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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Monster PowerNet 200 Powerline Network Adapter Starter Kit Review

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(More customer reviews)With my new Samsung Blueray, not only can I pop in a Blueray disk but my model has Netflix, Pandora, You Tube, and Blockbuster download and play capability via wireless connection. Problem was my router is upstairs on one end of the house and the Blueray is downstairs on the other end of the house, some 60+ feet distance; and not even a linksys WRT610N would send enough signal to get better than a 10% success rate on the download. Most of the time, it just chugged and chugged and then timed out. Solution: Monster Powernet 200 which sends the signal through your electrical wiring. It takes 2 units of equipment to get started - thus it's called a starter kit. You just plug one into a wall outlet at your PC and connect an ethernet cable from the Powernet to the router. Plug the other Powernet unit into a wall outlet at your Blueray and connect an ethernet cable from it to your Blueray player. Then go into setting on your Blueray and change the connection type from wireless to cable. Now the movies download in about 10 seconds. Another plus is now that the first 2 units are installed, I can add additional units in another room of the house where I have an ethernet ready TV. My only word of caution is that the Powernet unit plugs into both sockets of a typical wall outlet, then compensates by having an outlet on both sides of the unit; but not all plugs may fit into it because of angled plug shapes.

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Monster Cable PowerNet DX-PLN-200-2-B Powerline Network Adapter DX-PLN-200-2-B Powerline Network Adapters

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HP EX495 1.5 TB 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 EX495 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 EX495 (1.5TB 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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