The Smorgasbord

The average home has multiple computers and all kinds of digital photos, mp3′s, and documents that are about as organized as a bucket of slop. If you don’t get a central location to store and protect it – you are stones throw away from pissing away money and memories.

This post of part of The Smorgasbord Tech Reviews series!

Yesterday I talked about getting a wireless USB hub so you could setup some network storage away from your computer or laptop. Seemed like a pretty good idea – right? I have learned that can be both good and bad. Let’s say that your house has a mixed network of Windows and Linux – maybe even Mac? Now what? If you formatted your external drives yourself you have to figure out what common format all the external hard drives need to be for all computers to be able to seamlessly access them. Will you go NTFS? That’s kinda buggy in Linux. What about Fat32? Kind of wastes a bit of space there and not the most efficient for modern Windows machines. And since I don’t own a mac – I have no idea what format is best for that. Linux format?

That was problem #1. Problem #2 is that external drives are SINGLE drives. What does that mean? Well if you have 4 drives, and one fails – then you have three! The data on the failed drive is GONE! You are screwed (unless you were backing it up to yet another external drive). Oh – did I mention problem #3? With external drives they have to be connected to at least one computer on the network, and all the the other systems access the data THROUGH that computer. If that PC is turned off, or down, or being repaired, or out of the house (laptop) – you can’t access any of the data unless you hook the drives up to another system.

Ok – enter Network Storage. What is “network storage”? It’s a piece of hardware that you can stick on your network “standalone” – either wired or wireless, and all computers on the network can access it WITHOUT it being attached to any of the systems (it’s independant). The (better) network storage drives are platform independant, meaning that they can be accessed by Windows, Linux, or Mac computers without worrying about format at all. The better ones have their own internal processor and memory as well. In addition (the better ones) also are redundant and hot-swappable. Meaning they have multiple drives in the box, but if one goes bad you don’t lose any data and can replace the bad drive (without even turning it off). If you purchased a network storage for your home you would be purchasing a professional piece of hardware designed to store AND protect your data. Tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of files that are not only memories, but possibly important documents and hard earned money spent (multimedia files).

So now you know why it’s so important that you have network storage in your home – let me introduce you to some different options that might be right for you, whether you’re looking for a “network hard drive”, or “network external hard drive” there are many options. Imagine having network attached storage in your home or small business for a reasonable price!

The first thing I have to show you is the Buffalo Linkstation series of network storage devices. These drives let you access files remotely using DNS. They also support RAID-1 so you can mirror drives and prevent data loss (like I said earlier). You also get automated backup software with this type of device. It’s listed as being able to be used with both Mac and PC- Linux isn’t listed, but that doesn’t mean it can’t. Check with the company. These drives have some pretty good reviews. I’ll list 3 different options in this line below.

Buffalo LS250GL LinkStation Pro 250 GB Shared Network Storage

1TB Linkstation Pro Duo Nas Gbe 2X 500GB Raid 0 1 Web Access

Linkstation 500 Gb

NAS Buffalo LinkStation Live CHL V2 Torrent Web Media
	USD 16.50 (8 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 16:59:47
NAS Buffalo LinkStation Pro LS-XHL - Mint Cond.
	USD 99.95 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-12 11:32:17
Buffalo Technology LinkStation Live 1 TB,External,7200 RPM LS-CH1.0TL Hard drive
	USD / 89.95 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-08 19:11:57
Buffalo LinkStation Pro LS-V2.0TL 2T Network Hard Drive
	USD 247.02 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-12 02:39:25
Buffalo LinkStation Pro LS-V2.0TL 2T Network Hard Drive
	USD 247.02 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-12 02:42:46
NAS Buffalo LinkStation Live CHL V2 Torrent Web Media
	USD 11.50 (3 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-12 04:59:42
Buffalo Buffalo LS-WVL/E 2Bays LinkStation Pro DUO NAS
	USD 222.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-12 11:43:06
NAS Buffalo LinkStation Pro LS-GL - Mint Cond.
	USD 49.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 03:49:59
BUFFALO LS-X2.0TL LinkStation Live 2.0TB NAS
	USD 208.44 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 13:13:50
Buffalo LinkStation Pro LS-V2.0TL 2T Network Hard Drive
	USD 262.01 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-12 02:41:09

The HP MediaSmart server line kind of goes against what I said earlier (accessible from multiple platforms), but that’s because it’s designed fo the new Windows Home Server operating system. Connect it to your router and install the software and you’re ready to go. All Windows PC’s on the network have to install the software. Then every can backup their pc, store files, etc. You can also create a web site where people can access your files remotely and you can share you iTunes library.

HP EX470 MediaSmart Home Server (AMD Live/ 64 Bit Sempron Processor, 500 GB Hard Drive)

HP EX475 MediaSmart Home Server (AMD Live/ 64 Bit Sempron Processor, 1 TB Hard Drive)

HP MediaSmart (EX495) Server
	USD 256.06 (20 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-08 19:00:44
HP LX195 MediaSmart Home Server - LX 195 Media Smart Center
	USD 250.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 03:24:25
HP MediaSmart (EX495) 3TB Server
	USD 410.00 (11 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 04:46:12
HP MediaSmart EX490 (FL704AA#ABA) Server
	USD 300.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-09 18:02:19
HP LX195 MediaSmart Home Server
	USD 99.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 01:25:35
HP MediaSmart EX487 Server *Excellent Condition*
	USD 104.00 (3 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 03:08:45
HP MediaSmart EX470 (GG795AA) Server
	USD / 61.00 (2 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 22:12:15
HP MediaSmart EX475 Fully Operational With Extras
	USD 229.95 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 11:37:46
HP MediaSmart EX485 (FL700AA) Server 1 x 1.5TB Drive! 2GB Ram
	USD 127.50 (2 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-12 15:06:18
HP MediaSmart EX470 (GG795AA) Server 1.8TB HD 2GB Ram v3.0
	USD 395.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-12 17:33:25

The Netgear ReadyNAS is some serious business with 4 drive bays and four very fast drives. It’s plug and play ready baby, and it even has a nice digital screen on front of the unit telling you how much space is available. You’re going to pay some serious bucks for this one, as much as an entire computer maybe for the most expensive one, but it will probably outlast all the computers in your house. It’s a serious piece of hardware for people that are serious about preserving their digital data. You can get versions with 2 disks – 4 disks, or no disks (add your own).
Netgear RND4250 ReadyNAS NV+ 1 TB Desktop Network Storage (2x500GB)

Netgear RND4425 ReadyNAS NV+ 1 TB Desktop Network Storage (4x250GB)

Netgear RND4000-100NAS ReadyNAS NV+ 4-Bay Desktop Network Storage (No Disk)

NETGEAR RND2000 ReadyNAS DUO DISKLESS New Version 200
	USD 219.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 18:52:50
NETGEAR ReadyNAS Duo RND2150 NAS server - Serial ATA-150
	USD / 76.00 (6 Bids) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 02:02:07
Netgear ReadyNAS NV+ RND4000-200NAS Network Storage Server
	USD 408.47 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-15 07:35:49
NEW Seventeam ST-220FUB-05E 220W Power Supply 20 Pin Netgear Ready NAS 1100
	USD 19.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 18:29:52
Netgear RND2000-200NAS ReadyNAS Duo RND2000 NAS Marvell 1.60GHz 256MB Memory
	USD 199.52 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 02:49:03
NETGEAR RND2000-200NAS ReadyNAS Duo v2 2-Bay
	USD 240.39 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 13:13:23
NETGEAR ReadyNas Duo RND2210-100NAS Network Storage Server 2TB
	USD 443.99 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 02:09:43
NETGEAR RND4000-200NAS ReadyNAS NV+ v2 4-Bay
	USD 460.25 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 13:13:25
Netgear 2TB ReadyNAS Pro 2 Unified Storage System - Refurbished
	USD 599.00 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-14 15:10:44
NETGEAR RND2110-200NAS ReadyNAS Duo v2 1TB Gig Desktp
	USD 395.46 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 13:12:46

The ZyXel NSA-220 is a cool option because basically it’s just a box that you can add your own drives to. It has two drive bays and can take up to 2TB of data. It takes SATA drives and has support for RAID-1. It has a gigabit ethernet port, and you can access files remotely with a built-in FTP server. That’s a cool feature.

ZyXEL NSA210 Digital Media Storage Server
	USD 62.95 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-11 01:01:16
ZYXEL Network Storage NSA-210 - NEU!
	USD / 89.74 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 13:26:29
NSA-221 NETWORKING STORAGE Zyxel 91-016-021001B B772993
	USD 142.66 (0 Bid) | Buy It Now End time: 2012-02-10 13:08:35

If you have a question or experience with your own network storage drive pros or cons – comment now!

In the getting started section of this Ubuntu new user guide – I showed how you can view Windows and Mac drives using the winmac_fstab script to set them up to automatically mount when you login. But that’s for drives on your local PC in Ubuntu Linux 5.10. If you have Windows computers on your home or office small network, you would probably like to share files with them, and you can – using SAMBA!

Samba is a Windows compatible file and printer sharing service that you can install and run. I believe by default in Ubuntu it’s already running. Follow the official Samba How To and Reference Guide for install, configuration, and testing instructions.

You will find all this information in the Official How To Guide, but basically once Samba is installed (using Synaptic Package Manager if you don’t already have it), you are going to edit a text file for cofiguration called “smb.conf”. You’ll find this fill in Ubuntu 5.10 in /etc/samba/smb.conf. You will add (or remove) the options from that configuration file that you need to customize it to your liking. You will choose to set it up for access by user accounts, and last you will add a default account (or accounts) under System -> Administration -> Users and Groups to access your system from Windows machines.

All the correct information is in the How To Reference Guide above, but here are some pointers from someone who just set Samba up for windows file and print sharing:
make sure your username map line is right, like this:

username map = /etc/samba/smbusers

In the guide you will follow instructions to create a samba userfile, and your smb.conf file will point to this like the line above. If your username file isn’t mapped properly, you will never be able to connect from a windows computer on your network.

On your Linux computer, make sure that under System -> Administration -> general (tab) that the “Host” is the name of your computer (as it will be shared on the network). Also, make sure that the line:

workgroup = MSHOME

is the name of the actualy workgroup your home or small office lan is called.

If your Windows PC’s are Windows XP, just use the file and print sharing wizard, answer the questions, and make sure to set your workgroup correctly. Be sure the workgroup is the same as what you entered on the Linux PC during setup.

Last – make sure that you setup share(s) on your Linux box by going to “System -> Administration -> Shared Folders”. You can share mounted drives as well (I do), by using the “/media/hda1″ path in your smb.conf file as well.

That’s pretty much it….once you setup the Linux PC run the “testparm” command from the terminal to make sure you edited your config file properly. Then, on the Windows PC, add a new network place by browsing your enter network to find your linux PC, and then enter the account and password you setup for sharing on the Linux PC. If it connects you are good to do, if not read the troubleshooting section of the Samba Reference and How To Guide.

originally posted: 2006-01-24 00:32:07 -0400