Customer Reviews
Very Good Product 
2008-08-25
This is my second NAS drive. I upgraded from a Maxtor Shared plus drive, (also good). The Netgear was my choice for having the option of expandability and redundancy. I also liked the add on features it offers.
The Drive installed relatively easily. The only problem I have had is the interface for media streaming does not work very well with my Netgear EVA700. I have installed Twonky media to over come this. Very Happy.
Very disappointing, slow drive 
2008-08-23
While I agree the drive looks nice, appears to have a solid case, and a lot of great functionality; mine is just painfully slow to use. Periodically I've had to reboot it just to get it to respond at all. It seems at times it gets so hung up with some internal process that it just doesn't have the bandwidth to respond at all. (The disk light was flickering constantly.) Even when I asked it for some very simple information, like right clicking on "properties" over a few folder to see how big they were, even that took forever. So, I know it's not my machine because that process should happen locally, and the connection speed shouldn't affect how fast the drive can count up its own files. Even worse, a few times I went to move some large files within the drive - i.e. I wanted to move the large files that were already on the ReadyNAS to a different folder, also on the ReadyNAS. Instead of this taking 3 seconds like it does on a normal drive, it took 3 hours. The ReadyNAS copied the files from one location on its own drive to another. This has been an extremely disappointing and time-consuming purchase for me. If you're considering buying a NAS device, think long and hard about how you might do it a different way; and research your options thoroughly. I'm returning mine.
Nice Product with a few potential improvements possible. 2008-07-28
This was pretty easy product to setup and worked flawlessly with my desktop PC delivering transfer speeds of 12-15MB/s when connected via a D-Link DGS-2208 Gigabit switch. There is a bit of low pitch whine from the fan and it's scary noisy when you first boot it (it calms down after it is done booting) but overall it's very quiet.
I had some trouble setting it up until I realized that you have to create a DLNA media share directory in order for the PS3 to see the files. Confusing because the bittorrent samples were visible, albeit the PS3 played them without sound for some reason. Needless to say the manual is non-existent and the help is pretty useless if you don't know what you are doing. I'm a computer engineer and managed to figure it out, others might not be so lucky.
It works well with my two Playstation 3s with the exception that when you add new music or video the PS3 won't see it until you go into services and run 'rescan' under UpNP. Annoying because that takes about 10 minutes on my collection and odd because I thought the PS3 was a DLNA device.
The down side is my Yamaha RX-V3800 doesn't see it at all. Not a major problem because navigating a large music collection on the Yamaha is like doing butterfly through the red sea but it would have been nice if it worked. Their higher end models have third party drivers for the Yamaha but the Duo seems to be out of luck.
Power wise it's very good, with plenty of options for putting the drives into standby and even shutting the unit on/off at fixed times. I just don't get their rationale for not allowing two drives to be used to double capacity, even if it's two volumes it would be better than nothing. Sure, RAID 0 is dangerous if one drive goes down you lose the lot but give me a choice, I know what I'm doing and my data is already backed up elsewhere.
Lastly their pricing is stupid, I bought the 500GB for $359 but I would much rather have gotten the 1GB. At $600+ though it's cheaper for me to buy a ($180) WD 1TB Green Drive and put it in than buy their 1TB configuration - and then I have to throw away what is at least $100 worth of 500GB drive (because they cleverly prevent me from using it in the second slot). Dear Netgear Marketing department, please get a clue.
Best NAS I've owned. 
2008-07-27
I've owned 3 NAS (HP,Buffalo, and this). This is the best one for many reasons. First off, it's tiny, and quiet. About the size of 3 bare drives in width and about 1.5x the drive in length. Construction is out of metal and looks very sturdy. Metal should help with heat dissipation as well. The hot swappable drive is unique in this price range. I do wish that the drive's status light is a bit bigger.It's like a tiny dot.
The reason that I like this drive the most is that it's the first one I've used that is completely trouble-free in setting up. Adding a second drive is as simple as popping in another HDD. It recognizes the drive and automatically builds a mirror. Software works great. It detects the drives right away and every function works without a flaw. I've had all sorts of set up problems with the HP and buffalo. Transfer rate is as good or better than all my current NAS.
I've had the 500g drive for a couple of months and it served my 8 station music system without a hitch. I bought 3 more for use in the office as a file server, and it's a hit. Tiny, silent, cool running and totally reliable up to this point.
Look for 2008-07-25
Great product whose price varies widely from site to site. Setup was not easy but not extremely difficult. When I started using my ReadyNAS to serve files to my XBox 360, the large number of files I had caused the DLNA to choke (I had already installed the latest stable firmware on inital setup). I then installed newest beta firmware which not only fixed the DNLA problems but added a feature for auto-updating of the DNLA database on addition or removal of files, which was absolutely key. Installation of a second hard drive was easy but I have not had a failure to test out the RAID X configuration. Prepare to spend a little time on the ReadyNAS site trying to figure out what you want to do.
Big Pluses:
* Size (smaller than a toaster)
* Quiet (virtually unnoticable except on initial power-on)
* Power Consumption
* Easy to add additional drive
* DNLA support (using the latest beta firmware) (serves file to other digital appliances i.e. Xbox 360, PS3, etc.)
* Bittorrent client
Minuses:
* Slow until you follow the tweaking tips on the ReadyNas site
* Hard to set up private shares
* Certificate hassles
* Nonfriendly web interface
Great Device With Minor Flaws 2008-07-23
The ReadyNAS Duo RND2110 is perfect for homes with more than one computer. Unlike a USB drive, the ReadyNAS connects to the network and is simultaneously accessible via all connected Windows or Macintosh computers.If there is a broadband Internet connection and a home router, the ReadyNAS can be set up to provide secure access to all the stored files remotely via the Internet.
Best Home NAS Solution for Mac Users....Period! 2008-07-14
I purchased this device a couple weeks ago and can't believe how impressed I am. As a Mac user exclusively at home, this device exceeds my expectation. I have several Mac's in the house that can connect to this NAS effortlessly, with no incompatibility issues. Further, no naming convention issues like I've found on other NAS devices that only use the SMB/CIMB protocol.
Best Features:
1.) Can use AFP protocol exclusively for all connected Mac users. This means when I pull up the finder, there it is with no constant logging in or SMB issues. There it is, no fuss.
2.) Speed. Once I enables the Jumbo Frame option, this thing is like copying from Mac to Mac over the network at true gigabit speed. Wireless is not to shabby either.
3.) Can setup an iTunes server using the Firefly add on (comes with) so I can connect all Macs and my Apple TV to pull from this one resource. No longer have to keep track of multiple iTunes libraries on multiple Macs...and constantly having to keep iTunes App running on the requested computers.
4.) Set this thing up in like 15 minutes.
5.) Backup Redundancy - I use a second hard drive in the NAS to mirror the first hard drive. So I can now pull out the second hard drive and replace with another to store away from home... my own home disaster recovery.
One Negative Comment:
1.) Cannot configure Time Machine to use with this NAS or rather no documentation explaining how to do it...even when I Google it. However, it does come with it's own Mac Native backup program that will schedule jobs to copy your Home folder and at specific times. To tell you the truth, this is an Apple Mac OS limitation and not a Netgear ReadyNAS Duo issue. I suspect in the future this will be corrected.
Finally, I couldn't ask for a better device. Netgear, you did a great job designing this product. This should be considered by anyone who is looking at Apple's Time Capsule as it does a whole lot more and staggeringly faster speeds. Sure, no Time Machine, but it does have scheduled backups and e-mails me when complete, and / or if there are any issues.
What a great product and Amazon Price ! 2008-07-04
I purchased this Netgear ReadyNAS DUO RND-2150 to replace a D-Link NAS DNS-323. I wanted the ability to increase my drive size without having to restore the current files from an off NAS backup. (Not available with the D-Link product. I had read several reviews and I was impressed with what I had learned from the reviews.
My oreder from Amazon arrived within 2 days and I was up and running with the Originally Purchased hardware. The RND-2150 comes with 1 500 Gig HD. After I had set it up and got it working, I was up and running in 15 minutes, I copied the files over from the D-Link NAS and then checked to make sure everything was as it was supposed to be, I took down the D-Link NAS. My next step 3 days later, was to install a 750 Gig HD and see what happened. This is where the wonder started. The RND-2150 is hot swappable. So I installed the newer larger drive in the removable drive tray and plugged it into the device. The RND-2150 took care of the who thing automatically. Mirroring the new drive did take about 5 hours BUT the unit was still accessible while the mirroring was going on. A week later, I wanted to replace the 500 Gig with an identical 750 Gig. With the system running, I removed the 500 Gig, secured the new 750 Gig into the tray and plugged it in. Once again the RND-2150 was off and running automatically. Progress is monitored by a Windows Netgear Interface "RAIDAR" that comes along with the package and buy e-mail notifications sent out buy the RND-2150 as things progress.
Everything turned out just perfect after I did a reboot of the NAS after the mirroring was completed. The RND-2150 expanded the mirror to utilize the full size of the mirrored 750 Gig drives.
Now the 500 Gig drive is off to ebay and I am extremely happy.
I am using StorageCrafts ShadowProtect to do weekly backups of the 2 main home computers and I am using the included NTI Shadow for ReadyNAS to do realtime backups of both systems My Documents. Along with storage for the Music and Family Photos, this is a great product
Netgear ReadyNas 500GB - Semi-Pro Storage Devices for the Wired Home or Small Office / Branch Office 2008-06-19
I have put the Netgear RND2150 ReadyNAS Duo 500 GB Desktop Network Attached Storage through the paces and for me it has passed with flying colors. I own a lot of external storage, and I've configured plenty of NAS devices for work and for home use. While the Netgear lineup of ReadyNAS devices are expensive, the extra features will put them over the top for many demanding users.
So ultimately, you will have to decide whether the extra features you can use with this guy are worth the cost. Alternatively you may decide you would rather stick to the external USB or firewire drives connected directly to you PC like the Western Digital 750 GB 7200RPM 16MB External Hard Drive. And there are middle of the road options like Drobo that offer some of these features at slightly lower cost. For me the answer to whether the ReadyNAS features are worth it is undoubtedly "Yes."
For starters, one of the biggest features isn't something many people will do right away, but rather something for down the road. You can change your drives yourself! That is a huge feature, that will allow you to add larger drives as they become cheaper. Alternatively you can add a second hard drive for RAID mirroring to give you an instant backup of your backup.
The ability to schedule downloads is going to become more and more important to people over time. I can tell you after testing it exptensively it has worked for me.
Also the easy networking really does allow you to set up secure shares very quickly. This is much easier than sharing an attached external hard drive like you can through your computer OS software. Many people never even get to the point where they are comfortable with those configs.
The connectors also allow you to daisy chain additional external drives off the back to add storage. Or you can hook up a USB printer for a print server. Once again, some other drives offer some of these features, but none offer all of them.
And installing this guy is "relatively" easy, although I still wouldn't be surprised if total novices still sought help. For the most part, once you set things up they will run on their own.
Unfortunately, you can't allocate both drive bays for online storage, at least not in a supported configuration. Still, I've got a pretty good feeling that limitation won't last forever. A minor firmware change to the raid controller bus along with a software update could easily make that possible.
Yes, the WD drives I love and LaCie and every other external hard drive is more economical. But none of those allow the easy expansion and longer useful life you will get out of this. When you add in the world of features this guy is ahead, it's clear that this is for more demanding users.
So if you have storage needs for your wired home or small / medium sized business office, check out this ReadyNas product family.
Enjoy!!!
Easy Setup For Mac users 2008-06-12
This is a great product. I looked around, read a lot of reviews, checked out a lot of websites. As a Mac user (PowerBook G4 15" 1.25GHz) one worries about compatibility issues--for me they were not existent. After reading the setup info I plugged in the 2nd drive (Western Digital WD5000KSRTL Caviar 500 GB SATA Hard Drive), installed the software (there's a widget that provides monitoring of the drives 'health', setup, and access), and went through the setup process. It was EASY. On a 1-5 scale where 5 is most difficult it's definitely a 1. The initial transfer of the 120gb of music, audiobooks, movies and backup files took about 6hours. I went to bed and it was done when I got up. My wife and I can now access each others itunes libraries. My daughter's PC also has access.--GO FOR IT!
