ch3snas

Conceptronic CH3SNAS firmware 1.03Final Release

Important info: 1.03Final can cause files to become corrupted when copying data with an alternative copy tool, like: Total Commander and/or TeraCopy etc. This has been reported by several users and I could finally reproduce it today.

Therefore please use 1.03b6a again to be sure your copied data will not be corrupted!

New firmware to be expected today /tomorrow. It will be the final 1.03 version

Released: 1.03Final 

  • added Request : PureFTPD supports SIZE and MDTM
  • added Request: SSL support
  • Fixed: HDD1 unable to sleep in Raid1 mode
  • added Request : FTP Server support option -O : ftp logging
  • Refresh only new added files automatically (instantly), so remove the “Refresh” button and Auto Refresh Timer from GUI for UPnP AV server part / I-Tunes part. this will give more stability and better performance. Note: Works through SAMBA shares, FTP is unknown
  • added Request: NFS v3 option enabled (for use with fun_plug: untested)
  • added: scandisk returned
  • Questionmark: fun_plug installation workable? Existing installations seems to work, but I was unable to get it working on my device (from scratsch) <sigh> unrar the funplug put it in the root of Volume_1 .. reboot .. no go :-( I think I do something wrong .. strange: Volume_2 .. worked

Other options requested are scheduled for 1.04 (like the HELO part for Matthijs)

Continue reading →

Dagboek van een Cebit-ganger: de aftermath #3

Demo’s van de Media Giant PVR .. een bijna alles-in-1 oplossing. Analoge TV, Verschillende inputs waaronder Composiet, Firewire, USB, uitgangen zoals: HDMI, Composiet. HDD erin, eventueel een PLC (Ethernet over Power) en kan tezamen met de ingebouwde TwonkyServer data streamen over je netwerk

cebit_pic2.jpg

En dan nog een persoonlijke favo: CFULLHDMA. Een Full HD (1080p) player. Trek je MKV’s, H.264’s van een CH3SNAS of een USB HDD en gaan met die banaan .. Erg geweldig was de 10.000BC trailer ..

cebit_pic3.jpg

morgen de laatste fotootjes ..

Oja .. wellicht komt er ook nog ergens een interview met me op het internet wat ze voor cdfreaks.com hebben opgenomen

CH3SNAS firmware release: 1.03b6

This would have been 1.03final if there was not found a nasty bug in the GUI where you are not able to modify a user. Reason: the apply button does not function, so here I present you: CH3SNAS 1.03b6  CH3SNAS 1.03b6a firmware.

  • Known issue: users cannot be modified, must be deleted and recreated.
    • fixed in 1.03b6a
  • Fixed: HDD cannot go into idle / sleep mode
  • Fixed: GUI did not give ability to remove shares
  • Added feature: support for Jumbo Frames .. change the MTU value from 3000~9000
  • Added feature: Central European codepage support to FTP Server.

note: as the HDD’s will fall into standby / idle state it can take some time to start an FTP or other transfer setting as the HDD’s have to go into active state again (seems logical).

Although this firmware will not destroy your data: there is no guarantee of course .. it’s beta .. ;-) 

Feedback is appreciated

the message created to trigger tweakers.

CH3SNAS: Degraded Raid Status

In some very rare conditions (I still did not found when and why) it’s possible that a RAID1 array made onto the CH3SNAS gets into a degraded status and even a reboot is not solving the issue.

How to get the RAID array fixed again?

First of all: make sure you have telnet running. Telnet can be installed by using one of the many fun_plugs around. So no explanation from me about that.

Login to the shell

first check the actual raid status:

 # cat /proc/mdstat

Normally you should get something like this: 

Personalities : [linear] [raid0] [raid1]
md0 : active raid1 sda2[0] sdb2[1]
xxxxx blocks [2/2] [UU]

But when degraded the raid status shows: [_U] or [U_]

Do some debugging with the command:

# mdadm -D /dev/md0

This will show the actual HDD’s in the array. For the CH3SNAS it can be:

/dev/sda2 or /dev/sdb2 if one of the disks is not in the array anymore you have to add it manually by using the following command:

mdadm /dev/md0 -a [degraded hdd]

this is: /dev/sdb2 or /dev/sda2

System will report: 

mdadm: hot added /dev/sdb2; and the array will be synced again (seen through webinterface or using the `# cat /proc/mdstat command`)

X-Mas Beta Release CH3SNAS 1.03b5

Okay, the guys from Conceptronic just released the 1.03b5 firmware as the feedback from customers was really helpful solving issues. Next to fixing 2 issues one wanted feature was added.

Fixed: RAID issue 

Raid roaming is not (yet) supported. Means that it’s not guaranteed that a Raid Array keeps existing after inserting the 2 HDD’s in another CH3SNAS box.  I believe that to keep the array alive the other CH3SNAS must be configured to RAID1 already.

Fixed is the issue that trying above feature the RAID array in the original CH3SNAS was broken. When ftp was used wrong volume names and labels were used.

Added feature: FTP -H option 

After our update of the FTP server to PureFTP we received reports from some users that they were not able to logon quickly (20 seconds or more waiting time).

We fixed this to add the -H option starting the ftp server (-H means that there will be no reverse DNS lookup)

Fixed: Restarting UPnP Server on DHCP 

Most debugging we did on the UPnP AV Server. 

We discovered that when streaming data  to a mediaplayer at random times the stream was disconnected. Debugging showed that if the lease of the DHCP was ended the whole startup script was executed again causing the UPnP Server to be restarted as well. Especially when playing long MP3 files this issue was shown.

Please note that this issue was caused using DHCP. When using fixed IP this issue did not occur.

Update: wrong file added in the rar file :-( My Mistake.. It’s fixed now.

Download the beta 1.03b5 here

The filename inside must be refer to: CH3SNAS.1.03(1.33.1220.2007)

How to mount the CH3SNAS in your Linux System

A few firmware versions ago Conceptronic enabled the NFS kernel module in their CH3SNAS. With the help of Fonz’ fun_plug version 0.4 and it’s NFS addons you can easily mount the CH3SNAS into your Linux System

  1. Download Fun_Plug version 0.4
  2. Install the package and reboot the CH3SNAS
  3. Download NFS Utils
  4. Download Portmap
  5. Download unfs [not necessary for CH3SNAS]

put the 3 files in the root of the CH3SNAS

unpack the files with tar -xzvf [package name] the files will be put in the correct folders now.

Update: above way is not the correct way: you should use funpkg.sh from the fun_plug tools.

You can see the correct installation if nfsd.sh and unfsd.sh are is in the fun_plug start folder /mnt/HD_a2/fun_plug.d/start

Make sure the files can be started during reboot (or boot) by chmodding them:

chmod +x nfsd.sh

chmod +x unfsd.sh

Reboot your device

Go to your Linux System and create a folder where you want the CH3SNAS share to appear. I want to share my Volume_1 and put it in /home/backup/ch3snas. My command to correctly mount the Conceptronic CH3SNAS is:

mount [device-name or device-ip]:/mnt/[path to folder] /target/ folder/linux system

For example:

mount 192.168.1.60:/mnt/HD_a2 /home/backup/ch3snas

you can check now the contents of /home/backup/ch3snas by doing a ls -l for example

Conceptronic CH3SNAS 1.03beta4 Firmware

Just released by Conceptronic to some beta users new firmware for the Conceptronic CH3SNAS: 1.03beta 4

Release notes:

  1. Add a “skip” button to skip formatting of a HDD (to prevent data-loss by formatting wrong disk)
  2. Power Management : add 60 and 120 mins options.
  3. EasySearch Utility : Add “IP Address” as a mapping method instead of just using “sharename”.
  4. FTP Server : fixed no login pop-up window appears when using a non-Anonymous account to login to Server.
  5. Moving drives from one unit to the unit, no reformatting is needed (Hell who has more than one (euh .. I ?)

Download here the Beta4 firmware & Download here the new Easy Search Tool

Does it fix the UPnP disconnect / restart issue: No. I was able to reproduce the issue again. My idea is that it has to do with DHCP, Routing and DNS. A fixed IP address on all items in the network could solve the issue (I think, but who am I?) ..

RFF (Request For Feedback) CH3SNAS – UPnP Server

I’m doing extensive tests with the CH3SNAS and the UPnP Server as there are some reports about a ‘stopping’ UPnP server after 20 minutes or so

Here my experiences

Development CH3SNAS with C54WMP (both Conceptronic, ideal config to bug those guys)

Beta 1.03-3 firmware for CH3SNAS (1.03(1.30.1129.2007))

C54WMP 1.00.00 PAL (Mass Production Firmware)

UPnP Server enabled

Playing 1 ‘Yearmix’ about 60 minutes: no disconnects even the syslog does not show wierd issues. HDD does contain 7 folders, 45 files, about 20 2007 yearmixes (from 30 to 2 hours) and one Video Yearmix 2007 (DJ Bacon)

I will do some tests tomorrow on another combination (I have multi .. (don’t ask)) … and check those firmware versions .. with that setup I have another experience and there it will show a disconnect after 40 to 50 minutes (other MP3’s though, but still yearmixes 2007 ;-) I even noticed that the same setup with firmware 1.01 of the CH3SNAS did not show a disconnect. Upgrading the Ch3SNAS firmware did show some sparkling effect.

Things to do: get more feedback from others, try to get some debug info from that UPnP Server to detect earlier the issue.

Do not bother testing with 1.02 .. I need tests with 1.03 firmware

Conceptronic CH3SNAS 1.03beta3 Firmware

Oeps.. the long awaited Sony Playstation 3 support for CH3SNAS was not functioning. After debugging we found out that the UPnP Server could not be started.

This was fixed quickly and now a new version has been released. UPnP Server working: PlayStation 3 Working (MP3 at least, movies seems to be difficult with PS3 .. )

and euh .. it’s beta .. so no warranty on working and the safety of your data ;-)

update: I see some ‘sudden’ disconnects from the UPnP server .. No idea how to trace and to find what is causing the disconnect (I am playing a 80min MP3 file and after about 45 minutes the server disappears .. Damn!)