Buffalo Linkstation 520DE
Home storage solutions
Aimed at home users, this network-attached storage ( NAS) box is about as affordable as they come. For £130 you get two 1TB hard drives already installed, giving you 1TB of storage space if you set it up in a sensible RAID 1 configuration, which backs up all your data for peace of mind. If you need more space, prices ramp up steadily to £292 for two 4TB drives.
This low price means you get neither the expandable range of features you’d expect in a more expensive NAS, from the likes of Synology or Qnap, nor the simple setup of a shiny consumer model such as WD’S My Cloud (see our NAS round-up, Issue 529, page 24). That’s not necessarily a problem. Buffalo’s configuration web page is the kind of Linux-based interface you’d find on high-end techie devices, but because there are fewer options there’s not too much cause for confusion. If you’ve ever set up file sharing in Windows or configured a Wi-fi router, it shouldn’t be too daunting.
Although the Linkstation doesn’t offer fancy online media-streaming options or a choice of extra apps to install, the basics you’d need from a network file server are all covered. You can set up permissions for several users, while access from Windows, Mac and Linux systems is supported. Also, the Linkstation can stream media to DLNA boxes (to watch content from your PC on your living room TV, for example), act as an itunes server, and back up five PCS using the supplied Nova backup software.
Like any good modern NAS, the Linkstation also gives you secure remote access to all your files from PCS and IOS and Android devices. As Buffalo points out, this is the best of both worlds when it comes to online storage: you can get at your stuff from anywhere, but it’s still on your own hardware in your home, not entrusted to a server in Silicon Valley. The downside, of course, is that if anything happens to your hardware your data is gone, but using a drive that’s separate from your PC and set up as a mirrored RAID should at least improve your odds.
SPECIFICATIONS
Cheap home-based storage that does the jobs most will want
2x 3.5in SATA drive bays • 1GHZ Realtek dual-core processor • 256MB memory • USB 3.0 port • Gigabit Ethernet port • 126x87x205mm (HXWXD) • Two-year warranty www.snipca.com/28365
VERDICT: Simple, compact and energyefficient, this is a good NAS for many purposes at a very reasonable price ★★★★☆ ALTERNATIVE: WD My Cloudoud EX2 Ultra £249 With two 2TB hard drives at this price, WD’S NAS isn’t outstanding value, but it’s easy and simple to use