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Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 - 2 TB Network Attached Storage 34481 (Black)
From Iomega

The Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage offers content sharing with advanced security, and is ideal for small and remote offices, workgroups or home networks. Based on enterprise-class EMC storage technology, the StorCenter ix2-200 provides easy file sharing, iSCSI block access, and multiple RAID configurations for optimized data protection. Business users will appreciate the robust data protection features such as UPS support, print serving, folder quotas, rsync device-to-device replication, and user replaceable drives for business continuity and disaster recovery. The easy-to-use interface provides no-hassle management. Active Directory support and remote access round out the comprehensive business features. The StorCenter ix2-200 supports up to five Axis IP security cameras for basic video surveillance. Home users benefit from the advanced media features such as DLNA certified UPnP AV Media Server, PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol), torrent download compatibility, Bluetooth upload, and Cooliris slide show plug-in. Award-winning EMC Retrospect Express backup software and RSA BSAFE encryption for protected installs and upgrades. Supports PC, Mac, and Linux clients and is VMware certified for NFS and iSCSI. Available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities.
Color: black Brand: Iomega Model: 34481 Dimensions: 12.13" h x 7.50" w x 5.50" l, 6.14 pounds Hard Disk: 1TB
The Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage offers content sharing with advanced security, and is ideal for small and remote offices, workgroups or home networks. Based on enterprise-class EMC storage technology, the StorCenter ix2-200 provides easy file sharing, iSCSI block access, and multiple RAID configurations for optimized data protection. Business users will appreciate the robust data protection features such as UPS support, print serving, folder quotas, rsync device-to-device replication, and user replaceable drives for business continuity and disaster recovery. The easy-to-use interface provides no-hassle management. Active Directory support and remote access round out the comprehensive business features. The StorCenter ix2-200 supports up to five Axis IP security cameras for basic video surveillance. Home users benefit from the advanced media features such as the DLNA certified UPnP AV Media Server, PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol), torrent download compatibility, Bluetooth upload, and Cooliris slide show plug-in. Award-winning EMC Retrospect Express backup software and RSA BSAFE encryption for protected installs and upgrades. Supports PC, Mac and Linux clients and is VMware certified for NFS and iSCSI. Available in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacities. StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage User-Swappable Drives Ideal for Small Offices and Remote Offices The StorCenter ix2-200 offers many features that a small office will appreciate such as the iSCSI target that provides block-level access for the most efficient storage utilization, remote access via an internet connection, as well as print sharing with up to 3 USB printers. The StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage is VMware Ready certified. The StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage also offers device-to-device copy jobs via the one-touch QuikTransfer button and will even send email alerts to help IT administrators manage the StorCenter. Great Features for Home Networks The StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage offers many features that home users will enjoy such as a UPnP DLNA certified AV Media Server to stream music, videos and photos via game consoles, photo slideshows using Cooliris technology, and a torrent download manager for peer-to-peer file transfers without the need of a dedicated PC. Other features are the Bluetooth Upload to transfer contacts, photos, and more from cell phones, pocket PCs, and BlackBerry’s, Picture Transfer Protocol to automatically transfer photos from a digital camera via a USB port, and best of all – an easy 4-step set up process. Easy to Use Network Storage Product Features Sharing: Access files from any networked Windows PC, Mac or Linux workstation for easy file sharing, data backup and print serving RAID Support – RAID 1 with automatic RAID rebuild. JBOD mode also available. iSCSI support provides block-level access for the most efficient storage utilization, especially for database and email application performance High Performance: Gigabit Ethernet connectivity with Jumbo frame support and high performance embedded architecture Active Directory Support: Functions as a client member in an Active Directory domain allowing the Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 to utilize the domain users and groups Folder Quotas: Easily manage capacity by setting a maximum for shared storage folders UPS Support: Enables unattended system shutdown via the USB port without data loss in the case of extended power failure Email Alerts: If the device detects a problem, an email alert is sent to one or more email addresses Expandability: Add storage capacity by connecting external USB Hard Disk Drives. It supports read and write on Fat32, NTFS or ext2/ext3 formatted hard disks Print Server: Intelligent print sharing capability for up to 3 USB printers directly connected to the ix2-200 Advanced Media Support: Includes UPnP support through an integrated DLNA certified media server. Also supports PTP and Bluetooth upload VMware Certified: HCL certified NAS (NFS) and iSCSI storage for VMware Security Camera: Connect up to 5 Axis network security cameras and the ix2-200 captures and stores video without the need of a dedicated PC EMC Retrospect Express Backup Software (unlimited client licenses) for automated backups on a scheduled basis (client to StorCenter) Iomega QuikProtect Software for effortlessly synchronizing files between the clients and the StorCenter ix2-200 RSA BSAFE encryption technology protects installs and upgrades Warranty: 3 years with product registration What’s in the Box StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage, Ethernet cable, power supply, Quick Start Guide, solutions CD with system administration software, Iomega QuikProtect Software, EMC Retrospect Express Backup software and user manual
All that is advertised but not quite as you expect it. Also A Heating issue After the First Week.- Well let me start by saying this... it does everything it promises; but there is not a single thing you can say it does perfect ( good concept, bad execution). Every option its too limited. It lacks functionality on everything it is supposed to do, and Support sucks. Still a long way to go to compete with Drobo, it lacks a lot of development. Prior to purchasing this NAS I had an old Inspiron 6000 with XP as a "Home Server". It served files, Itunes, media, and along with 2GB memory and 2TB external Firewire disk I had speed and backup space. the only thing missing was Time Machine Support. I bought this Iomega to save on power, and because it was "So easy to use and convenient" according to all biased reviews I read. Functionality: A) Setup: Yes, it is easy to set up, But, the setup assistant doesn't work on a wireless network. your machine has to be wired to the router in order to recognize the storecenter. Also this web interface is awful, sometimes you get a timeout or page not found (verified in forums with other users). Also to update the firmware you have to manually download it form Iomega site because the function that is supposed to check for and update always says "The device software is up to date" even thou there was a mandatory update on the site. Also, you can enable and disable most of the functions but there are no options in almost any of the functions so you have to use them "as they are configured by Iomega". B) Backup: it does a fair job with the backups, but there is no option to limit the amount of space used by Time Machine. You can set a quota to every folder on the device but not to the time machine folder. And if you have 3 Macs and manage a lot of pictures and movies Time Machine Backups fill all the disk space in no time so you don't have space for the other files. c) Torrents: it does download torrents, but, you have little control over the process. you can only add .torrents files from the custom Web interface (there is monitored folder for autoloading .torrents like all torrents managers), You cannot use Magnet links or any other form of links (except a direct internet link to the .torrent). You cannot Pause or Stop torrents if it is not done ONE BY ONE; everything has to be done One by One, not a good thing if you leech or serve a lot of torrents. The interface fails to delete completed torrents, and there is a known torrent delete bug (admitted in the Iomega forums by developers) that can render your NAS useless. No way to configure how many torrents are active at a time, so all torrets are active always, this means a lot of waiting time if you have a lot of torrents and you are waiting for the first one on line. d) UPnP Server: It does scan all the disk for movies and media and makes the available in the net, You just have to enable the option and thats it. I dont know what UPnP version this Nas uses, but most of the times if you are watching a movie on the Xbox and a mac starts a time machine backup, movie just freezes and sometimes terminate without a reason. This does not happens to my old inspiron when watching a movie and carboncopy initiated a backup. Also if you use XBMC it does not handle the srt files for subtitles. Streaming its very slow, compared to other UPnP devices on the same network and using the same equipment. Fast Forward its unbearable. Good concept bad execution. e) Itunes Server: It does serve (share) your itunes library over the Lan, but, even thou the manual instruct you to option-copy all the itunes folder to the music folder in the NAS, you don't get the Customs Playlist nor the default Itunes playlists. There are no Playlist at all. Everyhing appears on a big library on shared with your storage name (some basic distinction like Music and Movies and thats all). Again good concept bad execution. f) Printers: havent used this feature. g) File Server: It has a very nice configuration of local users and groups permissions. There is a bug that if you use another thing (like windows explorer or mac finder) except the web interface al file sizes reads 1MB, So you can only see file sizes of web interface. It does a great job in mounting the time machine disk and dismounting it even when you change the Nas ip, this is transparent to the OS and the user. SMB and Windows Share ARE SLOW... very Slow (tested on 2 windows machines and one Original Xbox using XBMC). Apple AFP is FAST very fast. h) Iomega Storecenter Software: I havent used it in windows but its ok on the mac. The only thing is that every time you close the Safari Window it opens you have to click File>Open>Device and place your login information. Also It runs an script when the user logs on that tries to connect to all shares on the NAS... great concept if you are always at your house or where the device is, bad if you have to leave the location; you get a gazilion errors and disconnect warnings. Also if for some reason you put the computer to sleep and/or disconnect any of the shares accidentally on finder, running the script does not work. you have to logout and login. also if you hit help osX request your administrator password for some odd reason. I) Speed, Temperature and Energy efficiency : This thing is slow, by default it has Raid mirror and write cache enabled but knowledge base says that if you have "Performance Problems" you should turn off "Write Caching" witch I did with no luck. I have turned off almost every non essential service and still sometimes this moves like a turtle. This thing is supposed to have 10/100/1000 card but i was unable to transfer 5GB in less than 20 Minutes (Have seen a lot of speed transfer reports on Iomega support Forum). The Nas is very hot so i wouldn't leave it somewhere without ventilation (have read reports of 400f temperatures on the forum). It is energy efficient, it consumes mere 60watt. After covering almost all the features you can see what I meant at the beginning, this think its great in concept, but the execution its poor. Also support its very limited, the Knowledge base its small. In the forum every post its revised or redacted by Iomega Staff (supposedly "taking care of their Image" after some enraged customer spoke their minds) and I'm still waiting on a mail I sent a week ago asking for some "Feature clarification". For me, I will jut use this thing for Time Machine although it would have been cheaper to just buy a 1Tb Time Capsule. All other services are better served with my old trusty XP Inspiron 6000. ******* UPDATE ******** After a week of use the unit started shutting down for heating issues. Contacted customer support and they instructed me to disassemble the unit myself and check that the FAN INSIDE the unit was not obstructed. After that told me to wait for a Level III representative call. I'm still waiting for the call. It seems that this heating issue is a very common issue on new units: [...] Great Product, Please Read I have been working with computers for about 20 years. This product does everything at a GREAT price. People who have problems aren't as technical as they may think they are or seem. Believe me, most reviews don't mean squat, but this is good stuff... Iomega has been, in the past, not so desireable for mass storage because of the ZipDrive. Ya, many of you bought into the whole MEGA floppy era, but hey, what else did you have? Then NAS came around, but very expensive, this is a solution that is priced right (with Hard drives) and has all the nesseccary tools. The interface is HTML, but unless your network is a joke, it's NOT slow like others have mentioned. I setup my whole system from a wireless connectiion from my laptop after hard wiring the storage unit into my router. Here are a couple of key items to note. 1. Iomega uses ther own hard disks. 5400RPM, but I would of liked 7200RPM. I think 5400RPM was used to reduce heat in the small form factor and overall cost. 2. If you need to copy large amounts of data within or to the storage disk from USB use the Iomega "Copy Jobs", it will save you a LOT of time and won't depend on your computer. 3. Iomega thought that everyone that purchased this unit would be an idiot, so you may have to swap some file around after you copy them or back them up becuase many "Default" locations have been set in there interface. (Like the "QuikTransfer" folder for all your "One Touch" backups) 4. "One Touch" backup for cameras and USB drives works great but you need to setup the "Copy Jobs" accordingly. 5. You do NOT need to load the Iomega software on each computer you have to see the drive. 6. I've found that the web certificate for the interface is a little nutty if you don't use the Iomega software but other than that no issues. (I only have one out of four computers that accually have the software loaded.) 7. Streaming HD video is a nice addition to my XBOX 360. Hope this helps your decision.. I never knew Networked Attached Storage (NAS) was so easy to use!!! I have been looking at owning an external server for storage but decided when I saw this Iomega StorCenter ix2 - 200 with 2TB, this was the solution for me. We are a networked household and this is what our set-up uses: Linksys by Cisco WRT160N-RM Refurbished Wireless-N Router (this is a GREAT deal). Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopard on a Apple MacBook Pro MC118LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade on a Dell XPS M1530 laptop Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition FULL VERSION with SP2 on a Dell desktop The initial installation was done using Windows 7 and was a breeze. The Iomega software was very user friendly and even if one is not a huge techie, it is workable. The CD that comes with the software contains the Iomega hardware setup software (you can name your new storage device as you connect it to your router, etc.). The instructions are very easy to follow and once you plug the storage device into your router (like mine: Linksys by Cisco WRT160N-RM Refurbished Wireless-N Router ), the setup is a breeze. While I am typing this, two of our computers are getting complete backups. The other software that comes on the setup CD is EMC Retrospect Express HD. This is the software that lets a user set up back-ups automatically and do a back-up right out of the box (what I am doing). Doing the backup in no way impinges the use of my network and laptop. These events can take place simultaneously. I expect that I will begin to really explore this device and use it for Bit Torrent, cameras, videos, etc. I just can't wait to explore what I can do with 2TB. The form factor is fantastic and sturdy. I put the unit on it's side and put the Linksys hub on top of it. This provided a nice layout and I don't think that heat will be a problem at all. Total set-up time from box, to network, to 2 PCs, and 1 Mac = 1 hour. I give this great little unit 5 stars.

   

Seagate BlackArmor NAS 110 - 2 TB Network Attached Storage Server ST320005MNA10G-RK (Black)
From Seagate

The BlackArmor NAS 110 server is a network attached storage solution designed to provide centralized storage, data backup and media streaming for up to 10 PCs. Help protect important data with automatic full-system backup, SafetyDrill+ bare metal recovery software and powerful hardware-based encryption.
Brand: Seagate Model: ST320005MNA10G-RK Dimensions: 3.50" h x 8.75" w x 9.25" l, 4.00 pounds Hard Disk: 2TB

DO CONSIDERABLE RESEARCH FIRST I am happy with this drive for many reasons, and disappointed for two. This is a very well-built drive that seems like it will perform quite well for my purposes, which are media streaming. It has a browser-based management utility that is streamlined and easy to use. However, the documentation is very vague, as are the online forums that don't function well. My drive was set up in under 30 minutes with no problems. My dad bought two of these as well, and is having issues setting up the Global Access feature for some reason. I didn't have any issue with that. The two issues that are concerning have to deal with documentation and Media Server functionality. Seagate does not list what file formats/codecs are supported for DLNA streaming. Unfortunately, it appears it is limited to AVI and Windows Media. It will not stream MP4 files of any sort. This is a huge loss for me, since I bought the drive to avoid having my computer on all the time. The details of this issue are not documented anywhere. However, it appears that very few drives out there function properly in this respect. For now, I am streaming through Connect360 while waiting for a firmware update that may offer hope. I recommend this drive as a solid network drive, but must warn you that it does not perform as a DLNA server. I will update this as I get more information.

   

Iomega Home Media 500 GB Network Attached Storage 34336
From Iomega

Enjoy your digital life! Easily share and access files, photos, videos, and music between all your computers with the Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive. Powerful and fast, the three-step set-up is very simple, even if you've never used a network drive before. Ideal for centrally storing all your media files, the Home Media Network Hard Drive has a built in UPnP AV Media Server (DLNA certified) and iTunes Server so that content can be easily shared between computers and any other digital media adapters such as game consoles, digital picture frames or networked TVs on your network. Plus, remote access means that you can manage and use your content anywhere that you have an internet connection. Torrent download allows you to take advantage of the new standard in file sharing, and other features allow you to share a printer and control which family members have access to certain folders. Automatically backup all your computers to the network drive with award winning EMC Retrospect Express backup software for PC and Mac (included), or virtually any backup application, including Time Machine. For extra protection backup online with MozyHome Online Backup service - 2GB included free.
Size: 500 GB Brand: Iomega Model: 34336 Platform: Windows Format: CD Dimensions: 1.97" h x 3.54" w x 2.36" l, 7.05 pounds Hard Disk: 500GB
Enjoy your digital life! Easily share and access photos, videos and music between your home computers with the Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive. This device provides easy-to-use, yet powerful, network storage for the home user and the three step setup is a breeze, even if you’ve never used a network drive before. Save all your digital files to one central location and share them between computers on your network. Then play back your pictures, videos and music from digital media adapters such as game consoles, digital picture frames or networked TVs. Built-in iTunes support automatically feeds music into iTunes for easy playback. Easily share one printer over the network, and control which family members have access to certain folders. Plus, secure your memories and backup automatically with award winning EMC Retrospect software (PC/Mac) and for extra protection backup online with MozyHome Online Backup service with 2GB free. The Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive offers massive capacity and versitile backup features in an elegant, simple design.Network Multiple Computers in Your Home with the Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive A Great Way to Network Multiple Computers in Your Home Easily share and access photos, videos and music between your home computers with the Iomega ® Home Media Network Hard Drive, Gigabit Ethernet/USB 2.0. This device provides easy-to-use, powerful network storage for the home user, allowing you to save all your digital files to one central location and share them between computers on your network. Easy to Use, Secure, Fast and Powerful With a three step set-up, sharing your files has never been easier. The Home Media Network Hard Drive uses a Gigabit Ethernet connection for fast performance. And with EMC Retrospect HD software, your critical data is secure. Capacity: 500GB (1 SATA II HDD) Simple to use: Three step set up – simply plug into your router, power on, and install the software CD. Friendly web screens for easy management High Performance: Gigabit Ethernet connectivity combined with a high performance processor UPnP AV Media Server: Compatible with DLNA certified media players, able to stream photos, audio content and videos to a variety of media devices like game consoles, audio bridges, DMA’s, picture frames and more iTunes Server: Store your audio content in one central location and share it across your iTunes players Expandable: Add storage capacity by connecting external USB hard disk drives. Supports FAT32 and NTFS formatted hard drives Data Protection: Touch-free professional-level backup for all your critical data with EMC Retrospect HD backup software What’s in the Box Home Media Network Hard Drive Stand Power supply Quick start guide Solution CD with system software, user manual and EMC Retrospect HD backup software
Pretty seamless home network drive I've been using the 1TB media drive for about a month and a half now and have had a very positive experience. I set it up on an XP machine and had little problem connecting to it from my Vista laptop and XP netbook without installing any software. The only feature I haven't used is the USB print server (my printer is located in my office and the hard drive is connected in the living room next to the router and haven't wanted to move either one so they could be physically connected). My PS3 automatically found the device on the network, and I use the PS3 to watch TV shows stored on the hard drive on my HDTV. This works great. I can't edit files using the PS3, but I can play AVI and MP3 files (I sometimes play music through my stereo system this way as well as TV shows). Formats like .mkv files won't play this way, but that's a function of the PS3 rather than a limitation of the hard drive. I'm not using the backup software that comes with it; I manually load files to the device from any of my computers. I store my business files, writing, music, etc. on the drive and thus can, for instance, sit outside with my netbook while still accessing all my files (which is handy since the netbook has very little local storage). All my files are in one place and it doesn't matter which computer I'm using. Uploading files is not much, if any, faster than a USB 2.0 drive in my experience, but download speeds seem very snappy and even very high resolution video files play back over the network with no delay. For me, this HD solved a lot of problems. I highly recommend it if you have multiple PCs in your house and a collection of media or data files that you want to share, especially if you have a supported device like a PS3 connected to your TV. If you only have one PC and don't want to play media on your TV, you're better off with a 1 TB USB drive since that will be cheaper. Pros * Decent transfer performance over my network (via both wired and wireless connections) * Can connect to it via PS3 or Xbox 360 to view/listen to media files * Pretty painless setup * Takes up very little space * Works exactly as advertised and I'm in no danger of filling up the huge 1 TB drive Cons * Drive is a little noisy * Whether it's a factor of my router or the net drive, sometimes my netbook (wireless) and PS3 (wired) lose connection temporarily. I think this is something happening on my network rather than the drive though. * If I rename a file on the drive using my PC while a file is playing back on my PS3, there is a hiccup on playback: I lose sound for a second, then sound resumes but video playback lags for a few seconds before resuming. Audio and video remain synced when this happens, though. Bricked mine with a power outage I'm getting another one b/c they are so inexpensive, plus I plan to reuse the 1TB HDD in the old one. But here's what happened: One day it was working, next day it wasn't being located by the network. Hmmm. Weird. I power it down, then power it back up. Lights on the case flash, then turn off once the NAS gets up to speed, about 20 seconds I think. The drive is still moving, but the same thing happens each time. I look in the lengthy Iomega forums and see other people have posted this problem. One response from the Iomega person asks if there were any 'brown outs'. Oh, yeah! I put two and two together, the power outage I had at home corresponded to the NAS failure! SO... if you buy this thing, be sure to give it a UPS. I had it networked with my ReplayTV boxes and was able to watch archived TV from it at real time, albeit 480 resolution. Easy set-up but a bit noisy I was shopping for a storage device to back up all of my data from my 3 computers (1 running mac os x, 1 running windows 7, 1 running xp) and my wife's laptop (vista) so some type of device sharable between multiple devices was a necessity. Initially I was thinking about buying a larger drive and putting it in my home server but came across the iomega device on sale when walking through a local store. They were on sale so I snapped it up... I bought a gigabit switch as well and did a couple of tests from my two PCs - one with gigabit and one with 100Mbps. The transfer of a 700MB avi file tool took ~ 68 seconds with the one with the fast ethernet (100Mbps) interface. My other pc with the gigabit interface was able to transfer the file in about 35 seconds. I don't like installing 3rd party apps to manage backing up so I'm manually copying things over that I want to back up versus using iomega's included software. The device is DLNA compliant and will stream to various media devices.... you'll be able to see it under network and also the PS3 sees it as well. I believe the playback of various media types are dependent on what your player will support (ps3 - divx (both avi or divx extensions) - mkv's won't work since ps3 doesn't support it). XBMC picks up the shared folders as well. You can set up different permissions for each folder by going to the web interface. The web interface comes up as completely open by default. You'll have to set up an admin password. You can create user accounts for each of the folders and specify under each folder if you want to secure it and which users to allow access to the folder. Creating/deleting folders is a snap as well (though folder names are limited). The device is also a print server. I plugged in my usb hp 2410 all in one. I only use it as a printer so I installed just the print only driver from hp and it works ok... a little setup is required like specifying the ip address, and for Mac osx specifying the queue as printer1 but took me less than 5 minutes... takes a bit for the print job to come out (~30 seconds) but now I can print from any of my computers which is a plus. I only wish that the drive was a bit quieter (the cooling fan of the enclosure is the culprit I believe) as well as a way to spin down the drive in a power save mode if no one is accessing the server since it sounds like the drive is always on and I worry how long the disk will last being on 24x7... guess time will tell but since this is my back-up drive, makes me a bit uneasy.

   

Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 1 TB Network Attached Storage 34749 (Black)
From Iomega

The Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage offers content sharing with advanced security, and is ideal for small and remote offices, workgroups or home networks. Based on enterprise-class EMC storage technology, the StorCenter ix2-200 provides easy file sharing, iSCSI block access, and multiple RAID configurations for optimized data protection. Business users will appreciate the robust data protection features such as UPS support, print serving, folder quotas, rsync device-to-device replication, and user replaceable drives for business continuity and disaster recovery. The easy-to-use interface provides no-hassle management. Active Directory support and remote access round out the comprehensive business features. The StorCenter ix2-200 supports up to five Axis IP security cameras for basic video surveillance. Home users benefit from the advanced media features such as the DLNA certified UPnP AV Media Server, PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol), torrent download compatibility, Bluetooth upload, and Cooliris slide show plug-in. Award-winning EMC Retrospect Express backup software and RSA BSAFE encryption for protected installs and upgrades. Supports PC, Mac and Linux clients and is VMware certified for NFS and iSCSI. Available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities.
Color: black Brand: Iomega Model: 34749 Dimensions: 12.13" h x 7.50" w x 5.50" l, 6.14 pounds Hard Disk: 500GB
The Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage offers content sharing with advanced security, and is ideal for small and remote offices, workgroups or home networks. Based on enterprise-class EMC storage technology, the StorCenter ix2-200 provides easy file sharing, iSCSI block access, and multiple RAID configurations for optimized data protection. Business users will appreciate the robust data protection features such as UPS support, print serving, folder quotas, rsync device-to-device replication, and user replaceable drives for business continuity and disaster recovery. The easy-to-use interface provides no-hassle management. Active Directory support and remote access round out the comprehensive business features. The StorCenter ix2-200 supports up to five Axis IP security cameras for basic video surveillance. Home users benefit from the advanced media features such as the DLNA certified UPnP AV Media Server, PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol), torrent download compatibility, Bluetooth upload, and Cooliris slide show plug-in. Award-winning EMC Retrospect Express backup software and RSA BSAFE encryption for protected installs and upgrades. Supports PC, Mac and Linux clients and is VMware certified for NFS and iSCSI. Available in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacities. StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage User-Swappable Drives Ideal for Small Offices and Remote Offices The StorCenter ix2-200 offers many features that a small office will appreciate such as the iSCSI target that provides block-level access for the most efficient storage utilization, remote access via an internet connection, as well as print sharing with up to 3 USB printers. The StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage is VMware Ready certified. The StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage also offers device-to-device copy jobs via the one-touch QuikTransfer button and will even send email alerts to help IT administrators manage the StorCenter. Great Features for Home Networks The StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage offers many features that home users will enjoy such as a UPnP DLNA certified AV Media Server to stream music, videos and photos via game consoles, photo slideshows using Cooliris technology, and a torrent download manager for peer-to-peer file transfers without the need of a dedicated PC. Other features are the Bluetooth Upload to transfer contacts, photos, and more from cell phones, pocket PCs, and BlackBerry’s, Picture Transfer Protocol to automatically transfer photos from a digital camera via a USB port, and best of all – an easy 4-step set up process. Easy to Use Network Storage Product Features Sharing: Access files from any networked Windows PC, Mac or Linux workstation for easy file sharing, data backup and print serving RAID Support – RAID 1 with automatic RAID rebuild. JBOD mode also available. iSCSI support provides block-level access for the most efficient storage utilization, especially for database and email application performance High Performance: Gigabit Ethernet connectivity with Jumbo frame support and high performance embedded architecture Active Directory Support: Functions as a client member in an Active Directory domain allowing the Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 to utilize the domain users and groups Folder Quotas: Easily manage capacity by setting a maximum for shared storage folders UPS Support: Enables unattended system shutdown via the USB port without data loss in the case of extended power failure Email Alerts: If the device detects a problem, an email alert is sent to one or more email addresses Expandability: Add storage capacity by connecting external USB Hard Disk Drives. It supports read and write on Fat32, NTFS or ext2/ext3 formatted hard disks Print Server: Intelligent print sharing capability for up to 3 USB printers directly connected to the ix2-200 Advanced Media Support: Includes UPnP support through an integrated DLNA certified media server. Also supports PTP and Bluetooth upload VMware Certified: HCL certified NAS (NFS) and iSCSI storage for VMware Security Camera: Connect up to 5 Axis network security cameras and the ix2-200 captures and stores video without the need of a dedicated PC EMC Retrospect Express Backup Software (unlimited client licenses) for automated backups on a scheduled basis (client to StorCenter) Iomega QuikProtect Software for effortlessly synchronizing files between the clients and the StorCenter ix2-200 RSA BSAFE encryption technology protects installs and upgrades Warranty: 3 years with product registration What’s in the Box StorCenter ix2-200 Network Storage, Ethernet cable, power supply, Quick Start Guide, solutions CD with system administration software, Iomega QuikProtect Software, EMC Retrospect Express Backup software and user manual
Apple Time Capsule Killer, Awsome NAS solution I have been waiting for this for a long time. This NAS works period!. It works with Apple Time machine. It works with Ubuntu 9.10 (SimpleBackup) and it works with windowsXP (Windows Backup Program). I wanted a RAID1 NAS storage. RAID standard dictates how hard disks are used. In RAID1 both the hard discs contain the same data. So if one fries the other one will save your day till you replace the broken one with a new disk. I wanted Iomega to act as the backup repository for all my systems which include a macbook (Leopard), ubuntu Linux (9.10) and WindowsXP Pro. Pros ---- + For 200+ bucks this offers you RAID1. Which is lot better than over prized Apple Time capsule which has only one hard disk. + Works seamlessly with Apple Time machine software + Supports FTP Server, UPNP (for media streaming) and SMTP (to send you an emails about diagnostics errors etc) + Supports Good Security. Remember once you connect any device to network you should enable user accounts passwords etc. + Very Very simple configuration. + You can connect external USB storage devices and they are available to all users in your home network. Makes regular usb printers network printers how cool is that ? + Very reliable. So far I have transferred 100 Gigs of data over the network and not even once did the network connection drop. + Compact and easy to service (in case the hard disk fries). Cons None so far Help Instructions For Apple Users Once you install the supplied software the provided TimeMachine folder on the drive is visible to your time machine software as a backup drive. Configuration just involves opening up your time machine preferences and pointing to the NAS timemachine folder. Done! its that simple. I have tried creating a backup and restoring from it and it worked seamlessly. For Ubuntu I used the macbook to configure the NAS. Open the admin page in your browser and go to Settings->NetworkServices and Enable NFS. Once you do this the drive will turn on SMB protocol automatically (something that linux and unix worlds love). Now you can either create an additional folder on the drive (like i did or use the existing Backup Folder). Once you decided which folder to use, click on the small "Configure" Spanner icon next to it. This would open up the configuration page. Give a proper name and click next. In this page the software would ask you if you want NFS enabled for the folder. Check the box and give a name. For instance UbuntuBackup. Click ok. Now start your ubuntu computer-> places->Network and the explorer would show you the UbuntuBackup. To let Simple backup store backups here open the System->Administration->SimpleBackup Config-> in destination folder check the second option (SSH or FTP) and enter the following smb://EnterUserName@IOMEGANASNAME/UbuntuBackup (note you have to use username and password only if you have enabled security as i did. Your are done. Do a test backup and restore Windows Map the NAS as a drive (assigning a drive letter) and make the backup program use the mapped drive as the destination WOW! this NAS is AMAZING! im not expert on NAS drives.. but coming from the LACIE world.. oh my gosh, this thing BLOWS THEM OUT OF THE WATER! i had the ethernet BIG DISK... got the 100gb, about 5 years ago, got the 500GB 2 years ago, and just bought this a week ago... i will never, ever ever go back to lacie! you can use windows to change share/security permissions.. you can upload files via the web GUI anywhere in the world (and download of course) not to mention FTP. has tons of network serving capabilities... AFP, FTP, windows CIFS, NFS, rYsync... the list goes on! adding users and shares was SOOO fast! the interface is very responsive! (and intuitive). im used to using the lacie, that would take 2 mins to load... (didnt matter if i was physically connected to it...) the error log is easy to read (logs all changes, not just errors) you can chose quotas (MB, GB) for users/shares.. what i really like, there is a feature under backup/copy... where you can schedule backup jobs (without installing software) i have a networked media player in our basement (Mvix ultio)... and once a week, i have it set to pull movies from the folder i chose, and back it up to wherever i want (i chose the StoreCenter obviously) but you can have it go anywhere you want, from anywhere you want! slick!!! power management, search, attach printers and make it function as a network printer, surveillance camera capability.. the list goes on!!! i didnt knwo it had half these features when i bought it.. i just wanted to try something else for a change, and i read a review on some blogs and decided to try it out, man am i glad i did!!! (its super quiet too!) im trying to think of some CONS... i honestly cannot think of any right now.. but will post back and update on how it goes after the first week/month... so far, amazing! pj Excellent Product Before buying this NAS, I had bought the Netgear Stora. I returned it after three weeks of hassle and not getting it to work. The problem: a layer of software severely lacking in functionality that you could not get through. After some more research, I replaced it with this unit and I could not be happier. I travel a lot for work so remote access through a secure tunnel was a requirement. This worked marvelously though it did require an additional cash outlay for a domain name, security certificate, etc. The end result is that our household is all hooked into the same iTunes content, I no longer carry thumb drives for my presentations and my wife and I can work on files without having to e-mail them back and forth. My only regret is that I probably should have gone for the 2TB box since, with RAID 1, the two 1TB drives supplied with the unit only stores 1TB with the other drive being a mirror of the first for redundancy. I didn't realize that consolidating out files would use almost a quarter of the 1TB. Something else just came to mind: I tried to create a new folder while working remotely. It does not have that functionality. Small thing but it is a thing. Hopefully, this feature will appear in a future upgrade. The bottom line is that this is a spectacular product and, with further upgrades to come, will only get better.

   

Seagate BlackArmor 4 TB NAS 220 Network Attached Storage Server ST340005LSA10G-RK
From Seagate

Seagate BlackArmor 4 TB NAS 220 Network Attached Storage Server
Brand: Seagate Model: ST340005LSA10G-RK Dimensions: 5.50" h x 10.60" w x 10.70" l, 8.45 pounds Hard Disk: 2TB

   

LaCie 301270U 1TB Ethernet Disk mini Home Edition
From Lacie

Centrally store your shared digital entertainment on the LaCie Ethernet Disk mini ¿ Home Edition. Easily find your photos, music, and video thanks to the predefined shares. Drag and drop your photos for easily uploading them so they are accessible to your relatives and friends no matter where they are. Setup is complete in minutes, providing home and remote access. Use the LaCie Ethernet Disk mini as a simple, cost-effective personal media server via Gigabit Ethernet. Stream videos to your TV with the broadest range of digital media players supporting uPnP AV, Windows Connect, and DLNA certified devices, plus game stations like PS3 or Xbox 360. At the same time, you can listen to music through a networked sound system and with the internal iTunes server, it can stream to any Mac or PC. Keep digital photos safe and organized in the family library or view them on your TV or compatible digital picture frame and edit from any computer with your favorite software. It¿s never been so easy to organize, edit and enjoy your photos.Your household¿s digital content is always accessible wherever you go via the HomeLaCie.com media portal. Access personal media and files from anywhere via an Internet web browser. Share with friends and family by sending email invitations. Just log on to your LaCie Media Portal to get to your customized menu. Upload photos directly to your Ethernet Disk mini while you are on vacation. With the Desktop software for Windows and Mac OS X, back up your home computer to your Ethernet Disk mini - Home Edition automatically. Synchronize your music library between your laptop and the Home Edition.
Amazon Sales Rank: #14097 in Consumer Electronics Size: 1TB Brand: LaCie Model: 301270U Platform: Windows Format: CD Original language: English Dimensions: 6.30" h x 1.70" w x 6.80" l, 3.50 pounds Hard Disk: 1TB

Works Well First, be aware that the "Ethernet Disk Mini Home Edition" and "Etherenet Disk Mini" are different products with different features. This information is related to the Home Edition. It works very well for me, although a little slow when accessed through the web interface. After opening the necessary ports in my DSL router, I had to reboot the whole setup (edminihome, dsl, router) a few times before things worked. Not sure if that is needed, or if it just took some time for things to propagate through. When you ask it to share a folder through the internet, it emails the receipient an URL pointing to the shared folder. The URL contains a long random string (I guess it's some kind of a cookie), but no password is required to sign in. So anybody who gets a copy of that URL (eg. if the email is forwarded to someone else) will have access to the shared folder, and I don't see a way to log who are actually accessing the files. You can plug in multiple USB drives into the edminihome using a usb hub, and they are all visible to the edminihome. However you can select only one of them at any time to serve as MySafe. The remaining USB drives will be dormant. When selected as MySafe, the USB drive can be accessed through the web interface, but cannot be mounted as a network drive (FamilyLibrary, MyLibrary, and MyBackup can each be mounted as a network drive). Good consumer NAS, but no speed demon to be sure I worked in IT in the past, so I wouldn't consider myself new to setting up networks or NAS devices. I have set lots of them up, this LaCie Home Edition wasn't too difficult, but I can see how some people would be frustrated too as its not very well thought out. That said, I have got it delivering files to a Windows XP desktop, Windows Vista laptop and a MacBook Pro. As per usual, the Mac is the easiest, their is something called the HipServ which shows up in your shared devices and then you click on Family Library or My Library. I have set it up with a static IP address and have shortcuts to folders on the NAS, so it looks and works as if it were the same as an internal drive. Bad news though, it is slow, even by consumer NAS standards. Using my 802.11n network, I get 4.5MBps and through a gig LAN connection I get about 8MBps. Silver lining, its a stable connection so you can start copying things and come back to it later - much later. I threw about 350GB on it immediately off an older USB drive that was dying and it took over 24hours. Talking of USB, forget the USB port on the back for adding additional storage, its just for backing up what you have on the NAS which is helpful, but it would be nice to use it for other things too. I have also connected to it whilst away from home and it works well enough once you've set everything up - again though, helps to know a little about network setup. Bad news is that its very slow, like topping out at 20kbps so downloading a movie or something is going to take a long time. OK to use for grabbing a Word file or something that you forgot to transfer to your laptop before leaving on a business trip! You get what you pay for, for the money its not a bad NAS. It does what it says and its fast enough to stream movies/music - standard def at least. It is relatively inexpensive and fast enough for backups from multiple computers - as long as you stagger the backups. To give an idea of speed, its roughly 25-35% as fast as a typical USB2 drive. I'm Impressed yes, it was a pain to setup - but I'm very impressed with what its letting me do right now... Access my entire iTunes library wirelessly over my Airport Express (over multiple machines at once!) For just over $100?! Wow.

   

ASUS TS Mini SOHO Server (2TB Storage)
From Asus

ASUS TS-Mini/2TB - SOHO Server - Making Home Server Easy (Storage, Backup, and Sharing) WebStorage: Free 1 year subscription for 500GB online storage. - External Backup: Directly and easily backup, synchronize and manage your files/folders (6 USB2.0 and 2 eSATA ports). ASWM: ASUS monitoring application to provide live status updates on the Home Server. Energy Saving: 25-28W, low power consumption.
Brand: Asus Model: TS-Mini/2TB Memory: 2GB SDRAM
The new ASUS Small Office Home Office (SOHO) Server TS mini helps you centralize your files to improve data management, enhance media streaming, and better utilize home networks. Designed to simplify a user’s digital life, the TS mini centralizes files such as photos, music, and videos from multiple home computers—to enable easy storing, sharing and securing of the files within a home or remotely through the Internet. Equipped with Intel Atom processor N280, the TS mini delivers efficient, 24/7 performance. Operating on the Microsoft Windows Home Server Platform, TS Mini simplifies the management and protection of digital content. The TS mini features up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM memory, Gigabit Ethernet support, supports up to 4TB of internal storage, exclusive 500GB of ASUS WebStorage online storage*, six USB ports, and two eSATA ports to meet future growth requirements. The 2TB version offers 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 2TB of internal storage, 500GB of ASUS WebStorage and much more. Key Features Easy data backup and restoration - choose from automated or manual backup Quick and convenient file sharing with easy remote access via Internet and LAN Large data capacity with ASUS exclusive WebStorage (2TB HDD + 500GB WebStorage)* Enhanced data access and file management with 2x eSATA ports, 6x USB 2.0 ports and gigabit ethernet port Uses less than 30 Watts when fully operational Windows Home Server with ASUS System Web-based Management Software for maximum compatibility and convenience Learn More Enhanced Data Access and File Management The TS mini functions as a data management center, automatically backing up data from up to 10 computers daily. With six USB and two eSATA ports, the TS mini lets you directly back up, synchronize, and manage your files across various USB and eSATA devices and the internal hard disk drive. In a recovery scenario, you will be able to easily restore files or bring computers back online by loading the latest information saved on the TS mini. With the TS Mini, it is easy to have peace of mind. Convenient Content Sharing at Home and Easy Remote Access The TS mini makes it easy for users to stream photos, music, video and other digital content to various devices including HD media players, TVs, computers, Media PCs, and gaming consoles in their around home—for all-around home entertainment access. With the Remote Access feature, while away from home, you can access the TS mini and its content using your personal Windows Live account. While connected, you can also stream music and multimedia content through the online connection. Large Data Capacity with ASUS’ Exclusive WebStorage* On top of the 2TB of hard drive storage, the ASUS TS mini comes with a full year of free 500GB ASUS WebStorage* that allows you to store, share, and access your files over the Web. With ASUS WebStorage, you can boost your storage limit and synchronize backups online for improved data security. Additionally, you can save large files on the Web, and upload it to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter anywhere there is internet access. ASUS WebStorage allows you to create multiple logins for sharing your favorite files securely. With this free cloud storage, you will have the redundancy and safety of online backup to make sure that your most precious data is never lost.* Enhanced Data Access and File Management You can use the TS mini as a user-friendly management console to consolidate data from various sources. With six USB and two eSATA ports—the most I/O interface for a home server—the TS mini lets home users directly back up, synchronize, and manage their files across various USB and eSATA devices and the internal hard disk drive. With the eSATA ports, you can quickly access and store your data up to 3Gb/s. That is like transferring 2 movies in just 15 seconds! Less Power Consumption than a Light Bulb** In line with global energy-saving initiatives, the TS mini was developed to use minimal power—consuming 24.5W of power in idle mode and 27.9W when activated. Such energy-saving capabilities make the TS mini the ideal choice for 24-by-7, non-stop data center operations. That is less power consumption than a typical 60W light bulb! And because the TS mini consumes so little power, it is able to run at a much quieter sound level. At only 28 Decibels during full operation, the TS mini is quieter than a whisper. Warranty ASUS 1 Year Limited Warranty ASUS SOHO Server TS Mini comes with 1 year limited warranty. Please visit Support.ASUS.com for more details on warranty policy. What's in the Box TS Mini (2TB version) Quick start guide User manual AC adapter Power cord RJ45 LAN cable HDD screws package Software installation CD Recovery CD Restore CD Warranty card Specifications CPU: Intel Atom Processor N280 1.66GHz Memory: 2GB DDR2-800 Hard Drive Storage: 2TB @ 7200rpm (2x 1TB) Cloud Storage: 500GB ASUS WebStorage* Networking: 1x 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) RJ45 LAN Interfaces: 6x USB 2.0, 2x eSATA, 1x Kensington Lock Buttons: Power on/off button, Recovery button LED Indicators: System, HDD1, HDD2, Network status indicators AC Power Adapter (Watt): Output: 19V, 90W, Input: 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz universal Dimensions: 9.6 (H) x 3.8 (W) x 8 (D) inches Approximate Weight: 8.58 lbs. Operation Noise: 28 dBa (near silent) Operating System: Powered by Microsoft Windows Home Server Color: Piano Black All specifications are subject to change without notice. Color and bundled software versions are subject to change without notice. Product may not be exactly as shown in photos. *ASUS WebStorage service is complimentary for the first 12 months. **Compared to a typical incandescent 60W light bulb Check out other ASUS products that makes a great pairing with the TS Mini ASUS O!Play HD Media Player Stream and watch HD videos from your TS Mini on this ASUS O!Play HD media player paired with your HDTV. Ethernet enabled, O!Play plays H.264, Divx, RMVB, MP3 and much more right from your home network. ASUS Thin and Light UL30A-X5 LaptopLooking for great battery life and mobile processing power? Check out the Amazon exclusive thin and light UL30A-X5 Laptop. Eee PC Touch T91 Tablet NetbookThe Eee PC T91 delivers ultimate portability and simplicity with an easy-to-use touchscreen that enables user to effortlessly navigate applications and the Web at a press of a finger. ASUS VH242H 24-inch LCD Monitor with HDMICheck out this 24-inch large Full HD LCD monitor. With built-in speakers and HDMI input, it is easy and affordable to get the ultimate entertainment right on your desk.

   

ZyXEL NSA210 Digital Media Storage Server
From ZYXEL

ZyXEL’s NSA210 is the Ultimate Home Media Machine. Not only the 2 Terabytes capacity* lets consumers dump every photos, video clips they downloaded to the box; It also able to perform scheduled download set by the users when they are not home! Packed by rich features, the NSA210 can automatically upload pictures and videso to flickr and Youtube; It also automatically download media files via FTP, Web, Torrent and RSS feed from remote sites. To share the media files with friends and families, NSA210 can do scheduled copying of media files to other Zyxel NSA series products on the Internet remotely. It is the indeed the ultimate Digital Home Media machine.(*Hard drive NOT included)
Color: Black Brand: ZyXEL Model: NSA210 Dimensions: 7.70" h x 5.10" w x 2.30" l,

Great NAS I purchased this item on a leap of faith, as I couldn't find a review anywhere. I think I may be the first on the entire www. It is a great little device. Granted most people looking for a true backup solution will shun this for only having the single bay, but for my simple needs, I was fine with a single bay. I just can't bring myself to make a backup of a backup. I figure I'm ahead of the game for having the one backup. The unit itself is metal, and very easy to load the HDD (I am using a spare 750 gb I had laying around). Installation of the software was also very easy. I can mount various sub-folders within the server, which will make network backups a snap. The options for how you set this thing are limitless, and it really is not that difficult. I haven't tried to stream any media yet, but based on what I have seen thus far, I 'd say it will be great. If you are looking for a media server/NAS this can't be beat.

   

QNAP TS-509 Pro Turbo NAS - NAS - Serial ATA-300 - RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, JBOD, 5 hot spare - Gigabit Ethernet
From QNAP Systems, Inc

Modern business requires a centralized data center to protect information asset, back up critical data, share the information among workgroups or departments. A solid, efficient, and flexible data backup system is the key to greater business agility and also an increasingly important task for IT administrator. QNAP TS-509 Pro Turbo NAS is the generation all-in-one NAS server for SMB and enterprises. It offers the most reliable and powerful storage solution. With superior performance, versatile server features, best-in-class RAID data protection, and rock-solid hot swappable hard drive design, the TS-509 Pro brings business nowadays a truly experience of instant data access and sharing, a protected mass storage, value-plus server features at the lowest maintenance cost.Powered by Intel Celeron 1.6GHz CPU, 1GB DDRII memory, the 5-bay, hot-swappable TS-509 Pro delivers superior performance for multiple business applications and intensive concurrent data access. The Linux OS and applications of the TS-509 Pro are embedded in the flash DOM that higher stability is guaranteed. Moreover, the dual Gigabit LAN ports can be configured as failover, load balancing, or serving two different subnets which enables more deployment options in a business network environment.
Brand: QNAP Model: TS-509 PRO Dimensions: 10.28" h x 10.28" w x 7.42" l, 14.11 pounds

   

Western Digital My Book World Edition 1 TB Network Attached Storage WDH1NC10000N (White)
From Western Digital

Simplified set up and best-in-class performance make My Bookq World Edition Home Network Storage the easy choice for centralizing data and backing up your home computers. Connect the drive to your network router and you¿re up and running in minutes. Use the included back up software to protect your family¿s PCs with automatic and continuous backup plans. Store all your digital media in one central location so everyone in the family can have access to it. Compatible with both Mac and Windows files.
Size: 1 TB Color: White Brand: Western Digital Model: WDH1NC10000N Dimensions: 6.81" h x 2.28" w x 5.78" l, 2.41 pounds Hard Disk: 1TB
My Book World Edition Home Network Storage It's easy to set up a central storage location in your home that is compatible with both Mac and Windows files. Simply connect the drive to your network router and you’re up and running in just a few minutes. Use the included back up software to protect your family’s PCs with automatic and continuous backup plans. Store all your digital media in one central location so everyone in the family can have access to it. Remote access technology lets you securely access files from anywhere, anytime.   Keep your family’s data safe. If you’re the family Chief Technology Officer, you understand the importance of backing up photos, music, video and all the other files that are so important to your family, right? And maybe you’re the only one in the house that gets it. Now you don’t have to nag the rest of the family to back up, or chase down their computers to do it yourself. In just a few simple steps, you can set up automatic and continuous back up to the World Edition drive for all your family’s computers. Whew, okay, that’s done and now you don’t have nag anymore. Keep the files on your laptop backed up without even thinking about it. You’ve been out at Joe’s Coffee Shop writing your novel and now you’re home and you know you should back up your work. Sigh. With the My Book World Edition drive it’s no longer a chore, in fact, it’s easy. Just turn on your laptop and log into the home network. That’s it. Your files will be backed up automatically. It’s not hard to set it up, and once you’re done it’s always automatic and you can stop thinking about it. Play music and video files on your TV. Your epic trip-to-Africa movie is here on the computer in the den. Your big, beautiful new plasma TV is there in the family room. How do you get that movie from here to there? My Book World Edition can be your home's central media hub. From it you can stream photos, music, and videos to your home entertainment center. All you need is the My Book World Edition drive and a digital media adapter or a game console like X-Box 360 or Playstation 3, and your masterpiece is there on the big screen.   Play all your iTunes music on any computer in the house. You use iTunes to manage your music and so does the rest of the family, so there are music files on all of your family’s computers. With the My Book World Edition drive, you can put that music all in one place so that everyone can listen. Store all your family’s iTunes music on the drive. Find the drive on any computer on the network. Open iTunes, and, ta-da, there’s the music. Get to your data no matter where you are. You’re out of town, interviewing for a new job. You need a new copy of your resume and it’s only on your home computer…which is turned off. Yikes! But you’re OK, because you stored the resume on your My Book World Edition drive. The drive is always on, and you can get to it through the Internet, any time, anywhere. Excellent! Now you can knock ‘em dead in the interview. Features: Automatic and continuous backup for all the computers on your network – Now you can easily back up data from all your home computers with the included continuous backup software. Set it and forget it; every time you save something it's instantly and automatically backed up. Simple file recovery – Restore lost, damaged or older files back to their original location with a couple of clicks. Backup files are stored in the same file structure that you originally saved them, so it’s easy and intuitive to find files. Centralize all your family’s digital content – Store or backup all your digital files and media in one central location so everyone can access and enjoy your collection from any computer in the home. Stream digital media anywhere in your home – Built-in media server for streaming music, photos and movies to any DLNA certified multimedia device such as Playstation® 3, Xbox 360®, wireless digital picture frames, and connected audio receivers. DLNA 1.5 & UPnP certified. iTunes® server support – Centralize your music collection and stream to a Mac® or Windows® PC using iTunes software. Remote access – Access your files anywhere, anytime using MioNet® remote access technology from WD. Works seamlessly with both Windows and Mac computers – Access and save files seamlessly from both your Mac and your Windows computers. Best-in-class performance – My Book World Edition uses cutting-edge technologies to deliver high performance read and write speeds ideal for the most demanding users. Easy to set up, easy to find on your network – Set up is a snap; in just a few minutes you’re up and running. Mac and Windows Vista computers will automatically find your My Book drive in seconds. Our simple discovery software makes it easy to find the drive with Windows XP systems. Share your personal content – MioNet remote access technology makes it easy for you to securely share photos and documents with friends and family. USB 2.0 utility port – Turn any USB drive into an instant network drive or extra capacity for your World Edition. Cooler, quieter, eco-friendlier – Equipped with WD drives using WD GreenPower™ technology, this system consumes significantly less power and delivers performance on par with power hungry network storage devices using 7200 RPM hard drives. Capacity gauge – See at a glance how much space is available on your drive. High-speed data transfer with Gigabit Ethernet - Gigabit networking and transfer rates are up to five to six times faster than other standard 10/100 Ethernet network storage systems. This performance is comparable to USB 2.0 direct-attached storage. Your results will vary based on the file size and format, settings, features, software and other factors. My Book World Edition Home Network Storage Features at a glance: Automatic, continuous backup for all the computers in your home Stream digital media anywhere in your home Centralize all your family's digital content Remote access Works seamlessly with both Windows and Mac computers.
As good as it can be When I saw this, I got pretty excited because I'd been looking for these features and they all came together in one drive. Setup: The setup was easy and quick. Not a lengthy user manual but enough to get you going and more info on the disc. It asks for a driver update when introduced to new machines but I haven't seen a need for it after connecting through Windows Network (although it works with Macs as well, not just Windows). I haven't done much with the remote access but it looks easy to use so far. Capabilities: It does everything I needed (i.e. let me get to my music, movies and pictures in one place). I watch a lot of downloaded movies on my Xbox 360 so it's nice to be able to put them on the big screen in the living room or open one from a laptop in bed without having to move the file or drive or have it take up space on both machines. One of the big pluses beyond having your music/ movies available from any computer in the house is that you also improve your computers by freeing up that space - especially with desktops. I used to have gigabytes full of music on my desktop and laptop but now I have a lot more free space on my desktop so I don't need a new internal drive for that to keep it fresh. Performance: It runs on ethernet and wifi so be careful with reviews on speed. USB connections run about the same on every machine but networking depends on your computer, your wifi standard and your router. If you have a fast machine, a good router and preferably N-WiFi, you'll get good speed. Of course, ethernet connection is really fast but I use wireless N and it's not quite the same but it gets the job done. Speed is only an issue for large file transfer but not actual usage. I haven't seen any hiccups streaming and watching movies (~700MB each) or listening to music. Price: Some of my friends have NAS systems that house up to 8TB and run about $1,000+ but I'm not there yet. This one is great for the money - especially considering the price of a 1TB alone and the additional features. Improvements: I wish file transfers were a little faster - I know that that depends on my router and computer as much as the drive, but you can't blame a guy for wanting a little more! The write up covers a lot of the specs and details on what it can/can't do. This is just my view of the product. Hope it helps! Easy to Set Up & Painless Backup in Background Just plug in this drive to the power outlet and your router and it shows up as network drive on all the network computers and even in iTunes. On Windows it shows 3 folders: Public, Download & Configuration and on Mac the only first two. I have not been able to create custom folders yet and may have to dig the manual on how to do that. So far, I have also not been able to figure out how to secure the back up data. The backup software worked well on Mac. It automatically backs up in the background like Time Machine. But this drive does not work with Time Machine itself on Mac. Apple technical support informed me that Time Machine works with USB drives and the only network drive Time machine works with is Time Capsule! On Windows, the software is so painfully slow that I gave up and have not been able to test it yet. Neither have I tested the remote access through Mionet. The hard drive goes to sleep if it is not used for a while and disconnects from the network. Then you have to turn it off and on again to connect to the network. You can also attach a USB drive to MyBook drive's USB port to extend storage. But this drive itself does not work as a USB drive. Overall, it works well as Network Attached Storage. UPDATE 5/16/2009: I downloaded the latest version of WD Anywhere Bckup for Windows and it is much faster and works really well. But you cannot customize backup. You can specify what files you want to back up, like Word document, Excel spreadsheet etc. but it won't let you backup custom folders that are not part of My Documents. 6/14/2009: I have still not been able to secure the data, create custom folders or customize the backup and if anyone knows how to do that, I will appreciate your comments. But I have tried remote access on Mionet and it works. Again, you cannot selectively provide remote access to specific folders. Basic Mionet access is included with the drive, but Mionet keeps on annoyingly nagging you to pay for premium access. Suprisingly versatile I bought this expecting just a simple, no-frills NAS device, but WDC really packed a lot of functionality into this thing. You can access your files via HTTP, FTP, CIFS (Windows shares), or SFTP, it comes with media server software ("TwonkyMedia") built in, and best of all, it gives you full access via SSH to the Linux-based OS running under the hood. The amount of tinkering potential this little thing has is a power user's dream.

   

Netgear RNR4450 ReadyNAS 1100 2 TB Rackmount Network Storage with Dual Gigabit Ports (4x500GB)
From Netgear

At last, there is a Network Attached Storage device for small businesses and home offices that allows you to quickly and easily add capacity or swap out drives without down time. The automated RAID expansion is made possible by our patent pending X-RAID technology while hot swap support allows you to replace a disk without powering down the system. Leading performance is assured with our custom network storage microprocessor and a Gigabit Ethernet network port. ReadyNAS couples out of the box deployment and easy management with robust file serving and data redundancy.
Size: 2 TB Brand: Netgear Model: RNR4450 Platform: Windows Format: CD Dimensions: 1.70" h x 12.50" w x 16.90" l, 18.00 pounds Hard Disk: 500GB

Very slow, atrocious web interface and poor support We've had one of these units for almost two years. On the bright side we haven't lost any data; but the system is very slow. This applies to both its file serving and its poorly designed web admin interface (you won't believe how slow it is and what a pain it is to use). We replaced an 8 year old Win2K desktop system (not a server mind you) with this unit and the decrease in performance was noticeable (10 - 20% slower). Performance on a 1 Gb/sec network isn't considerably better than on a 100 Mb/sec network. Support from Netgear consists primarily of them telling you to do system resets, firmware reinstalls and finally factory resets (where you get to reinstall all your data and configuration information). Apparently its much easier to have your customers do all the legwork than to write some diagnostics for your hardware. Stick with that old repurposed desktop as a file server, you'll be happier. Netgear Sucks We purchased our Netgear ReadyNAS 1100 2TB system on 12/15/2008 from Amazon.com - BTW: very smooth ordering, no issues there. After having one of my experienced programmers setup this equipment for automated backups, w/in a few days of running the ReadyNAS it's sending us daily automated messages indicating disk 4: "Reallocated sector count has increased in the last day." Basically, one of our four 500GB Seagate disks (Western Digital are much more reliable) is going bad w/in a few days of cranking this thing on. After contacting Netgear, we were told the disk is going bad and that they would happily replace it. Here's the good stuff. Even though today is 1/20/09 and we purchased the thing on 12/15/08 (that's just over 30 days ago), we'll have to pay $20 to have Netgear ship us a new drive so that we can then, ship the old one back. Now, $20 is a drop in the hat with all the equipment and it doesn't buy a happy meal from Micky D's for a family, but since when does purchasing a close to $2000 piece of equipment cost a penny more to fix when the hunk of junk doesn't work w/in a few days of having it up and running? We also called Netgear prior to purchasing this unit and went to their presales area via telephone. None of our questions could be answered by their Indian speaking reps... like speaking with a zoo animal. All I can say is that Netgear is pathetically disappointing and I regret spending 4K on this ReadyNAS and their switches over the last month.

   

GMG 4500MGB-4Bay-Raid-Pro NAS Enclosure
From Galaxy Metal Gear

GMG 4500MGB Quad Bay Raid Pro NAS Enclosure A SATA enclosure like no other, the 4500MGB Quad Bay Raid Pro offers the latest in network attached storage technology. Workstations connected to the same network have access to the 4500MGB Quad Bay Raid Pro's massive 4-bay storage space. Plus, with 2 available USB host ports, any attached USB device is also accessible on the network. Used in conjunction with BitTorrent™, the 4500MGB Quad Bay Raid Pro can be set to download media files from the Internet and save it onto its internal SATA hard drives. With powerful RAID technology, all your downloaded media and data files can be safely backed up. The 4500MGB Quad Bay Raid Pro leads the pack with innovative design and incredible performance.


Works great for me. Used this NAS enclosure to create a 4TB NAS in Raid 1 for my digital movies and backups. Configuring the NAS through the web browser was pretty straight forward, although I'm not using any sophisticated features. The drive runs smooth and fairly quiet. Streaming movies over the ethernet to my AppleTV and HDTV has been smooth -- no problems whatsoever. The best part is that it plays nice with both my desktop running XP and my MacBook running Snow Leopard. I'm able to see the drive and read/write files on both machines. Buying this enclosure and 4 1TB hard drives separate was a lot cheaper than the options that are bundled together.I'm glad I went with this option. SUCKS This is a peice of garbage, after transfering 2.5TB of media files, it dumped the RAID 5 config and lost all data. Had to re-build RAID, DO NOT BUY, the tech support said "buy a new case." cause they never had someone with this issue.

   

Iomega StorCenter ix2 - 1 TB (2 x 500 GB) Network Attached Storage 34338
From Iomega

Iomega StorCenter ix2 Network Storage offers content sharing with advanced security, and is ideal for small office, remote office or home networks. Based on enterprise-class EMC storage technology, the ix2 provides fast data throughput; easy file sharing; and RAID 1 or JBOD configurations for additional data protection. The StorCenter ix2 includes as easy-to-use interface with robust features including print and media server, remote access, torrent download, folder quotas, IP security camera support, and Bluetooth upload options. Support for Windows Active Directory and Apple File Protocol are also included. Award-winning EMC Retrospect backup software and RSA BSAFE encryption for protected installs and upgrades are included for advanced backup and security. It is available in 1TB and 2TB capacities, supporting PC, Mac, and Linux clients.
Size: 1 TB (2 x 500 GB) Brand: Iomega Model: 34338 Platform: Windows Format: CD Dimensions: 5.00" h x 10.55" w x 9.37" l, 6.61 pounds Hard Disk: 500GB
The Iomega StorCenter ix2 offers simple high performance shared storage for your home or small office. Without adding the cost or complexity of a server, you can now share and store your files. With strong security features, an impressive 1 TB of storage capacity, and a built-in media server, the easy-to-use ix2 gives PCs, Macs, and Linux users on your network full access to your digital files and media, including music, photos, movies, and more. .caption { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; } ul.indent { list-style: inside disc; text-indent: 20px; } table.callout { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, serif; margin: 10px; width: 250; } td.callout { height: 100 percent; background: #9DC4D8 url(http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/callout-bg.png) repeat-x; border-left: 1px solid #999999; border-right: 1px solid #999999; padding: 10px; width: 250px; } ul.callout { list-style: inside disc; text-indent: -12px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; } h5.callout { text-align: center; } The Iomega StorCenter ix2 Network Storage: Offers easy set up and usage. Provides 1 TB of disk space. Features a built-in media server, security camera capabilities, user/group setups and Bluetooth upload. Is capable of RAID 1 for data redundancy and protection. Can connect two USB devices with built-in ports. Includes EMC Retrospect Express backup software for scheduled backups. With an optional Bluetooth adapter, you can transfer data wirelessly from your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. The ix2 measures a mere 4.92 x 3.15 x 7.875 inches (HxWxL) and weighs less than five pounds. View larger. View back. Connect your PC, Mac, iPhone, Game Console, Picture Frame, Security Camera and more to the StorCenter. View larger. Outstanding Storage Capacity and Performance This StorCenter ix2 has two drive bays, each populated by a 500 GB 7200 RPM drive to offer a total of 1 TB. Powered by a 400 MHz processor and with gigabit Ethernet, the device allows for fast copying and reading of files, and ensures that you'll be able to effortlessly stream music and videos across your network. Smart Design and Easy Setup The StorCenter ix2 offers an impressive list of high-performance features in an ultra-compact design that is smaller than a large dictionary. Unlike many shared storage devices that require extensive set-up procedures, the ix2 will be ready to go with as few as four mouse clicks. Iomega designed the StorCenter so that even the most non-technical user could easily enjoy its high-performance features. Extra-Strength Protection Keeps Your Data Safe The Storcenter ix2 uses multiple levels of protection to safeguard your data. The device includes EMC's award-winning Retrospect Express backup software, letting you easily schedule automated backups of your local hard drive onto the Storcenter. You don't have to worry about hackers either, thanks to the proven encryption technology from RSA, the security division of EMC. The Storcenter ix2 lets you take advantage of its full terabyte of storage space in JBOD mode, but it also gives you the option of RAID 1 (mirroring), which means all of the data saved to one disk is automatically saved onto the other disk as well, providing you with superb security in the case of unexpected drive failure. RAID 1 mirroring mode reduces capacity by half, but your data is twice as safe with this redundant feature. Media Server Capability for Streaming Video and Audio With built-in support for UPnP and DLNA devices, the StorCenter ix2 can store and play back multimedia files on all compatible devices such as game consoles, media center devices, networked televisions, digital picture frames, and more. An integrated iTunes/MP3 server means everyone on your network will have access to a complete music library. USB Ports Allow Expandability With two USB ports, the StorCenter ix2 lets you connect other devices for increase storage use over the network. A built-in print server means you can connect up to two USB printers and share them with all the users of the network. An optional USB Bluetooth adapter (not included) lets you wirelessly transfer contacts, photos, and other information from your Bluetooth-enabled device to your network. In addition to those features, you can also connect an Axis security camera and record directly onto the StorCenter ix2. The Iomega StorCenter ix2 measures 4.92 x 3.15 x 7.875 inches (HxWxL), weighs 4.85 pounds, and is backed by a one-year warranty. You can upgrade to the Iomega Silver Service Plan to increase support and coverage. What's in the Box Iomega StorCenter ix2 Network Hard Drive, Ethernet cable, power supply (support for worldwide distribution), printed Quick Install Guide, solution CD with system administration software, EMC Retrospect Backup Software and user manual. 2GB Free storage on MOZY, for online virtual off site back up. The StorCenter ix2 is an ideal network storage solution for homes and small businesses.
Has worked very well in our small office -- comparison with alternative products This product is one of a number of network attached storage (NAS) devices on the market targeted at small offices and home users. If you're not familiar with NAS devices, the concept is simple: A NAS device contains one or more hard drives and plugs directly into your network (i.e., your router). When compared to simple USB hard drives that plug directly into a computer, a NAS offers a number of advantages: 1) It is accessible to any computer on your network. This is convenient at home, since you can use the NAS as a central repository for files (documents, photos, music files, etc.) that you might want to access from any of a number of different PCs. In a small office, having a central storage location for key files (client documents, contact lists, etc.) can be critical. 2) In principle, you could achieve the same benefit by attaching a big USB drive to one PC, setting that PC up to share its files, then leaving that PC on all the time. But these NAS devices are better optimized for file sharing, use far less energy, and take up far less space than a full PC. 3) Most of these NAS devices have something called RAID. They have (or allow you to install) multiple hard drives in the same unit, then they write every bit of data to multiple drives. This way, if one drive fails (as they are prone to do), the NAS can automatically switch over to the other drive and you don't lose any data. One HUGE warning, though - RAID only protects you from drive failure. NAS devices still have plenty of "single points of failure," including the power supply, controller, etc. I lost all of my data on a LaCie Network Disk because of a software glitch in the unit, even though all the individual drivers were fine. RAID reduces your risk of losing files, but it does not eliminate it. 4) Because the NAS is always available to any PC on the network, it's a great solution for backing up individual PCs, in addition to operating as a file server. I am currently using a number of different NAS products in both my small business and my home. Here is a summary of the pros and cons of the three models I am currently using: Netgear's ReadyNAS Duo, EMC Iomega's ix2, and LaCie's Ethernet Disk RAID NAS. I'll call out only areas in which I see significant differences between the products. Also, this review is intended mainly for small office users - the features you might care about for a home NAS are likely to be different (e.g., you'd probably care about how well it works as an iTunes library or for streaming movies, neither of which is key in our office setting). Here goes: 1) Iomega ix2. Iomega is now owned by EMC, the company that creates the monster-sized storage devices for big corporations. The ix2 is incredibly small - it takes up about as much space as a tape dispenser. Of the small office NAS products I've installed, it has the easiest setup - the configuration menus aren't quite Mac-like, but they're the closest of any NAS I've used. The ix2 does the best job of setting up multiple users - it automatically creates private folders for each user and makes it very easy to control permissions to shared folders. The ix2 is by far and away the lowest cost NAS I've used, at under $200 for a 1TB configuration. The ix2 comes with two drives preinstalled, but the drives are not user replaceable; I would have liked replaceable drives, but I'm willing to live with this tradeoff since it yields a very small and cheap unit. (Some users think non-replaceable drives are a show stopper. Personally, I'm just counting on my RAID to prevent loss of files if a drive fails. If a drive does fail, I'm more likely to replace the whole NAS, given the rate at which features are improving and prices are dropping, rather than just replacing the drive.) The ix2 excels as a backup solution for PCs - it comes with software to automatically backup any PC on the network to the devices. One important missing feature, though, is the ability to back up the NAS to another storage device on your network - this is very important in an office setting if you are using the NAS as your primary file server, rather than as a backup for your PCs. Because of this missing feature, we use the ix2 as our backup storage device, not as our primary file server. The ix2 has proved highly reliable and trouble free - like the ReadyNAS Duo, it runs for months at a time without anybody having to tweak anything. 2) Netgear ReadyNAS Duo. This is a smaller, two-drive version of Netgear's ReadyNAS product (originally developed by a company called Infrant, which Netgear acquired). It takes up very little space, uses relatively little power, and is fairly quiet. Reads and writes to this device are very fast, which is important when running backups. The ReadyNAS has a particularly robust feature set when it comes to backing up the NAS to another device on the network. This is important, since even with RAID, it's possible that the whole device will fail (e.g., if the power supply goes bad), so you want to make sure you back up your NAS regularly. Setup isn't hard, but you have to know what you're doing - this device is clearly targeted at somewhat technical users who know the terminology and are willing to work through all the configuration menus. This is our primary file server in our office, and it has been a reliable workhorse. About once every 2-3 months, I need to log on to fix something that has glitched - other than that, the ReadyNAS Duo has required no effort beyond setup. It's one of the best small NAS products I've used. 3) LaCie 301160U 1TB Ethernet Disk RAID Network Attached Storage. If you've gotten the impression that I love the ReadyNAS Duo and ix2, you're right. Balancing the cosmic scales is the LaCie Ethernet Disk, which caused us nothing but headaches. The LaCie NAS configuration menus are opaque, even to a reasonably knowledgeable person. The device is hard for users to find on the network. The device is painfully slow - backing up large numbers of files to or from the device takes forever. It does not come with software to back up PCs to the device, and it lacks the feature to back itself up to other devices. It's big and noisy. And, most importantly, it's unreliable. On multiple occasions, the device simply disappeared from the network, forcing us to reset the device (which takes a while). The last time this happened, the device couldn't read its hard drives when it rebooted. I spent hours with LaCie tech support, but nothing worked. We ended up losing ALL of the files on the device. LaCie ended up replacing the device, but that didn't save our data. Having read other reviews with similar complaints, I know my experience wasn't a fluke. This is not a reliable product. 4) HP MediaVault. I have a MediaVault 2100 installed at home, and I really like it. It has more consumer-oriented configuration and usage menus than the products reviewed above. It also does a nifty job of handling media files, which is more important at home. In particular, it works as a great central iTunes library, automatically sweeping music files from my individual PCs up to a central shared folder on the NAS. The individual PCs in turn can then access the NAS folder (as if it were an attached iPod). This means that everybody in the house has access to any songs anybody else has downloaded. I tried using the MediaVault briefly in our office, but it didn't work nearly as well as the ReadyNAS or ix2. It wasn't fast enough and (true to its name) the setup options seem clearly designed for a home multimedia environment rather than an office file environment. In a nutshell, I've been very pleased with my Netgear ReadyNAS Duo and Iomega ix2 in the office, and with my HP MediaVault at home. The LaCie NAS was very bad, and the Buffalo products I've used have been OK but usually not the best in class. I hope this helps. UPDATE 12-November-2009 I just started using the newer version of the ix2, the ix2-200. The new model addresses the two issues I had with the first version. Specifically, it now includes device-to-device replication, so you can automatically back up the ix2 to another storage device on the network. This means we can use it as the primary file server in our small office, not just as the backup server. Also, the drives are now removable. The new model also provides good web access to files. Given the price point Iomega continues to sell at, buying the ix2-200 for office/home is now almost a no-brainer. A great network storage solution if you want a stand-alone drive. After everything is said and done, the Iomega StorCenter ix2 is an excellent network storage solution for consumers and small businesses. The amazingly simple software installation and setup combined with the amount of storage and reasonable transfer speeds make the Iomega StorCenter ix2 one of the best stand-alone network storage solutions I've tested. Like almost any networked attached storage enclosure, the Iomega StorCenter ix2 doesn't offer the same speed as an eSATA drive connected directly to your computer. Likewise, the ix2 suffers from some degree of security vulnerability unless the network is well secured. In other words, if you just plug this drive into your unsecured wireless router at home and don't use a password on the StorCenter ix2 itself then just about anyone in range of your router could have access to your files. Nevertheless, these minor issues are common to all NAS enclosures. Overall, the Iomega StorCenter ix2 offers a remarkably easy-to-use stand-alone network drive and gives you lower power consumption than a full desktop running as a networked drive. Road warriors and netbook owners who are either worried about the security of their laptop hard drive or have limited storage space on their netbook might want to consider the purchase of this NAS for their home networks. Pros: * Easiest setup software I've ever used * Fast transfer rates over 1Gb Ethernet, acceptable over 100Mb Ethernet * USB connectivity for more storage * Solid build quality * Reasonably compact Cons: * Hard drives are a little noisy * Difficult to access drives inside enclosure if repair is needed Not a hands-off device for me ... I like the unit's concept and have a second unit on order even now. I have three or four (depending on the day) computers connected to my home network, two hard-wired to an ethernet switch and two that connect through a wireless router. The router and the switch are hardwired to each other. The first StoreCenter is plugged into the switch as well and all four computers were able to access the NAS with no trouble. I also have the LinkSys LELA software running and it saw the NAS right away. My plan from the outset was to manually perform backups on an as-needed basis, which has worked out well for my operational needs. The bad news for me is that the automatic backup software that accompanied the NAS worked ONE time, and would not make any subsequent backups. Once my second unit gets here, I may investigate the backup software further as time allows. However, since my computer usage is not driving a business, daily backups are not a requirement for me. I would recommend the unit based on its small size, the fact that my LinkSys WRT54G and LELA software, and my NetGear ethernet switch had no connectivity issues, and that Windows XP has no trouble recognizing the NAS. If you need a plug-and-play automatic backup device I would recommend a bit of caution at this time.