Make your computers more sociable. (Linksys Link NSLU2)

Name: shuttlex

Hello doyoo user, You have to be logged in to use these functions... Login or register Close window

Send message to member

Product:	Linksys Link NSLU2
Date:	14/11/06 (1985 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Customizable, connect your own USB hard disk/flash drives, low powered, small.

Disadvantages: Poor manufacture support & documentation, only 4 megabyte/sec transfer rate.

Within recent years computers have evolved into more sociable beings with most connected to the internet or a LAN. With more than one PC in the average household becoming less uncommon, it is often inconvenient for one to store all their files on a single PC.

To solve this problem, manufacturers have started to develop storage sharing solutions such as NAS devices (Network Attached Storage). Unlike the professional storage servers which are usually suited towards large corporate offices, NAS drives are small low powered devices catered towards the small businesses and home users.

Most NAS devices include a built in hard disk and file server which functions by connecting the unit to the main router via Ethernet making it accessible to any computer on the network.

I opted to purchase the Linksys NSLU2, this differs from most other NAS units since it doesn’t include a built in hard disk drive. Instead the NSLU2 includes 2 USB ports to connect a standard external USB 1.1/2.0 hard drive, a USB 1.1/2.0 flash drive or a combination of both. The drives can be mapped over the network or run as an ftp server (internally over the LAN and accessible over the internet). Upon first opening the box, the device appears surprisingly small (measuring 130 mm x 21 mm x 91 mm) and constructed with a good build quality. Switching the unit on, the power LED indicators light up and it boots with a beep. With the unit switched on and connected to the router, the NSLU2 can then be configured by accessing web interface via the default i.p address. This works similarly to how one would configure a broadband router. The default i.p address and ftp port can also be changed.

To enable shares and access rights, the NSLU2 requires that at least one drive connected to the unit is formatted to EXT3. The NSLU2 is a Linux machine and therefore its main partition for sorting user rights must be Linux (EXT3) also. With the primary drive formatted to EXT3, a secondary FAT32 or NTFS drive can then be connected with access rights and shares configured to these drives.

With the low powered consumption (rated at approx 10 watts) and the option to attach your preferred drives, the NSLU2 becomes more customizable compared to other NAS solutions. While some may choose to maximize their storage with a couple of 320GB USB hard drives, others may want to run a silent solid state low powered ftp server by simply connecting a couple of USB flash drives which would be more than sufficient for sharing share small files such as documents, pictures and music.

Since the NSLU2 is essentially a computer running a stripped down version of Linux, the unit has become very popular amongst the hacking community. Hacked firmware such as Unslung opens further possibilities such as bittorrent client, webcam server, email server and web server. However, for most users’ purposes the standard Linksys firmware is more than sufficient. Also, configuring applications with such firmware requires more technical know how and voids the warranty.

Reading the reviews online many frustrated users have found little satisfaction unable to run their NSLU2 units effectively. Unfortunately the reasons for this would appear to be due to the poor documentation and support from Linksys rather than the device itself.

However, setup correctly and the NSLU2 is faultless. It took me several weeks to finally figure out how to get the NSLU2 to run faultlessly without crashes or hiccups. Upgrading to the latest firmware, switching off UPnP and formatting the main drive to EXT3 (Linux partition solved these problems and now the NSLU2 works flawlessly.

The NSLU2 beats most NAS units when it comes to customizable options and therefore especially useful for those who already have an external hard drive or flash drives ready to hook up. Unfortunately, while the such options may be highly attractive for some, this will only create problems for those who want a quick out of the box setup. For those who frequently transfer large files over a network, the NSLU2’s maximum transfer rate of approx 32 megabit may not be sufficient whereas NAS units such as the Buffalo LinkStation offers transfer rates greater than 50 megabits. Also, unlike other NAS units, the NSLU2 does not include a built in print server either for those who want to share their printer without having a PC on all the time.

Manufacturers such as Asus are beginning to produce all in one solutions merging broadband wireless routers with built in NAS storage. However for the time being one may be better off with a separate NAS unit as such all-in-one devices are still in their infancy and comparatively more expensive. The NSLU2 has its strengths which are well suited to some while others would be better off with a complete solution such as the Buffalo LinkStation. The Linksys NSLU2 retails for around £60 and available from most online and high street computer stores.

Summary: Well suited for some, possible nightmare for others.