Review

Feature

• RAID 1 for high data security
• Centralize, share, and back up your files with Gigabit speeds
• Access and download files, even with your computer turned off
• Can be used as a USB external hard drive
• Gigabit Ethernet and USB 2.0

Overview

With the LaCie Network Space MAX, you’re not simply storing files from your computer, you’re storing files from all over your home. Imagine all of the data spread across your home computers now stored safely in one place. Connect the Network Space MAX through the Ethernet port to a computer or to a router, and share and store all of your media files from anywhere in your house with the fastest speeds. You can even back up multiple computers to ensure that your files are safe. For Mac users, it’s Time Machine compatible. The Network Space MAX includes two large-capacity hard drives that can be configured for maximum security (RAID 1) or maximum capacity (RAID 0). If protecting your data is a priority, the RAID 1 mode will ensure automatic disk mirroring – meaning all files will be copied onto each of the disks. If one drive fails, data will not be lost. The Network Space MAX is designed for ultimate usability. LaCie Network Assistant software helps you set up the product within a few minutes. It provides the best user experience for quick detection and access to the Network Space MAX. LaCie’s user-friendly dashboard allows you to easily manage files, backups, private accounts, and download torrents. Additionally, with the Network Space MAX, the files stored on the hard drive are fully accessible outside your home from any connected computer using the remote access service. The Network Space MAX features a media server, making it easy to stream files to any connected computer or any UPnPTM/DLNA compliant device (such as a PlayStation 3 or Xbox ). Computers with iTunes installed can also stream the music stored on the Network Space MAX.

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( Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 30, 2011 13:20:08 )

Review

Feature

• Showcase digital photos, movies and files anywhere, for anyone
• Experience smooth, jitter-free music and video streaming for multiple users
• Access files and play or view content at home and over the Internet
• Add a second disk drive for data mirroring in seconds

Overview

Includes one 3.5-Inch SATA drive and one open hot-swap bay. Add a spare disk drive at your convenience for automatic data mirroring. Acts as a multimedia hub that serves music, video, photos and files to any device on your home network. High-speed network connection for fast data transfers and streaming performance. Access files and play or view content at home and over the Internet. Integrates with Facebook, iTunes, Picasa2 and Web-enabled phones2

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( Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 29, 2011 08:20:15 )

Review

Feature

• LinkStation Live 2TB Shared Network Storage
• Networked-attached-storage
• Single Mode Fiber Media Conver; ET1000SM40LC

Overview

Buffalo LinkStation Live LS-CHL Network Hard Drive LS-CH2.0TL Network Attached Storage

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( Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 27, 2011 23:20:24 )

Review

Feature

• The ReadyNAS Duo is perfect for homes with more than one computer.
• Unlike a USB drive, the ReadyNAS connects to the network and is simultaneously accessible via all connected Windows or Macintosh computers.
• Advanced media streaming support allows the ReadyNAS to directly serve media, with no PC required.
• The spare hard drive will keep an extra copy of all the data and instantly take over if the first hard drive should fail.

Overview

Netgear ReadyNas Duo RND2210 Network Storage Server RND2210-100NAS Network Attached Storage

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( Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 26, 2011 20:20:17 )

Review

Feature

• RAID Protection
• Windows+Mac+Linux Cross Platform File Sharing
• Convenient Server Functionality
• Effortless File Backup
• Peace of Mind with AES 256-bit Share-level encryption

Overview

Synology DiskStation DS211 is an affordable and full-featured 2-bay NAS server designed to increase productivity for office workgroups. Cross platform file sharing, office oriented applications, data backup and security are easily achieved in a flexible solution. Running on DiskStation Manager 3.0 (DSM 3.0) operating system, it delivers ease of use and variety of features.

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( Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 25, 2011 19:20:17 )

Review

Feature

• Disk Station Manager 2.2: AJAX-Based Management Interface, Remote File Management with a Web Browser
• Max HDD Support (Internal HDD): 1x 3TB. Compatible drives are: Seagate ST33000651AS, Western Digital WD30EZRS-11J99B0
• Networking Protocols: CIFS, AFP (3.1), FTP, NFS, Telnet/SSH
• Share USB Printers
• Standard Memory 128MB DDR2 SDRAM

Overview

Synology Disk Station DS110j is designed to provide a cost-effective file storage and backup solution for personal users. The system firmware, Synology Disk Station Manager 2.2, delivers rich features for multimedia enjoyments, worry-free backup, Internet sharing, and energy-saving options.

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( Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 23, 2011 17:20:16 )

Review

Feature

• Connects to your home theater, stereo and more for wireless music
• Unlimited music, wirelessly play iTunes, free Internet radio, Pandora, Napster and more
• Wireless control with free apps for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
• Simple setup and wireless expandability to play different songs in different rooms
• Requires amplified audio device, high-speed Internet connection and wireless router

Overview

The Sonos ZonePlayer 90 lets you play all the music you want, all over your house, on all the audio equipment you already own — your home theater receiver, stereo system, powered speakers, and more. Just connect the ZP90 to any amplified audio device in any room and it’s instantly part of the wireless Sonos system. The ZP90’s digital and analog outputs deliver superior sound to every room. And with the ZP90’s superior wireless range, no room is out of reach. The ZP90 is super small, so it will fit just about anywhere. Plus, every ZP90 includes a Sonos Desktop Controller for the ultimate in control and convenience.

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( Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 22, 2011 14:20:09 )

Review

Feature

• Advanced Network Attached Storage device enclosure
• X-RAID technology for automatic data redundancy
• Built-in printer server
• Whisper quiet operations; advanced power controls for energy-efficient use
• Includes a 5-year warranty

Overview

Robust Features Coupled with Easy Management – Serves files easily – Backs up data effortlessly – Streams music and video quickly – Shares printers with ease – Works with Windows, Mac, and Linux – ReadyNAS NV+ was designed specifically for home offices, small businesses and workgroups. Never before has there been available a cost-conscience Network Attached Storage (NAS) appliance packed with robust high-end server features, including Gigabit Ethernet, hardware RAID, system monitoring capabilities and built-in backup. ReadyNAS couples out of the box deployment and easy management with robust file serving and data redundancy.

Specifications

The ReadyNAS NV+ by NETGEAR is a compact and attractive four-bay Network Attached Storage (NAS) device that can easily handle the storage needs of a home or small office. After putting the ReadyNAS NV+ to the test, we have concluded that it is an ideal storage solution for small offices or work groups with limited IT resources that require networked expandable RAID storage and advanced “server” features such as print and media servers, system monitoring with email alerts, and integrated backup management capabilities. (NOTE: This model does not include hard drive disks.)

What We Think Overall Rating: Pros: Compact design, easy-to-use, built-in RAID capability including X-RAID, provides media streaming for wide variety of devices, excellent online forums for add-ons and support Cons: Insufficient user manuals, add-on software does not always have complete feature set At a Glance Capacity: No disks included Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 8.7 inches (HxWxD) Warranty: 5 years

The ReadyNAS NV+ houses four drive bays in one compact, attractive enclosure. View larger.

Out of Box Impressions and Design Features
Taking the ReadyNAS NV+ out of the box, we couldn’t help but be surprised at how compact and solid feeling the device is. Imparting an air of quality workmanship and sturdy reliability, the NV+ measures a compact 7.9 x 5.2 x 8.7 inches (H x W x D) and is a hefty 10 pounds without the disks installed.

The styling is attractive, with a metallic “cheese-grater” look that is reminiscent of Apple’s Mac Pros, a design that also allows for heat dissipation. A door panel opens for easy access to the four drive bays, each of which is on its own tray with an easy-to-load push-button mechanism, making disk installation a cinch.

Below the panel door is a backlit LCD display that shows status info such as the IP address and drive capacity. The power button sits on the upper left of the front face, next to four LEDs that give the status of each hard drive, a USB port, and a button labeled “Backup.” The back of the NV+ sports a carrying handle, two USB ports, an Ethernet port, the system reset switch, power connector, cooling fan, and Kensington Lock security hole. Overall, the design is attractive, smartly laid out, and clearly labeled. Unlike many other NAS devices that you want to hide in a corner or in a closet, the ReadyNAS NV+ adds a handsome touch to the work area.

Initial Setup and Configuration
Our test unit had four pre-installed 750 GB hard drives for a total of three terabytes of disk space. The drives are hot-swappable, which means that they can be swapped out one-at-a-time without shutting down the NV+, and which also means that upgrading or replacing the drives–if necessary–will be easy.

Share your files, USB disk, and printer with all your computers and networked media player with the NV+.

The NV+ supports the industry standard RAID 0/1/5, as well as NETGEAR’s own proprietary X-RAID, which supports single volume auto expansion with redundancy against a single drive failure. X-RAID makes the device future-proof, as you can simply swap out a smaller capacity installed drive for a larger one, and X-RAID will automatically copy over all the data.

The initial hardware set up was as simple as plugging the AC cord into the wall and connecting the Ethernet cord into the local network. Installing the included RAIDar software let us find the drive on our network, from which we were able to bring up the Web-based control panel. Set up required an easy jaunt through the Setup Wizard, and once completed, the drive appeared on each of the networked computers as expected.

The unit is pre-configured in X-RAID mode, which worked fine for us; we were literally up and running in minutes. The only snag was that the manual gave the wrong user/password to log into the machine, but a quick online search revealed the correct input information.

After we had the X-RAID running successfully, we reconfigured the drive to a RAID 5 configuration. Like X-RAID, RAID 5 reduces overall storage capacity by about 25% but offers redundant protection so everything continues to function even if one of the drives fails. The actual reconfiguration through the control panel took only a few minutes, though the entire process took over eight hours and necessitated deletion of all the existing data on the drives. (Don’t worry! The ReadyNAS NV+ did all the work itself after we left the office for the day.)

The one complaint we had during the set-up procedures was with the documentation. In fact, the manual is the weak link of the package. The NV+ has a lot of functionality that is not very well explained or simply not mentioned. Fortunately, the ReadyNAS has its own NETGEAR-supported community Web site (www.readynas.com) with FAQs, forums, firmware updates, add-ons, and other goodies. We found the process of downloading firmware updates and add-ons quick and extremely easy.

NETGEAR’s FrontView web-based control panel makes configuration and administration simple. View larger.

Web-based Control Panel
The Web-based control panel gives the administrator full control over the system. From it you can check the status of the machine, set the security settings, create user and group accounts, configure streaming services, update firmware, and much more. With processes that took more than a few minutes to complete, the ReadyNAS NV+ sent us email notifications at the completion of the tasks so we could continue with our other work in the meantime.

The control panel is clean and intuitive, eliminating the need for administrators to fiddle with a Unix command line to check status or change settings. Though some configuration and management issues can arise that better documentation could easily address, as long as the administrator is comfortable searching out information online when necessary, he or she should find managing the ReadyNAS NV+ relatively easy.

Our Performance Review
We ran the NV+ as our primary file server in our small workgroup — consisting of both Macs running OS X and PCs running Windows XP — without any problems or complaints of performance. We were able to access the server to work with, copy, and move files around seamlessly, with no hiccups to speak of. Our computers were all able to connect easily via CIMB and/or AFP protocols. Additionally, the ReadyNAS has support for the Network File System (NFS), but we did not test this as we do not run a Linux/Unix environment.

However, our one caveat is that we do not work heavily with media files such as large video files, so we cannot say for certain if the performance would be acceptable for use in, say, a high-performance video lab or similar setting.

Hard disks are installed on separate drive trays, making upgrades simple. View larger.

One important feature we needed was the ability to work remotely. To do so, we downloaded a WebDAV add-on from the ReadyNAS community Web site that allows for drag-and-drop file access to the ReadyNAS NV+ through an Internet connection via HTTPS. While we were easily able to connect to the ReadyNAS NV+ remotely, an apparent limitation or bug in the current firmware resulted in some problems with privileges. Specifically, when we revised or created files and folders remotely, they became “read-only” and required permissions to be manually changed through the control panel. A post on the ReadyNAS message board confirmed this behavior, which, while not a deal breaker, is certainly inconvenient.

Though the RAID configuration we chose has built-in redundant storage, we nonetheless decided to create nightly backups for even more peace of mind. We connected an external USB drive to the front USB port, and once the drive was recognized, it was a matter of seconds and a simple push of a button to schedule a daily backup of our main work folder.

Built-in FTP, iTunes, and Other Features
The NV+ features many add-ons and extras that we were able to easily install, either through the control panel or by downloading software updates and documentation from the ReadyNAS community Web site.

The ReadyNAS includes a built-in print server and an FTP server that were easy to set up. It also features a built-in Web server, which we successfully tested by creating simple Web pages. The built-in iTunes streaming server worked like a charm. After copying over MP3s into the designated folder, the songs automatically showed up in the iTunes folder of the networked computers.

The ReadyNAS NV+ also has built-in support for Squeezebox music players, UPnP AV devices, and streaming playback of videos, music, and photos from networked DVD and media players. Based on the ease of use with the iTunes server, we assume a similarly uncomplicated process. The ReadyNAS also has a built-in BitTorrent client, add-ons for a photo slideshow application, SSH access, and much more.

Included Back-Up Software
NETGEAR bundles a five-user license for EMC Retrospect Professional for Windows and a five-user license for EMC Retrospect Desktop for Macintosh. After installation on a desktop, we could easily automate and schedule backups of our desktops onto the NV+. EMC Retrospect is a pro-grade backup software offering powerful features superior to many bundled backup programs.

Conclusions
The ReadyNAS NV+ is a powerful, attractive, and flexible Network Attached Storage device that would work great in a home setting or even a small-to-medium office setting. It offers much of the functionality of a dedicated server, while requiring a small amount of space. Since set up is mostly plug-and-play, it does not require a dedicated IT personnel to manage, which is a huge bonus for home use or for a business on a budget.

As noted, the manual does not give all the answers. Fortunately, the strong online community and Web forums offer excellent support and services. And finally, the ReadyNAS NV+ is backed by an industry-leading 5-year warranty, so you can rest assured that you’ll be protected should anything go wrong.

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( Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 21, 2011 11:20:21 )

Review

Feature

• Flexible RAID Data Protection
• Cross Platform File Sharing & Backup
• DLNA Certified Media Server
• Cool and Quiet
• Power-Saving (9W~16W)

Overview

Synology DiskStation DS411slim is designed to provide users with a compact yet feature laden solution for easy file sharing and backup. Snap-in 2.5-Inch hard drives design brings low power consumption, quiet operation, reliability and easy disk replacement in a compact size. The operating system, Synology DiskStation Manager 3.0, delivers rich features for multimedia enjoyments, Internet sharing, worry-free data protection and energy-saving options.

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( Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 19, 2011 18:24:22 )

Review

Feature

• High Quality, high capacity, light weight rechargeable battery
• No memory effect. Can be charged or discharged as needed without loss of capacity.
• Overcharge protection, with built-in battery life microchip.
• Compatible Models:Logitech Squeezebox Radio
• Compatible Part #s:533-000050, NT210AAHCB10YMXZ, HRMR15/51

Overview

Match Compatible Battery Model Number and Part Number to order batteries you need
No Tools and No installation instructions are included
CE Certified

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( Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 12, 2011 09:20:21 )