Anyway, the thing comes configured as RAID 5 by default, but you can reconfigure it as RAID 0, 1, 5, or the new "X-RAID", which comes standard on their NV model (a physically smaller but more expensive box). I tested it as RAID 5 for a few minutes (after all, it is open-box so worth testing during the return period), and then did a "factory default" procedure (required to reset the RAID level) and set it to X-RAID. It is chugging away as I write, reformatting itself. The "Raidar" user interface for setup and factory-default triggering is simple to use and has versions for Mac, Linux, and Win. And the latest OS Radiator 2.0 c1-p6 or later lets you configure as X-RAID during the factory default procedure. Mine shipped with the latest OS, 2.0 c1-p9, but the Raidar was a slightly outdated version. A quick visit to infrant.com remedied that.

FYI, RAID 5 uses one volume's space for checksum, so you get one disk's worth of less capacity. So my 1TB (4 x 250GB) actually only has about 700GB formatted capacity. This system protects against a single disk failure, as 3 disks allow you to still access the volume, and replacing the defective disk causes an automatic rebuild of the redundancy. You are "exposed" to danger until you do that, and there is no protection against a two disk failure (highly unlikely in the short time it will take you to replace the bad disk). X-RAID has all the advantages of RAID 5 (BTW, a 2 volume X-RAID setup would just be a mirror, equivalent to RAID 1), and allows for automatic volume expansion, by replacing each physical disk one by one with larger capacity ones, or adding extra disks if you start out with just one or two. The advantage of RAID 5 over X-RAID is more flexible volume management (partitioning, changing space set aside for snapshots, etc.). You can switch among the RAID levels with a "factory default" procedure, but you'd lose all your data, and backing up a TB beforehand is no small task!

RAID 5 or X-RAID with more than two disks has more calculational overhead than a RAID 1 mirror. I haven't seen a software RAID 5 implementation yet, though Softraid is working on it. Hopefully the dedicated Infrant hardware will make the performance acceptable so that the Gigabit ethernet connection is the bottle neck, not the internal read-write speed and processing overhead. Obviously I haven't tested it enough to say yet. I bought this unit because of multiple macs and pcs in the house with pictures, eyetv videos, and music scattered all over (including on external disks I kept buying as I filled up my internal ones), and data tracking and backup getting to be a real hassle. Now I'll just set Retrospect to do an automatic increment on a regular schedule for the desktop dual G or whenever a Macbook or iBook connects, and use Infrant's bundled backup software for the WinXP machines. I'll consolidate all my external firewire and usb drives' data on this 1TB Infrant device. I'll set up Infrant's OS to take regular "snapshots" as well, so reverting to the day before I accidentally delete those vacation photos in both locations will be a snap! I have 35GB reserved for those volume snapshots.

Of note, there is an optimization setting for Mac OS X to access the infrant SMB/CIFS volume faster (but must be turned off if any old WinNT clients are on the network). The built in USB print server is supposed to work with Mac OS X. The dual USB ports also support flash readers and certain wireless LAN adapters. It can also connect to certain UPS boxes for graceful shutdown during power failures. The OS can act as a DHCP client or server, or you can set a static IP. That was on the Gigabit connection. I don't have a compatible USB wireless adapter to try with it. It also has a built in UPNP A/V server for streaming media players (again not tested by me yet). So far this is a highly recommended unit.
Thanks! - Paul

(Update: Paul later sent notes on some issues he's seen)

As an append to my report I sent you last night that you've already put on line:

1. The built-in clock is losing about 1 min every 5 min (running slow).
There is a timer-server synch option requiring internet access, currently turned off, but I shouldn't have to depend on that. The file time stamp is by this clock so this is an important defect. I've emailed Infrant and am waiting for a reply. Hopefully I don't have to return this "open-box" to Newegg (one would hope they would fix known problems/reasons-for-return before re-selling.). Infrant is located just down the highway.
(he later wrote)
I just heard back from Infrant. Problem 1 is a bug in the current firmware release and will be fixed in the upcoming release. Also, they claim time becomes more accurate even in this release if one resets it AFTER the full build operation completes.

2. More serious longer term, my copying of the El Gato EyeTV Archive stopped about halfway because it found an El Gato file name that is illegal under SMB/CIFS. My work-around is to create a 500GB sparse disk image with apple's disk utility (occupies 100MB empty) to mount and copying all Mac files to that. The Mac that mounts it can share it using AFP.

3. I was able to record and play an EyeTV HDTV file OK over Gigabit ethernet. There was a little stuttering during viewing while recording (the recorded file itself was fine) because I did it while it was still building the 4th, redundant disk (an hours long process). If I had been a bit more patient, this wouldn't have been a problem.

Not as smooth as I hoped it would be (items 1 and 2).
-Paul

Related Posts:

• G5/Tiger user report on ReadyNAS 600 NAS (w/4 SATA Drives) (Feb 27th, 2006 news)
• More info from ReadyNAS 600 user on SqueezeBox/iTunes Libary use (Feb. 28th, 2006)

The Drive Compatibility Database also has a few reports on NAS (select it as the drive type option - omit brand, Mac model, etc. options to see all NAS reports)