Comments about Iomega StorCenter px6-300d Network Storage Server:

I was in the market to purchase a NAS and after a lot of research was planning on purchasing the Synology DS1511+, but at the last minute received an e-mail with the Iomega StorCenter px6-300d on sale marked down considerably from the [$] Retail Price Tag. When I did some investigating, several reviews commented on the performance being less than optimal, but mentioned the feature set was quite extensive. After reviewing the Iomega website and learning about their "Personal Cloud" and some other cool features not included on the Synology DS1511+ (such as a USB 3.0 connection and 2GB of RAM), I made the decision to go with this Iomega px6-300d, excited at the possibilities. Upon the devices arrival, I unpacked it to find a one page (in English) manual/Installation Guide. Not bothered terribly by this – being the nerd I am – I delved into installing Hard Drives, upgrading the 2nd (unused) SODIMM RAM slot with another PC3-10600 2GB chip, and plugging it all in after installing the Iomega Storage Manager downloaded from Iomega.com. The device took about 5 minutes to boot up, but once it was rolling I was very delighted with how easy it was to use their web-based interface. After configuring all the device properties, I noticed that the additional 2GB RAM chip I had installed did not recognize; a little disappointing, but not a big deal. After removing the additional RAM chip, I attempted to create what they term a "Storage Pool" that would utilize the four (4) hard drives that I had installed (2x Western Digital 500GB 7.2k RPM and 2x Western Digital 400GB 7.2k RPM). I was disappointed to find that unlike the previous device I used that allowed me to create a RAID 5 Array using these discs, I had to use identical Manufacturer/Make/Model/Speed/Size Drives to make a Storage Pool. I attempted to create a RAID 0 configuration just between like drives, and it popped up with "Error" and no description, just an "Ok" button. I then attempted to just create a JBOD setup, when I was met with the same problem.Upon calling into Iomega Technical Support (they DO speak English as a 1st language which was a plus), I was informed that I actually needed different Hard Drives because the ones I was using we not supported – go figure… they we like 2-3 yrs old. Anywho, they let me know that the 1TB Seagate Barracuda was tested/certified to work with this system and I really needed to go drop the cash to purchase those for it to work best. A little irritated, I picked up six (6) brand new Seagate Barracuda 1TB Hard Drives. After opening and installing them all, I turned on the NAS and waited over an hour for it to boot before again calling Tech Support. I was then told to hard reset the system (via a pinhole button on the back) and unplug all the hard drives, then boot it. I did this and it took 3-4 minutes to boot before asking me to install the drives. I hot-plugged in all six drives and the system recognized them. All seemed wonderful now… right? Nope, after attempting to create a RAID 6 array (and subsequently any other type of configuration) I received the same Error message with no description. Talk about getting irritated. So then the Iomega technician proceeds to ask me to read off the full model number on the Seagate boxes, to which I responded "ST31000528AS". He then told me that they do not support those drives. More than a little perturbed, I mentioned that the previous technician said they were approved, to which he replied that the model number they needed was actually "ST31000520AS"; the difference was I had the 7.2k RPM Drives and they only tested the 5.9k RPM Drives. Furthermore, they do not support ANY 7.2k RPM 1TB Drive (only the 2TB and 3TB 7.2k RPM Hitachi Deskstars are approved for use).Wow. So after wasting a full 2-3 days messing with this, I find that the only hard drives they support are not only very expensive, but also very hard to find locally (I'm in the Dallas Metroplex, so there are a lot of places to check). Last I heard, the Tier 3 Technician with whom I spoke submitted this case to their development team and it may or may not ever be resolved. What use is a NAS that only supports 6 exact model number hard drives of the hundreds out there? Why offer the system as Diskless at all?Let me conclude by saying that this has put a VERY bad taste in my mouth about Iomega and this product. If you DO decide to purchase this NAS, BE SURE that you ONLY USE the EXACT Hard Drives they list as specifically APPROVED. Also, ALL DRIVES MUST BE IDENTICAL (ie. 6x same Manufacturer/Make/Model #/Speed/Size). I hope you have found this review helpful.