Blinking Blue Light (big one), Drive Invisible on network

[area52a]

Hello all...

I have had my 5Big Network (10TB) for 3 years now (set up in my home). I am not very computer savvy but do try to fix issues if I am comfortable (& have proper guidance)...The unit has worked fine (my wife archives all our videos & photos) until now. I tried to access it recently & without warning, it has vanished from the network! It has just a flashing blue LED (large one in front of unit). After I tried turning it off & then back on, it seems to power up just fine, the 5 separate LEDs (one for each drive) first flash red/blue & then one by one flash blue & after about 5 minutes or less, they remain steady blue. The large LED in front flashes blue every 0.5 seconds (for days). I tried rebooting the 5big unit several times, I rebooted router, I connecting the 5Big directly to another PC via ethernet cable. Nothing....I cant locate it, it's invisible. Just the 5 steady blue LEDs in back & large blinking blue LED in front. I do not want to do anything further for fear of doing something wrong. Please can someone help, I do not want to lose any data either! (happy wife, happy life) :please

[fvdw]

we need some more information to be able to help you

Are you sure that this is a 5big version 1 ? (there is also a version 2 and pro)

which firmware were you running, lacie stock firmware or fvdw-sl ?

[area52a]

OK, I checked on the bottom of unit & it says: "5Big Network 2"... So I am assuming that means version 2?

I do not know what firmware I have (I configured the 5Big as the instructions indicated & used the software CD that came with the unit)...How can I find out what firmware I have?

[fvdw]

I moved your topic to the correct forum.
If you have used the installation CD form lacie you are using the lacie firmware.

Unfortunate there can be various reasons that the nas is not working anymore.
Did you setup your nas using the 5 disk in a raid array ?
We have seen several users of a 5big2 with similar problems especially when using raid setup
The solution is not straight forward and dependent on what is wrong

There is a way to connect to the 5big2 even if the firmware is not running.
We have a program called fvdw-sl console it runs under windows and let you upload a standalone kernel that runs from RAM and enables you to investigate the condition of the har disks and use various linux commands to try to bring it back to live or copy your data from the disk. if this is possible is dependent on what has gone wrong with your disks

Suggest you do some reading on the fvdw-sl console (viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2224) and all the topics in this sub forum of people with similar problems.

[area52a]

OK, I have not tried much since my last post (OCT-2015), for fear of losing data!.. I have since obtained an identical empty (no drives installed) 5big enclosure that I plan to move all my drives into, hoping that it will then be able to show up on my network. Does anyone know if this will work? I was also thinking of just putting each individual drive into single HD enclosures & retrieving the data from each drive (one by one)... Will either of these procedures work? I only need to get the data off of the (5) 2TB drives (mostly pictures & video). I now use a different drive for all my current data & just want to retrieve the stuff from this 5big unit & transfer it all to my new drive!!! SOMEONE HELP!

[Jocko]

I am pretty sure you have a raid settings on your 5big2

I was also thinking of just putting each individual drive into single HD enclosures & retrieving the data from each drive (one by one)...

so this can not work!

So download the fvdw-sl console version 6 and try first to get a telnet access.

Then post the output

Code: Select all

mdadm --examine /dev/sd[abcde]2

[area52a]

OK, thank you! Where do I go to download

fvdw-sl console version 6

? Is there anything special I should do to download? Where should I save it to? When should I turn on my 5big unit? I am not really computer savvy, so please bear with me...

[Jocko]

Of course here! viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2691

[area52a]

When reading into the option you mentioned, I noticed that there was a warning about loosing all data....I do not want this to happen....I also read somewhere that the issue may also may be an input power source issue (if the voltage is not enough, the drive may not be visible on the network)...PLEASE HELP ME IF YOU CAN...

[fvdw]

When you run the standalone kernel there is no risk to loose your data unless you give wrong linux comand. To examine the raid array with this kernel there is no risk.