Buffalo LinkStation Pro Network Shared Storage - LS-320GL
Buffalo 320GB LinkStation Pro Network Shared Storage - SATA, 2 x USB 2.0, 7200 RPM - Network Hard Drive

When I bought this Buffalo network drive, it was to replace the Western Digital Book drive which only lasted 3 months! (They are aweful!) I plugged the unit into my home network and plugged in the software disc. The installation went normally. I was able to map and operate the drive. However the problem is that Vista's Windows Backup IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE BUFFALO DRIVE! The permissions neccessary, whether they are turned off or turned on, do not recognize the drive! When I called Buffalo tech help, they admitted that there are Vista issues with backup. I thought storage and backup were the main usage for this type of drive. How in the world would they continue to manufacture a drive that hasn't worked out the Vista issues? The smug tech guy said that as long as my system recognizes the drive, that is as far as their responsibility reaches and no refund would be offered. He suggested a couple of $50 backup programs to use instead of their bundled backup software (which was worthless as well). After installing the trial version of "backup4all" software, my backups continued. So, if you are running Vista and are used to using Windows Vista Backup utility, forget it with this drive. You will have to find another backup utility. Other than that issue, the drive operates quietly and efficiently. I would NOT have purchased this drive had I known the Vista issues. Now you know.
 
Was this review helpful?    

I avoid installing 'config' software when ever possible. I setup the drive using the on board web interface. It was quite simple. We have it on a desk beside a PC. The noise level is low. Performance is excellent. We have an NT Server running the backup services and previously about 2 of 3 nights it could not complete when backing up to an XP box. Now it finishes every night when it backing up the same clients to this NAS drive. That's about the best proof of performance I can provide. I plan to buy a USB drive to plug into the NAS. The NAS fails to provide for alternate SMTP ports or email servers that require authentication to send mail. All considered I recommend this product.
 
Was this review helpful?    

If you are planning on using this on your home/business network to backup your pc's which are using Vista... forget about it. The NAS is not supported by Buffalo. Neither the Vista backup program nor the bundled software which comes on the CD works under Vista. When I spoke to the Buffalo technical support, they were courteous, however had no answers other than, "Try downloading Mimeo backup. I've heard it works with our stuff." Yeah! Right. They stated that if I could see the NAS in my computer view, that's all they are responsible for. AREN'T THEY RESPONSIBLE TO SAY THEY DON'T SUPPORT VISTA????!!!!
 
Was this review helpful?    

Great hard drive. Easy and quick set-up. I even use the FTP server functionality which allows you access to your files anywhere in the world. I also used the back-up function and back-up any changed files once daily to a usb attached hard drive. This drive is the next best thing to running a server.
 
Was this review helpful?    

This is the second Buffalo Linkstation we've used in our office as a file server. The first was up and running for about 3 years non-stop. The fan started sounding a little rough, so we updated it to this model. It's a perfect file server for a small company. Buy a cheap external USB drive to attach to it as a backup drive, and it backs itself up every night. When you access it from a computer on the LAN, it's seemingly as fast as accessing that computer's hard drive. You can spend thousands of dollars on a server that may be needed by a larger company, but for our 15-20 employees, this product works perfectly.
 
Was this review helpful?    

Had some hiccups with install - kept resulting in an error. However, a quick visit to the company's support website to download the NasNavi utility, and everything worked correctly. I needed a very simple NAS box to create a central store of music and movies for our various home computers to access. The LinkStation Pro did the job.
 
Was this review helpful?    

Purchased this NAS for use at our base location. Using about 4 desktops and, at times, 5 laptops on the network. Performance has been fast, reliable, and even the computer "challenged" users here can find the files! Read the reviews and can say there were right on the money for this product. Easy to setup, easy to configure. Only one flaw (on our part). If there is a power fluctuation/drop/failure, the NAS will stay offline/powered down. Not much of a problem if you don't stash it above the ceiling tiles. We will be purchasing a small backup power source to maintain the NAS during the power failures. Otherwise this was definately worth the $$$ and BUY.com beat 'em all.
 
Was this review helpful?    

For years I wanted a Network Storage device for the home but was scared away by the costs. Well, costs have come down so I purchased the LinkStation Pro and I have been amazed. Installation was simple and the Memeo Software that came with the Linkstation is awesome. The speed has been very impressive too. I loaded a movie onto this Linkstation and watched it from an Old Dell C600 over a wireless network and it was very smooth. So if you are looking for a great backup device or a place where your family can store all of their documents/homework (so that they can access them from any PC in the house) or a device to store all of your photos/music etc then this is the device for you.
 
Was this review helpful?    

Easy installation and set up. In less than 5 min I was good to go. I would have preferred a more powerful and customizable software suite, but at this price did not expect it. I would rather be able to schedule backups, rather than having them running constantly. The unit is very quiet and does not bother me at all.
 
Was this review helpful?    

I've only had it for a few weeks ... Easy installation and setup. It will work without install software on computers. Works great with Windows XP and OSX 10.4.9 machines. You can hook up additional USB hard drives to it. It was able to detect the drive seamlessly, though I haven't tried accessing it. Very quiet. Absolutely no problems so far.
 
Was this review helpful?    

There is virtually no setup required to use this device. Just plug it into your network and either use it via 'My Network Places' or map it to a drive letter (the setup disk does this if you don't know how to). Where do you begin with the features? It has a built in FTP server, e-mail notifications, two USB ports to attach additional (and cheaper) USB drives which can be used as expanded storage or as backup targets, user groups & permissions, web configuration interface, gigabit network port, and it comes with Memeo backup software which is very easy to use. This is one of, if not the best, NAS on the market.
 
Was this review helpful?    

The product is awesome, just hook it up and then map a drive to the \\ip\share. really pretty fast even over 100mps ethernet connection.
 
Was this review helpful?    

This drive works very well for me. The 'trashbox' is a great feature to have...just knowing that you can recover files that were accidentilly deleted over the network. Web interface is easy to understand and is well laid out. Budget delivery was selected and the item arrived in 2 days.
 
Was this review helpful?    

I received my Linkstation Pro 320gb drive and I was quite pleased with my first impression. Installation was very easy and straight forward. The software was fairly simple to navigate through, however; if you are new at setting up and using NAS drives it may be a bit challenging but even the most novice user should be able to successfully navigate through it. The software provides a surprising amount of functionality compared to others I've used. The Back Up Hard Drive feature works great for scheduling and selecting specific files or folders to back up. Overall it's an exceptional drive for the home/small business user.
 
Was this review helpful?    

I was glad to finally install a back-up sollution which all my computers could access without having to set up a computer and loose the deskspace. very easy install and setup. Practally instant access. very impressed.
 
Was this review helpful?    

This NAS drive is outstanding; I was up and running in less than 10 minutes. I needed an external storage device to replace a company-owned external hard drive, and I opted for this one instead of a regular external drive; I am glad I did. It is fast, quiet and with 320 GB, plenty of disk storage. The backup software can use some improvements though.
 
Was this review helpful?    

I am writing this review because I have been purchasing every well know manufacturers NAS to see which ones are the best. This Linkstation PRO is without a doubt fast. File transfer and data rates are absolutely incredible - you have to use the Gb network. The web interface is extremely slow, and writes all changes immediately but every refresh takes app. 20 seconds. My only other issue is the hard drive does not spin down. All of the other manufacturers I have tested, have the ability to set a spin down time on the hard drive.
 
Was this review helpful?    

I can't really say anything about this that hasn't already been said. You plug it in, and it simply works. Excellent product.
 
Was this review helpful?    

For the price I got it from buy.com for a 320 gig drive with network capability, I couldnt beat it. Flawless setup. Has software for backup which I cannot review because I have my own, but it looks promising. If you are looking for a network drive, its tops and performs well. Now for what I think should be better which is why I gave overall satisfaction a 4 and everything else a 5: I have a Buffalo linkstation 250 which includes a printserver AND works with their linktheater system (streaming to their dvd/media player without running separate software on a pc). For the better commercial product, it really should have included these as well. As of this writing, I see they have a version called Linkstation Live which Buffalo does not know the release yet which handles these two objections. If you need tech support, plan on staying on hold for 45 minutes or so easily. I had problems with my linktheater & linkstation working properly (which is why I actually bought this linkstation)and although the hold time is very long the person on the other end was very helpful, polite and try their best to help with problems. Although I think their linktheater is buggy (don't buy this product if you want to use it with the linktheater, it wont work like the 250 version and I didn't know this, I just expected it to work like the prior model, my fault), the data storage devices work great and well worth the money. I had a friend buy one as well because its such a great deal.
 
Was this review helpful?    

I purchased one for sharing of data on my home network and it was easy to setup. Can even password protect folders. Bought a second one as a backup device and you can set up automatic backups. Very quiet and I highly recommend.
 
Was this review helpful?    

For the price, this is by far the best product I've purchased in a while. It is simple to setup (it takes a little more knowledge to configure all the options) and it provides lots of powerful features, including e-mailing if there are problems, FTP access and more. It responds well and is quieter than my smaller USB drive to boot! I highly recommend this to anyone needing network storage. The only complaint is that it is a little slower than USB 2.0 - but the tradeoff for the ability to access it from any PC, anywhere in my house is well worth it!
 
Was this review helpful?    

This was easy to set up and the web based management utility is simple yet has many options. I have not tried all the capabilities and have not connected Gigabit (currently using 100Mbps until I replace my router or buy a Gigabit switch) but at 100Mbps it is doing what I need. I recommend this product.
 
Was this review helpful?    

It works right out from the box. I had 2 of this Buffalo NAS and just bought another one. I highly recommend this product for Home and Small Business.
 
Was this review helpful?    

This is quite possibly the best device I've bought in the last year. It's simple and robust. Gigabit ethernet is almost a must now-a-days. I liked it so much I told the folks in IT at work and they bought one just like it. PROs: Backup to USB disk (or another Linkstation) is awesome... it'll even email you when its finished. Simple plug-n-play type setup. Can authenticate against Active Directory or use built-in accounts or be left wide-open. CONs: Not gigabit speed (much faster than 10/100 but not "wire-speed"). Does not support NFS.
 
Was this review helpful?    

I purchased this 320G Linkstation (ACTUALLY you get 297GB according to Windows XP Pro) along with a Linksys Gigabit switch and a Linksys Gigabit PCMCIA adapter. I plugged the Linkstation into the switch with the included ethernet cable and plugged the notebook running XP Professional SP2. The Linkstation was recognized and I did not have to load any drivers. Sweet. It is very fast too over the Gigabit switch. If you need a drive that works and takes little to no extraneous software on your computer, get it. I did not use the backup software that came with it. I use another product. And finally, the fan is not noticable at all.
 
Was this review helpful?