Synology DiskStation 4-Bay (Diskless) Network Attached Storage DS411J (White) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)OK, my review might be biased. Coming from the Drobo, which was absolutely terrible, to this Synology unit was the best technological move I've made since I switched to OSX 10.1 all those years ago. Speeds are fantastic, built-in server features are excellent, and aesthetically the unit is very pleasing.
Unboxing/Installation/Initial Setup:
The unit arrived from Amazon in a large cardboard box along with the two SATA drives that I ordered for it (Western Digital 2 TB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD20EARS). The box for the 411j was very sleek and easy to unpack. No weird seals or wire ties to deal with. The unit itself fits well with the IKEA-assisted look of my office. To install the drives, you remove some handscrews off the back and the top/sides of the unit will come off (in the stock photo, the aluminum piece with the logo on it). The drive trays are plastic and slide out of the back of the unit. You just sit the drives into the unit and use the included screws to mount the drive in place. Then, just push the tray back in and the drive will be connected. No cables to connect was a big plus here. After the drives are all installed, push screw the back on and plug in the power and network cables.
One thing that was unexpected was that the unit has no software installed on it initially. Not a bad concept though..it forces you to load the most current version this way. The software from the CD happened to be the current version (major revision in December I think) but that might not always be the case, you it might be better to just download the latest Synology Assistant and DSM software from the company website before you begin. The Synology assistant recognizes the unit on the network and allows you to install the DSM (operating system) onto the unit. This process is pretty quick, and the unit will automatically restart when it's done.
Disk Allocation and Backups:
The recommended data allocation that the Synology makes is to use all the drives that are available, and in the hybrid RAID format. This will allow for one drive to fail (assuming you have more than one in it) and all the data will still be fine. It also lets the drives to be different models/sizes, which isn't compatible with regular RAID. You don't get the full drive size available to you. You actually lose the space of one of the biggest drives in the unit for redundancy. Plus a small formatting loss. The wizard makes the partitioning very simple; you can have multiple volumes if you want. I just went with one and have multiple folders. You can also have USB drives plugged in (and printers too I think, but my AIO HP is already networked) that are treated as an additional volume. One nice feature here is that the device will backup to the external drive on a defined schedule. So actually, the Synology can fail and the data would still be safe on the backup drive.
Shared Folders:
The device is capable of creating multiple shared folders. You can create a very complex multi-user system with individual shared folders if you want to. Or you can go the simple route like I did and just have a couple including the app-generated music and video folders. I also have a Time Machine folder that has the sparsebundle images that I use to backup my two Macs. Only one user with full access rights, and read-only access to everything for guests. In my home setup, this is plenty because the computers are the only devices that write data, and my jailbroken AppleTv2 is the only device that reads from it (for XBMC). As far as allowing guests read-only access to everything, my WiFi is WPA2-encrypted, so only those select few people have access. And those that do I couldn't care less about what data of mine they see.
Applications:
I haven't explored the apps very much aside from the media server. It will create a DLNA environment that allows the PS3 and also some TVs (I think) to play movies directly from the drive. For those of you that use PS3MediaServer for this purpose, it's not foolproof. PS3MediaServer trans codes on the fly those file formats that the PS3 can't naively play. The Synology, however, plays the files directly. This is a hardware restriction. Putting a CPU and enough memory into the unit to handle video transcoding would raise the price to about $1K. You can still use PS3MediaServer and map the videos folder as a file location, but be aware that if you do this wireless there will be bumps. If the computer is plugged directly into the router that the NAS is plugged into, it should be fine.
Misc:
The unit is surprisingly quiet. My old Drobo was too loud to keep on my desk (and ended up on a table in the corner). It's also very fast compared to the Drobo. On this unit, I average ~30Mbps write and up to ~45Mbps read. I use Aperture and have my entire library stored on the unit. It handles this fine and suffers no lag issues. One computer is directly connected to the router where the NAS is. The unit has gigabit ethernet on it, so that's great. Speed from laptops will obviously be slower. Even wireless N speed can only sustain about 15MB from what I've noticed, but that has nothing to do with the unit. On the Drobo, the fan at the back was behind a plate that couldn't be removed. I like to be able to open the unit and clean it if I have to. My home is near an airport, so it can sometimes be quite dusty during the warm months of the year. Overall, I couldn't be more happy with this purchase. The performance improvements over my Drobo were enormous. It's UI is great and has many features that I hope to someday experiment and explore.
Edit: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 - When I purchased the unit, I put the two mentioned drives above into the unit, but I also put two 1TB Green drives from my old Drobo into it. One of those two drives failed last week. The unit sent me an email notification and set off on its warning beeps that the volume was degraded. I immediately Teamviewered into my desktop from my iPhone, and logged into the Synology UI. I was able to discover the serial number of the disabled hard drive and request an RMA from WD. Credit card was authorized for the replacement price, received the new one via UPS 2-Day Air, and returned the old one via UPS ground. For anyone that hasn't done this, you get charged the price of the replacement unit, you buy a discounted UPS shipping label ($6), and send the old one back in the replacement's box. When they receive it, you get refunded the replacement price.
The NAS allowed me to "repair" the volume with the new drive, and a few hours later the unit was back to operating at 100%. Flawless :-D

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Synology DiskStation DS411j is designed to provide a cost-effective file storage and backup solution with RAID protection for multi-user home environments. The operating system, Synology DiskStation Manager, delivers rich features for multimedia enjoyments, worry-free backup, Internet sharing, and energy-saving options.

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Verbatim MediaShare 1 TB Home Network Storage 97159 (Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)To start out I am a System Administrator, technology is what I do while at work and when I get home I want something that's going to be easy to use and that works. I've had the Verbatim MediaShare 1tb home network storage server up and running for only a couple days but so far I am very happy with it.
I have used the media server in 3 different roles so far as I try to figure out exactly the right role for this device in my home.
I started out using it as a share point to store files I needed to get access to everywhere. On the side of being a Sys Admin I also fix computers on the side so it's great having all my files in one location so when I am at a clients house I can connect to the drive and retrieve any files I am needing to fix their computer. The Storage server worked great in this area and it felt very secure, however I seemed to have better performance using my current web storage service I subscribe to so for me this wasn't the optimal role as most my files are very large. This did work great with smaller files like word documents and spreadsheets.
Next I tried using the media network storage server as an Apple Time Machine backup drive. Previously I was using a local USB drive; the thought of a network storage device was appealing. It didn't take much to get apple to see the device and prep it to be used as a time machine backup drive, very simple setup. And the response time was pretty snappy when browsing the time machine backup. Granted, i only had a few hours of backups on the drive and I am curious as the backups go from hours to months if the drive will still be as quick, but so far I am impressed. But since I already had an exteranl drive I was using this didn't seem like the optimal fit.
The last thing I tried is what I think this box will truly be in my house. A media server to share videos. On initial tests I ripped a few DVD's and put the video files on the media server and did a few tests. First I tried streaming to an Xbox 360 on my network and it had some issues initially connecting however once the connection was established it performed better then I expected. Next I tried to stream to a PC on my network, that to worked perfectly. The third test was the real external test. I fired up my laptop, jumped on my verizon wireless aircard and attempted to stream a movie, at first I wasn't sure if it was working as designed as the video appeared to buffer for a very long time, however I also noticed I had issues connecting to websites so I disconnected from verizon and reconnected and attempted the stream again, this time it started playing very quickly, I believe this was an issue with the verizon network and not so much the media share server.
overall I am very pleased with this storage server. With my different tests I was able to see how it would work best for me and I think I'm going to use this primarily as a Video streaming server and free up a lot of room on my other computers. This drive operated very quietly and over the last few days hasn't heated up to the touch as much as I thought it would. I am happy with this and would recommend it for anyone looking for a network storage server. This is a very universal product and for me has plenty of ways to utilize it.
I will mention, performance of your network will determine the quality of the server, time it takes to move file etc. For external access you really need a high speed broadband internet connection. If your connection is slow or unreliable your performance of accessing files externally will be significantly impacted.
***********UPDATED 7/15/2010*************
FYI, I just found out that there IS a iphone app to allow you to access your media content on your iphone and ipad! Simply go to the apple app store and download HipServ. Now it's not the best app, but it is the official app for accessing your MediaShare server. Please note you will need to sign up for the premium subscription which they do give you 30 days free to use this app. But the app itself is free, the 30 days trial is free then I think it's like $20 a year which isn't bad. Because the app doesn't have good directions on how to configure it, below is a copy/paste of the review I wrote about the app in the apple app store telling you how to configure it.
-----
I love this app. It is NOT the easiest thing to configure... Well it is, but they don't explain anything about it.
So, in my use I have a Verbatim MediaShare server. You MUST have the premium subscription to use this app with your mediaserver, if you look at the comparison chart between free and premium you'll see mobile access is only available on premium. Good news you get 30 days free at least through [...]
To configure the app do the following:
1. Launch the app
2. Click "Add Account"
3. for Portal Name put in [...] (if you are using [...] to access it remotely from a browser)
4. HipServ name is the name of your device. I called mine "MediaBox" so that's what I entered.
5. UserName is your username you configured to log into the box
6. Password is your password for your username you configured to log into the box.
7. Click "Save"
As long as you are a premium member you can now access your media share via your iphone anywhere you are.
I am having issues watching some videos, but they do show in my catalog. So I may have some video conversion settings wrong and I will be playing with that, but I can access pictures, music, etc. Videos are listed, they just don't play yet...
Anyways, this is a good app, wish they would write some instructions for it!***********UPDATED 1/8/2011*************After many months of use the Verbatim MediaShare is still doing pretty good. Although I found that I had some issues with it.
1. Every morning around 5am I noticed a lot of network and disc activity from the box. I had cancelled my Pro membership so I wasn't backing up to the MediaShare backup servers anymore, and didn't have any external drives connected. I did some network sniffing and couldn't identify what or where that activity was coming from. It concerned me a bit as the box would be quiet all day and then at 5am just come to life. If anyone knows what it is doing let me know!
2. I don't use the mediashare as much as I originally thought I would. I still use it as a remote FTP drive that I can access from work, my ipad, anywhere I go. I constantly am putting files on it to retrieve later. Works great for that.
3. I don't use it to stream movies anymore. As I mentioned I cancelled my pro membership so I no longer can use the mobile client. So I have moved all the movies to an external drive on my mac and am using pyTivoX (free mac app) to stream movies to the TiVo and then to stream to the iPad I am using Air Video Server and bought the app for the ipad which was like $5. Now I can stream any movie any time for free with no monthly fees. If Verbatim MediaShare included streaming for free I would still use it, but I can't justify paying when I get get another option for free.
4. Backing up computers, I don't use this for that. I did for a while but Remembered the 3-2-1 rule. You should have a total of 3 backups, on two different medias and 1 of those should be off-site. Now I could use it as one of the media types but I don't, mainly because around 5am the drive goes crazy and I don't know what it's doing with my data. So I don't store anything personal on it. What I use is a Western Digital passport (1tb) and I partitioned several drives. I made one 500gb parition for backups. So this gives me 2 of the 3 backups for a file. The one on my local computer, the one on the passport drive (using time machine on the mac to manage) and then I also subscribe to BackBlaze online backup which is $5 per computer, a great deal. This means I now have 3 backups of all my files, 2 different medias (1 external drive, 1 internal) and one of those is off-site so should my house get broken into and my backup disc and computer get stolen I still can get my data back.
5. But how did the media share do with streaming? It did good. Of course it all depends on your network. I tried both wireless and wired configurations and found that if the media share was connected to the same wired network I had zero issues with buffering, when I tried a wifi mix occasionally depending on what else my family was doing on the network at the time there was some slight issues. But nothing major.
6. The media share it does work, but I've found for my personal uses I was able to get the same results using other options that I have more control over. Now I am a total tech. I like to play and tinker and a lot of people wouldn't want to mess with my current setup. If you are one of those people the mediashare is still in my eyes an excellent option for non-techs to use. It works and it works well. But for me I can't customize or control it as much as I would like. It is still powered on and used as a file dump for me like I said, but in reality I use Box.net, dropbox, or my apple iDisk when I need to keep a file. If the file is to large then I fire up the mediashare connection. Other then that it looks cool sitting on my rack at home.

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Simply share, store and stream with the Verbatim MediaShare server. The MediaShare offers up to 1 TB of storage and allows you to share photos, save and protect files, stream media and even access your content-from anywhere. Use your MediaShare to create photo albums and send them to friends and family or upload your photos directly to Facebook. Back-up home laptops and automatically save important files directly to your MediaShare so they are in one centralized location. Stream music and photos through Sony Playstation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360 or other DNLA compliant devices. Lastly, quickly upload, download and manage your files via remote access by simply connecting to myverbatim.com from any internet connection.

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Buffalo LinkStation Live 500 GB Multimedia Storage Server HS-DH500GL Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm just writing this review because I believe this product and the company are dealt with a bit unfair in other reviews.
I just installed this device - I own a older Linkstation which works without any problems for non-stop 3 years now - and I would like to mention a few points. I also talked to Buffalo support before buying it (which yes, has a long waiting time on the phone but very compentent people, I believe, that answer at the end, and got clarification on a few points.
The good:
+ fast, just copying 75 GB in around 90 minutes on a 100 MBit network, and the speed is just fine
+ good looking, this device looks great
+ easy to install
The bad:
not much really
- if you enable the media server it reads/writes constantly, the reason is it indexes the disk for new files all the time - buffalo support is aware of this and will release a new firmware which allows you to index manually with a button on demand, this is a good solution for me
- no more bad, sorry ;-)
I find many of the reviews here a bit strange, lets talk about some examples:
- Scanner does not work (well, ALL these devices dont support Multifunction printers, because they technically can't, this is not Buffalos fault
- I put a new firmware on my device and now it's broken - well, apparently, earlier firmwares where different for the Pro and Live model, if you put the wrong firmware on it can't boot anymore, is this Buffalos fault??
- noisy hmmhh, mine is SUPER quiet - actually quieter than the old modell, how quiet do you expect a harddisk to be??
- web interface slow, that's true and I find it a bit strange, but how often are you changing parameters over the Web gui? It's a bit strange, but only a very minor nuissance.
I get the feeling that many users buying a media server are a bit novice at IT devices. Also because the PRO line gets better reviews.
Anyway, I nearly would not have bought this device because of all the bad reviews. But it would have been a mistake. I love it. It's not expensive and I personally recommend it!
Hope this helps.
Armin

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LinkStation Live 500GB Shared Network Storage

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HP EX490 1TB Mediasmart Home Server (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm technically inclined, but not an engineer. I have some experience with this topic... I first built my own server with spare parts and run it at my home. I am reviewing this because I bought it for my parents and installed it.
Preface - as of 2010, I've seen a lot of heartache about Mac Compatibility. Please, do some research before purchasing this product for a Mac to see if this will fit your needs. There is a TON of outside forum support about this. Otherwise my original review still stands:
Part 1: The software, and what HP brings to the party:
Windows Home Server is actually a program (based on Windows Server 2003 with enhancements, optimized and pre-configured), and is easy to use in a home. And it is good, all by itself. HP's contributions by adding on its own 'add-ins' make the software better.
As a sample of what this means for you, an example: If you are recording tv shows on in Windows 7 media center you can offload your shows here, and still stream them giving you instant access anytime over your home network from a windows 7 PC. The new update to the software also makes it so you can set windows 7 up to offload your recordings from your Windows 7 pc to the server automatically so you don't tie up your computer's storage space. If you want to take a look at what that kind of pc setup might look like, just search listmania for "Win 7 HTPC build"; I'm the first search hit.
So what does HP bring to this? If you have media files that you want to convert for viewing on a mobile device, HP bundled an add-in transcoding software on this so you can offload that work to server's CPU and not tie up your computer while you'd rather be surfing or playing games or whatever else you do to make things better (Note: HP's transcoding will NOT remove DRM). There are a lot more add-ins they bundle with this, but it's exhaustive and there isn't the space.
Bottom line, there are plenty of 'WHS' solutions. But my take is that HP has put a lot behind making this a great software bundle, and I have to say I'm impressed with the bonus they bring. Emphasis on the word Bonus, because they are 'nice to have-s' not designed for the people who consider them 'must-have-s'. The core functionality of streaming video, storing shares and back-up is what this is designed for. Part deux: What's so great about the hardware.
The pictures make it look big. But it is small - about the size of a small bread box turned on end. I was surprised when I unboxed it. It's also easy to add hard drives. It comes with one, but you'll get hooked and want to add one. Just take out a tray, pop in a recent generation "SATA II" drive and replace the tray in the server and it self configures. I recommend buying one straight away anyway because then you can turn on 'file duplication'. That means the server at your specific direction will keep duplicate copies of folders you select on two separate hard drives in the server as insurance against mechanical failure.
You can also back up the system drive, which I'm learning how to do, and you need an external USB drive to do that.
Energy-wise It pulls about 4 to 6 watts under normal operation. Yet another reason to buy this if you are power conscious. Don't let that figure fool you. There's plenty of hardware oomph for most people's needs.
Part Three - Documentation.
There is a lot of documentation! Just not in the box that comes with the server. WHS started out of a user community/company initiative that blossomed into a server software product that now you are seeing hardware being made for. So, if you aren't sure if this is for you - please take a look online about what other uses this is for and what alternatives are out there.
Summary:
Good build, solid software, continuous integration to Windows backed by a very committed enthusiast community that makes it so you don't have to think 'what if my hard drive crashes/computer shorts out/child vandalizes my computer?
It's automated and low/no maintenance. For a commited user: a 'no-brainer'. For someone who needs to purchase tech support from a computer vendor, I suggest that a home server is not likely a good fit for you. You are probably better off with an online backup service for your needs.
I like this one because it has extra drive bays. There are configurations that just use one hard drive, but I would pass on that.
If you are buying an add on drive, a Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive 3.5 Inch, 32 MB Cache, 7200 RPM SATA II WD1001FALS should work just fine. Update - 7/9/10 WHS (the program, not the HP MediaSmart server) does random things when stuff starts failing, meaning if you ever get random restarts, can't find drives or things like that, it's not the software it's just not that robust to tell you when something is broken. On my HOMEMADE server, I had a stick of ram go bad and it gave me random errors until I figured it out. (But that's no different than any standard computer, just thought it was good to update about how its going)
Also, MSFT is working on a new version of WHS software called "Vail" that is in beta right now. It should handle errors like dying hard drives a bit more cleanly than what some folks are experiencing now...For those of you who are adventurous, I've put a listmania list together for you on how to build your own. http://www.amazon.com/lm/R1NJKRJG6H78L6/ref=cm_lm_pthnk_view?ie=UTF8&lm_bb=

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The HP EX490 Media Smart Server is the all-in-one solution to manage your media: a home server that can automatically backup and protect your digital memories, centralize your media and content for sharing with family and friends, and enable you to enjoy your digital media while at home or away.Network-based backup of PCs using Windows Home Server as well as Macs using Apple’s Time Machine.Media streaming of photos, music and videos to PCs, the entertainment center and remote devices including the iPhone.What's in the box: HP EX490 (1TB plus 3 unused expansion bays) MediaSmart Server,Power cord, Ethernet cable, Software installation disc , PC restore disc, Server recovery disc and Setup Poster and HP support guides.One year limited warranty and our dedicated software technical support available from date of purchase both online and by phone.

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Synology DiskStation 2-Bay (Diskless) Network Attached Storage DS211J (White) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This thing is fast/scalable/reliable/configurable/expandable/bulletproof and worth ten times what it costs. For the money you get a full function NAS with two drive bays, Linux OS with plenty of really top shelf apps, support for raid arrays and JBOD, thru-the-internet accessability, dlna media server, audio and video apps, excellent disk management apps, solid group/user creation and mgmt, a web server app, ddns with 'no-ip' support and a host of other very useful file/data sharing utilities. Call Synology tech spt and you won't get a tier-1 zombie - rather you get a very knowledgeable competent tech who knows the product inside and out - very impressed! I've used most of the network apps and so far they work perfectly.
Cons: This is not a con but be advised: if you're populating the NAS with large drives (I populated my NAS with two, 2TB drives for a max capacity of 4TB), initial drive preperation will take 8-10 hours to complete - for each drive! I called Synology tech spt to find out if there might be a problem and they explained that the NAS drive prep utility goes thru an excruciatingly detailed surface scan at the outset thereby eliminating issues with bad sectors and other related problems once the drive is placed into operation. THere is a less time consuming drive prep offering but they recommended the full scan - and so do I. Find something else to do while the scan is running. Also; I bought my NAS to use primarily as a DLNA media streamer. It does that flawlessly - this thing is bulletproof, I have purposely tried to add and delete shares/folders/users/etc etc to try and confuse this box. It continues to operate flawlessly - I'm amazed and impressed! The Synology folks surely did their homework.
Other Thoughts: There is one anomaly I found with the DLNA function that I find rather annoying; Once the DLNA server is activated in the command interface, it creates three separate media folders (Audio and Video and Photo) and places them at the root level of Volume 1 (ie disk 1). The DLNA server will only look into these folders to find media to serve up. So, unless you Raid-0 your two drives and create one large volume, you will be stuck storing all your media files on only one drive - OR WILL YOU. There are several workarounds for this, and they work (although a little cumbersome). Once the three media folders have been placed on your vol 1, you can manually move one or more of them to vol2 and the op sys will work just as effectively with the folder on vol 2. You can also use a 'root' login to access the linux opsys and mount pointers to other shares you've created on vol2. Both techniques are explained on the Synology website. Maybe an update to DLNA file structure and searching is due Synology(hint hint).
Network streaming speed is more than ample. I have the NAS attached to a gig switch which is then attached (gig enet uplink) to a Linksys 3000 gateway. As a network bandwidth and NAS performance test I have run the following: one HD video stream to Samsung dlna enabled TV -and- one HD video stream to second TV using HP DLNA-enabled client -and- one audio stream to my Iphone (Wireless) -and- a second audio stream to my dlna-enabled V-Tech radio (also Wireless), all streams were running concurrently without any hesitation, skipping, pauses or any other anomalies. THis, plus all the other very useful functions make this box a real keeper!

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Synology DiskStation DS211j is designed to provide a cost-effective file storage and backup solution with RAID protection for your home environments. The operating system, Synology DiskStation Manager, delivers rich features for multimedia enjoyments, worry-free backup, Internet sharing, and energy-saving options.

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Iomega 1 TB Home Media Network Hard Drive Cloud Edition 34763 (Gray) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the 2 TB version. It's great having our photos and music online so we can use our Sony Bravia and Blu Ray player to browse photos or play music through our sound system. And my Grace Digital internet radio now has access to 4000 tracks on our local network. So, I like it. But...
I hooked it up as instructed to our network and installed the Iomega management software. The manager could not discover the drive as it was supposed to. I logged onto our router to find the IP address and added the device manually. That did it. Minor inconvenience. Then I noticed that the NAS device advertised its capacity as 1.8 TB, not 2 TB. OK, 1.8 TB is still a whale of a lot of storage, but it's not 2 TB. Now that I've got 8000 photos and 4000 audio tracks on the drive, there's still 1.78 TB of free space. So, not a big deal.
All the folders on the NAS showed up in my Windows Explorer folder list so I figured I could just copy all music and photos directly to the mapped drives. It seemed to work with the music - never mind that it took 15 hours to copy 18 GB - but the photos didn't copy well at all. Some files were just missing and most of the others were corrupt. I tried recopying them with a direct wired network connection instead of a wireless connection, but still no joy. What finally did work was to enable the FTP server on the NAS and use a FTP client (Filezilla in my case) to upload the photos. Not only did it work with no corrupt files, it took a fraction of the time that the file copy took. It worked so well that I deleted all the music and uploaded it a second time using FTP. Why take chances? It took 2 hours instead of 15. Nowhere could I find in the user's manual any tips on adding content to the drive. That would have been useful.
I tried enabling the personal cloud function. The NAS is supposed to configure the router automatically but it failed to do so. I was unable to figure out how to configure the port forwarding function on the router to make this work, trying every combination of IP address and port suggested. Now, my router is about 6 years old, which is 2 centuries in router years, so I bought a new router. It was less than $40 and I haven't tried it yet, but I'll let you know.
Still all minor inconveniences, right? But what I can't abide is the darn thing seems to take itself offline from time to time. I can't get to it with the manager or it's web page. I have to reboot it to get it to work, and it take seven forevers to reboot.
Summary: great concept, great result when it works, but in a world where nothing is easy anymore, what gets me excited is a product that does what it's supposed to without sucking up hours of my time. This one's not quite there yet.
UPDATE:
The new router wasn't by itself sufficient to enable my personal cloud, but once I enabled the UPnP function on the router, the NAS was able to configure its ports. STILL no joy. I chatted up Iomega's tech support and they led me through their checklist, most of which I had already tried, but when they're running out of ROM you don't push the interrupt button. Everything at my end seemed copacetic so my next call was to my ISP, CenturyLink. I've called CenturyLink's tech support before and they are AWESOME. Dave the Tech Support Guy suggested that I needed to "bridge my modem" and took me through the process step by step. In two minutes it was done and the NAS synched up and made the connection. Yay! But I'm, still trying to figure out the personal cloud and it seems to be hit or miss when I try to connect. It's always something.

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Get high-capacity, reliable home network storage with the Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive, Cloud Edition. Easily share and access files, photos, videos, and music between computers and with friends and family. It's powerful and fast, plus the three-step set-up is very simple, even if you're never used a network drive before. This feature-rich drive has a built-in UPnP AV Media Server (DLNA certified) and iTunes Server so content can easily be shared between computers and any other digital media adapters such as game consoles, digital picture frames, or networked TVs. Plus, automatically post files to your Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr accounts. Availalbe in 1TB, 2TB, and 3TB capacities.

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ZyXEL PLA470 200 Mbps Powerline HomePlug AV Desktop Adapter with Built-In 4-Port 10/100 Fast Ethernet Switch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It's true that HomePlug AV nodes cannot intercommunicate with HomePlug 1.0 nodes. ZyXEL and most, if not all, other HomePlug AV hardware manufacturers are derelict in not pointing out that fact. As an engineer who works with HomePlug almost full-time, I know that AV kicks 1.0's tail in terms of bitrate versus SNR. That doesn't excuse ZyXEL's dereliction, but it gives you cause to ponder retiring your HomePlug 1.0 hardware and replacing it with HomePlug AV hardware. Even if you think you won't benefit sufficiently from HomePlug AV's nominal 14x bitrate improvement, you might need AV's ability to reach more electrical outlets in your building with a bitrate that is usable for your application.
There's another compatibility matter to be aware of. When I examined a new PLA-470 the other day, I was disappointed, but not surprised, to find that the version of firmware installed in the HomePlug AV chipset is an old, pre-standard version, 1.4.5, that is not truly HomePlug-AV compliant and, more importantly, that cannot intercommunicate with subsequent firmware versions. I have not checked to see whether ZyXEL provides the means to upgrade the firmware of the HomePlug-AV chipset. The newest version is 3.0.5. For more detail on the topic of HomePlug-AV-chipset firmware, see my review of the Linksys PLE200.

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Buffalo LinkStation Live LS-CH500L - NAS - 500 GB - Serial ATA-150 - HD 500 GB x 1 - Gigabit Ethernet Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Bought one for home and found out it does such an excellent job, I bought one for my small office as well.
For home, i needed a NAS to store media on an always on device to stream to PS3 and XBox 360. This Buffalo device does this very well, with hardly any set-up at all on these two DLNA devices. Just enable 'Media Server' from the very easy to use browser based admin utility and your set.
Other great features: web access is a very simple page to access (buffalonas.com), combined with comprehensive, but easy to use user management. Also the Bittorrent feature is so easy and so convenient, you'll use it even if you dont know at the moment what this does. It works while the computer is off - obviously, and works quietly - actually silently, because this device is so quiet even while accessing files.
Not 5 stars because: silly really - on PS3, Photos are selected as Videos, and Videos are selected as Photos. But you get used to that. The web access could have slightly easier interfaces that dont return you to the home directory, and easier tools to save the files rather than viewing pictures in web pages.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Buffalo LinkStation Live LS-CH500L - NAS - 500 GB - Serial ATA-150 - HD 500 GB x 1 - Gigabit Ethernet

LinkStation is a single-drive NAS that makes it easy to add shared storage space to your network. All of your computers and network devices can access files from a LinkStation connected to your network. Ideal for homes and small offices that want easy to use easy to manage centralized network storage.

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NETGEAR EVA9150 Digital Entertainer Elite Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a pretty cool unit. Setup is a breeze and it even came with a DVI cable to hook up to my TV. It also has RCA cables. I have almost 1TB of movies in various formats(.avi .wmv .mpg) and it plays every one. Sometimes I cannot use the skip function if it doesn't fully support the file but it still always plays it. Transferring the files over was a bit harder. It was going to take 7 days to copy 1TB of files over from my server to the hard drive on the unit that I put in it. I even tried a direct cable and it was just as slow. I don't think it does any conversion but it is very slow. When you add a new hard drive in this unit, it formats it with Linux. When I put the drive from the Digital Entertainer in my Windows server it wanted to format the drive. I had to boot into a Linux OS and then I was able to copy the files over very quickly. The software that comes with the unit is pretty nice also. It lets you tag each movie file with information from the Internet Movie Database. It even displays a box cover. This unit also stores and plays music as well as Youtube videos streaming from the Internet. It will connect to your network by wireless or wired, or it can simply be a standalone unit. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because of the search feature in the unit. When I want to search for example, the movie "Zoolander", I input the letter "Z" from the remote and instead of filtering every movie that starts with "Z", it lists every movie with the letter "Z" in it like this...
American Zombie
Brazil
Crazy People
Dazed and Confused
Hot Fuzz
Zoolander
It's kind of a convoluted search in my opinion. Other than that, the Digital Entertainer is a top notch unit. It has a very user friendly interface with a nice remote control. It also has 2 USB ports and it can play media directly off of those or the media can be transferred to the hard drive. Netgear did a good job on the Digital Entertainer Elite!


Click Here to see more reviews about: NETGEAR EVA9150 Digital Entertainer Elite

The NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Elite HD EVA9000 series (EVA9150 includes 500GB hard drive) connects your TV and home entertainment system to your computer network, letting you experience your high-definition videos, digital music, and photos on your HDTV and high-quality sound system, directly from your PC. The Digital Entertainer Elite also makes it possible to enjoy streaming media from the Internet--such as YouTube, Internet radio, Flickr photos, RSS feeds, and podcasts -- through your HDTV and home entertainment system.
Watch 1080p Media on Your HDTV from the Integrated Hard Drive or Your PC You've downloaded your favorite shows and movies from the Internet, and you've got hours of home video stored on your computer. Thanks to the Digital Entertainer Elite, you no longer have to restrict your viewing to your computer; you can now watch your digital collection in the comfort of your television room, directly on your HDTV.

The Digital Entertainer Elite can also stream videos and feeds from the Internet to your HDTV, bypassing your computer entirely, for the ultimate viewing experience. And best of all, you can enjoy your videos and photos in full high definition of up to 1080p, thanks to the system's automatic up-converting feature.

Huge Hard Drive for Storage With an integrated 500 GB hard drive, the Digital Entertainer Elite can even store your digital media, making it one of the world\'s largest video jukeboxes. You no longer have to store your movies and photos on your computer's hard drive--it will do that for you, letting you free up space on your computer.

The hard drive also allows you to watch your videos, even when your computer is off, and buffers streamed videos, so even if your network performance is inconsistent, you still enjoy glitch-free video. You could also choose to install a larger Hard Drive (standard SATA) for even more storage capability in the future (go to www.netgear.com/eva9000drive for Hard Drive compatibility list).

USB Connectivity For added versatility, the Digital Entertainer Elite sports two easily accessible USB ports for instant access to content via USB flash drives, digital cameras, iPods, or any other USB storage device. This means you can upload your digital content directly to the Digital Entertainer Elite.

Push 'N' Connect Wireless Technology NETGEAR's exclusive Push 'N' Connect wireless technology provides an easy way for the user to connect to a WPS-secured wireless network with a simple push of a button. With Push 'N' Connect, you don\'t need to key in long and complex wireless passwords. And it is dual band wireless-N compatible, so you get the fastest WiFi connection possible at speeds of up to 300 Mbps when coupled with a Wireless-N router.

Plays a Wide Variety of Formats The Digital Entertainer Elite offers compatibility with a wide range of formats, far more than Apple TV, Media Center Extender, Xbox 360, and other competitors offer. It supports video formats--such as AVI, DivX, WMV, MOV, and more--and audio formats--such as MP3, WMA, DTS 5.1, DTS-HD Master Audio, AAC, and more. The Digital Entertainer Elite also supports 40 Mbps bit rates, providing you with the best quality audio/video possible.

Energy Efficient Design The Digital Entertainer Elite is a NETGEAR Green product, so you know you're getting an eco-friendly product. Its efficient power supply and automatic power-saving mode consumes as little as 0.01 watts of power.

Need More Storage? If you are a media enthusiast and have more video than one hard disk drive can hold, the Digital Entertainer Elite works seamlessly with NETGEAR\'s ReadyNAS DUO, NV+, and Pro products. Just dump all of your HD Videos on the ReadyNAS, and stream directly to the Digital Entertainer, it's as simple as that.

Compatible with Windows (including Vista), Macintosh, and Linux computers the Digital Entertainer Elite measures 2.0 x 17 x 10 inches (HxWxD) and weighs 5.56 pounds. It's backed by NETGEAR's one-year warranty.

What's in the Box Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150), 4-device Universal Infrared (IR) Remote Control (2 AA batteries included), power cable, localized to the country of sale, Ethernet cable, RCA stereo-audio/composite-video cable, HDMI cable, installation guide, Windows/Macintosh (Intel-based OS-X) resource CD, and warranty/support information card.



Netgear ReadyNAS Pro Pioneer Edition Network Attached Storage (RNDP600E)

NETGEAR Wireless-N Router (WNR2000)

NETGEAR RangeMax Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WNR3500)

NETGEAR Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit (XAVB101)

NETGEAR RangeMax Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WNR3500)

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LaCie Network Space Max 2 TB Gigabit Ethernet USB 2.0 Network Attached Storage 301519KUA Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Got it from Amazon. I don't live in the US so this was a gamble. Connected it to my router - and that's it! All three Macs in the house recognized it immediately, setting it up for Time Machine was instant. VERY quiet.I am VERY happy with it. Since allows RAID 1, I would recommend getting the 4GB version when available. I also called Lacie tech support and got immediate useful help. This is not trivial - it comes after much grief with the Iomega home netwrok drive which didn't work, was not supported for Macs in my country, and the guy on Iomega tech support chat admitted after an hour that their software was not ready for Mac...Highly recommend
UPDATE - turned out the drive had a software problem. This was identified during an online chat with a Lacie representative. I had to send Lacie my drive, the problem was corrected, the drive was sent back, now works OK. So, despite the initial disappointment with the drive arriving defective, I can now recommend not only the drive but the service as well.

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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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Western Digital My Book Live 1 TB Home Network Attached Storage Drive Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Yesterday I purchased one of these drives to use as a Network Attached Storage drive for my Sonos music system. This drive is perfect for that setup and exceeded my expectations. The setup for this drive is a snap. My PC and Sonos system recognized it with zero issues. The drive throughput is about 70Mb/s which is plenty for my purposes. Also (and a key feature for Sonos), this drive will spin down after inactivity and will even let you set how long it waits before spinning down (have not seen any other drive in this price range which will do that). Also, this drive comes pre-formatted with an NTFS file system so no reformatting is needed like with most external drives. Having a drive with NAS capabilities is excellent because you need less hardware to make the drive available to Sonos. Lastly, because the drive doesn't have an on/off switch, you won't have to worry if you lose power that you'll have to turn this back on (like with the old Linksys NSLU2).
The only reason I don't give this five stars is because the "access over the web" part of the feature set is misleading. What you might expect is that this drive is available over the web through some sort of login and without the need of a PC to facilitate. Unfortunately you need all of those things to make this drive accessible over the web. The software WD provides to enable this, "MioNet", seems dated and rickety- not to mention NOT free. If leaving your PC on is acceptable for you, might I recommend downloading the Opera web browser and using their "Unite" service which will provide many of the same services as MioNet- but for *free*.
Overall a strong purchase and a nice product. If you have a Sonos system and want your music available, then this is the drive you need.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Western Digital My Book Live 1 TB Home Network Attached Storage Drive

Simplify your digital life by consolidating your movies, music, photos, and files in one location for everyone on your wired or wireless network to share with a Western Digital My Book Live Network-Attached Storage drive.

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HP EX485 MediaSmart Home Server Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)UPDATED at Bottom on 05/05/2009
Hi All,
I have been using different types of NAS solutions, including a Drobo, for a while now and wanted to give the Windows Home Server solution a shot for my home. I am an IT person by trait. I know that it is fairly easy to build a small home server but I had heard so much about the HP interface that I wanted to give this a shot. Unfortunately I did not buy from AMAZON and had to use a third party to get the item....but that's neither here or there. My review is about the product itself.
The box includes the server, the rescue cd, the restore cd, and a cd for both mac/pc workstations. Remove the item from the box, plug in the power and a ethernet cord to your router/switch and you are ready to roll. The first setup of the client software MUST be done on a PC so that you can set the server up. Very easy and very well made software that will guide you through the entire process.
(A Side Note - HP Recommends that you use a router that has UPNP on it so that the remote capabilities of this server can be used without issues. A list of some routers is below. I was unfortunately using Apple Airport Extreme Base Stations but had a handy dandy D-Link DIR-655 at home...which I switched to immediately and permanently so I can use this server. Product Link for DIR-655: D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Wireless Router
Once the setup process is concluded (5-10 minutes) you are able to start using the server at once and create user accounts, media syncing, iTunes servers, etc. Very Very simplistic approach. One of the reasons I give it a 5/5. One feature that I want to mention, which puts this device over the others, is that it has a built in plug-in that allows me to use an Amazon s3 account to backup the entire server...normally you would have to use a 3rd party software (jungle disk, which i own) to do this but having it built into the server and having the server manage the backup to the cloud is amazing.
MAC Specific: I wanted to see how this server would work on a MAC and what the ramifications would be of using time machine over the network without having to buy Apple's time capsule. Again, very easy. I installed the software on my macbook pro. It has a section where you define the amount of space you want to use on the server for your time machine backup...10-20-30-40-etc gb.... Set the space, it creates the area on the server, hit the start button, go to time machine preferences and use this new hard drive which shows up in the list as HP Mediasmart Server and VOILA....you are time machining away at gigabit speeds. Did I mention the ethernet on this is Gigabit.
Dynamic DNS: We all have some sort of broadband if we consider devices like this and most of us do not opt to pay the exorbitant costs for static ip addresses....instead we just use DHCP from Cable or DSL. Those addresses change..maybe not often..but they do change. One of the features of WHS is to allow you remote access from where ever you may be...and or for a family member to get in and take a look at some files you have stored for them...pictures, music, etc... The server has a built in feature to allow you to use two or three services....TZO (if I remember correctly is one that is included free for one year--allows custom domain names), Microsoft offers a free domain if you have a FREE Microsoft Live ID. I opted for the free service as it allows me to use a simple name like tarun . homeserver . com. You simply pick a name for your server (tarun) and it goes and checks if it is available...if it is you are all set. This is when a UPNP router comes into play so that media smart can set the router up to allow incoming connections to the proper ports for the server....VOILA...works like a charm. I can get to the server from work and upload files, download, etc....very very nice and very easy.
I can get in to much broader detail about the setup but then that would defeat the purpose of this review. I think I have already typed to my hearts content. I really love this device...it is worth its price. I am sure we can all build it cheaper and smaller...but hey...for me I don't want to tinker with hardware since it is time consuming and I would much rather hang out with the kids.
This is a great device which, backed by HP, will only get better with time.
5/5
ps. If you have any questions...please feel free to comment and I will answer them as best as I can.
Quick Note 02-28-2009: If you are a PC user then the WHS agent will pull all of your music and pictures to the server and make them available...this includes iTunes music and playlists. If you are a MAC user...u are out of luck for automation...but you can copy your entire iTunes music folder over to the WHS Manually. WHS will make the iTunes library and playlists available to all network users. I moved my iTunes from my mac to the WHS and then simply told iTunes the new location...so if I add new music, podcasts, etc...I dont have to sync directories...iTunes will just add them to the WHS Music Folder...which is mounted on the mac as a volume. Hope that helps a bit.
ps.. Firefly is what WHS/HP use for iTunes....something which I believe can be installed on a drobo with droboshare.
UPDATE 03-06-09 - If you are a opendns user then there may be some issues in regard to pinging and browsing to your whs using the connector on pc's. There is a simple fix...add an exception at [...] for your server. Example: server.local where server is your server name and .local is your home. I did it today and my pc was able to find the server without issue. Some routers may not experience this problem...but I had it with both the apple airport extreme and the d-link. A simple fix....
UPDATE 03-10-09 - Compatible Routers:
The Good:
* D-Link DGL-4100 GamerLounge Broadband Gigabit
* D-Link DGL-4300 GamerLounge Broadband Gigabit
* D-Link DIR-655 Wireless Xtreme N Gigabit
* D-Link EBR-2310 Ethernet Broadband
* D-Link WBR-1310 Wireless-G
* Linksys WRT150N Wireless N Broadband
* Linksys WRT54G3G-ST Wireless G for Mobile Broadband
* Linksys WRT54GC Compact Wireless-G Broadband
* Netgear WPN824NA RangeMax Wireless Router
* Trendnet TEW-631BRP Wireless N Draft
The BAD:
* Linksys WRT330N Wireless-N Gigabit Gaming
* Microsoft MN-500 Broadband Networking Wireless Base
* Apple Airport Extreme Base Station
* Linksys WRT55AG Wireless 4 Port
* Qwest Actiontec m1000DSL
* US Robotics USR8001 DSL/Cable with Print Server
Quick Update 03/13/2009 - Friday the 13th:
1. The server is backing up to Amazon S3 perfectly almost every day and I have not had one issue yet.
2. A FUN Project to try is to download the ps3 media server which is freeware that can be installed on WHS to automatically stream your music, videos, pictures, etc on to your PS3...if you have one. I will post a link in the comments section.
3. Last but not least for today - If you want to remove that annoying reminder to install Mcafee.....you can check the ignore button but that item remains in the list forever.... How to remove it? There is a share from the mediasmart called SOFTWARE which houses certain files. One of the files is a rather large file....larger then 50mb if I am not wrong....I wish I could remember the name. That is the McAfee add-in installer...once it is removed from the software share and the server is restarted..u will never see it mentioned again and dont have to worry about checking off ignore.
I know this review is getting LONG...but I want anyone that owns and or is considering buying one of these units to have as much information as possible. Its not easy to drop $600 these days and end up with something you may never use. I sincerely hope my review helps you make the right decision.
Quick NOTE: 03/24/09 - Microsoft has released powerpack two for WHS. I have also configured, manually, my new dual band Apple Airport Extreme to work with WHS. You simply need to forward 3 ports to your WHS box from within the Airport Utility Software. I believe somone has posted a link in the comments section also.....
Update 03/26/09 - This was pointed out to me in the comments section as I was unaware. You are able to completely image a Windows PC and recover it via a CD that is provided by HP. The initial backup takes a while depending on how much space you are using but once its done you feel better knowing your machine can be fully recovered if the hard drive dies, etc..
Update 05/05/09 - (happy cinco de Mayo) - I just wanted to chime in and let everyone know that a new version of the WHS software is available from HP. Make sure you update your units so that they have the latest and greatest. The new features allow for automatic video conversion for any videos you drop in designated folders. Also, HP has a iPhone and iPod touch software which connects to the server to allow for music streaming and photo viewing. AWESOME features that keep making this an AWESOME addition to anyone's home network.

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP EX485 MediaSmart Home Server

Automatically back up and protect your digital memories, centralize your media and content for sharing with friends and family, and enjoy your digital media while at home or away with the HP EX485 MediaSmart Home Server. Based on the Microsoft Windows Home Server platform, this sleek, quiet server is ideal if you have multiple PCs on a home network, or want the flexibility to enjoy your digital experiences from anywhere over the Internet. And it's easy to set up--just plug it in, connect it to your wireless router (sold separately), and load the software onto your PCs and Macs.
Centralize your iTunes music libraries on the MediaSmart Server for playback to any networked Mac or PC running iTunes. The HP Media Collector conveniently schedules the MediaSmart Server to copy and centralize digital files and libraries from networked PCs. The pre-installed HP Photo Publisher software enables you to easily upload photos to Facebook, Flickr, Picasa Web Albums and Snapfish. and the MediaSmart Server provides peace of mind with effortless backups of your Windows-based PCs via the Windows Home Server backup feature and Macs running Leopard using Apple Time Machine software.
The EX485 MediaSmart comes with 750 GB of storage right out of the box and four drive bays that allow you to add optional off-the-shelf SATA I or II hard drives--up to a maximum capacity of 9 TB (terabytes). Additionally, the MediaSmart includes four USB 2.0 ports and one eSATA port for connecting an attached external hard drive, and it provides capabilities for offsite backup via automatic upload to Amazon's S3 service.
The sleek, streamlined micro-tower design is perfect for use in the home office or the living room, with perforated steel exterior panels that provide cool, quiet operation. A Sleep Mode conserves energy and saves you money in more ways than one. The built-in sleep mode consumes only 1W of power, and the server can take on many of your PC's responsibilities, enabling you to turn off your individual computers to further save energy and money.
Software Features
Operating System: Powered by Windows Home Server, a new software solution from Microsoft for storing, accessing, sharing and automatically protecting digital files.
HP Control Center: The HP MediaSmart software that sits on top of the Windows Home Server software making access to tasks easier. Users with administrative access privileges can access the Windows Home Server Console from the HP Control Center.
Windows Home Server Console: Software accessed from the HP Control Center to manage your HP MediaSmart Server. Software includes setting up shared folders, assigning user access privileges and customizing backups.
File Sharing and Storage: Effortlessly centralize your files and access them from any PC and or Mac on your home network.
PC Hard Drive Disk Backup: Once the HP MediaSmart Server software is installed on a home PC, the Windows Home Server backup software automatically starts backing up the PCs hard disk drive image every night. You can customize the number and frequency of backups kept.
Mac Backup: Back up your Macs to the MediaSmart Server using Apple's Time Machine software.
Shared Folder Duplication: Designate folders that will be copied automatically onto multiple hard drives for an additional layer of redundant protection. Folder duplication replaces traditional RAID-style redundancy.
Individual File Restore: If you accidentally delete a file on your PC, you can browse versions of the PC hard drive backup image on the HP MediaSmart Server to find the file and copy it to your PC.
PC Hard Drive Disk Restore: In the event of a PC hard drive failure, the included HP PC Restore disc is all you need to restore a hard drive image from the HP MediaSmart Server. Theres no need to locate your original operating system disc.
HP Media Collector: Conveniently schedules the server to copy and centralize your Windows PC media files and libraries (including iTunes and playlists).
Remote Access: Upon installation, you can set up a personal web address to be used for remote access and by visitors. Using your personal web address, you can remotely access shared folders and files on the HP MediaSmart Server from any Internet-connected computer.
In-Home and Remote Media Streaming: Extend your digital media experiences by conveniently streaming photos, music and videos to your TVs, through gaming consoles such as Xbox 360 or PlayStation3, and computer's within your home. Remotely stream music and photos from your server to any Internet-connected computer for access while you are away.
HP Photo Publisher: Easily publish your photos to Snapfish, Facebook, Flickr, and Picasa Web Albums using an Internet-connected computer.
HP Photo Viewer: Quickly share photos and albums stored on the Server with friends and family.
Server for iTunes: Centralize your iTunes music libraries and playlists on the server for playback to any PC or Mac running iTunes on your home network.
Easy Storage Expansion: Add an internal or external hard drive to the HP MediaSmart Server, indicate that you want to add the disk in the Windows Home Server Console, and the HP MediaSmart Server storage grows. No need to power down the unit or manage drive letters for multiple hard drives.
Server Anti-Virus Protection: Server side anti-virus trial offer from McAfee for increased protection of your HP MediaSmart Server. Run quick scans of specific folders or deep scans across your entire home server.
Server Backup: Protect your digital memories from fire/flood/natural disaster... backup your server shared folders to an external hard disk drive, and/or an online backup to Amazon S3.
Server Recovery: The included Server Recovery Disc can be used to recover all data and restore folders or, to reset the server in case the server operating system disk becomes corrupt.
Additional Software Add-Ins: Extend the functionality of your server through available software add-ins to enable expanded functionality, server personalization and/or entertainment.
Users: Up to 10 user accounts can access the HP MediaSmart Server. In addition, a predefined Guest account can be enabled.

PC Operating System Support
Automatic backup of computers running Microsoft Windows Vista (32 & 64 bit), XP Home (SP2), XP Professional (SP2), Media Center Edition 2004 (SP2) or later, and Macs running ApplesTime Machine.
File sharing for computers running Microsoft Windows Vista (32 & 64 bit), XP Home (SP2) or XP Professional (SP2), Media Center Edition 2004 (SP2) or later, Mac OS X, or Linux.
Remote access to computers running Microsoft Windows XP Professional (SP2), Media Center Edition 2005 (SP2), or Vista Ultimate.

Hardware Specifications
Internal Hard Drive(s): One 750 GB drive (SATA, 7200 RPM)
Internal Expansion: Four hard drive bays (additional off the shelf SATA I or II hard drives can be added; no tools required)
External Expansion: Four USB 2.0 ports (1 front, 3 back); one eSATA port (back)
Processor: Intel Celeron 2.0 GHZ 64-bit Processor
Memory: 2 GB of DDR2 DRAM (800 MHz)
Network Support: 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) RJ45 Ethernet; supports both wired and wireless PCs (via a wireless router).
Power: Internal universal power supply
Dimensions: 5.5 x 9.8 x 9.2 inches (WxHxD)

What's in the Box HP EX485 MediaSmart Home Server, power cable, Ethernet cable (RJ45), PC restore disc, server recovery disc, software installation disc, printed documentation. The MediaSmart Server is backed by a one-year limited warranty and dedicated software technical support both online and by phone.

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