Stora stops working!

[MCollins]

Hi all!

So, we have had our Stora for a few years now, and apart from a few initial problems getting comfortable with it, it has been absolutely fantastic.

We use the Stora as a private filing system and also we develop websites commercially.

To avoid any loss of data, we download client websites via FTP and tell our software to store the downloaded files on the Stora. It sounds more complicated than it actually is - basically, instead of the local copies of the websites being on the computer itself, they are safely stored on the stora. I only mention this as this is the main use of the Stora.

Now the problem. Every so often the stora decides that there is a permission problem and refuses access. We connect to the Stora via a BT Business hub, and there is absolutely no complications in our set-up. Stora plugs into hub, hub connects to computer, the end.

So, once the Stora has decided that there is a permission problem, all user accounts are blocked out. No access what-so-ever.

We check the lights on the Stora and everything appears to be OK. Blue and green. We try and restart the Stora through the website, or using the IP address, and it says the stora is offline.

After finding absolutely nothing wrong with the cables, switches, PC's, laptops etc, we turned the Stora off and on - The famous answer to all PC problems. "Have you tried turning it off and on again?".

Now this does have an interesting effect. It turns on, flashes blue for a while (as normal) and then the HDD light goes orange. Now we do have a problem.

We had a look over the quite terrible Netgear website and found contradicting information everywhere. After losing the will to live I called NetGear and they seemed quite efficient about it. They asked for the details of the unit, serial etc, and seemed to be asking all the right questions - then - WHAMB! After talking them through all of the details and the problems, they said "you have had it for more then 3 months so we're not interested in helping" and within seconds she said "thanks for calling, goodbye" and hung up. Anyway, I digree....

The only solution we have at the moment is to remove the HDD (1x 1TB) and turn it on. Wait for it to light up blue and then turn it off. We can then put the HDD back and turn it on. Sometimes it goes orange again and after a few minutes goes blue. Sometime we repeat the process of removing the HDD, turing it on and off and replace the HDD.

So - is anyone else having (or had) this problem and resolved it successfully?

Michael