Home Storage Center (NAS)

Home Storage Center (NAS)

If you are very active in the multimedia-media segment with photo's music and movies it is wise to have an external storage unit next to your PC. Its easy to access both from LAN and WAN side and you have fast access to the data. Especially when you are sharing multiple clients in a LAN like a couple of computers and say your HTPC or in this review the Network TV Media Player one central storage unit is just really handy.

But what exactly is a NAS unit ? A NAS is in fact a really tiny dedicated computer that is running on an Operating System, the essence of this product is in fact a small server. Why should you have a server in your network ? Simple answer, to share files in the easiest way. Since this product acts as a server, ALL PC's within your network can connect to it, with or without access rights. You can manage it from any client as you simply log into the web-interface and configure it.

So again, 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. Local  File sharing; it 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 and so on.

Sitecom delivers the NAS unit under the label Home Storage Center. It comes with two drive bays that already have been filled with two 500GB HDDs (Hitachi) for you. That's right, you receive a default 1 TB storage straight out of the box.

You can leave these two HDDs as is, or also configure them in RAID 0 or 1.

NAS (Network Attached Storage) 2-bay

• Storage capacity for one or two 3.5 SATA II hard disks
• RAID1 (Mirroring) functionality: write data on the first disk and automatically copy the data to the second disk for maximum safety
• RAID0 functionality: maximize the performance of the Home Storage Center when using two identical hard disks
• JBOD functionality: expand the capacity of the Home Storage Center with a second hard disk at any time in order to increase the storage capacity

Back-up & organize

• File Server for your digital photos, music and movies (SMB/UPnP AV protocol)
• Back-up system: automatic copy of files stored on the computers in a network to the Home Storage Center
• Smart back-up button to copy all files from a USB storage device directly to the Home Storage Center with a push of a button
• Manage folder access and user groups by assigning policies

Maximum ease-of-use

• UPnP AV: automatic connection with other UPnP AV equipped devices within your network, such as a TV Media Player, desktop PC or notebook
• Stream digital movies, music and photos directly via an UPnP AV equipped TV Media Player without the use of a computer
• Fully automatic, no installation needed

Smart functionalities

• User-friendly setup program to install, organize and manage your Home Storage Center with only a few mouse clicks
• Built-in iTunes Server: easily store and stream your multimedia files to any Mac or Windows PC in your network
• Built-in BitTorrent client: download your BitTorrent files from your Home Storage Center while your computer is switched off
• USB 2.0 port available to connect a USB hard disk or a flash memory
• Power management for energy saving: hard disk(s) automatically stand by when not accessed or used
• Gigabit network port guarantees high speeds for fast writing and reading data
• FTP server to access your files anywhere in the world

But let's have a look, next page please.