🇺🇸/🇬🇧 TS-series QNAP NAS repair (it’s often that it’s actually not the disks failing but MOSFET)

Actual repair starts at ~5.20    • 🇺🇸/🇬🇧 TS-series QNAP NAS repair (it’s ofte...  

Do you have problems with your QNAP NAS suggesting that the hard drives are failing? It's possible (or to tell you the truth, even more probable) that it's actually a problem with one or more of the MOSFET transistors on the backplane.

In my case it all started with the QNAP reporting drive 2 has failled. I replaced it with a brand new unit, but almost immediatelly it also started reporting errors. I have therefore removed it and reduced the size of my RAID. Unfortunatelly shortly after I also started seeing errors on drive 3 whilst drive 1 dissapeared entirelly from the list of disks seen through the controll pannel (even though on the QNAP case the LED for this disk was green)

Unfortunatelly my QNAP is long past warranty coverage and reading on the internet how costly is the backplane replacement/repair, and that this does not prevent the problem from reoccuring I started looking for a DIY solution. Researching the subject it turns out, it's quite common for the MOSFET transistors AP4957AGM / 4957AGM (responsible for the sequential power-up of the hard drives) to fail, in all the different NAS units, in which these are used.

I therefore decided to buy these transistors and try to replace them myself
http://ali.bargains/mosfet
In the meantime, taking into account that these are not critical (I was surprised that they aren't involved in any way in the „hot-swap” functionaliy of the disks) and reading into the specification, I decided that instead of replacing these, I will short the relevant pins to provide a constant-on power supply to the drives.

Of course I don't recommend this solution and advise that you properly replace the failed MOSFETs, even if it means that in the future you likelly might need to do it again ... and again.
As a disclaimer you also need to understand that I don't take any responsibility for your repair attempts and any damage which might arise out of it, no matter which repair method you choose.

Ps. If you like the labradorite stone - one can be bought here http://ali.bargains/labrador

As for the t-shirts I'm wearing, they are from http://hellfinger.cupsell.pl

ALL PURCHASES MADE VIA THE ABOVE LINKS SUPPORT MY CHANNEL AND ALLOW FOR DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE CONTENT!