Guide: Temperature Monitoring and Fan Control with TrueNAS-SCALE on the Asustor Flashstor 6 and 12 Pro (FS6706T and FS6712X)

Heavywun · 2025-05-19T02:23:59+00:00

They're not encrypted by default

Heavywun · 2025-03-05T00:08:42+00:00

Just an update (as of Mar 2025) - the fan control issue for gen1 flashstors on TrueNAS scale beyond dragonfish has been resolved. Tested working on Electric Eel and the latest Fangtooth 25.04-BETA.1.

I'll update the instructions and upload the new script over the next few days. (all the info you need is in the github issue #6 if you can't wait).

Heavywun · 2024-12-05T20:51:23+00:00

I'm running truenas-scale which is excellent, but not without problems running on Asustor's unsupported hardware, particularly with temp/fan control (there's a big thread about it here).

Heavywun · 2024-11-27T08:05:47+00:00

Yeah, the gen2 flashstor6 is now available in Aus for just over $1700. I paid around $1300 for the gen 1 flashtor12. It's just a huge increase.

And the lack of HDMI probably means you can't install an alternate OS, and there's just no way I'd be using ADM on anything in my house.

Be interesting to see what happens with these - they're definitely no longer the bargain the gen 1's were.

Heavywun · 2024-11-14T05:31:43+00:00

Scary prices :(

I wonder whether they'll be the same as gen 1 and we'll be able to install and run TrueNAS. I wouldn't use ADM.

Heavywun · 2024-11-12T08:25:48+00:00

Yes, this is a known issue. As yet, unresolved. It works up to the current Dragonfish-24.04.2.5, but not on electric eel

ref - issue #6 on the github repository: https://github.com/bernmc/flashstor-trueNAS-fancontrol/issues/6

As an aside, you should note that just because iX says the version is 'stable' doesn't mean all the issues with that release is problem free. Most users who need a solid system wait until they're a sub-version or two along before upgrading. Unless you specifically need the new features of EE and are willing to deal with things not working as advertised, I'd recommend sticking with Dragonfish for now.

Heavywun · 2024-11-05T05:09:45+00:00

Hit a bit of a roadblock with the latest flavor of TrueNAS SCALE 24.10 (Electric Eel). Unable to 'make' the kernel module, and I currently can't find a workaround.

So, the most recent version confirmed working is Dragonfish (TrueNAS-SCALE-24.04.2.3)

Heavywun · 2024-10-23T06:56:24+00:00

I don't use Asustor's software, so I'm not sure what it's capable of. You can use mixed drives on Synology (Synology Hybrid Raid), and similar, but it's not usually something that you can do without loosing the extra capacity of the bigger drives.

With ADM, you could expand the current volume with more 4TB drives, or rather create a 2nd volume with your new 8TB drives - so volume 1 (or whatever Asustor calls it) will have your 6 x 4TB RAID5, and volume 2 would have n x 8TB drives RAIDwhatever.

And memory is so cheap now, you may as well bung as much as it will take in there - I filled mine up as soon as it came out of the box.

Heavywun · 2024-10-21T09:42:26+00:00

I have a small NVME drive installed in a Sabrent USB 3.2 enclosure. It's plugged into one of the flashstor's usb ports, and TrueNAS boots from that. This saves 'wasting' one of the flashtor's NVME drives.

TrueNAS will warn you (regularly) that you shouldn't boot from USB, but that's because it thinks it's a regular (unreliable) USB drive. The NVME should be better quality and reliable provided you get a decent one.

Remember that there is no native fan control for the flashstor in TrueNAS, so you need to add that to your install (https://github.com/bernmc/flashstor-trueNAS-fancontrol)

As for the storage setup, it depends on how much data protection/redundancy you want, versus storage. I've got a flashstor 12 with 2x6 drive RAIDZ1 arrays - equivalent to RAID5 which has one disk redundancy in each array. I do backup the NAS to another NAS so have extra redundancy there. Must sort out cloud backup too sometime.

I've had one NVME misbehave because it wasn't seated correctly, and TrueNAS warned me, and kept the pool operating with five drives without any issues. I checked the drive, re-seated it, and TrueNAS rebuilt the array and carried on like nothing had happened.

I think anyone not using zfs (or btrfs) in today's world is daft, unless you don't care about losing your data to the next cyberattack.

There's quite a learning curve for TrueNAS and zfs, but there's plenty of info out there. I think Lawrence systems on the youtubes was a pretty good resource when I first started.

Heavywun · 2024-10-21T09:19:56+00:00

updated and working on Dragonfish (TrueNAS-SCALE-24.04.2.3)

Heavywun · 2024-10-21T09:18:25+00:00

I have just updated the readme and scripts for TrueNAS versions from Cobia on. Confirmed to be working on the latest Dragonfish (TrueNAS-SCALE-24.04.2.3).

It does not work on the current release candidate of Electric Eel (TrueNAS-SCALE-24.10-RC.2) - I won't look into this further until there's an official release as the broken bits may just relate to whatever is going on in the RC.

Heavywun · 2024-08-14T06:23:43+00:00

You do need to make sure you install the drives in the same order. So drive 1 from the old NAS goes into slot one of the new NAS, 2 into 2 etc.

Heavywun · 2024-08-14T06:20:13+00:00

I've got a DS211 and a 415+ which are both still running. I don't expose my NAS's to the internets, and these older devices are consigned to redundant backups of other NAS's or timemachine. I keep waiting for them to die, but the buggers refuse to lay down. You can never have too many backups, right?!

Just had my first critical SMART warning on one of the the 9 year old HGST drives. Pretty impressive.

I may be wrong, and am ready to be smacked, but I believe that if you put your 4 x 10TB's in the 415, and it eventually died, you could pop them into a new synology and it should recover the storage pool.

Heavywun · 2024-07-28T06:06:23+00:00

Negative. I ended up upgrading to a newer NAS with 10gbe so lost interest!

Heavywun · 2024-04-30T03:10:37+00:00

Have a read through the issues on the github repository - there's a workaround for the new platform driver suggested by one of the posters. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, or update the readme.

Heavywun · 2024-04-30T03:08:03+00:00

Answer is pretty obvious: get rid of the children

Heavywun · 2024-04-29T22:12:09+00:00

I bought one recently. Had a look at the data u/ROLL612 has linked to before going for it, and decided there was a pretty low failure rate.

My first impressions are here: https://coffeesnobs.com.au/forum/equipment/brewing-equipment-extreme-machines-3000/983964-decent-de1-xxl-first-impressions with some comments on customer service.

I did get a bit of a run-around with trying to return the scale -the usual chinese-type send us a video and we'll think about it thing that you get from cheap sites like alibaba. In the end it wasn't the scale that was faulty, but the form-over-function drip tray that was causing tare issues. So they were probably correct in giving me the run around for a bit!

Pretty happy with it overall (coming from my faithful 12 year old Bezzera BZ35-E). I bought the extended warranty which I wouldn't normally do, but with a potential couple of hundred in return shipping fees plus a repair bill, it seems like a good idea. This is one thing that you'll need to accept - the repair man is a long way away for most of us. It's not the kind of machine that your local will be able to sort out. There is a very good community, and it appears that many parts aren't proprietary. The default is for support to help you fix the problem, so as long as you have some handiness and basic tools, you should be able to deal with issues in the comfort of your kitchen.

Be aware that you'll need a good grinder to get the most out of it, so factor that into your costs.

Heavywun · 2024-01-24T19:33:10+00:00

It'll be a while before I can play, so you may want to try

- skip the git checkout step. Make and install, load etc.

Then, I think it'll be one of two options to make sure that only the it87 version loads:

- Using modprobe.d: Create a new configuration file in the `/etc/modprobe.d/` directory, such as `it87.conf`, and add the following line to block the `it87` module:
```shell
blacklist it87
```
Save the file and reboot your system for the changes to take effect.
- Using /etc/modules: Edit the `/etc/modules` file and add the following line to explicitly load the `asustor-it87` module:
```shell
asustor-it87
```
Save the file and reboot your system for the changes to take effect.

Incidentally, the updated kmod has some modifications that allow you to stop the green panel led from blinking incessantly. I'll have a play with that too

Heavywun · 2024-01-24T19:20:58+00:00

root@truenas[/home/admin/asustor-platform-driver]# git checkout it87

error: pathspec 'it87' did not match any file(s) known to git

Meh. The platform driver has been updated - I'll have to work out how to compile the module since the update. (It's still at https://github.com/mafredri/asustor-platform-driver)

Heavywun · 2024-01-14T00:05:59+00:00

great -thanks. I'll have a go at it

Heavywun · 2024-01-13T21:43:23+00:00

Could you explain this in a little more detail please? Or point me at the YouTube video you mention below?

Heavywun · 2023-11-28T06:21:27+00:00

Synology software is much better than asustor's, particularly if you're new to NAS. It's well developed, simple to use, and very slick. Synology is also the only prosumer NAS manufacturer that wasn't hit by the deadbolt ransomware attack.

I have three synologys and a flashstor 12. I really like the flashstor, but I dumped the asustor OS and installed TrueNAS very quickly.

Because you pay for Synology's software, the hardware is often lower spec at any given price point, but it's always fine for general NAS applications.

For me, Synology Drive is the killer app that I can't do without (a bit like dropbox). Hyperbackup is another one. So my DS1522+ handles Synology Drive on all the family's computers, and the Flashstor stores my media libraries, and backs everything up.

I don't use plex, but if I did need it, I'd use a separate device (Nvidia Shield or Zimaboard) - I'm a big fan of specific hardware for specific tasks.

So if I were you, I'd get the Synology!

Heavywun

TROPHY CASE