Showing posts with label media storage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label media storage. Show all posts

LaCie d2 Network v.2 1.5 TB Ethernet Network Attached Storage 301505 Review

LaCie d2 Network v.2 1.5 TB Ethernet Network Attached Storage 301505
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This Network Disk was purchased with the intension of being used in a Mac Only environment for professional graphic design and 3D modeling services. 4 macs on a gigabit Ethernet network.
Amazon packaging was done properly, arrived in perfect condition.
LaCie packaging was done very well. The package includes all cables and software needed.
SW Installation took 8-10 minutes and only requires to be installed on ONE machine.
It mounts very fast on each machine as I have named it; DA5-Netdisk
The files are generally reference Photos and 3Dmodels that are used and shared between these machines.
Transfer Speed:
Test file: A Folder containing 2 files; One 4KB (1,375 bytes) and the other 1,088,275,968 for a total of 1.01GB (1,088,277,343 bytes)
Test condition: The only file transfer done at the time.
On a G5 Dual 2GHz PPC:
From External FW800 to Netdisk, 31 seconds
From Internal SATA to Netdisk, 29 seconds
On a Macpro 2.93MHz Quad, 8-core
From External eSATA OWC to Netdisk, 29 seconds
From Internal dual RAID WD Raptors to Netdisk, 28 seconds
For testing I used a folder and NOT a file since that is a more realistic simulation of everyday use than one large file.
The speed is very good. It is NOT the fastest which is the IOCELL NETDISK NDAS 351 but the Iocell does NOT allow more than ONE Mac to write to the netdisk in NDAS (Multip[le READ, single WRITE). The difference is about 2-3 seconds per transfer on a 1GB file. That is very negligible for me or almost 99% of people who would use a netdisk.
Note that deleting ANY file or folder from the netdisk will NOT put the item(s) in TRASH but it DELETES the file(s) or Folder(s) immediately. While it can be a bit inconvenient for mistakes but it is great for the fact that the available space shown at the bottom of the window is always REAL. A warning window does pop up giving you a chance to cancel in case of mistake.
The drive enclosure runs silent, it runs cooler than almost any drive I have. The temperature normally is LESS than putting your hand under your arm.
The blue LED light in front is not very bright and not distracting. It does blink during file transfers.
The enclose is small and has a nice sturdy aluminum casing with a base foot that is very stable.
I consider the life of an external HD on FW800, 400 or eSATA to be about 3-4 years. I anticipate this drive to work this length like the other 7 externals that I have from LaCie. 2 of them are dead after 4 and 4.5 years.
I have also set up the information on this Netdisk to be backed up every night to another LaCie 2TB in case of any failure.

Click Here to see more reviews about: LaCie d2 Network v.2 1.5 TB Ethernet Network Attached Storage 301505

The LaCie d2 Network 2 offers professional, reliable, central storage for instantly storing, sharing, and backing up from any PC or Mac on your network, and best of all, it\'s fully compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. Manage your home or small office network easily with this full-featured file server, recommended for networks with up to 200 users. The d2 Network 2 is perfectly suited for quiet environments or for professional IT server rooms thanks to its 19" rackmount capability. With the d2 Network 2\'s new widget-based dynamic web interface, administration is easy, convenient and secure. Thanks to DHCP and Apipa support, network configuration is fast and automatic. The product integrates easily with existing Windows domains using Active Directory and it allows user, groups, share, and quota management. Access to administration pages and shares is easy using LaCie Network Assistant and, on top of that, it can provide its administrator notifications via email of events like backup, disk failure, high temperature, etc. Get extra security and increase data portability by backing up your LaCie d2 Network 2—on your own schedule— to an external hard drive through its USB and eSATA ports using the built-in copy system. The LaCie d2 Network 2 comes also with Genie Backup Manager Pro\' for Windows and Intego Backup Manager Pro\' for Mac to install on each PC/Mac for client backups to the NAS. This software lets you reliably and efficiently back up your documents, emails, settings, or other digital assets. You can connect your d2 Network 2 directly to your computer with a USB cable to access to a dedicated folder USBShare of up to 500GB like a normal external hard drive. This unique feature allows you to gain extra flexibility and mobility for customized usage, so you\'ll be able to format this USBShare in your preferred file system using your computer.

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Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra 2: 4 TB (2 x 2 TB) Network Attached Storage RNDU2220 Review

Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra 2: 4 TB (2 x 2 TB) Network Attached Storage RNDU2220
Average Reviews:

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I didn't know what to expect when I bought the Ultra 2 being as though it was my first NAS device. If I had to do it all over again, I'd be interested in seeing what the extra processing power does for the unit. GREAT BUY................

Click Here to see more reviews about: Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra 2: 4 TB (2 x 2 TB) Network Attached Storage RNDU2220

What is Netgear's ReadyNAS Ultra 2 Home Media Server? Work and Play 2-bay DLNA Certified NAS System with anytime multimedia streaming features. Superior performance for cutting-edge prosumers (advanced home users/media enthusiasts). First NAS system to offer mobile access and streaming using Orb transcoding add-on. First NAS system to offer remote DLNA media streaming using Skifta media shifting add-on. First NAS system to be certified TiVo Compatible, allowing users to extend the capacity of their TiVo DVRs by offloading non-protected content to their ReadyNAS for future playbacks (available in the US and Australia only). New Hardware Features: Latest 1.8 GHz Intel Atom single-core processor with 1GB DDR3 SODIMM RAM. Two Gigabit Ethernet ports deliver ultra-fast wired connections. One USB 3.0 port (in front) and Two USB 2.0 ports (in back) to connect other devices with USB connections (e.g. print servers, external USB storage devices and digital cameras). Software Features: Three (3) Memeo Premium Backup software licenses for continuous data backups from PCs/Macs. X-RAID2 technology: Change/add/remove hard drives at any time, even when the server is running, so you can expand storage capacity and automate RAID 0/1/5/6 configurations on the fly. ReadyDLNA: Enable the ReadyNAS to act as a DLNA media server and stream media from your ReadyNAS to any DLNA players (i.e. Sony Playstation 3, XBox 360, and DLNA-enabled TVs). TiVo Compatible: Save your favorite programs to your ReadyNAS for future playback. This feature is integrated with the ReadyDLNA software feature. ReadyNAS Remote: Create a VPN-like connection without complicated network setup so remote users can access folders as though they were on the same local network with the server. ReadyNAS Photos: Share your photos straight from the ReadyNAS without complicated router setup. ReadyNAS Vault: Protect your data by creating your own personal disaster recovery plan using this optional online cloud service.

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Leslie Dame MS-1050BLK Glass Sliding 3 Door Media Storage Cabinet - Black Review

Leslie Dame MS-1050BLK Glass Sliding 3 Door Media Storage Cabinet - Black
Average Reviews:

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This DVD/Video rack is awesome! My wife was dubious about ordering it over the web, but once assembled and placed she absolutely loved it. It looks far superior to any cheap pressboard constructed dvd storage out there. The instructions were easy to follow. There were even a few extra parts in case any got lost or stripped. A few of the steps take 2 people to complete and it's a bit bulky to move on your own. Additionally the locking cams are made of fairly weak metal and strip if cranked on too hard. Overall an excellent finished product that's moderately challenging to put together.

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MS-1050BLKThis collection of mission-style cabinets disguises your multimedia in a timeless and organized fashion. Glass windows and doors are accompanied with smooth gliding hardware, adding sleek elegance to maximum function. Features: -Capacity: Holds 1050 CDs, 504 DVDs, or 294 VHS in any combination -Available in Black Veneer -Heavy-duty construction -Extra smooth gliding hardware on three glass doors -Ships ready to assemble -Dimensions: 61.81'' H x 46.88'' W x 9.4'' D

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2TB G-safe Raid Storage Review

2TB G-safe Raid Storage
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Finally, an excellent solution to my large file redundant back-up needs! With hot-swappable drives, G-Safe allows me to keep a pair of true RAID copies on-site and also use a third drive (bought separately) that I can rotate and keep at an off-site location. I have another G-Safe used for other projects, and it's been working flawlessly for over 2 years. I'm just glad this new larger 2 TB storage format is available for system-wide back-ups. Perfect for Mac Time Machine back-ups, video, photographs, and anything for which you really can't afford to lose a byte. Per GB, it's very reasonable cost for the storage safety you need. Only possible critique: cooling fan is a couple dB above my desk background noise; otherwise fine. Looks great, too.

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Hitachi G-SAFE 0G00240 Hard Drive Array 0G00240 Hard Drive Arrays

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Buffalo Technology TeraStation Duo 1.0 TB (1 x 1 TB) 2-Bay Network Attached Storage TS-WX1.0TL/1D Review

Buffalo Technology TeraStation Duo 1.0 TB (1 x 1 TB) 2-Bay Network Attached Storage TS-WX1.0TL/1D
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This is my third NAS drive in about as many years, the Terastation is replacing a Synology DS207+ and makes a much more solid impression. I liked the features such as dual Ethernet ports and hot-swap capability and the generally more business oriented design over the Synology's jack of all trades approach, as I am mostly storing files and I want reliable access from 3-4 machines, nothing fancy. While the TS runs well (for about a month now) I find the setup confusing and the manual unclear. Just turning it on and off is different from what I am used to, especially since the unit isn't powered down often. On the other hand, when running it does its job without much intervention. It's even backing itself up on two USB drives hooked up to it and sends me an email when the jobs are complete, but it beats me why the jobs are referred to be a name in the setup while the email uses only job numbers identified nowhere.
If you like a heavier duty NAS drive, this seems to be a good choice, but be prepared to fuddle with it for a while.

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Buffalo TeraStation Duo Network Storage Server TS-WX1.0TL/1D Network Attached Storage

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Buffalo Technology LinkStation Mini 500 GB (2 x 250 GB) Compact Shared Network Attached Storage LS-WS500GL/R1WH (White) Review

Buffalo Technology LinkStation Mini 500 GB (2 x 250 GB) Compact Shared Network Attached Storage LS-WS500GL/R1WH (White)
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The LinkStation Mini from Buffalo is a fully loaded network attached storage device (NAS) with a slew of great features and options. The only downside is you pay more per GB than you would for similar units, but for home use the extra cash you spend is worth it. One quick comment - I purchased the 500 GB version, but my unit and the 1 TB unit are the same size and have the same feature set.
HARDWARE
The LinkStation Mini comes with a slim ethernet cable and power supply. The brick of the power supply has one of the smaller footprints I've seen for an AC plug. They both fit well with the mini theme of the device.
The LinkStation unit itself is unbelievably small. There are two laptop-sized hard drives in the black enclosure. The case is vented on multiple sides, has an ethernet jack, USB jack, power supply jack, and an On-Off-Auto switch on the back with a couple small LED lights on the front. The sleek black shell with blue LED design allows you to put it in your living room, office, or bedroom--especially since there is no fan in the unit and therefore virtually zero noise.
INSTALLATION
The LinkStation Mini comes with an install disc for your computer(s). Just pop in the disc, follow the simple directions, and you'll be able to hook up your LinkStation to your router and have your computer(s) be able to drag, drop, and copy files on it with no problem. If this is all you want to do, you will only need basic computer skills for this set up. As a side note, the LinkStation Mini has a USB port on it, but that is not used for a direct USB connection to your computer as you can only read/write the files on the LinkStation through the ethernet cable. The USB port is there to add additional USB storage drives to the LinkStation later.
If you want to use some of the more advanced features, you will need to have an intermediate to advanced level of networking knowledge to set up the LinkStation. If you have a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) router the set up steps might be easier, but my UPnP router didn't work with the LinkStation. This is most likely because I have a cheap-O, free DSL modem-router combo unit from my internet service provider. I needed to go through and set up my advanced networking features manually. So if you don't know what terms like UPnP, port forwarding, DLNA, FTP, and SSL are, you'll probably have a difficult time setting up all the advanced features without enlisting the help of a computer geek.
USABILITY AND FEATURES
At its core, the LinkStation is a NAS, or networked hard drive. The advantage is that multiple computers in your house can all access the one hard drive instead of moving a USB hard drive from computer to computer. The two laptop-sized hard drives within the single unit can be set to be used as one continuous, 1000 GB hard drive, or be set to mirror each other as two 500 GB hard drives that constantly back each other up. You can also set the rear switch to be On all the time, Off all the time, or Automatically turn on when a computer accesses the LAN network. After that basic functionality, you can have the LinkStation do all kinds of neat stuff.
If you have a static IP address you can open up the ports on your LinkStation and set it to act as an FTP. My DSL provider gives me a dynamic IP address, so I can't set that up with any long term success. However, Buffalo has a website that mediates a free peer-to-peer connection with your LinkStation from anywhere in the world as long as you have internet access. You have to open a few ports on your router, but it works very well for reading photos and music files. The website even opens your music files within an Adobe Flash environment complete with mp3 playback, so you can play your music files straight from a webpage on any computer in the world without having to download your files. The peer-to-peer webpage takes a little while to load, but works very well, especially if you group 50 files or less into separate folders.
You can also use the LinkStation as a DLNA server for movies, music, and photos. I'm able to have my Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 find the LinkStation and stream music and videos straight from the disc. Combined with the "remote play" feature using the Playstation 3 and PlayStation Portable (PSP) with my LinkStation Mini and surround sound receiver, I can use my PSP as a remote control with a screen to browse and play my whole music library on my stereo system--all without booting up a computer or using my TV. It's similar to having a Sonos or SqueezeBox player in your house. A very, very cool feature with the LinkStation if you already have the video game consoles.
The software that comes with the install CD gives you an easy desktop icon to click to find your network shared folders on your Mini. It also provides a dedicated way to access the settings for your Mini. In addition, there is a licensed program, Memeo, included to help you schedule file back-ups between your computer and the LinkStation.
PROBLEMS/DOWNSIDES
The only downsides are the price and speed. Since there are two 5400 rpm laptop-sized hard drives in the unit, it's a little slower than larger units (with fans) that have 7200rpm hard drives. But the speed isn't that bad. In a RAID 0 configuration ("one" continuous hard drive) I was able to move 500 MB of multiple files to the LinkStation in about 1 minute. For my home needs, this is enough speed. You will also be paying more dollars per GB for the LinkStation Mini compared to other units out there. Therefore, if you are putting it in an office at work, I might opt for a cheaper, faster NAS.
OVERALL
Personally, I think the LinkStation Mini is great and suits my needs perfectly. It's fine for the office/work environment, but perfect for the home because: 1) there is a very low electricity drain so you can leave it on all the time, 2) it doesn't have a fan so it barely makes any noise, 3) plays nice with Vista, XP, and Mac, and 4) you'd be hard pressed to find so many useful NAS features in such a small package. I highly recommend it.
(P.S. If you found this review helpful please click yes below so other prospective shoppers will read it. I place a lot of weight on amazon reviews before I make a purchase too. Thanks!)


Click Here to see more reviews about: Buffalo Technology LinkStation Mini 500 GB (2 x 250 GB) Compact Shared Network Attached Storage LS-WS500GL/R1WH (White)

The LinkStation Pro Duo is built for the demands of business and prosumer networking alike. Plug it in to your network and all your users can store, share, and use files on it. The LinkStation Client Utility allows easy setup and administration from a PC or Mac. RAID 1 capability means that if one drive fails, the other still has a copy of the data. As an Active Directory client, the Pro Duo can integrated into any business network, and Web Access and a built-in FTP server let you access your files remotely. Buffalo's LinkStation Pro Duo is the ideal solution to keep important files safe and accessible.

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Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra 2 Plus (Diskless) Network Attached Storage RNDP200U Review

Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra 2 Plus (Diskless) Network Attached Storage RNDP200U
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Been running this now for two months and it works perfectly. I don't load it much but I have played with a number of features and best of all there have been no problems! I had trouble initially with a pair of 2GB Hitachi deskstar drives ordered from Amazon. Both arrived non functional but i'm sure this was due to poor packaging + shipping to the northeast in the winter. So I went to Best buy and bought two 2GB Caviar drives for $99 each and they work great. I'm using the ReadyNas for my Adobe Lightroom photo store, a place to copy my Lightroom catalog backups to, and for everything else in the house like music, videos, and file storage. Haven't tried the included backup client software yet for the kids Pcs. Tried the Bit torrent and its nice to let the downloads run in the background at night when we shut our PCs down. But it is sometimes hard to find the torrent URL you want. Anyway, works great is really quit. Have it in the basement where the temp is constant 65 degrees-hope it lasts forever.

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ULTRA 2 PLUS (DISKLESS) HOME MEDIA SERVER With ISCSI

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Seagate Constellation ES 2 TB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s 64 MB Cache 3.5 Inch Internal Hard Drive ST32000644NS - Bare Drive Review

Seagate Constellation ES 2 TB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s 64 MB Cache 3.5 Inch Internal Hard Drive ST32000644NS - Bare Drive
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Constellation class drives are much pricier that their regular counterparts, but in this instance I was building a server, and data protection was paramount. When your data is at stake, its stupid to buy cheap drives for the most important part of the PC --your data! The extra features help to reduce false positives, and the energy savings make the server less expensive to run in the long run. Drives arrived extremely well packed and all 6 drives dropped right in without an issue. Very fast RAID performance. Happy with these drives. If they all live out their warranty, I'll have gotten more than my moneys worth.

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Constellation ES - High-capacity storage designed for seamless enterprise integration

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Cisco NSS 324 4-Bay 4 TB (4 x 1 TB) Smart Network Attached Storage NSS324D04-K9 Review

Cisco NSS 324 4-Bay 4 TB (4 x 1 TB) Smart Network Attached Storage NSS324D04-K9
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The Cisco NSS 324 is essentially a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device. Like the Drobo/QNAP and many other products, it's designed to be more than just a storage solution, but double as an 'appliance' as well.
Let's go over what you get:
- This particular model has 4 bays, loaded with 1tb drives each. Cisco also sells models that are 2/4/6 bays, both with hard drives, and without.
- Small Business Ready. Built in Windows/Mac networking, RADIUS server (although not yet in the firmware), RAID 0/1/5/6, iSCSI targetting, apache webserver (with built in PHP), MySQL server, FTP, Syslog server, encryption, the list goes on.
- Things that are more geared towards consumers. Can allocate space to Time Machine (OS X's back up method), iTunes sharing (with making smart playlists on the machine), twonky media server (allowing you to stream DLNA -- PS3/XBox compatible), and more.
Setup was easy, turn it on and it prompts you to walk through the steps. By default it will ask you the level of RAID (I choose 5 -- 1 redundant disk -- RAID 6 would give you 2 redundant disks), and then it will set it up and make it available. If you have a Windows computer I believe you can use the CD to setup as well, and on all platforms after initial setup you can go to the web browser, port 8080 of the ip address and it will load the admin console.
Some of the issues. When I was reading up on the device, one of the things I was excited about were the packages. These are bundled applications that you can load on to the device and you get their functionality. While some of these were prebundled (MySQL server for instance, among others), it didn't appear as there was a place to download additional ones. In asking in Cisco's support forum, it appears that these are not due out until September, with a firmware update (that should bring RADIUS support) coming in late August. I'm excited to get Python on the box, as well as a bittorrent client for offloading processing power from my normal machine.
Things I've used. So far I've enabled the Time Machine backup, allocating the space was very easy, both Mac's found the drive easily(it advertises via bonjour), and haven't had any issues with backing up. I also added a few user accounts, and set them both up on the respective computers, allowing access via AFP. In order to give myself additional space on my main computer, I also enabled iSCSI targetting, and used GlobalSAN's free targetter for OS X to link to it. It was painless, and gives speeds much better than my internal drive, while still looking like a physical drive to my computer.
Performance. For a couple people using this device it's incredible. Connecting over gigabit ethernet I hit speeds of 78.3 megabytes a second, although most speeds stayed around 30-40 megabytes/s. Actual processor is a dual core Atom processor at 1.6ghz, so it's quite beefy.
Features I haven't used, but excited about. One of the features there, is that if you are upgrading to larger drives, you can replace them one by one, and then it will rebuild it. No more trying to copy the data somewhere else, and then rebuild it. Granted most NAS drives do this I believe, but it's still nice to have.
QNAP. Cisco says these devices are made by their partner QNAP, however the firmware upgrades are not linked to QNAP, and will be provided by Cisco. Which means that the features sets will probably be divergent. Cisco seems to be more small business friendly, while QNAP seems to have some more consumer friendly features (ie they just came out with iPhone apps for playing videos). Cisco wins highly on warranty, I believe you get 5 years, while QNAP is much lower (something like a year).
Looking forward to using bitorrent/python on the box, along with other packages. Will update review when these start becoming available.
If anyone has specific questions, add a comment to this review, and I'll try to get the info to you.

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Cisco NSS 324 4-Bay Smart Storage w/ 4TB

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