Buffalo LinkStation Pro 250
Pros
- Easy Setup
- Gigabit Port onboard
- 2 USB ports for expansion
- Quiet/Cool running
Cons
- No HTTPS for web based configuration
I recently started looking for additional external storage on my home network because I was running low on space for the existing solution which is 1 (one) 400GB External USB connected Drive and 1 (one) 250GB USB connected Drive. I have a single USB Drive Enclosure which I swap the two drives in and out of…not pretty but it works. One of my main gripes with my current solution was that if I was on a different workstation at home (I have 3) then I had to either map the drive or lug it and plug it into the system I was working on so I was looking for an affordable Network Attached Storage solution, but at the same time didn’t want an antiquated 10/100 bound port on that NAS since my home network is GB Ethernet based.
So I was checking e-mail the other day when I got an alert from Buy.com telling me about a deal on 2GB SD Cards (I ended up buying some!) and while I was browsing their site I came across this Buffalo LinkStation. After looking over the specs on it and seeing it wasn’t too expensive ($194) I went ahead and ordered it as well.
Here are some screenshots of the configuration screens:
One interesting little tid-bit – the “I’m Here!” button actually sends a signal to the Buffalo that makes it sing a little chime…kinda goofy but cool at the same time.
After getting it hooked up to my network and installing the client utility on my laptop I was able to start transferring files – the client utility basically adds a mapped drive to your system and you can drag/drop files from that point on. The performance was pretty nice considering my setup is ideal for it’s use – I have straight Gigabit connectivity from my laptop’s NIC to the switch to the Buffalo itself.
Another neat feature is the ability to daisy-chain additional USB drives using the two USB ports on the Buffalo – then you can access those via the network as well. I daisy chained my 400GB USB drive on the Buffalo and instantly had 650GB of Networked storage on my home network…not quite as nice as having a 1U Rack-Mount Lacie 1TB networked drive, but still pretty nice considering the price tag and easy setup.
Overall this was a pretty neat buy – about the only things I’m a little disappointed in is 1) the lack of SSL to secure the configuration stuff…on my home network its fine I suppose, but if I used this at work I would want SSL, and 2) is the limited 250GB size. True I could have purchased a 320GB model for a bit more, but I didn’t. These guys also offer a 500 and 750GB model...perhaps one day if the price is right I'll buy one of the larger capcity models.