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[ousterj]

I have one DNS-325 and a couple of DNS-320s with Seagate NAS 4TB NAS HDs. They are used only for backups; no apps are installed. All HDs were formatted (as one individual volume for each HD) by the ShareCenter App.

When running backup (or manually copying files) to the NAS the file transfer falls from normal speed to very slow (down from 35-45 MB/sec to 4 MB/sec, 500 KB/sec or even slower). At some point the transfer stops and I receive a message that the Network destination is not longer available.

When this occurred ShareCenter manger reported that only 74% of the volume is used and the amount available (and the amount of files backed up) is consistent with that. On another NAS HD the same happened but at 81%. But this problem does not occur on all of the HDs. I was able to fill at least one NAS HD to 98%, with no problem.

Here's what I've done so far with no resolution.
. Checked that each DNS has latest firmware.
. Moved the HD to the other slot.
. Moved the HD to another DNS.
. Reformatted the HD (with ShareCenter) and started over.
. Installed a new HD, formatted, etc.

getting desperate now...
. Tried Windows mapping the HD instead of using network name.
. Tried using different programs to transfer files.
. Tried magic chants.
. Cursed at everything related to computers.

I'm hoping someone has an answer so simple that I'll slap my forehead and shout "Duh-OH"

[RYAT3]

So even the new drive with 100% slows down, or only after it fills up?

[ousterj]

So even the new drive with 100% slows down, or only after it fills up?

After reformatting the HD at first worked normally but stopped when the it reached 74% full. The new HD (factory new right out of the plastic anti-static bag)  that I swapped in also stopped writing files when it reached 74%.

On one of the other HDs with the same problem I deleted about 500 GB then began writing files to it again. When it reached 74% it stopped just as before.

[RYAT3]

Doesn't sound good.

Can you put one of these drives in a usb cradle or in a computer to verify is 74% and not 99%?

See if you are able to write at normals speeds until 100% while  in a computer?

This would

[ivan]

A few questions.

1)  how is your network setup, gigabit switch or a 100Base-T router?
2)  what version of windows are you using with the file transfer?
3)  have you tried to use FTP to transfer your files and if so do you get the same results?
4)  are these full or incremental backups and if incremental what program are you using to do this?

Note that if you are overwriting a large number of files there can be up to a 25% overhead depending on how the copying program does this (mark file for delete, write replacement file, delete old file) and the size of the files.

[ousterj]

Doesn't sound good.

Can you put one of these drives in a usb cradle or in a computer to verify is 74% and not 99%?

See if you are able to write at normals speeds until 100% while  in a computer?

I have a USB-3 cradle that works well with NTFS HDs. I have no driver to use an EXT3 or 4 HD on my Windows system. If you can suggest such a driver to use I'll give it a try.

However I am certain the HD is only 74% full as I copied files from a 4TB local HD that was 90% full and the file copying stopped when the NAS HD reached at 74%. Checking the bytes and number of files on source and destination HD confirmed that the NAS HD was only 74% full.

I use one of the Seagate 4TB NAS HDs as a Windows local D: drive and its capacity is as advertised.

[ousterj]

A few questions.

1)  how is your network setup, gigabit switch or a 100Base-T router?
2)  what version of windows are you using with the file transfer?
3)  have you tried to use FTP to transfer your files and if so do you get the same results?
4)  are these full or incremental backups and if incremental what program are you using to do this?

Note that if you are overwriting a large number of files there can be up to a 25% overhead depending on how the copying program does this (mark file for delete, write replacement file, delete old file) and the size of the files.

1) Gigabit switch.
2) I tried on both Windows 8.1 and 7 PCs with the same results.
3) I had the same result using ftp transfer.
4) I generally use Karen's Replicator for Full Backup: all new and changed files (Replicator has worked dependably for me for more than ten years.)
   I've tried copying files with Windows Explorer, Teracopy, and Fast Copy. The result is always the same.

   I don't think the issue is due to overwriting files as the problem occurred on blank HDs, both after reformatting the NAS HD and also after installing a new never-used HD.
   Karen's Replicator has a setting to  "delete old copy before creating new" and I tired that as well.

Often I enjoy the process of solving a technical mystery, but this has gone on too long and is now just a headache.

[ivan]

Often I enjoy the process of solving a technical mystery, but this has gone on too long and is now just a headache.

I can understand that but the most frustrating thing for me is that we can't reproduce here what you are seeing.

Yes, there are variations between your setup and ours.  We use several 48 port Gigabit managed switches on our network, out operating systems are IBM OS/2 with an odd Open Suse workstation that has several hot swop disk trays for testing.

The only time I have seen a slowdown in network speed to one of our nas boxes was when a client was having problems with their internet connection and it took 5 hours to get their full backup down via SFTP, a usual 2 hour job.

I will throw out your problem to my people in the morning in case that have an idea as to what could be causing it.