NETGEAR ReadyNAS Duo 2-Bay 500 GB (1 x 500 GB) Network Attached Storage RND2150 by Netgear
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Digital camera reviews of NETGEAR ReadyNAS Duo 2-Bay 500 GB (1 x 500 GB) Network Attached Storage RND2150
Digital camera Review: An effective file and print server for a household of laptops.
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
There are countless ways one can use this product. The built-in BitTorrent functionality, for example, makes this a standalone seeder or leecher that can work in the background while other machines are differently tasked or offline. While I'm not using it that way, I certainly appreciate the potential.
We use it, effectively, as a desktop replacement in the capacity of a print and file server. We back up from the laptops automatically and regularly to the ReadyNAS using Windows Live OneCare 2.0. We have our printer hooked up directly to it, which gives us the freedom of being able to place it virtually anywhere in the house -- not something that would have been practical had it been tethered to a large desktop computer. The ReadyNAS has a small footprint, and it's virtually silent, so placement potential is nearly unlimited.
While 500GB doesn't feel like a lot of storage space these days, it's easy enough to replace the drive. Access for such a change couldn't be easier as you simply open the front panel, release a carriage, attach the drive to it, and slide it back into place. A second slot is available in the case for the sake of data redundancy.
You control the ReadyNAS through a browser interface on any other computer on the network, much the same way you might connect to and change the settings for a router or cable/dsl modem. The UI is intuitive and well-organized, and it's a breeze to enable new services (such as the aforementioned torrent handling, or the Logitech Squeezebox Duet Network Music System server), or disable old ones.
Perhaps the best part of this product is that you don't have to be technically adept to get it online and working, but for those who are, there are a wealth of options and settings available to tweak and configure as you see fit.
The reviews on an item like this are going to be as varied as the different uses people have in mind for the ReadyNAS. If you have a few laptops around the home or office, and want a centralized file and print server, then I can offer the experience that this one has served me very well in that capacity.
Digital camera Review: Awesome NAS
Summary: 5 Stars
Very well designed and full-feature NAS: Simple to use and configure, supports expandable mirroring, integrates well with Linux and Mac computers.Digital camera Review: Awesome NAS but too noisy
Summary: 2 Stars
This is a fantastic product if you have a separate room or closet for it. It was very easy to set up and I was able to back up my files at decent speeds. I loved the media consolidation features and it seamless with both PCs and Macs. But all these features could not overcome the incessant humming from the machine. It just made our home office unusable so I had to return it. It produces a constant humming sound like an old radio. We might have been able to deal with a loud fan noise, but this was different. I am very sorry to see it go. We tried it out for about a week and just could not stand it anymore. So if you have some out of the way place to stash it, this machine is a fantastic buy.Digital camera Review: Best Home NAS Solution for Mac Users....Period!
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this device a couple weeks ago and can't believe how impressed I am. As a Mac user exclusively at home, this device exceeds my expectation. I have several Mac's in the house that can connect to this NAS effortlessly, with no incompatibility issues. Further, no naming convention issues like I've found on other NAS devices that only use the SMB/CIMB protocol.
Best Features:
1.) Can use AFP protocol exclusively for all connected Mac users. This means when I pull up the finder, there it is with no constant logging in or SMB issues. There it is, no fuss.
2.) Speed. Once I enables the Jumbo Frame option, this thing is like copying from Mac to Mac over the network at true gigabit speed. Wireless is not to shabby either.
3.) Can setup an iTunes server using the Firefly add on (comes with) so I can connect all Macs and my Apple TV to pull from this one resource. No longer have to keep track of multiple iTunes libraries on multiple Macs...and constantly having to keep iTunes App running on the requested computers.
4.) Set this thing up in like 15 minutes.
5.) Backup Redundancy - I use a second hard drive in the NAS to mirror the first hard drive. So I can now pull out the second hard drive and replace with another to store away from home... my own home disaster recovery.
One Negative Comment:
1.) Cannot configure Time Machine to use with this NAS or rather no documentation explaining how to do it...even when I Google it. However, it does come with it's own Mac Native backup program that will schedule jobs to copy your Home folder and at specific times. To tell you the truth, this is an Apple Mac OS limitation and not a Netgear ReadyNAS Duo issue. I suspect in the future this will be corrected.
Finally, I couldn't ask for a better device. Netgear, you did a great job designing this product. This should be considered by anyone who is looking at Apple's Time Capsule as it does a whole lot more and staggeringly faster speeds. Sure, no Time Machine, but it does have scheduled backups and e-mails me when complete, and / or if there are any issues.
Digital camera Review: Best NAS I've owned.
Summary: 5 Stars
I've owned 3 NAS (HP,Buffalo, and this). This is the best one for many reasons. First off, it's tiny, and quiet. About the size of 3 bare drives in width and about 1.5x the drive in length. Construction is out of metal and looks very sturdy. Metal should help with heat dissipation as well. The hot swappable drive is unique in this price range. I do wish that the drive's status light is a bit bigger.It's like a tiny dot.
The reason that I like this drive the most is that it's the first one I've used that is completely trouble-free in setting up. Adding a second drive is as simple as popping in another HDD. It recognizes the drive and automatically builds a mirror. Software works great. It detects the drives right away and every function works without a flaw. I've had all sorts of set up problems with the HP and buffalo. Transfer rate is as good or better than all my current NAS.
I've had the 500g drive for a couple of months and it served my 8 station music system without a hitch. I bought 3 more for use in the office as a file server, and it's a hit. Tiny, silent, cool running and totally reliable up to this point.