Anyone suggest some network storage for a home network? I have a few IDE drives that I want the other computers to connect to. They contain a lot of music but I’d sick of moving them in and out of machines or having to leave one machine on so another can access them. I’m not really interested either in building my own or using some linux fileserver. I don’t want new storage, more a box to stick them in to.
From doing a quick search I’ve come across these:
This Netgear Storage Central for 2x 3.5″ IDE HDD looks good at €97. There’s also the Netgear Storage Central Turbo for SATA drives which costs €219.
This D-link Network Storage Enclosure +USB Print Server, for 2x SATA 3,5″ at €249 isn’t bad. Anyone else got opinions?
Matt suggests getting an Airport extreme + Lacie 500GB HDD.
If you have an old PC lying about you can stick in a few of the disks that you have lying about and create your own NAS for free using FreeNAS
http://www.freenas.org
Maybe a bit cumbersome compared to the options you already mentioned but supports quite a few various protocols.
Being that I recommended the Airport/Lacie solution, I am of course biased. It is definitely the more expensive option, but also, I believe, the best, with draft-n wireless speeds and fast HDD’s as well (possibly only the best for me though).
I have to say though, I wouldn’t pay my own money for anything with Netgear written on it. I mean they’re ok, but also cheap and nasty.
Another option would be the Asus WL-700gE (http://tinyurl.com/3dpcjq), a b/g router with built-in 250GB hard-drive, that also supports iTunes and BitTorrent, and plug-and-play USB storage expansion via 2xUSB 2.0 ports. This is something I am seriously thinking about as an alternative, if only Asus would stick in a bit of draft-n wireless action and get with the program. This plus the LaCie 500GB jobby would kick some major ass.
I bought a linkstation from Buffalo a few years ago, and it’s been great, a baby linux server/NAS/Printer server
http://www.buffalotech.com/products/network-storage/linkstation/linkstation-pro/
And if you need more they have a nice TerraStation
Watch out for power consumption; nowadays an old PC running at 150 watts will cost 200 euros per year.
The Linksys NSLU2 sounds very useful– you hook up IDE disks in USB enclosures, and it offers them out over the local net automatically. I was thinking of doing that…
I have a NSLU2 and I think it’s a fantastic little box, it can do so much when you put a custom firmware on it.