Group test: Network-attached storage devices

Corporations and other large organisations have been using network-attached storage (Nas) devices for years to back up important data or simply provide staff with a bit of extra storage.

Now, of course, many of us have our own network setup at home, so family members can access the internet and share music, photos and other files. And, as the age of music and video downloads has arrived, Nas devices are coming in handy for home users too.

In their simplest form, Nas devices are simply hard disks with an Ethernet interface attached to them so the disk can be plugged into a router or network switch. However, configuring the drive so it can be used by everyone on the network can be tricky.

Home users and small businesses won’t have trained IT staff to help them out, so ease of use and well-designed software will be important factors when choosing a Nas product.

Other features can come in handy, too, such as wireless capabilities, or USB ports that allow everyone on the network to share a printer.

So, if your hard disk is bulging with digital videos and music downloads, take a look at these Nas drives to see if they can make life easier for everyone in your household or office.

This article is part of a group test of network-attached devices.
See also
Adaptec Snap Server 110
Buffalo Linkstation Multimedia Home Server
Buffalo Terastation Home Server
Freecom Storage Gateway WLAN
Iomega Storcenter Network Hard Drive
La Cie Ethernet Disk Mini
Linksys EFG120
Maxtor Shared Storage II
Plextor PX-EH25L
Western Digital Netcenter 500
Living with NAS
DIY NAS

The table of features can be read via our pdf download.
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