review: Vantec NexStar LX NAS

Posted by Hilbert Hagedoorn on: 09/16/2006 01:00 PM [ 0 comment(s) ]

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Network Attached Storage

A NAS server is in reality nothing more than than a small server that is optimized for file sharing, and doesn't have the other services that 'normal' servers have. Example; NAS does not, can not and will not offer email yet simply is a quick to-set-up device that allows you to easily add storage capacity to your network. With that in mind the LX does just one thing and that's file sharing; does it very well as you have options, a lot of them! All general accepted and wide spread network File and Transport protocols are supported. You also have read-only access via HTTP (web browser), and full read/write access via a built in FTP and SMB server. Not that bad huh ?

Since most of you and yours truly work on a Windows XP platform we are going to focus on this OS purely. Once you've hooked up everything you can access the HD though your Windows network connection yet also FTP and SMB.

FTP
Short for File Transfer Protocol, the protocol for exchanging files over the Internet. FTP works in the same way as HTTP for transferring Web pages from a server to a user's browser and SMTP for transferring electronic mail across the Internet in that, like these technologies, FTP uses the Internet's TCP/IP protocols to enable data transfer.
FTP is most commonly used to download a file from a server using the Internet or to upload a file to a server (e.g. uploading a web page file to a server).

SMB
Short for Server Message Block, a message format used by DOS and Windows to share files, directories and devices. NetBIOS is based on the SMB format, and many network products use SMB. These SMB-based networks include Lan Manager, Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT, and Lan Server. There are also a number of products that use SMB to enable file sharing among different operating system platforms. A product called Samba, for example, enables UNIX and Windows machines to share directories and files.

What's in the box ?

Vantec will deliver a straight forward package. You'll receive everything you need, except an HDD. Obviously the NexStar device, USB cable, Ethernet CAT5 cable, power adapter, manual. And should you need them drivers on CD (not needed with Windows XP at all though).

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review: Vantec NexStar LX NAS
It's not often we publish reviews on storage devices but a while ago Vantec contacted us with the question if we wanted to review their latest NAS device. I had a peek, it looked sexy, ease of use and good connectivity. Suffice to say that today we'll be having a look at the NexStarLS where you can insert a Parallel HD into a little white or black box and then majestically transform it into a Network Storage Device, so that no matter where you are, you can always access your data as it's quite a portable device and so easy to use.

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