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Storage
What We Found
Though these storage products have plenty in common, some were easier to use than others. Plus, some features proved very useful, while others didn't.
Installation
Without an installation utility, that initial connection can be painful, particularly if your network does not use a DHCP server or uses Internet Protocol addressing other than 192.168.1.x, the usual address standard for private networks. Although that standard is the most common, some routers and some business networks will have a number other than 1 before the last number. Once connected, however, things get easier. You can set up most of the NAS devices from any PC or Mac by way of your browser. The Ximeta NetDisk and NetDisk Office, which do not employ TCP/IP, are the exceptions. Instead, they require all network users to install special Windows and Mac utilities in order to use the devices.
For the quickest, most reliable NAS connections from your Windows PC, be sure to map your NAS device to a drive letter. Go to the Tools menu in My Network Places and check the Reconnect at Logon box so your NAS device will automatically connect upon startup. Using the same name and password for NAS access as you use for your Windows network log-in will avert many potential connection issues.
Ease of Use
It goes without saying that the more complex the features a device offers, the more work is required to use and maintain it. Setting up the user and group accounts and permissions, scheduling and checking backups, and setting up FTP and HTTP servers (for remote access to files through a Web browser)--all require users to be comfortable with the concepts of Windows networking. That said, some devices we tested are much easier to work with than others.
For home users who need file sharing and backup but not password-protected accounts, the Iomega NAS 100d and Iomega Network Hard Drive are the simplest products to maintain. Anyone who's skilled enough to set up a home router or a wireless network can also set up these Iomega devices. Their crystal-clear and mercifully brief manuals explain their streamlined features very well.
We found the two Ximeta NetDisk devices a bit harder to work with, mainly due to their proprietary software drivers. The clear loser in the ease-of-use category was the Tritton Wireless NAS. We tested it because we were intrigued by its wireless capabilities, but its difficult-to-follow instructions required hours to figure out how to get properly connected.
Among the small-business devices, the Buffalo LinkStation was the simplest to use and came with excellent documentation and carefully selected capabilities that even novices can operate. The LaCie Ethernet Disk, Linksys EtherFast NAS, Linksys Network Storage Link, and Snap Appliance Snap Server 1100 all had very deep feature sets and thorough and well-written manuals, but they would be best maintained by power users who are comfortable with networking utilities.
Be sure to change your administrator password during setup. All the NAS devices here come either with no administrator password or with an easy-to-guess one like "admin," and few units will remind you to change it. Similarly, there is often a default guest or anonymous user account, which you should delete or restrict to a public folder.
File Sharing and Security
Assuming your NAS device or networked hard drive supports it, you should set up shared, password-protected folders, which you can assign to users and groups of users. For example, a typical small-business NAS setup might include a public folder, a private password-protected folder for each employee, and password-protected workgroup folders for shared projects. You may also configure a backup that archives documents from employees' hard disks onto their private folders on the NAS device.
The Buffalo LinkStation, LaCie Ethernet Disk, Linksys EtherFast NAS, Linksys Network Storage Link, and Snap Appliance Snap Server 1100 offer varying degrees of user and group management capabilities. The Snap Server 1100, however, really stood out for its secure file sharing and its illustrated guides for setting up highly secure user and group folders.
Keeping your data secure, especially in an office, also means protecting the drive from theft or removal. Several of the products--the Buffalo LinkStation, the Iomega Network Hard Drive, the Linksys EtherFast NAS, and the Ximeta NetDisk Office--have Kensington-type lock slots. The Linksys EtherFast NAS also has key locks for its two drive bays.
Home users, particularly those who want to keep some folders away from children, may also need private folders. The Buffalo LinkStation and the Linksys Network Storage Link, which are both easy to use, offer good security features.
If you're on a home network and don't need strict password management or lock slots, consider a lower-priced entry-level unit--such as the Iomega Network Hard Drive and the two Ximeta drives--that lacks user or group features. Just remember that anyone with access to such a drive can read anything on it, although you can write-protect certain folders.
When setting up shared folders for users and groups, keep in mind that subfolders inherit all the rights of their parent folders. So start with more restrictive permissions at higher folder levels and add rights as you drill down.
