NAS for Squeezebox Touch?

[Gusboll]

Dear all,

I acquired a SBT about 2 months ago now and have been running it with a 1TB HDD plugged straight into it. On the whole it works fairly well (sound quality is great) as long as long I don't use the shuffle option which can't cope with 21,000 tunes and results in it crashing.

It does have the odd glitch; usually right at the end of a tune; a bit like when a CDP has a momentary skip, so I was wondering if a NAS would be of any use. I've never used one and I don't fully understand the point of them except a lot of SBT users seem to have one.

If they are useful, what should I be looking for? Budget is no more than £200.

Many thanks.

Currently listening to: Rory Gallagher: Fresh Evidence

 

[Anonymous]

May I ask a general question about the SQ of your touch? Is it comparable to your CDP when you put lossless audio through it? Thinking of getting one myself...

 

[Gusboll]

May I ask a general question about the SQ of your touch? Is it comparable to your CDP when you put lossless audio through it? Thinking of getting one myself...

Having done a few comparisons, on the whole I would say that I prefer the SBT; especially in the lower range. Hence despite the glitches I'm prepared to go with it in the hope it will become flawless. It's an amazing piece of kit for the money.

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds good. I'm just paranoid that a computer company like LogiTech can produce something that sounds as good as my Marantz CDP. Think I'm sold on the good reviews it's getting though!

 

[nads]

Sounds good. I'm just paranoid that a computer company like LogiTech can produce something that sounds as good as my Marantz CDP. Think I'm sold on the good reviews it's getting though!

They did not.

They bought out the company that made the Squeezeboxes.

Op any net gear NAS as they come with logitecmedia server pre installed an you can add HDD as needed.

I run a Duo with my Touch and have done for a few years now.

 

[Gusboll]

Sounds good. I'm just paranoid that a computer company like LogiTech can produce something that sounds as good as my Marantz CDP. Think I'm sold on the good reviews it's getting though!

I run a Duo with my Touch and have done for a few years now.

Thanks Nads, what's a Duo?

 

[Tonya]

NAS is Network Attatched Storage.

The Duo is a product made by NetGear, denoting a double drive array, but NAS systems are available as 2, 4 6, 8, etc formations.
A difference between a NAS & an ordinary external drive is that the NAS box contains a small "PC" and is smart.
It regularly does disc housekeeping, archiving, et al.

A NAS setup can also serve up video files, photos, programs, etc.
All media can be accessed by all media units such as BluRay players, TV sets, laptops and the like, even if you are in another location, via a net connection.

NAS systems are also very reliable, a factor that can be increased by using a RAID configuration.
In it's simplest form, a dual HD drive system of say, 2 x 2TB will be seen by the media player as a single 2 TB drive.
A media file saved to the NAS is saved on both drives at the same time, so drive 1 is a mirror copy of drive 2.
If drive 1 fails for any reason, the NAS will give you a message by either flashing a light or an email.
Then you have to simply pull out the defect drive cage, replace the drive & slot it back in.
The NAS will automatically detect the new drive and copy all the media files from the good drive to the new drive so once again the integrity of the NAS is assured.

Just using a single drive for all your media is asking for trouble - when the drive fails (and it will), that's a whole world of pain!

To be absolutely sure, some NAS drives also back themselves up to a Cloud service, which essentially is storage space on a remote server via the Internet, so if your NAS box gets stolen, you buy a new one and do a backup from your Cloud service so your collection is automatically restored.

There is a saying that you don't have a reliable backup unless it's replicated on three different media systems in three different locations, but a basic NAS will come close.
They used to be really expensive but a good unit these days, so a NetGear Duo with 2 x TB drives will costs around £220.

Cheap insurance if you ask me . . . .

 

[Gusboll]

That's really very useful Tonya, thank you.

There seems to be a few different Duos out there but would this one be ok?

http://tinyurl.com/7s7l7wu

 

[Tonya]

That is indeed the very unit I use.
Make sure you update the box at once, as soon as you go online with it.

You can put 2 x 3 TB drives inside (I use Seagate myself) and install the latest SqueezeBox software.
The unit is absolutely silent once you have calibrated the fan (all done in software, really easy) and away you go :type:

It's perfect for streaming high resolution FLAC or WAV files, even DTS format albums are handled with ease via the SBT.
There are several sites online who specialize in HD music where you can purchase either individual tracks or entire albums in high quality 24-bit/96kHz format.
Stuff like Diana Krall, Peter Gabriel, George Benson sound absolutely amazing.
Listening to Stevie Wonder's classic "Innervisions" album this morning, it's like listening for the first time :O

Remember, any DLNA compliant units can also see the media on the NAS, so my Sony TV, BluRay player, etc, can also stream from the box so it really does become the central hub of your entertainment system.

After using it for a day, you'll wonder how you have survived so long without one . . . .

 

[mattjax05]

I run a Duo with my Touch and have done for a few years now.

What do you think of it's performance with Squeezebox? I have one too with a SBR but I hear that the Duo is bettered with Squeezebox i.e the Netgear ReadyNas Ultra with it's Atom CPU or a PlugComputer. However, I find with the Duo that performance is great with iPeng, albums load almost straight away. I'm struggling to see how the Duo would be outperformed with iPeng as the controller. What do you think?

 

[nads]

IPeng here as well. Not as quick as I remember when I ran SBS on a PC. But more than happy.

 

[Tonya]

Although you can run a HD or flash drive directly from the Touch, it only runs a "light" version of the server required to keep track of all those files so it's only really to be used to play the occasional file from a guest's memory stick or card.
Once you go over to a NAS soloution, that takes over the filing system and it really speeds along no matter how many thousand tracks you have stored.

Also a quick tip, if you do buy the NetGear Duo, upgrade the firmware at once, then remove the SqueezeBox server add-in that comes pre-installed and replace it with the latest version from Logitech.

This will eliminate any glitches and ensure maximum speed and rescanning is done much faster.

Pssst! You can also max it out by upgrading the NAS system ram from 256Mb to 1Gb for around £25 and then drop 2 x 4TB drives in, that should take care of your music for some years to come . . . .

 

[daveg56]

An important distinction needed here. Have just set up a Netgear ReadyNAS Duo v2, only to discover that Squeezebox Server is not yet available for this box! However the forums indicate that it's imminent.

Looks like I'll have to continue using my laptop to serve my two SB Touch. Am a bit gutted, but the NAS was straightforward to setup. Stay tuned.

 

[Gusboll]

An important distinction needed here. Have just set up a Netgear ReadyNAS Duo v2, only to discover that Squeezebox Server is not yet available for this box! However the forums indicate that it's imminent.

Looks like I'll have to continue using my laptop to serve my two SB Touch. Am a bit gutted, but the NAS was straightforward to setup. Stay tuned.

Does this account for the fact that (having bought a Netgear Duo), when I try to upload Squeezebox server it keeps saying "Invalid Image"?

 

[nads]

An important distinction needed here. Have just set up a Netgear ReadyNAS Duo v2, only to discover that Squeezebox Server is not yet available for this box! However the forums indicate that it's imminent.

Looks like I'll have to continue using my laptop to serve my two SB Touch. Am a bit gutted, but the NAS was straightforward to setup. Stay tuned.

Does this account for the fact that (having bought a Netgear Duo), when I try to upload Squeezebox server it keeps saying "Invalid Image"?

Duo or Duo V2?

 

[daveg56]

Gisboll, the Duo v2 uses an ARM processor, the earlier model Duo uses a SPARC/RISC processor. Each of those require a different version of the LMS application. LMS (*beta*) for the v2 can be found here: http://downloads.slimdevices.com/nightly/?ver=7.7, the SPARC version here: http://www.mysqueezebox.com/download. So make sure you're using the right image for the box you have.

I managed to load the beta version to my v2 box, however the device has been really unstable today, prior to installing LMS, with the shares and management application going off-line every couple of minutes. It had been working fine for a few days. LMS did work OK for the brief periods it was available, which was a good sign.

So I think my hardware has gone faulty, so I'm sending it back, very disappointing. Once I've got my refund I plan to use the disks (bought separately from the NAS) in a Synology DS212J box, hopefully with more success.

 

[Gusboll]

An important distinction needed here. Have just set up a Netgear ReadyNAS Duo v2, only to discover that Squeezebox Server is not yet available for this box! However the forums indicate that it's imminent.

Looks like I'll have to continue using my laptop to serve my two SB Touch. Am a bit gutted, but the NAS was straightforward to setup. Stay tuned.

Does this account for the fact that (having bought a Netgear Duo), when I try to upload Squeezebox server it keeps saying "Invalid Image"?

Duo or Duo V2?

Duo - it was my ineptitude that caused the problem; I'm up and away!

 

[Peter Larsen]

The Synology NAS's all have the ability to run Squeezebox server (media center). You simply install an app from within the Synology interface.

 

[Gusboll]

Dear all,

I acquired a SBT about 2 months ago now and have been running it with a 1TB HDD plugged straight into it. On the whole it works fairly well (sound quality is great) as long as long I don't use the shuffle option which can't cope with 21,000 tunes and results in it crashing.

It does have the odd glitch; usually right at the end of a tune; a bit like when a CDP has a momentary skip, so I was wondering if a NAS would be of any use. I've never used one and I don't fully understand the point of them except a lot of SBT users seem to have one.

If they are useful, what should I be looking for? Budget is no more than £200.

Many thanks.

Currently listening to: Rory Gallagher: Fresh Evidence

Well, I bought a Netgear Duo with a 2TB hard drive included, for £228. I also bought 1GB memory module to replace the 256MB one that was fitted; only had to undo 2 screws to remove the side panel, lifted out the old memory and then slotted in the new one - took about 30 seconds.

Went to the Logitech website and found instructions on how to install Squeezebox Server to the NAS; again, very straightforward. Transferred all the music from the old drive to the one in the NAS which took about 12 hours overnight.

Squeezebox detected the NAS and all the music, hit play and it works perfect; no glitches, plays 'random' with no problems at all and most importantly, it sounds great.

Currently listening to: Jan Akkerman - Gate to Europe

Oh, and thanks for all the advice!

 

[daveg56]

After the false start with the Netgear Duo v2, I've subsequently purchased a Synology D212j installing the 2 x 2TB disks I'd purchased separately. Installation and configuration has been really straightforward, particularly the LMS.

Happy now that I don't need to use my laptop

 

[mattjax05]

Dear all,

I acquired a SBT about 2 months ago now and have been running it with a 1TB HDD plugged straight into it. On the whole it works fairly well (sound quality is great) as long as long I don't use the shuffle option which can't cope with 21,000 tunes and results in it crashing.

It does have the odd glitch; usually right at the end of a tune; a bit like when a CDP has a momentary skip, so I was wondering if a NAS would be of any use. I've never used one and I don't fully understand the point of them except a lot of SBT users seem to have one.

If they are useful, what should I be looking for? Budget is no more than £200.

Many thanks.

Currently listening to: Rory Gallagher: Fresh Evidence

Well, I bought a Netgear Duo with a 2TB hard drive included, for £228. I also bought 1GB memory module to replace the 256MB one that was fitted; only had to undo 2 screws to remove the side panel, lifted out the old memory and then slotted in the new one - took about 30 seconds.

Went to the Logitech website and found instructions on how to install Squeezebox Server to the NAS; again, very straightforward. Transferred all the music from the old drive to the one in the NAS which took about 12 hours overnight.

Squeezebox detected the NAS and all the music, hit play and it works perfect; no glitches, plays 'random' with no problems at all and most importantly, it sounds great.

Currently listening to: Jan Akkerman - Gate to Europe

Oh, and thanks for all the advice!

What advice did you receive on upgrading the RAM for the benefit of Squeezebox? What will it do quicker and how much was 1gb?

Cheers.

 

[Gusboll]

Hi mattjax05, see Tonya's advice earlier in the thread; upgrade was about £25.

 

[nads]

Netger say it gives about a 12% speed increase. With 1Gb. I went and changed to 512 Mb nd TBH have not noticed much change but I have not been looking for any.

Will be going for the max size as I should have one from the start sometime.

 

[Anonymous]

Having read comments about mirrored Nas dual drive, losing data on A and therefore B, what is the best configuration for a dual hdd Nas.

plonka