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View Full Version : Linksys NSLU2 Storage Link


James Fee
06-17-2004, 03:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/102/C2939/' target='_blank'>http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/102/C2939/</a><br /><br /></div>"Linksys today announced the Linksys Network Storage Link, which enables users to affordably add gigabytes of storage space to wireless or fixed networks. <br /><br />The Linksys Network Storage Link (NSLU2) is a fast, simple, flexible and economical way to add storage to your network. The Storage Link has two USB ports for connecting USB 1.1 or 2.0 external hard drives. One USB port can also be used for connecting today’s popular USB memory sticks. When the Storage Link is attached to a router or switch through the built-in 10/100 Ethernet RJ-45 port, everyone on the network can share the drives. For example, a Maxtor OneTouch USB 2.0 external hard drive connected to the Storage Link provides shared network attached storage starting around $250. Users may also set up the Storage Link so that the USB drives can be accessible from the Internet – files can be easily downloaded via a web browser. Files can be public, or password-protected for authorized users. "<br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/2939_large.jpg" /> <br /><br />For those wanting to add more hard drive storage to their network, but not open their computer, this $99 network storage appliance interface might just fit the bill. Rather than share a drive off of a computer and having to make sure that computer is running all the time, Linksys' Storage Link plugs into any router or other network interface and can be shared to all. Remote administration appears easy, with email alerts to tell you when you are running low on space. Drawbacks include having to spend $250 on an external USB hard drive, no wireless built in, and the fear of a letter from SCO demanding you pay hundreds of dollars for the Linux based OS. ;)

Tom W.M.
06-21-2004, 08:56 PM
Nice for the price, but it needs to include a print server.

Anyone know whether you can hook up a hub and connect more than two devices?

Latch
06-24-2004, 06:56 AM
I just received this item today and hooked it up. The most disapointing thing is that it requires you to reformat your harddrive to a non-windows compatible format. Meaning that the drive has to be erased and reformated to work with the NSLU2 and once that is done you can not plug it directly into your Windows PC anymore.

On a plus side It's tiny.... more or less the size of a Pocket PC. And the software itself looks slick (I haven't used it to serve files yet though since the USB drive I want to use it with has content that I need to back-up first before I reformat. Plus I'm hoping to hear from Linksys if there is anyway to access the drive information (once reformated) should anything happen to the NSLU2 drive.

JTWise
06-24-2004, 04:30 PM
Thanks for the update Latch.

Please continue to post your thoughts on this. Nice to know it is so small. Sucks it uses propriety formating, but not too much of a surprise. Probably a Linux file structure variant.

Question for everyone out there with external hard drives. How noisy are they? I am currently using an old 533mhz system as a file server and it is definately loud. I am not really running many apps on this media server so I am thinking about one of these little devices (since I am going to have to up my HD size soon anyway). However, the server is currently in my laundry room and is a bit noisy.

I don't see the cost of an external hard drive being a real deal-killer. It seems like I see deals all the time for external HD enclosures where you can drop in any HD.

James Fee
06-24-2004, 06:27 PM
Most of my external drives are quiet. Mostly its the enclosure that is the problem than the drive.