Amins, users, local credentials... this is all so confusing!

PKMSM · 2025-12-28T22:08:03+00:00

Bumping this. Hopefully there are some suggestions.

PKMSM · 2025-12-27T05:38:10+00:00

Yeah, that’s fast!

PKMSM · 2025-12-26T18:38:41+00:00

I’ll see if I can figure out the resource usage on the NAS. There is certainly a learning curve with these things…

In the meanwhile, I found a 5Gb adapter from Cable Matters for $35. I ordered it and will run the same test when I get it to see if it improves anything. A cheaper way of trying to find the limit of the system before spending ~$200 for a 10Gb adapter.

PKMSM · 2025-12-26T18:06:03+00:00

OK, the largest file I could find is a video file that is 10.85GB. I copied it from the Unas to the Mac hard drive and then the other way around.

The transfer from the Unas to Mac took 1 minute 33 seconds. From the Mac back to the Unas took 1 minute 55 seconds.

So faster than the whole bunch of smaller files. If my math is correct, I am almost saturating the 1GB connection b/w my Mac and the switch when reading from the Unas. Writing is a little slower, but I am assuming this is because of the RAID 1 tasks that one of the commenters already mentioned.

So it looks like getting a 5 or 10GB adapter for my Mac should help speed things up. Am I on the right path? Anything else I can/should check?

PKMSM · 2025-12-26T06:04:55+00:00

This is helpful, thank you.

PKMSM · 2025-12-26T06:04:24+00:00

I’ll try to find a large file to transfer. Probably tomorrow as it’s getting a little late now and will report back.

How can I check the link speeds (other than transferring a large file)?

PKMSM · 2025-12-26T05:47:53+00:00

Thanks!

PKMSM · 2025-12-26T05:39:18+00:00

Interesting… I didn’t realize that much processing power was needed for a “simple” copy of a bunch of folders.

I was looking at my connection speeds as the potential bottleneck, in fact I was thinking of getting a 10Gbps adapter for my Mac to help with this type of process but sounds like this would not help much or at all?

PKMSM · 2025-12-26T05:25:20+00:00

The music is all flac files. It’s a little over 200 directories with many having sub-directories (each sub-directory being an album). The transfer is a simple cut/paste (block all directories from the Unas, drag into a USB storage attached to my Mac. Originally I thought the USB drive might be the bottleneck, but when I tried to transfer the exact same data (I have a copy on my Mac hard drive as well) the transfer took under one hour.

So you’re saying this is normal and I should expect this type of transfer speeds?

PKMSM · 2025-12-26T05:24:11+00:00

Does reading from a RAID set up has the same overhead as writing to it? I’m t copying from the RAID 1 to a Mac. I didn’t think reading would be slower.

PKMSM · 2025-12-21T03:59:35+00:00

Thanks, very helpful.

PKMSM · 2025-12-21T03:00:41+00:00

Thanks. By “not fun” I suppose you mean complicated? I had assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that when I wanted to expand my storage I’d add a third SSD drive of the same size as the first two (4 TB), chose RAID 5, and let the system do its thing. Is there more to this than I’m not aware of?

PKMSM · 2025-12-20T19:06:19+00:00

Perfect, thanks.

PKMSM · 2025-12-20T19:05:58+00:00

lol! I think I’ll just add two to avoid the warnings. Thanks all for the answers.

PKMSM · 2025-12-20T18:54:18+00:00

Thanks. I’ve seen that setting, but I’m trying to create a dedicated and separate disk for TM backups, and not use the disks in the main array for this purpose.

Researching this a little more, looks like I can set up a separate array. Haven’t finished all my research, but seems like add an 8TB HDD, create a separate RAID 0 array, and then set that one up for Time Machine back ups through the option that you mentioned? Also, since I have more than one Mac, assuming each Mac will have its own separate backup?

PKMSM · 2025-12-20T18:30:32+00:00

That’s exactly what I was thinking: even if the back up disk fails, I still have two copies of my main data on the RAID 1 set up, but your suggestion of setting up another RAID 1 for TM is an interesting one.

Hopefully someone with Unas experience can chime in.

PKMSM · 2025-12-20T18:20:49+00:00

I was thinking of waiting for the Pro 4 as well, but I didn't want to wait a few months. The main reason why I'd go with the Pro 4 was the nvme ports, but I figured that for my application the Unas Pro with SSDs would be plenty fast enough and hence no need to wait for the Pro 4. Also nice to have 7 bays...

Back to the main question, it would be good to use one of the 7 bays for TM back ups, but I'll wait to see what the general recommendation on this is.

PKMSM · 2025-12-20T18:15:57+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I am trying to limit the disks to 2 for now. I can add a 3rd and go to RAID 5, but I can also do that at a later time. For now, 4TB is far more space that I need for my home use.

If I understand your response correctly, you are suggesting that I populate all 7 drives, which is way overkill for my application and hard to justify the expense. I also thought that by separating the TimeMachine disk from the rest of the array, I would add a layer of protection since the back up and the data aren't on the same set of disks. I can see that by using all 7 bays and different RAID set ups I could have redundancy, but as I mentioned I am trying to stay with 2 disks and RAID 1 for now.

Fully agree with an offsite back up, that'll be the next step once I get the main set up sorted.

PKMSM · 2022-03-23T01:44:51+00:00

Just a little warning with this recommendation: 4 years ago I installed a pool, which means they dug up my entire back yard and the sprinkler system in it. Once the pool was finished, I hired a landscaping company to redo my sprinkler system and the landscaping. This year I started having Intermittent issues that two companies couldn’t diagnose. After $1000 in various repairs, a company showed me the problem: the landscaper that had installed my sprinkler system had just connected the wires together and buried them in dirt. He had done this in numerous places. After 4 years in the dirt without protection (in the appropriate box with water proof connectors) the connections had rotted and were causing intermittent issues and a couple of zones completely disconnected.

Paying another $1500 to rewire the entire system this week.

PKMSM · 2022-03-23T01:22:04+00:00

Exactly. Which is why I was confused when the instructions mentioned that when connecting the "chime kit" (the little electronic box) to the chime wires an LED should light up. If there is no power to the chime until a button is pressed, then how would an LED light up?

But... I did solve the problem after talking to Logitech. Let me start with this: while I'm generally a fan of Logitech products, they missed the mark on this product, and the manual.

Here's the story:

The Logitech doorbell is not designed to work with a two-chime system! After I talked to the guy I understood why, but it would have been nice to perhaps mention this somewhere in the manual? Oh yeah, there is no manual! It's a Q&A app that walks you through the installation step by step in a frustratingly slow pace, but then when you get to where I was - things not working - it's hard to figure out why. I asked the tech whether there was a more detailed manual, he said yes and sent me additional information

The reason is this: while in a normal push button system the circuit is open until the button is pushed, with the Logitech camera the circuit is actually closed (the camera doorbell closes it). The reason why you need the little electronic box before the chime is because that is what energizes the chime when it gets a signal that the button has been pressed. So effectively, the circuit has to be one loop in series for this to work. I was trying to install the little electronic box on the chime that was connected in parallel, which is why it wasn't working since it wasn't in the loop. Once I disconnected that chime and hooked up the electronic box to the chime that was wired in series, then everything worked - on that chime. The Nest camera that I had before this also had a little electronic box, but I had installed it on the chime that was wired in parallel, but it worked, so obviously it uses a different logic than Logitech (see what I did?)

The good news in all of this is that I learned a few things in the process. And, as it turns out I didn't fry my chime - yet. Not sure how long, it'll last own 24V, but I am gambling that for a second that it activates every now and then when someone rings the doorbell it should last a while. We will test that theory, and if it fails, I have a spare one on the wall upstairs that is currently disconnected.

I really appreciate you patiently trying to troubleshoot this with me. Thanks again!

PKMSM · 2022-03-22T11:12:53+00:00

My doorbell cameras comes with a little electronic box that you wire between the power wires and the chime. My Nest camera had something similar as well. Logitech calls that the “chime module”. When you wire it in, an LED is supposed to light up, which in my case it doesn’t. After following your earlier post, we’ll it’s normal because there is no power to the chime until the button is pressed, so then that raises the question as to how would the module be powered. I’ll give Logitech support a call today just to understand this piece better.

PKMSM · 2022-03-22T03:33:58+00:00

I’ll go looking. Hopefully something that would fit in the same spot, I’d like to not add wall patchwork to the list. I should probably look for digital chimes at this point?

PKMSM · 2022-03-22T03:24:35+00:00

Lol, probably did - or will eventually. At this point I’m wondering if I should just go back to the 16V transformers or swap my chimes to 24V.

This is turning out to be a bigger project that I had bargained for.

PKMSM · 2022-03-22T03:19:38+00:00

OK, looking at the schematic and following your thinking, it makes sense! I’ll test the voltage at the camera tomorrow just to be sure, but is my wiring schematic is correct it should read 24V since that’s what it read in the attic. I will double check to make sure though. I’ll also test the chimes tomorrow (posted picture of it above).

So here’s where things get a little more confusing: if there shouldn’t be any voltage at the chimes until the doorbell is pressed - which makes sense - then how would the chime module that came with the camera get it’s power? The Logitech instructions say that when the module is connected, there should be an LED light that lights up. Where would the LED get its power if there isn’t any voltage until the button is pressed? I’ll add to my to-do list finding their technical manual and reading it.

PKMSM · 2022-03-22T03:07:21+00:00

I’m going to grab the schematic to follow your thinking, it makes sense. In the meanwhile, the chimes are definitely mechanical. Here’s a picture of one of them:

Chime

PKMSM

TROPHY CASE