / which produce excellent products. I must also admit i make it my business to personally promote such products and companies that i am aware of. As many of the persons / companies who diligently produce these exceptional products all too often are too modest, this often leads to failure. Hence my effort. Infrant is one such company. The Infrant NV was a product with a great price to value.
Yes i bought the readyNas Before Netscape got their hands on Infrant. I recommended NV purchase to many persons who took my advise.
The depth of tech that is demonstrated by the folks at Infrant is remarkable, it is demonstrated by the feature set made available in their network storage devices. it suggests a depth of understanding of the technology, sound mechanical engineering and exceptionally good judgment, such feature sets can often only be found in products that large cooperations with huge R&D budgets and even then all too often the feature sets put together in many of the products sent to market are a mismatch.
However It is unfortunate that Infrant has been aquired by Net gear. If it had to happen it should have been the other way round (Infrant acquiring Netgear) (the engineering demonstrated at Infrant seems to be orders of magnitude above Netgear) .For the following reasons, as a person who has purchased many Net gear products . I would say they make very good hubs and switches, however the performance of their routers are marginal to poor. they are prone to crashing and various other nasty behavior, their storage products are pedestrian. I would venture to say their storage products are inferior to Infrant’s. they don’t seem to have the deep tech feel of Infrant, to their router or their storage technology, it is as if the depth is not there.
I would like to also point out that their tech support policies have a very stingy penny pinching feel it also suggests that their business infrastructure is not very efficient. maybe even top heavy, which the removal of the disk less Infrant NV seems to be bearing out, which in my estimation is very unfortunate.
It is unfortunate, i don’t know what the Infrant team was going through, or what they were trying for, Possibly getting a partnership to move to the next level. there are so many other companies out there why make their company available for acquisition by a technologically inferior company they may have introduced their own line of routers. they certainly would have been equal to Ntgears or maybe even superior.
I think i have said enough my 8 year old child needs me i Have to do my best to change the reputation of being an irresponsible male.
The best to all
g
Newegg.com has some open box versions here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822329023R
Newegg is still selling the diskless version as Netgear RND4000. I just put my order in.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822122010
$800 ?! No thanks. What is that, a 40% price increase for essentially the same product? More Netgear craziness.
This is a shame. I just checked Netgear’s site and they are selling the diskless. They are now selling for 949.99. And they are only installing 256MB memory.
I could kick myself for not getting the NAS long ago. If I remembe correctly, the Nas diskless was around 750.00 w/1GB of memory from Infrant.
I also agree with the above poster, Netgear’s products are just passable. Now they have taken a great product and hiked the price and I feel will probably find a way to lower the quality. I do not see anywhere on Netgear’s site where yu can upgrade memory to the unit. So maybe they have already found a way to cut corners and still jack up the price.
I will be looking elsewhere for a similar solution…
Any suggestions??
Mike
I’ve just bought a diskless Netgear / Infrant ReadyNAS NV RND-4000 here in the UK. This was at the beginning of March 2008. I didn’t have any particular problems finding one, just got it from Broadbandbuyer but Misco were selling it as well. Perhaps the situation is different in the US, but over here there’s no shortage of the diskless model.
Hi Andrew
Yes the NV Disk less versions have reappeared However, the New Egg price of $615.00 US Hs changed to round about $1000.00
Bucks. I guess Netgear is Trying to make their Money Back in a hurry.
Maybe i will buy Drobo.
Thanks
G
HI All
Just an update, the Drobo is not a networkable solution as it only has the fast on paper USB connections.
However it is quite usable.
Thanks
Gee.