Getting Help

Review the list of troubleshooting topics below for answers to questions that might arise during the installation and operation of your Seagate product.

Additional technical assistance for Seagate products is available online at Seagate support. 

Software updates 

The NAS's automatic update does not seem to be working. 

Q: Does your NAS OS device have access to the Internet? Do you use a proxy server to access the Internet?

A: Seagate frequently releases firmware updates to improve the functionality of products. The automatic update on the Settings page will alert you to update your device when new firmware is available. In order to search for and download the most recent firmware, the NAS OS device must have access to the Internet. Confirm that it has access to the Internet or, if necessary, add your proxy server to the NAS OS device's Network settings (see Network for further details).

If automatic update is not available or experiencing problems, the administrator can follow the steps below:

1. Create a private share with read+write access for the administrator.
2. Download the most recent NAS OS capsule for your product. Go to the Seagate support page and enter your product. The most recent firmware capsule should be available for download.
3. While the capsule is downloading, mount the private share on your computer.
4. On the root level of the private share, create a folder called Update (case-sensitive).
5. Copy the capsule into the folder Update.
6. Reboot the NAS OS device.

The update will run automatically. 

Troubleshooting topics 

Troubleshooting the network connection 

Shares do not appear on the network.

Q: Is the NAS's power supply connected and is the status light on?
A: Make sure that the power supply is properly connected; that the system has been powered on; and that the outlet is powered on or has a sufficient supply of power.

Q: Is the status light on the front of the device flickering for an inordinate period of time?
A: See LED Behavior and Device Buttons for details.

Q: Did you follow the correct installation steps?
A: Review your NAS OS device's user manual and quick start guide.

Q: Are both ends of the Ethernet cable firmly connected?
A:

• Disconnect the Ethernet cable, wait 10 seconds and then reconnect it.
• Ensure that the interface connectors are properly aligned. The Ethernet cable can only be inserted one way.
• Check that the Ethernet connectors are straight and fully seated in the Ethernet ports.

Q: IP address problem?
A: By default the NAS OS device is configured to retrieve its IP address from a DHCP server. If a DHCP server manages your network and you cannot access your NAS, try checking your DHCP server's log. To find the IP address for your NAS, run Seagate Network Assistant (see Seagate Network Assistant). If no DHCP server is detected, the product will run APIPA to assign itself an IP address. Additionally, confirm that your computer is connected to the same network as the NAS OS device.

Q: How can I find the public IP address for advanced features such as offsite backups and remote FTP access?
A: You can find the public IP address at http://www.whatismyip.com/. You must use a computer connected to the same router as the NAS.

A user does not have access to NAS OS or shares.

Q: Has the administrator created an account for the user?
A: In order for a user to access NAS OS, two conditions must be met:

1. The administrator must create and provide the user with a username and password
2. The NAS OS device must be connected to the network via Ethernet for users to access the shares.

I cannot access my account. I enter my login and password and receive an error message.

Q: Is your password correct?
A: If you added an email address (see Users) and configured the SMTP server (see Notifications ), you can reset your password. To do this, click on the Can't access your account? link on the login page. Follow the instructions to complete the reset. User: If you cannot recover the password, contact the NAS OS device’s administrator. Administrator: If you cannot recover the password, contact the alternate NAS administrator. If you are the sole administrator for the NAS, you can revert the NAS to its factory settings (see NAS OS Rescue and Repair).

I've noticed a delay in accessing the shares.

Q: Are you transferring multiple files simultaneously, using the download feature, or synchronizing the RAID?
A: Running all or some of the following operations at once can impact NAS performance: accessing shares; file transfers; downloads; synchronizing the RAID. Enabling the UPnP service can also slow performance due to media indexing. For information on services, see Services. To review CPU performance, go to Monitoring (see Monitoring). 

Troubleshooting the multimedia server 

I cannot see the media files stored on the NAS OS device.

Q: Are the media files stored on a public share? Is the multimedia service active?
A: UPnP AV devices can discover media files stored on public shares. Certain devices may have difficulty locating files on a private share or, you will be prompted for a password. Make certain that the multimedia service is enabled in NAS OS (see Media Server and Services ). 

iTunes

Q: Some files appear in my iTunes™ shared playlist, but some do not.
A: The iTunes Server Service supports certain file types. See the iTunes website for further details:http://www.apple.com/itunes/

Q: I've activated the NAS OS device's iTunes service in Services, but I don't see its machine name in iTunes.
A: In iTunes preferences, make certain that the box next to Shared Libraries is checked.

Q: Why aren't files stored on the NAS OS device appearing in iTunes?
A: iTunes Server Service will only access public folders. Therefore, put your music on public folders if you wish to play it using iTunes.

UPnP/DLNA-Compatible Game Consoles and Set Top Boxes

Q: Some files stored on the NAS OS device appear on my UPnP/DLNA compatible device, but others do not.
A: Each UPnP/DLNA media player has unique file type restrictions. See their respective websites and documentation for complete lists of compatible file types. 

Troubleshooting expansion devices 

I connected a USB hard drive to the enclosure, but it does not appear on the Storage page.

Q: Is the hard drive's file system supported by NAS OS?
A: NAS OS recognizes external hard drives with the following file systems: FAT32, NTFS, HFS+, EXT2, EXT3, EXT, and XFS. If your hard drive's file system is not listed here, reformat it and reconnect it to the NAS.

I can't copy a file from a share to the DAS connected to my NAS.

Q: Is the DAS formatted in FAT32 and is the file larger than 4GB?
A: Files larger than 4GB cannot be transferred to a FAT32 volume.

Hard drive noise and VGA monitor 

I think that the hard drive is making unusual noises.

Q: Is the sound "soft clicking" or "hard clicking"?
A:  

• Soft clicking can be the normal sound of the hard drive working. If the hard drive is functional, this is normal. Hard drives do not typically give an indication of any problems prior to failure, so it does not mean it is about to fail if the hard drive is making a clicking sound and still functioning. You can check the status of your hard drives by running a SMART test (see Monitoring).
• Hard clicking is a very noticeable sound, and is akin to hearing metal-on-metal impacts. This behavior is usually indicative of a physical failure. If nothing traumatic happened to the hard drive prior to this starting, consider it to be soft clicking, and troubleshoot the problem as suggested above.

The VGA monitor that I connected to the NAS appears to be receiving a signal but the screen is black (applies to select NAS).

Q: How long has the VGA monitor been connected to the NAS?
A: The VGA signal reverts to energy saving mode within a few minutes. If the monitor appears to be receiving a signal but no image is present, try to connect a USB keyboard to one of the NAS's USB ports. Tap on one of the keys to view the NAS's VGA signal.

Troubleshooting the active directory (AD)

The numbered list below provides general troubleshooting recommendations to resolve problems with AD.

NAS OS

• Confirm that your NAS is running the latest NAS OS firmware.
• Check Monitoring to review CPU usage (see Monitoring). You can experience AD connection problems if the CPU is running high. Actions or jobs that can burden the CPU include:
  • RAID synchronization (in this case, wait until the RAID is built)
  • Multiple download jobs are running (stop or wait until download is finished)
  • Multimedia re-indexing (disable UPnP)
  • Backup jobs are running (stop or wait until backup jobs are finished)
  • Multiple simultaneous data transfers to/from the NAS from computers on the network (wait until the transfers are complete)
• Make sure the product is assigned the correct date, time, and time zone. A time discrepancy of more than five minutes between the domain and the product may prevent or cause disruptions to the AD connection. This tolerance is defined in Domain Controller Policy, and the default value is usually five minutes.
• Make sure that the DNS server address provided to the NAS is a domain DNS, not an Internet DNS provided by an Internet service provider (see Network). The NAS must connect to the local network domain, not to a server on the Internet. Therefore, make certain that the NAS is assigned an IP address by the DNS server on the local network. To verify that the NAS is using a DNS IP address, try to ping the DNS server from a computer on the same network. Settings > Workgroup/Domain:
  • Enter the domain's Full Qualified Domain Name (FQDN). For example: directory-example.domain.com (Active Directory Users and Computers Tool on Primary Domain Controller)
  • Administrator login: The AD's administrator username.
  • Administrator password: The AD's administrator password.
• Advanced criteria (optional).
  • Server Name is the Domain Controller Host Name
  • Server IP is the Domain Controller IP

Active directory

The AD administrator can check the following:

• Verify if Kerberos Server and Time Server are registered in the domain DNS, allowing the NAS to connect. Kerberos Server and Time Server need to be accessible to the NAS, as these servers are involved in the joining process.
• Confirm that the machine name object is placed in the right container (not the default "computer" container) and check access rights for the machine name (such as who can log on). If necessary, delete the machine name in order to reset the object in AD. The domain administrator can create a computer account in AD and place it in the right container prior to joining the NAS to the domain (the computer account name is the NAS's name).
• Sub-domains can create problems when joining a domain. Confirm that the proper domain is being used and review the machine name object location/rights. As well, see if the user belongs to a different sub-domain. If so, review the user's rights to determine if there is an authorization conflict that prevents access to the NAS.

Maximum Elements by Feature and NAS

The table below provides the maximum amount of elements allowed for specific features.