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How to Install a WD Red Pro Hard Drive?
Installing a WD Red Pro hard drive is a straightforward process that can be done in just a few steps. WD Red Pro drives are designed for NAS systems and high end PCs that require increased performance and reliability.
Things You'll Need
- WD Red Pro 3.5 inch hard drive
- Computer or NAS system with available SATA port
- SATA data cable
- SATA power cable
- Phillips head screwdriver
Installing the Hard Drive
- Turn off your computer or NAS and unplug the power cable.
- Open the case to access the internal drive bays.
- Locate an empty 3.5 inch drive bay and matching SATA port on the motherboard.
- Slide the WD Red Pro drive into the drive bay and secure it with the screws.
- Connect the SATA data cable to the matching SATA port on the drive and motherboard.
- Connect the SATA power cable from the power supply to the hard drive.
- Close the case and plug the power cable back in.
- Turn on the computer or NAS. The system should automatically detect the new drive.
Once installed, you can partition and format the WD Red Pro drive through your operating system's disk management utility. It will then be ready to store your files and data. With its 7200 RPM speed and NASware 3.0 technology, a WD Red Pro hard drive is designed to enhance performance and reliability in your NAS or high end PC build.
How to Use a WD Red Pro Hard Drive for NAS?
WD Red Pro hard drives are specifically designed and optimized for use in NAS (network attached storage) environments. With features like NASware 3.0 technology, WD Red Pro delivers enhanced reliability and performance compared to a standard hard drive.
Key Advantages
- Increased performance - The 7200 RPM spindle speed provides faster read/write speeds.
- Higher workload rating - Designed to handle up to 360TB transferred per year.
- Enterprise-class reliability - 1 in 10^15 UBER rating for optimum data integrity.
- Cooler temperatures - Helium-filled drives run cooler than air-filled drives.
Steps to Use in NAS
- Install the WD Red Pro drive in your NAS enclosure following the manufacturer's instructions.
- Configure the drive according to your RAID requirements, such as RAID 1 for redundancy.
- Format the drive through your NAS operating system (ex. Synology DSM, QNAP QTS, Asustor ADM).
- Create shared folders and set user access permissions.
- Enable backup features like Time Machine support if needed.
- Monitor drive health statistics via NAS dashboard.
With robust drives like the WD Red Pro, you can build a high performance NAS for your home or small business. By following best practices like scheduled backups and drive health monitoring, you can maximize the utilization of the drives for storage, backup and virtualization applications.
How to Configure a WD Red Pro Hard Drive?
WD Red Pro hard drives are designed for NAS systems and high-end PCs. Configuring them correctly allows you to optimize performance and take full advantage of their features.
Steps to Configure a WD Red Pro Drive
- Update Firmware
Check for the latest firmware version for your WD Red Pro drive on the Western Digital website and update if needed. Firmware provides bug fixes and feature enhancements.
- Choose Compatible File System
WD Red Pro drives support file systems like NTFS, exFAT, ext4. For NAS use, ext4 or ZFS are recommended. NTFS is ideal for Windows PCs.
- Enable TLER
Enable TLER (Time-Limited Error Recovery) which prevents drive errors from extending to the entire RAID volume. Critical for RAID setups.
- Adjust Power Management Settings
Disable automatic power saving modes like head parking and sleep timers. This maintains consistent performance.
- Manage Drive Partitions
Use full capacity using GPT instead of MBR partitioning. Divide drive into logical partitions if needed.
Properly configuring the WD Red Pro as per your usage ensures optimal reliability and performance. Always refer to WD's technical documentation for drive management best practices.
How to Choose Between WD Red Pro and WD Red Plus?
WD Red Pro and WD Red Plus are both NAS-optimized hard drives in Western Digital's Red series. However, there are some key differences to consider when choosing between the two models.
Key Differences
- Rotational Speed
- WD Red Pro - 7200 RPM
- WD Red Plus - 5400 RPM
- Workload Rating
- WD Red Pro - Up to 360TB/year
- WD Red Plus - Up to 180TB/year
- Cache Size
- WD Red Pro - Up to 256MB
- WD Red Plus - Up to 512MB
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Ideal Usage
WD Red Pro is meant for heavy 24/7 NAS workloads in small businesses. WD Red Plus strikes a balance between performance and budget for home and SMB NAS. Choose Red Pro for mission-critical storage and applications.
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Bottom Line
Those building a high performance NAS system with extensive storage demands and multiple users should opt for the WD Red Pro. Home NAS users with 1-8 bay enclosures will benefit from the more affordable WD Red Plus.
