Derrick
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The Buffalo LinkStation Live is a versatile device that can act as a drop-in file and media server for any existing network. If combined with a capable router and gigabit interfaces between computers, the LinkStation Live can enhance the speed and ease at which you share multiple file types between a wide range of devices.
Network-attached storage (NAS) devices are becoming increasingly common these days as the need for extra storage capacity in the office and home increases.
From simple, network-enabled hard-drive enclosures to full-blown media servers, complete with remote control and AV output, NAS devices spread across the range of user requirements and price. Sitting quite high up on that range of requirements is the Buffalo LinkStation Live.
Coming in at a price point to match, the LinkStation Live boasts an impressive set of functions, including the obvious network-accessible storage, sharing and media streaming, as well as the rather neat additions of Web-enabled FTP access and a local backup facility.
Setup of the device was straightforward enough. When plugged into our gigabit network, the device needed only a couple of adjustments via the (somewhat sluggish) Web interface to be accessible, and we were transferring files within minutes. File-transfer performance was quite good (ranging from 10MB/sec to 20MB/sec), although a fair bit slower than the 28MB/sec the manufacturer claims.
With the device aimed at home and office use, users can adjust folder-access restrictions for a local network as well as Web-based access, ensuring that any sensitive data is kept safe from prying eyes.
Doubling as a media server, the LinkStation Live allows users to dump video, pictures and audio on the device and access those files from any DLNA certified media device, ranging from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to the Nokia N95.
While the process of adding a media server in Windows Vista wasn’t quite as intuitive as I’d have liked, the manufacturer professes that the procedure should be smooth and easy on every other system thanks to Buffalo’s PCast software built into the device.
During testing, playback of a number of different formats was smooth. In addition to the features one would expect on a device such as this, there are also a number of extra functions to sweeten the deal. The included automatic backup software is a powerful tool that would usually set you back $30 if purchased online. Unfortunately, we were unable to get it running in Windows Vista due to incompatibilities with .NET 1.1.
While a trial version of the software is available online, you can also use any other backup application you’d like: the device can easily be mapped as a network drive.
Thanks to the presence of two USB ports on the back of the LinkStation,it can also function as a print server, and additional USB hard drives can be connected to expand storage. It can manage the additional hard drives with the same functions as it manages its own, making for a powerful file server at the fraction of the cost of a full, dedicated machine.
Network-attached storage (NAS) devices are becoming increasingly common these days as the need for extra storage capacity in the office and home increases.
From simple, network-enabled hard-drive enclosures to full-blown media servers, complete with remote control and AV output, NAS devices spread across the range of user requirements and price. Sitting quite high up on that range of requirements is the Buffalo LinkStation Live.
Coming in at a price point to match, the LinkStation Live boasts an impressive set of functions, including the obvious network-accessible storage, sharing and media streaming, as well as the rather neat additions of Web-enabled FTP access and a local backup facility.
Setup of the device was straightforward enough. When plugged into our gigabit network, the device needed only a couple of adjustments via the (somewhat sluggish) Web interface to be accessible, and we were transferring files within minutes. File-transfer performance was quite good (ranging from 10MB/sec to 20MB/sec), although a fair bit slower than the 28MB/sec the manufacturer claims.
With the device aimed at home and office use, users can adjust folder-access restrictions for a local network as well as Web-based access, ensuring that any sensitive data is kept safe from prying eyes.
Doubling as a media server, the LinkStation Live allows users to dump video, pictures and audio on the device and access those files from any DLNA certified media device, ranging from the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to the Nokia N95.
While the process of adding a media server in Windows Vista wasn’t quite as intuitive as I’d have liked, the manufacturer professes that the procedure should be smooth and easy on every other system thanks to Buffalo’s PCast software built into the device.
During testing, playback of a number of different formats was smooth. In addition to the features one would expect on a device such as this, there are also a number of extra functions to sweeten the deal. The included automatic backup software is a powerful tool that would usually set you back $30 if purchased online. Unfortunately, we were unable to get it running in Windows Vista due to incompatibilities with .NET 1.1.
While a trial version of the software is available online, you can also use any other backup application you’d like: the device can easily be mapped as a network drive.
Thanks to the presence of two USB ports on the back of the LinkStation,it can also function as a print server, and additional USB hard drives can be connected to expand storage. It can manage the additional hard drives with the same functions as it manages its own, making for a powerful file server at the fraction of the cost of a full, dedicated machine.