NETGEAR ReadyNAS Pro Pioneer Edition 6-Bay (Diskless) Network Attached Storage RNDP600E

by Netgear

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 6.7 x 9.8 inches ; 15.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 21.6 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001MVFTAC
• Item model number: RNDP600E-100NAS
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: December 3, 2008

Product Description

Capacity: Diskless

Amazon.com Product Description

The ReadyNAS Pro Pioneer Edition shares most of the same powerful hardware and performance features with the ReadyNAS Pro Business Edition, but removes a few of business- and enterprise-specific features to save on cost. This high-performance network attached storage device is ideal for advanced home enthusiasts and small office users who want to customize it to the exact specifications their uses require.

The ReadyNAS Pro Pioneer Edition offers: Six drive bays for up to 9 TB of disk space. X-RAID2 support for automatic volume expansion. Support for RAID 0, 1, 5, 6. Three built-in USB ports to add extra disks, printers, and more. Compact size and quiet operation. A 3-year warranty.

Measuring just 10.0 x 6.7 x 11.2 inches (H x W x D), the ReadyNAS Pioneer Edition can be placed easily on desktops and in small office spaces. View larger.

Large Storage Capacity in a Compact, Energy-Efficient Design
The ReadyNAS Pro Pioneer Edition features six hot-swappable SATA II enclosures. Users can add hard drives one at a time for up to nine terabytes of total diskspace when using 1.5 GB drives. For users who wish to have hard drives pre-installed and setup, NETGEAR offers the ReadyNAS Pro Business Edition, available in 6 TB, 3 TB and 1.5 TB versions. (Click here to see the differences between the ReadyNAS Pioneer Edition and the Business Pro Edition.)

Measuring just 6.7 x 10 x 11.2 inches (WxHxD) and weighing 16.5 pounds without disks, the ReadyNAS Pro can easily sit on a desktop or in a small server space, making it the ideal solution for businesses and workgroups with limited space.

The ReadyNAS Pro also offers low power consumption and a special energy-saving mode, allowing you to not only spin-down your drives but also to program it to automatically power on only when the device will be in use.

Fast, Professional-Grade Performance With X-RAID2 Support
The ReadyNAS Pro packs an Intel multi-core processor and 1 GB of RAM to keep all your data rolling along seamlessly. With dual redundant Gigabit Ethernet ports for failover protection and jumbo frame support, the Pro offers enough bandwidth to allow up to 200 users to access data storage simultaneously.

The ReadyNAS Pro supports hardware-accelerated RAID, which provides for full data redundancy without sacrificing performance. By incorporating Intel Matrix Storage Technology, the ReadyNAS Pro supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 6 and NETGEAR's own X-RAID2.

X-RAID2--the ReadyNAS's patent-pending Auto-Expandable RAID technology--automates volume expansion, allowing you to upgrade your capacity by simply replacing disks, without any need for reformatting or moving data from one disk to another. If you ever have a drive failure, simply replace the bad disk and the ReadyNAS will automatically resync the disk in the background while the ReadyNAS continues to operate.

Built-In Media Serving Functions
With the average home having more and more computers, being able to consolidate storage and backup is very appealing. With the capacity to install a large amount of protected storage, and a myriad of media-serving features, the ReadyNAS Pro is the ideal choice for homes with a large amount of digital media.

This schematic shows how a ReadyNas Pro Business Edition can be integrated into your network. View larger.

The ReadyNAS Pro supports streaming to all popular media streaming devices such as the Sonos Music Player, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox/Xbox 360, NETGEAR Digital Entertainer HD EVA8000 series, and Windows MCE devices. The Pro also acts as a streamer server for Apple iTunes, Logitech Squeeze Center, and UPnP AV devices.

Three USB Ports for Attaching Networked Peripherals
The ReadyNAS Pro also has three USB ports, so you can also connect a printer for everyone on the network to share. You can also connect additional external hard drives to the ReadyNAS for file backups.

Supports Windows, Mac, and Linux Users
Whether your home computers are running Linux, Mac, or Windows, the ReadyNAS Pro will do the job, with full support for CIFS/SMB for Windows, and AFP 3.1 for Mac OS 9/X, and NFS v2/v3 for Linux.

Patent-pending Auto-Expandable RAID technology makes it easy to upgrade capacity. (Note: Disks in image are for explanatory reasons only. This edition does not ship with disks.)

Easy to Manage
The ReadyNAS Pro uses an intuitive Web-based interface that is accessible by any Web browser. Unlike enterprise servers that require IT professionals several hours to configure and constantly maintain, the ReadyNAS Pro can be set up quickly and doesn't require advanced server knowledge to manage. For added peace of mind, you can set the ReadyNAS to send you email alerts whenever something goes awry, such as disk failure, fan failure, or overheating.

Backups Made Easy
The Pro ships with NTI Shadow, a program specially designed for the device that allows for continuous data protection (CDP) between it and your Windows and Mac clients. You can also revert to any older saved version of your files, thanks to versioning support. An integrated backup manager also lets you back up critical data on your ReadyNAS to an external USB hard drive with a push of a button, which you can then take off-site for extra security.

The ReadyNAS Pro Pioneer Edition is backed by an industry-leading 3-year warranty.

What's in the Box
ReadyNAS Pro unit, six hard disk trays, quick installation guide, warranty card, power adapter, power cable, Ethernet cable, ReadyNAS Installation CD and Discovery Utility, and NTI Shadow for ReadyNAS for Windows and Macintosh.

X-RAID2 lets you add storage by replacing disks with larger ones.

Product Description

ReadyNAS Pro Pioneer Edition is the newest and fastest member of the award-winning ReadyNAS product family. But speed is just one element of the Pro. With X-RAID2, RAID 6, and hot spare support, the ReadyNAS Pro automates future volume expansion and provides the utmost option in data protection. File and media streaming services are second to none, and the comprehensive backup support helps to prevent a data loss catastrophe. The performance and system design of the ReadyNAS Pro continues the tradition of excellence and again raises the bar for the ultimate network storage solution. Designed for home and SOHO users, the 6-bay gigabit network attached storage (NAS) appliance is packed with high-end features,including RAID (redundant array of independent disks) levels 0, 1, 5, 6, and Auto-Expandable X-RAID2 for data protection, integrated system monitoring capabilities, built-in backup manager and continuous data protection (CDP) backup. The Pro Pioneer Edition is shipped without hard drive and the users can start with a single drive of any size and add drives later easily to build up redundancy and expand storage capacity.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ReadyNAS Pro Review, February 4, 2009

By 

Clark Chuka (Newport Coast, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: NETGEAR ReadyNAS Pro 6-Bay 1.5TB (3 x 500GB) (Personal Computers)

I was running out of storage space for backups and started asking friends about Network Attached Storage devices. I heard about the new LaCie NAS, Drobo, etc.. At the time I ordered this unit, none of the other NAS systems had enough storage space to backup my system. Looking for a larger NAS led me to Netgear.

I ordered the ReadyNAS late December 2008. It was easy to set up and had way too many business features for my workflow - or so I thought. After using the ReadyNAS to backup my Mac Pro tower files and my PC files, I noticed it could serve media files (iTunes music and Videos). I moved all of my media to the NAS too. I can stream video to all of my computers and my Xbox 360. I can also stream all of my music via iTunes music sharing. I just had to click a few buttons from their web based user interface. It's very cool.

Here are some technical review items:

1. It has fans. They are quiet, but you don't want this NAS next to your TV, in a music studio or in your bedroom. The fans will bug you. It's a lot quieter than my Xbox (my Xbox sounds more like a vacuum), but the ReadyNAS is not quiet enough for a really quiet media room. If you're buying this for your office, you can have it next to your desk and it won't bother you.

2. It's fast. With it's Gigabit Ethernet and robust operating system, I've hit it with everything I have without any noticeable delays.

3. Lots of flexibility. I'm using this unit in a mixed environment. I use Macs (Tiger & Leopard, PowerPCs and Intel Macs) one PC using XP Pro and a HP Digital Sender. So, I've chosen to use AFP (w/ Bonjour) for the Macs and CIFS for the PC and the HP. The ReadyNAS supports multiple File Protocols at the same time. It has been solid since the day I turned it on. There are a lot of other features that I don't plan on using, like printer sharing, a FTP server, user access controls with quotas and other File Sharing Protocols for Unix/Linux among some others.

4. It's expensive. I know it's cheaper to build your own NAS, but I don't have the expertise or patience for that. I just wanted to buy a NAS, get bigger hard drives, plug it in and be done with it. If this sounds like you, this NAS is a great choice.

5. My configuration: I bought the 3x500 ReadyNAS and replaced the drives with 6x1TB SATA drives. It was much cheaper to order the 3x500 drive unit from Netgear and add my own drives than to buy their 6x1TB unit. Check Netgear's website for the recommended drives before you expand this system. It took about 5 minutes to attach the new drives to the drive trays and insert them into the NAS. Very easy. I chose RAID Level X-RAID2 for safety and future expansion. I don't remember how long it took to build it's RAID.

6. Great support. I've only had one issue with the NAS and Netgear went over and above the call of duty to fix it. The power supply fan for my NAS started to make clicking noises. It sounded like the bearing was giving out. I called Netgear, spoke to India first and after they entered my info. they transferred me to someone in the states. He was very helpful. I asked if they could send me a replacement fan and if they'd let me replace it without voiding my warranty - they couldn't. They didn't have a part number for a new fan. So, they shipped out a replacement unit. A BRAND NEW UNIT came via FedEx in about three business days. This is a company that still cares about their customers!!! A++. I moved my hard drives from bay to bay in the replacement unit, bay 1 to bay 1, bay 2 to bay 2, etc. and started it up. All of my files and setup choices were there. No down time. No data lost!

To close, this NAS has a lot of great features. Netgear has made it very easy to configure it via any browser. So, you don't need a computer degree or a network engineering degree if you just want to add a "boat load" of RAID storage, add a great media server or large file server to your home or office network.

December 2010 update: Upgraded unit with 6 Western Digital 2TB Drives (WD2003FYYS). Still running strong. I've had no issues since 1st replacement unit arrived (see #6 above). I performed a factory reset after swapping out the drives to upgrade to 4TB Time Machine support. The cooling fans ramp up more with the WD drives installed. I was almost out of space 90%. Now at 44% capacity. I still highly recommend this NAS.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Business-class NAS, April 8, 2009

By 

Grey "Grey" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: NETGEAR ReadyNAS Pro Pioneer Edition 6-Bay (Diskless) Network Attached Storage RNDP600E (Personal Computers)

I have been using ReadyNAS products since August of 2005. I now own a ReadyNAS Pro Business edition in addition to ReadyNAS X6 (circa 2005). This is a device that you can entrust all your valuable files to. I had a hard disk failure on the X6, but because I was running the X6 in RAID1, I had all of my data intact. I replaced the failed drive, and the X6 rebuilt the RAID. Had I not had this device, I would have lost years of pictures that were irreplacable. The data restoration service on one hard drive is equal in price to the price of this device, and there's no guarantee that all of your data can be restored from a filed drive.

The number of features that this device has is so huge that describing them here would take a long time. I just want to mention that besides the features that help Windows users internetwork their computers (such as NetBIOS master browser and WINS server that the ReadyNAS can become), it also provides Mac users with a lot of features that no other NAS does. These features include AFP, Bonjour, Time Machine support (just like Time Capsule does), and iTunes server (provided via the Firefly server). Besides those features, there are several media streaming servers integrated into this device, there's an FTP server, Rsync, Rsync via ssh, etc. Just read the information on their web site to get all the features. It even has such esoteric features as iSCSI and eSATA.

If you think the price of the ReadyNAS Pro is too steep, consider ReadyNAS NVX instead. If the NVX is too expensive for you, then look at ReadyNAS NV+ or ReadyNAS Duo. The latter can be had for less than $350 with one 500 GB drive. Add another 500 GB drive, for $50 or less, and you will get a RAID1 device that has most of the same features that the ReadyNAS Pro has for less than $400. So, I really don't understand the negative review here. It seems that the reviewer did not research the line of ReadyNAS server offerings. There's a ReadyNAS server for every budget here.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Please do not buy this device, January 6, 2011

By 

S. Goncalves - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: NETGEAR ReadyNAS Pro Pioneer Edition 6-Bay (Diskless) Network Attached Storage RNDP600E (Personal Computers)

This is my second unit. After moving all my data and getting it running it went belly up. I am once again waiting for netgear to telnet into the box to see if I can get my data back. Thank god for carbonite. I backup everything to them. The waiting period for Netgear to "figure out" what is wrong is 24-48 hours. So it has to sit there and wait for them to dail in from China. Not tawain, China. My first unit was 2 weeks in this telnet mode. That is what they use to get into the box. If they can not get in they do not call you and tell you. You can not talk with the level 3 guy, even if you speak chinese. They are walled off. If they can not see you box or can not get in you go to the back of the que. Oh and you have to call them to find this out. Seems that they can not pick up the phone. As soon as I get the data off. Hello returns....... This is a peice of junk. No ISCSI load balancing etc....

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