Question How long does a NAS generally last?

[fsc123]

While I know there is a myriad of variables, I'm looking for either a rule of thumb or the experiences of others.

I have a Netgear ReadyNAS 214 (RN2140), purchased in 2016.

I've swapped and upgraded the drives regularly, every few years using genuine NAS drives, cleared the dust from the fans, and kept it away from accidental harm.

It runs 24/7, but its duties are fairly light: This is a home device that does Time Machine for a pair of Macs, backup for two Linux computers, and general archival storage.

Should I be looking for its replacement?

My thought was to purchase its successor, but keep the ReadyNAS on a shelf, unplugged, as another redundancy.

Thoughts?

Note: I DID search for a similar thread before posting, but I didn't find one. If I've missed one with relevant information, I'd welcome reading it.

 

[kanewolf]

While I know there is a myriad of variables, I'm looking for either a rule of thumb or the experiences of others.

I have a Netgear ReadyNAS 214 (RN2140), purchased in 2016.

I've swapped and upgraded the drives regularly, every few years using genuine NAS drives, cleared the dust from the fans, and kept it away from accidental harm.

It runs 24/7, but its duties are fairly light: This is a home device that does Time Machine for a pair of Macs, backup for two Linux computers, and general archival storage.

Should I be looking for its replacement?

My thought was to purchase its successor, but keep the ReadyNAS on a shelf, unplugged, as another redundancy.

Thoughts?

Note: I DID search for a similar thread before posting, but I didn't find one. If I've missed one with relevant information, I'd welcome reading it.

Failure rates of spinning disks increase significantly after 5 years in operation. So the probability of a failure increases.
Vendors generally have policies of continued software support for 5 years after then end of sale.
SO for a general rule of thumb, I try to replace disk and chassis every 7 years.
A 7 year life cycle allows you to copy data off the old chassis onto the new one without having to have a third storage pool. Your available space will be 4 to 8 times larger in the new unit for a similar price. New features such as SSD caching, 2.5Gb ethernet, 10Gb ethernet, larger RAM and RAM expansion, etc are available in newer chassis.

 

[fsc123]

SO for a general rule of thumb, I try to replace disk and chassis every 7 years.

Thank you!

 

[USAFRet]

My QNAP TS-453a just turned 7 years old. Drives have mostly been replaced over the years, but the NAS itself is still going strong.

 

[kanewolf]

My QNAP TS-453a just turned 7 years old. Drives have mostly been replaced over the years, but the NAS itself is still going strong.

A chassis can last longer as long as the manufacturer continues software updates.

 

[fsc123]

A chassis can last longer as long as the manufacturer continues software updates.

My ReadyNAS is still getting firmware updates, despite being released in 2015.

 

[USAFRet]

A chassis can last longer as long as the manufacturer continues software updates.

Yep.

I get a firmware update every 4-6 weeks.
Application updates more often.