SELF DESTRUCTION
The Mystique theme I've been using on the blog seems to have stopped working for no apparent reason. Until Mystique figures itself out, I've changed to the LightWord theme.
ONE OF A KIND
"One of a kind" (© All rights reserved)
The beer bin at Smørkleppfestivalen 2011.
REBORN
"Nature in the sunset" ( © All rights reserved )
After I wrote the post about Golfing in Wales, this blog has once again started a living life. And I think the timing is right for a more active blog - summer is practically over and a season with more indoor activities is on the verge.
Another thing I've re-discovered is image processing. It's great fun to do digital processing on images to make them even better. Right now I'm hung up on a "lots of vibrance" thing, and still a sucker for vignetting.
It remains to see for how long this "reborn" state continues, both for the blog and for photography and digital processing. Hopefully this is the start of a new era, so stay tuned!
EASY NETWORK STORAGE
I though I should write a short post on my latest "technology project". I needed an easy-to-access backup storage for images, my iTunes music collection and so forth, so I decided to buy myself a NAS.
The choice fell on NetGear's ReadyNAS NV+, a four-bay NAS. The price is not too intimidating, roughly 2k NOK (excluding the harddisks, which are not included). I also bought two Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB discs. The ReadyNAS runs NetGear's proprietary XRAID, which allows hotswapping of discs in case one breaks down. With two discs, the total capacity is currently 2TB. This post is however not about configuring the ReadyNAS. Configuration is very easy - the Wizard mode of the ReadyNAS was brilliant.
There is however two downsides with the original ReadyNAS NV+. First, it only comes with 256MB RAM. You notice its lack of RAM when you access the control panel (via your browser), and you are e.g. transferring files to the NAS. Second, the standard fan that comes with the ReadyNAS NV+ is outrageously noisy, and unbearable if you're planning to keep the NAS in a room where people spend time.
The solution is obvious: Replace the original parts. Here's what's going into the ReadyNAS:
- RAM: Crucial DDR SO-DIMM PC3200 1GB CL3
- FAN: SilenX 92mm iXtrema PRO IXP-64-11, 11dB(A)
Replacing the RAM:
This is very easy. First, unscrew four screws on the back, two on each side and slide the side panels off the ReadyNAS. This reveals four more screws on the top side. Unscrew these and you will see the RAM module. Pull the clips on the RAM module aside and the module "pops up" to a 30 degree angle, ready to be removed. The new module is inserted all the way in, until the clips fit into the module's tracks.
Replacing the fan:
On the backside of the ReadyNAS, four screws will allow you to pull out the metal frame holding the fan. Unscrew the four screws and pull the metal frame out. Remove the fan cable. Now unscrew the four bigger screws, holding the fan to the metal frame. Replace the frame with the new one (remember to put the fan in the right way). Reverse the process and fasten the fan's metal frame back into the ReadyNAS. Fasten the top panel (four screws) before fastening the side panels (2x2 screws).
Result
After these simple updates, the ReadyNAS NV+ is more responsive and very quiet! The operation temperature has increased with a few degrees (roughly 40-45 degrees when stressing the device), but the noise level has decreased to levels below city background noise. The total cost of this update was roughly 500NOK and it definitely moved the NAS to the next level with respect to responsiveness and the famous "just work without being noticed" criteria.