Maxtor MaxAttach 4000 NAS

[Butuz]

A Hammer?

From what i can see - you have all the hardware needed to be able to run 4 250gig drives - the only thing that can now hold you back - is the on board software. That could be configured on your device to only recognise 2 drives, or to only let you create small arrays, or anything like that. Youll find out when it arrives, but my gut feeling makes me think you'll be ok, its often right when it comes to computers and tells me when it wants curry and beer but i try and ignore that. It just wants to grow.

Butuz

[Scott]

well said, im hoping for the same!

I doubt id put 250 gb drives in it, they're a little too expensive at the mo!

However, i just bought a 160gb WDSE for £80. So 3 more of those i can afford! Think i will test a bigger drive in it, before i do anything else tho. I have the 200gb WDSE so i may stick that in it just to see if it recognises it.

[Scott]

I just got off the phone to Maxtor support.... first got through to an indian call centre... damn that was hard speaking! They then told me that they would need to transfer me to a different Number, in the US! Glad i was using Works phone

Anyway, he told me that on the bottom on the NAS it will tell me the biggest drive it will support, so will look at that tomorrow.

I asked if its possible to upgrade the Size, by changing the OS. He told me that the 4000 series was the last NAS to use the Linux OS, the next models used Windows, which can support a larger drive.

He did tell me tho, that if i was able to code a new linux OS (???!?!) it could easily be done to support bigger drives....

So that's be buggered then!

[Butuz]

Hmm

Well if all else fails you could try getting hold of one of these:

http://www.open-e.com/index.php?g=pr...ang=eng&aid=57

No idea of price mind - i wouldnt expect the soho one to be particularly expensive.

Butuz

[Moby-Dick]

A lot of the priceier NAS boxes use a windows backend on a flash rom ( for example the FireNas ones and IIRC the Dell boxes )

however the 1TB version of the Dell 1u NAS box is about £1500 , so perhaps over budget :/

[Scott]

Wow, that looks a good idea!

Guess as Moby says tho, to be able to plug one of those in your going to need to have a pricier model NAS to do it...

Should be here tomorrow so i will take the top off and have a look.

Dont know where id start to look to get an updated Linux OS enabling better HDD support...

[DR]

Where did you buy it from

[DR]

Doh just saw the link

I had a Quantum Snap server and upgraded it to 120gb drives

[Scott]

Yeah, bought off ebay..

Was a good price i thought! Im hoping that same, i can get 160gb drives for £80. So if i can out that size in it, id be mega pleased.

[Scott]

Hi all

Well it came today, and its up and running. Wasnt to hard at all to set up. Updated the OS too while i was at it.

Not sure on the Max HDD sizes it can take, doesnt say on the NAS anywhere. So gonna have to suck it and see i guess.

One thing i wanna ask tho, is about security. If its on 24/7 can people hack into it via the net? If so, what software can i use to stop it?

[Steve]

That thing will probably take any IDE drive you throw at it - I can't really see how they can lock it down without some sort of really dodgy proprietary BIOS - just try any old drive in it to prove it.

As with any device, if it's attached to the net it's vulnerable - just have a good gateway with a firewall. Is the NAS setup to be accessed from the net, or just the LAN?

[Scott]

It's conencted to the net i guess.. as well as my lan.

Connect to my network through the Linksys WRT54G, then its got a LAN IP.

Think im gonna test it with my WDSE 200, cant hurt to try.

[Butuz]

Scott you can plug that open-e thing into anything - a normal pc even it will turn any pc or server into a nas box.

Good luck with the WD's - hope it works for ya. Would 2 x 300GB 5400rpm maxtors in raid 1 be enough?

Butuz

[Steve]

Well, unless your router (presuming that linksys device is one) is configured to forward on the SMB port to the IP of the NAS, then you're fine. Oh, also the webadmin ports - however unless you explicitly set this up, or somehow set the NAS as a DMZ, you're in no trouble.

Do an online security scan to check - it will itentify open ports. Maybe even try to get at your NAS from a remote location.

[Scott]

Well, i was looking at that open-e thing.. but couldnt figure it out at all!

If i plug it into an IDE channel, do i lose an IDE channel? Where does the hard drive then connect too?

I havent configure anything on my router to do with the NAS. no ports open or closed. Thanks for the advice on the Security check, think i'll go to grc and probe my ports.

2 x 300gb would be nice yeah But if i was doing that, id buy 4 just for the hell of it! lol

[Scott]

Tried a 200gb in it, and it didnt recongnise it