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Pros: The 2 bays give the user flexibility to put any combination of HDD. This is a disadvantage if you already have huge HDD with data. It is also very easy to hook up and set up with your respective network. It is a perfect solution to storage and sharing files over a network, and ideally can be used in a home or office environment. When product has the label of Linksys, the expectation of that product automatically increases, especially regarding it's performance. It is easy. Cons:The initial set up requires a complete format, therefore the existing data would be completely lost. The best part being it is easily recognized by the NAS200.Easily hooks up with any kind of wireless router thus making the storage accessible wirelessly through any devices.
That's the only disadvantage. Also you can use them as MIRROR (one HDD backups entirely into the other) or as separate storages.Apart from the 2 bays, there are 2 USB slots available for additional space. Thankfully, Linksys does not let it down with NAS200 either. I wish it was as simple as just putting the existing HDD into the bay and the NAS would recognize the data.The transfer speed is slow. For example I put a total of 2.5TB. This is very helpful to connect your USB Drives, external Hard Drives or even iPods. Even then, once you access the files after transferring them to the NAS, the speed is quite good.Ultimate Conclusion:It is the best solution for network storage in comparison to all others available. It is cheap and it is LINKSYS.
I found the NAS 200 to install quite easily. Documentation is clear and server and disk adminstration tools are easy to use. However, this storage systems often drops off-line requiring a power down re-boot, the data transfer speeds seem very slow and the inability to re-name the internal and USB attached drives are all short comings of the design of the product.
The device was purchased to provide backup for a new notebook computer. had me download a firmware update (to the same version already installed) and then downloan an installation utility. Amazon agreed to refund my money, but that would take 4-weeks for the refund.So now I am left without NAS for mu notebook computer, and all of the other NAS devices Amazon carries are much more expensive. after the third attempt, he said it was a defective unit and Linksys could replace it IF the vendor from whom I purchased it would not take it back. Wireless speeds approached 4kb/sec, but CAT5 cable to my desktop computer via a Linksys 160N router was up to 7MB/sec.Then, one month after purchase I decided to explore the web setup utility for advanced features. For the next month I became accustomed to wireless storage/retrieval without having to concern myself with reorting to USB connections of external HDs, FOR LESS THAN $100.
The unit, however, was painfully slow. PAINFULLY slow. I purchased this device 12/06/09, and on 01/05/10 I had to return it. I would recommend this product if upload speed is not a concern, and if basic storage/retrieval is all that is required. Finally, technician Cristopher G. The utility failed to access the server. But, if you are looking for more advanced features, you may have less frustration with another unit.I will probably purchase an identical unit, and attempt to access the web setup utility as soon as I assemble the NAS.
Admin/admin in the username and password fields, blank username and admin in password, reset multiple times.all these strategies failed. I bought two WD 500GB HDs for it, and installation was brillaintly simple. Well, you get what you pay for. That interface would not work at all. A call to Linksys spent an hour repeating the strategies I previously used. I have had many Linksys products, and their customer service is great, in my humble opinion. They do not come any less expensive, but I am now considering file server instead.for MUCH more money.
Rarely got more than 45 useable minutes out of it without having to restart it. No. Finally thought I solved the problem by assigning it a static IP address, but it continued to disappear. Had very frequent issues with the drive disappearing. I have owned this product for about two years. I really have no idea why people spend $800 on an NAS when you get just add a computer to your network with mirror drives. Even with two drives, lost every digital photo I've ever taken going back to 2001.Would I buy this drive again. I'm not upset that the NAS is slow (it is), I'm upset that it didn't do the thing it was meant to do, keep my data safe.
Probably not. And, I figured, with two drives in it that were mirrors, my data would be safe.After about 3 months of being totally unable to access the drive, I finally broke down to address the issue, pulled the drives out, and put them in a desktop to pull off the files and call the NAS dead. Have a fairly high level of computer experience, and have become so frustrated with the product I felt the need to go back and finally write a review.I got it, installed the two 500GB drives, updated the firmware, and copied everything over. Would I buy any NAS ever again. This, oddly enough, wasn't a big issue to me as I really only wanted it as a place to keep family photos and important (but rarely accessed) documents. But atlas, the mirror hard drive was totally blank and the primary was bad.Long story short, everything gone. If I ever need network storage in the future I'm going to do what I probably should have done in the first place and bought an extra computer, jammed 3-4 drives in it, and assigned it a letter on the network. This $90 NAS seemed like a good option, now I know it was not.DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT.
Fortunately, Western Digital and Seagate have 5 yr warranties. Worked great for about 18 months, then began burning up my hard drives. I'm on my fourth new hard drive in the past 6 months. I've also had a hard time getting windows to recognize it after it goes into power save mode. My DNS-321 seems to work better at being recognized throughout my home network.
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