NETGEAR ReadyNAS Ultra 4 (4-bay, 4TB: 2 x 2TB) Network Attached Storage, latest generation RNDU4220 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It has been a while since I've gotten a new NAS system, and I am totally impressed with this unit. It has been almost totally painless. Now all the computers at my house can have plenty of backup storage, and easily share all the data, video, photo, and music files you are likely to have.
MY ENVIRONMENT
I am a Computer Engineer - been in the field for 35 years, so I'm fussy about my hardware. I have a house hardwired with CAT5 plus a WiFi router. The main machines are Macs, but there are some Windows computers too. This unit supports Time Machine - and the support works perfectly and painlessly. I also have a couple of DLNA media devices, so that is an important feature. The ReadyNAS also lets you plugin USB drives and they instantly become available on the network as well - so all my old external USB drives are not useless with this upgrade.
THE GOOD (Great, actually)
* This device is as close to plug and play as I've seen in a long time. There is a somewhat lengthy setup - but we're dealing with Terabytes of disk space that has to get organized and set up properly for the X-RAID striping.
* You can plug in new drives to expand capacity as needed.
* Works seamlessly on a mixed Mac/Windows/DLNA media environment
* Redundant storage keeps going even after a single disk failure. I feel all my photos and videos are now safe (although I still keep an extra off-site backup, just in case.)
* Fast - almost as fast as a directly connected USB, but now available to all the computers in the house.
* Can install extra software to securely access your data from the web anywhere.
THE LESS THAN GOOD
* There is a setting on the Network Interfaces called MTU. The default setting didn't work quite right for Macs - changing it to 1492 fixed things. But a call to NETGEAR's support actually solved the issue, so I'd rate their support very good.
* Not cheap - but I've spent years generating all my video, photos, and music - and I think the easy interface to this all is worth the price.
* The concept of 'Shares' is not really explained as well as I would have liked.WHICH UNIT TO GET?
I decided I would spend a bit more for this unit - it is the latest technology - over the older NETGEAR units. I decided the 4 disk unit and single core unit would probably have the best cost/benefit ration. With this unit, using Western Digital 2 TB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD20EARS (they seem to work flawlessly so far - even though the aren't yet on the compatibility list for this unit), you can get up to 6TB of redundant storage (recovers from a single drive failure). I'd guess they will eventually support 3 to 4 TB drives.


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The NETGEAR ReadyNAS Ultra series deliver the power you need to run bleeding-edge applications and the flexibility you want to store, share and protect your prized multimedia collections. Two Gigabit Ethernet Ports deliver ultra-fast connections, while three USB ports offer the flexibility for users to connect other devices with a USB connection (e.g., printer servers, external USB storage devices or digital cameras). These multimedia desktop storages are ideal for media enthusiasts with large digital media libraries who want to take their media files wherever they go. X-RAID2 - Manage volume expansion automatically as you add new hard drives or replace existing drives with larger capacity drives. ReadyNAS Remote - Get secure drag-and-drop remote access without complicated network setups. ReadyNAS Vault - Backup critical files off-site for added security and peace of mind, then access and restore them remotely online. Rsync - Replicate and synchronize files between two ReadyNAS devices. TiVo compatible - Archive your favorite television programs and play them back to any TiVo DVR in your home. Media shifting with Skifta - Access multimedia content from your ReadyNAS while you're away from home on connected DLNA devices. Transcoding with Orb - Convert multimedia content for optimal streaming on mobile devices. Automatic backups - Back up three computers (PC or Mac) continuously using Memeo Premium Backup and restore any previous version of a file with a simple right-click.

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Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Net STAK100 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is one of those products that is probably the reverse of most tech products. In this case, the average non-techie will probably love it - but people who know their way around computers are going to be baffled.
As with most products like this, I planned on just bypassing the Pogoplug service altogether and treating this like a networked docking station. That would have been something I could really use. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a major hassle to access this device without using either the Pogoplug website or their desktop access software - and I'm not interested in using either of those methods.
According to the full manual, which is downloadable from the Seagate website, the GoFlex Net CAN be accessed as a networked device. The network name is supposed to be the letters 'FADS' followed by part of the MAC address. In my case, that name never showed up - so I went to my DHCP server to verify that the name hadn't been registered, and it hadn't. I did find the IP address in use by the GoFlex Net through some experimentation, but couldn't use it to access the device through either Win7 Explorer or Internet Explorer (I figured http was a long-shot, but tried it anyway).
It is possible that other people will have better luck accessing this directly, but I couldn't get it to work in my environment.
After giving up on direct access, I gave in and activated the GoFlex Net using the Pogoplug service. The activation was easy; and, after playing with the interface for a bit, I can see that there probably is a specific class of users that will appreciate this device. It is easy to access data on the docked drives through the Pogoplug web interface, so you could have your data available from anywhere you have an Internet connection.
Overall, if you're looking for a dock that will work as a type of NAS device, you should steer clear of this. If you simply want some storage that is available from anywhere you are, then this is probably a reasonable solution.

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The Seagate GoFlex Net Media Sharing Device allows you to securely share data over your network and connect to your drive over the internet.

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Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Home 1TB STAM1000100 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I give this item a 3.5 stars. It looses some stars because it really is not "simple set up" as it states. It takes some time to get it up and your files to back up the first initial time. I was extremely excited to try this product with my home network since we have two Windows PCs (1 XP & 1 Windows 7), and one Mac computer.For each desktop computer, I have installed wired external backup drives. The idea of having ONE back up drive to backup all my files, photos and iTunes music seemed to be like a dream come true. Features a 1TB storage, which is equivalent to 1024GB.
Lets start with the installation. I am using the Windows 7 PC for initial setup. First and most important, you need a Home Network, a wireless router and of course an internet connection. Enclosed in the box is a very basic "Quick Start" guide, I recommend going to the manufacturer's website and downloading the 82 page manual which gives more information. I plugged in power and Ethernet cable to my wireless router. I powered up the drive and inserted the installation CD. I named and registered my drive and added additional user accounts , one for each computer. After that was complete I had to install the software on my other Windows PC and Mac. After I installed the CD on the other PCs, a screen pops up asking to insert the username and password. It's that simple. On my Mac the installation was a little different, but I was able to easily follow the instructions and get it connected using Time Machine with no hassles. One bit of advice for Mac users, if you plan on using Time Machine to back up your files instead of using the optional Memeo Instant Backup, you need to go to Seagate Share Preferences before installing the program on the Mac. Once you are in the preferences page, enable ComputersBackup. Create a password, this password will be used to configure the program when it is installed on your Mac. This information can only be found in the downloaded Users Manual online. Luckily I read the entire manual before attempting to install the Seagate GoFlex. It did take a long, long time to backup all files and folders from all three computers, but I had no bugs or issues. Depending on how many files and folders you are having backed up, it may take all day and night. The program will just run in the background and you do not have to do anything.
The drive will automatically created three folders for each PC account, a public, personal and backup folders. The Seagate Dashboard is the centralized location for all the computer files. This only works with Windows, this is the reason I used my Windows 7 PC as the main system. On the Mac it is Seagate Share and you must use the internet to access the files. You do have the option to use the internet storage base for Windows as well if you like.
There are a few options on how you want to backup your files, I went with the automatic backup. I clicked on instant backups on my menu and the computer shows you the amount of storage that will be included in the backup. If you only what to choose certain files, you can use the advanced settings and drag which files to backup. After clicking "Start Backup", my files started backing up. Whenever I add a new file to the folder or make and changes, the Seagate GoFlex will automatically back up the new file.
Every computer in my home already has a wireless printer, so I really have no use to for the share printer option. But if you do want to use a printer wireless throughout your home network, you must attach the printer via the printer's USB cable to the Seagate GoFlex Drive.
There are many other features and options that can be used, but my primary reason for using this device is to backup the iTunes and photo files on all the computers. When you have thousands of songs and spent several hundreds of dollars on iTunes purchases for every iTunes account on each system, you want to make sure you can access your file in case something terrible happens like the internal hard drive dies. Trust me, I have had this happen to me. I always burn my photos to a CD for added protection, but this way we can share our photos from any computer.
Overall, once you get the unit installed and your files and folders backed up it is extremely easy to use. I guess time will tell if the unit is reliable for retrieving backup files if your system crashes or dies. Hopefully I will not have to find that out! :-)
UPDATE: Sometimes I am not able to gain access to my account online. This is because I use Firefox with a 64-bit operating system and currently "Flash" is not not supported for this OS. I keep getting the "Flash Crash Error Report". However, I can sign in with no troubles using Internet Explorer. So if you have troubles signing into the account online, try a different browser.
If you notice that the drives are not showing under devices in your computer, best thing to do is to unplug it for 15 seconds and then plug it back in to reboot.

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The GoFlex Home network storage system connects to your WiFi router, allowing you to wirelessly store and access files and back up multiple computers in the home. The GoFlex Home network storage system includes software to automatically and continuously back up all the files and folders on up to 3 PC and Mac computers in the home. By storing files in a central location on your network, you can use one drive for all your storage and backup needs. When connected to your home WiFi router, the GoFlex Home network storage system enables you to wirelessly store and access files from any PC or Mac computer in the home. The GoFlex Home network storage system also allows you to stream media to game consoles and the GoFlex TV HD media player. Store all your photos, movies and music on the GoFlex Home network storage system and enjoy your media and favorite memories from any room in the house. Additionally, you can share a USB printer with every computer in the home by simply connecting to the USB port on the GoFlex Home network storage system or you can plug in a USB drive to the port to increase storage capacity. The built-in drive can also be upgraded by simply removing the drive from the base and replacing with a higher capacity GoFlex Desk drive. With a simple guided setup process and just two cable connections, the GoFlex Home network storage system installs in just minutes, allowing you to quickly begin protecting your files, enjoying your media and accessing your content wherever you are. Additional licenses available for purchase

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Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Home 2 TB STAM2000100 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I give this item a 3.5 stars. It looses some stars because it really is not "simple set up" as it states. It takes some time to get it up and your files to back up the first initial time. I was extremely excited to try this product with my home network since we have two Windows PCs (1 XP & 1 Windows 7), and one Mac computer.For each desktop computer, I have installed wired external backup drives. The idea of having ONE back up drive to backup all my files, photos and iTunes music seemed to be like a dream come true. Features a 1TB storage, which is equivalent to 1024GB.
Lets start with the installation. I am using the Windows 7 PC for initial setup. First and most important, you need a Home Network, a wireless router and of course an internet connection. Enclosed in the box is a very basic "Quick Start" guide, I recommend going to the manufacturer's website and downloading the 82 page manual which gives more information. I plugged in power and Ethernet cable to my wireless router. I powered up the drive and inserted the installation CD. I named and registered my drive and added additional user accounts , one for each computer. After that was complete I had to install the software on my other Windows PC and Mac. After I installed the CD on the other PCs, a screen pops up asking to insert the username and password. It's that simple. On my Mac the installation was a little different, but I was able to easily follow the instructions and get it connected using Time Machine with no hassles. One bit of advice for Mac users, if you plan on using Time Machine to back up your files instead of using the optional Memeo Instant Backup, you need to go to Seagate Share Preferences before installing the program on the Mac. Once you are in the preferences page, enable ComputersBackup. Create a password, this password will be used to configure the program when it is installed on your Mac. This information can only be found in the downloaded Users Manual online. Luckily I read the entire manual before attempting to install the Seagate GoFlex. It did take a long, long time to backup all files and folders from all three computers, but I had no bugs or issues. Depending on how many files and folders you are having backed up, it may take all day and night. The program will just run in the background and you do not have to do anything.
The drive will automatically created three folders for each PC account, a public, personal and backup folders. The Seagate Dashboard is the centralized location for all the computer files. This only works with Windows, this is the reason I used my Windows 7 PC as the main system. On the Mac it is Seagate Share and you must use the internet to access the files. You do have the option to use the internet storage base for Windows as well if you like.
There are a few options on how you want to backup your files, I went with the automatic backup. I clicked on instant backups on my menu and the computer shows you the amount of storage that will be included in the backup. If you only what to choose certain files, you can use the advanced settings and drag which files to backup. After clicking "Start Backup", my files started backing up. Whenever I add a new file to the folder or make and changes, the Seagate GoFlex will automatically back up the new file.
Every computer in my home already has a wireless printer, so I really have no use to for the share printer option. But if you do want to use a printer wireless throughout your home network, you must attach the printer via the printer's USB cable to the Seagate GoFlex Drive.
There are many other features and options that can be used, but my primary reason for using this device is to backup the iTunes and photo files on all the computers. When you have thousands of songs and spent several hundreds of dollars on iTunes purchases for every iTunes account on each system, you want to make sure you can access your file in case something terrible happens like the internal hard drive dies. Trust me, I have had this happen to me. I always burn my photos to a CD for added protection, but this way we can share our photos from any computer.
Overall, once you get the unit installed and your files and folders backed up it is extremely easy to use. I guess time will tell if the unit is reliable for retrieving backup files if your system crashes or dies. Hopefully I will not have to find that out! :-)
UPDATE: Sometimes I am not able to gain access to my account online. This is because I use Firefox with a 64-bit operating system and currently "Flash" is not not supported for this OS. I keep getting the "Flash Crash Error Report". However, I can sign in with no troubles using Internet Explorer. So if you have troubles signing into the account online, try a different browser.
If you notice that the drives are not showing under devices in your computer, best thing to do is to unplug it for 15 seconds and then plug it back in to reboot.

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Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Home 2 TB STAM2000100

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Apple Time Capsule MB277LL/A (AirPort Extreme Plus 1 TB Storage) Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased the 1 TB Time Capsule to replace my Linksys Router and an external Lacie 500 GB HDD. Setup took about 2 minutes - and I was up and running. It was extremely simple - insert the disk into a drive, install version 5.3 of the AirPort Utility, answer a few questions, and you are up and running - easy as pie.
That said, I have a warning for power users who want more security than a disk password - IE; you use user accounts for file sharing, etc. Instead of following the 'easy' path, you will want to use 'manual setup'. If you initially use the 'easy' setup and want to go back and change from a disk password for security to account security, you will lose any data you have transferred to the disk - that is correct, you will lose any data you have transferred to your disk - for me that was a 7 hour, 350 GB transfer - lesson learned.
I backup two computers via time machine on the Time Capsule - a Mac Mini, and a MacBook Air. They both averaged 25 GB on the first time machine backup, which took about 2.5 hours each via Ethernet - which is another point - you will want to use Ethernet instead of WiFi for your first backup - as the Time Capsule will truncate the transfer rate to allow others to keep using the AirPort.
That said, I am using the 802.11n (5Ghz) setting on the time capsule - and when I am surfing or downloading files via the internet on my MacBook Air, I honestly can't tell the difference between that and a direct Ethernet connection - when connected to the internet via cable Modem. It is absolutely incredible. To give you an example of the 802.11n transfer rate - I am sharing a single library stored on the Time Capsule for both my iTunes and iPhoto programs between the two computers - it used to take 45 to 60 seconds for the iPhoto library to come up when accessing via 802.11g (Linksys) on the MacBook Air - accessing the iPhoto library now via the 802.11n connection on the MacBook Air takes 5 seconds or less.
As you can guess from the previous statement, in addition to backup - I am also using the Time Capsule as an External HDD - I have about 350 GB of music and 100 GB of video stored on it. And so far so good!
Overall I am extremely pleased with this product and would recommend it to anyone!

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Introducing Time Capsule. Automatic wireless backup for your Mac. Time Capsule is a revolutionary backup device that works wirelessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard. It automatically backs up everything, so you no longer have to worry about losing your digital life. Time Capsule is also a full-featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station. Every computer in your house can work off a wireless network at blazing speeds. And they can back up wirelessly to the same Time Capsule.

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Apple Time Capsule MC344LL/A 2TB (SIM Dualband) Review

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(More customer reviews)I use my 2 TB Time Capsule for a wireless router and for wireless backups from my Mac mini.
As a router, it's pretty reliable. I do have problems connecting to it using my iPhone 3GS. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. When it works, there are times it will stop working seemingly for no reason. Frustrating. Otherwise, my MacBook and Mac mini both connect every time and the connection is very reliable.
The Time Machine feature for backups works very well. It's nice to not have to think about backups. It just works, backs up everything, and I don't have to worry about it.
The problem with the wireless backup system is that it's *extremely* slow, and it interferes with my use of my Internet connection. It would be nice if it would throttle the backups when I'm using my connection so that it doesn't interfere. Or maybe it should only do backups when the computer is idle. And I'm not talking about the initial backup of my whole system...I'm referring to the incremental daily backups that are occurring months later.
My Linksys router that I had for years and years finally failed, but it worked much better than Time Capsule before it failed. My recommendation to anyone reading this is to buy a regular router, and then just use a USB or FireWire hard drive for backups.
I haven't used the printer sharing features of Time Capsule, so I can't speak to that.

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Back up a lifetime s worth of memories with the Time Capsule, a wireless hard drive that works seamlessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard. Its also a full-featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station with simultaneous dual-band support. Time Capsule, 2TB CD with AirPort Utility (Mac and Windows), AirPort Disk Utility for Mac OS X v10.4 and Windows, 802.11n Enabler for Mac OS X v10.4, and Bonjour for Windows Power cord Printed and electronic documentation

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Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk 2 TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive STAC2000100 (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Pros:
1. easy to install
2. easy to use
3. Specific Folders can be selected for backup
4. It turns off and on when computer is turned off and on.
Cons:
1. Software license only allows use with 1 computer
2. Many ads to purchase more software in the bundled software
3. There is a memory leak in the software (version 4.60.0.7252)
I plugged this thing in and it automatically started the software install which was very easy to follow. Once it was done it defaulted to backup my entire computer which was perfect because 2 TB of space if plenty of space to do this for me. The software did have an option to select only specific folders which was nice to know in case I upgrade my pc and have to limit the amount of files for backup.
The software has built in advertisements asking you to try and purchase more of their software. They are easily avoidable, but I'd rather not see them. My favorite part about the backup software bundled with this external hard drive is that it is constantly working to create a mirror image of all the data on the pc. It updates files on the external as soon as they are updated on the pc.
The biggest issue I ran into was that the software only allows you to install it on one pc. I had planned on using this drive with both my pcs and backing it up over my home network. I am going to continue using the drive, but I will go back to using cobian backup which is free; though the interface is a bit less easy.[...]
I do want to say that if you are planning on only using this with one pc or you are willing to purchase extra licenses to utilize the very easy to use interface then this is a very good product.
** My original review didn't contain the below information ***
This problem didn't occur right away. The memory leak in the memeo software bundled with the drive causes windows to popup a message that there is a problem with .NET software. Windows will handle it when you click ok, but all that happens is the Memeo software is closed. I checked the system memory before I closed the program and saw it was using over 1.5 Gigabytes of RAM. I am currently running the most up to date version of Memeo instant backup (version 4.60.0.7252).

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2TB USB2.0 FREEAGENT GOFLEX Desk

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Western Digital My Book World Edition 1 TB Network Attached Storage Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When I saw this, I got pretty excited because I'd been looking for these features and they all came together in one drive.
Setup: The setup was easy and quick. Not a lengthy user manual but enough to get you going and more info on the disc. It asks for a driver update when introduced to new machines but I haven't seen a need for it after connecting through Windows Network (although it works with Macs as well, not just Windows). I haven't done much with the remote access but it looks easy to use so far.
Capabilities: It does everything I needed (i.e. let me get to my music, movies and pictures in one place). I watch a lot of downloaded movies on my Xbox 360 so it's nice to be able to put them on the big screen in the living room or open one from a laptop in bed without having to move the file or drive or have it take up space on both machines.
One of the big pluses beyond having your music/ movies available from any computer in the house is that you also improve your computers by freeing up that space - especially with desktops. I used to have gigabytes full of music on my desktop and laptop but now I have a lot more free space on my desktop so I don't need a new internal drive for that to keep it fresh.
Performance: It runs on ethernet and wifi so be careful with reviews on speed. USB connections run about the same on every machine but networking depends on your computer, your wifi standard and your router. If you have a fast machine, a good router and preferably N-WiFi, you'll get good speed. Of course, ethernet connection is really fast but I use wireless N and it's not quite the same but it gets the job done. Speed is only an issue for large file transfer but not actual usage. I haven't seen any hiccups streaming and watching movies (~700MB each) or listening to music.
Price: Some of my friends have NAS systems that house up to 8TB and run about $1,000+ but I'm not there yet. This one is great for the money - especially considering the price of a 1TB alone and the additional features.
Improvements: I wish file transfers were a little faster - I know that that depends on my router and computer as much as the drive, but you can't blame a guy for wanting a little more!
The write up covers a lot of the specs and details on what it can/can't do. This is just my view of the product. Hope it helps!

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Simplified set up and best-in-class performance make My Bookq World Edition Home Network Storage the easy choice for centralizing data and backing up your home computers. Connect the drive to your network router and you¿re up and running in minutes. Use the included back up software to protect your family¿s PCs with automatic and continuous backup plans. Store all your digital media in one central location so everyone in the family can have access to it. Compatible with both Mac and Windows files.

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