PC for a NAS Device

[Gillbot]

Ok, I got my small NAS device like I had listed in the wanted section and it was a spectacular FAILURE. It works and works well but alas, it will not do what I want it to so..... I have to ask for advice.

If I use my current Media PC as a storage center, is there a way it can go to sleep or low power mode but wake up when someone tries to access files? I know about WOL and etc but i've never gotten it to work. Access to files wouldn't happen very often so the machine would be asleep most of the time.
I'd prefer NOT to set it up with a different OS such as free-nas but instead keep my current XP and install a pair of mirrored drives just for centralized storage.

Maybe at this rate, it would just be easier just to go back to my external USB drive. :shrug:

 

[JackMDS]

Yeah the low end market of NAS is a complete failure.

WOL or Hibernation entails the PC being totally off and boots from remote so it does not suit your purposes.

You need to configure your Storage computer to "deep" Standby to save enrgy.

Just make sure that if there is an entry in the Motherboard BIOS to get out of Standby when there is any Network traffic is it ON, and that the Network card (NIC) is not set to power saving.

If the network card goes to sleep as part of Standby, or and it set to powersaving, it will Not start working when there is network Traffic.
NIC Power Saving is usually found in the NIC Driver Properties.

http://www.ezlan.net/example/powersave.jpg

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
Yeah the low end market of NAS is a complete failure.

WOL or Hibernation entails the PC being totally off and boots from remote so it does not suit your purposes.

You need to configure your Storage computer to "deep" Standby to save enrgy.

Just make sure that if there is an entry in the Motherboard BIOS to get out of Standby when there is any Network traffic is it ON, and that the Network card (NIC) is not set to power saving.

If the network card goes to sleep as part of Standby, or and it set to powersaving, it will Not start working when there is network Traffic.
NIC Power Saving is usually found in the NIC Driver Properties.

http://www.ezlan.net/example/powersave.jpg

I've messed with the WOL stuff and never got it to work no matter what. Maybe this time I will get it to work or I'll get the power settings right. I'm sure it's probably something I'M doing, I just can't figure out what.

Thanks for the tips, i'll go from there!

 

[JackMDS]

WOL entails a computer that is totally Off that can be started from Remote through the Network

I.e. it is a substitute to the physical On switch.

If that is what you want to do this might help, http://www.ezlan.net/WOL.html

 

[Gillbot]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
WOL entails a computer that is totally Off that can be started from Remote through the Network

I.e. it is a substitute to the physical On switch.

If that is what you want to do this might help, http://www.ezlan.net/WOL.html

I know the difference between WOL and just awakening the PC from sleep mode but I've tried to get any and all to work to no avail. I've went through everything I could find at ezlan, Dalantech and practically networked to no avail thus far.

I started with WOL and thought I would just let the PC hibernate or power down completely after a certain inactive time but that failed so I switched to putting it in a sleep mode, which has failed as well. I have to go move the mouse or hit the power button to wake it up and thus defeats everything i'm trying to do. I even went so far as to buy a WOL network card with the WOL header and hook that up. Still nothing worked.

I also checked the bios settings and network card settings to ensure power save mode was not enabled and it isn't. Like I said, i'm sure it's probably something i'm doing wrong, I just need to find the hole in my approach and fix it.

Thanks for the help thus far!

 

[Gillbot]

WOW!

I think I might have gotten WOL to work finally! I just need to find an easier use utility other than AMD's magic packet util. Something that will save the config info. Now to try to get the system to wake up properly after falling asleep and i'm set!

 

[mooseracing]

I can't remem which software I have used for WOL, but i can punch in an IP or by MAC and hit the wake button and the pc boots. The software also told me whether or not there was a problem. It was also freeware.

I've also used this one before with success..
http://www.freedownloadmanager...ed_IP_Scanner_47411_p/