Buffalo LinkStation Network Storage Center NAS - HDH250LAN
250GB - USB

I purchased the LinkStation to act as a picture and music resevoir in my home, as my wife and I both use laptop computers and want access to the same files. Previously, I owned a USB backup hard drive and I found it to be very cumbersome to use. Configuring the LinkStation was a breeze...less than 10 minutes (my firewall blocked it until I temporarily disabled it). I couldn't be happier with it. It uses much less power than using a desktop for the same purpose, and generates far less heat. This is so much easier to use than a USB hard drive because you can access it from anywhere in your home. Also, it makes a nice place to backup important files because it's protected by your router from possible intrusions. I also like the fact that I can shut it down from my laptop, rather than going to the device. Only downside is that it's not RAID 5, which would allow it to back itself up and protect against data loss, but those are typically much more expensive.
 
Was this review helpful?    

This is an awesome little box. I was looking at getting an external USB drive, Linksys NAS device to make it a NAS and a print server. Then I found all of these features in this one little box. You can add additional storage to the NAS via external USB ports. I have not used this but wanted it to be available should I need to expand storage in the future. The print server works fine for my old HP882C printer. There are some printer limitation so be sure to check your version if you are wanting to use this feature. It supports postscript printing and a lot of Epson printers. I found TwonkyMedia that allows your Xbox360 to see the Linkstation as a computer so that you can pull pictures, music and internet radio from the linkstation. A firmware update is required which probably voids any type of warranty. Since then I have been able to turn off my XP workstation that was running Windows Media Connect to provide content to the Xbox360. This is my first NAS device and overall I'm very happy with the purchase and I would recommend the product.
 
Was this review helpful?    

At home I use a laptop computer connected to a WIFI network. I was using an external hard drive to store my digital photo files and my iPod music files. I purchased the network drive so I could move about the house with my laptop without having to lug the external hard drive around. The installation was simple and very quick. I was concerned that the read/write access speed might be too slow. To copy the 20GB of music I let the computer process overnight. After the initial tranfer, the normal downloads and uploads are not a problem. I already have a network print server, so I have not tried the print server function. I have not attempted to configure the drive for internet access, if I do get that function operational, it will be a bonus. Bottom line, the Buffalo network drive has met my expectations.
 
Was this review helpful?    

The built-in web server is very slow but functional. I cannot get the clock to stay in the correct time zone, but it works well as a file server since the date/time of files is set by your computer and not the Linkstation. These minor flaws don't detract from its usefulness. I immediately upgraded the Linkstation to the open-source OpenLink software and it's a great little computer to play around with.
 
Was this review helpful?    

Simple to set-up. Menus are not as advanced as other similar items but no issues with functionality. I have not tried connecting additional USB drives or a printer yet. It has been the perfect solution for backing up my MP3, photos and home videos collections and sharing them on our metwork. My only concern is that it hums very loudly and can be heard in the next rooms. It is much louder than another PC I have ever owned.
 
Was this review helpful?    

Bought a unit and the fan blew 2 weeks after the warranty expired, Buffalo will not service the unit even if I pay for it.
 
Was this review helpful?    

A good product with easy installation. It took me 20 min. to install and configure the NAS. I am happy with the overall performance of the harddrive. The speed of the harddrive will depend on your network connection i.e. 10/100 or wireless signal. Overall the product is good and reviews were very helpful in making my product selection.
 
Was this review helpful?    

I've had this drive for a month, and it does everything it's supposed to! Setup was relatively easy, and the print server was an added bonus. It only works with PostScript printers or select Epson printers; I got it to work with my HP Deskjet 970. It's really great having a centralized storage center for everything. The unit is small and doesn't run very hot, which is good. And at this price, you won't find a better NAS for less!
 
Was this review helpful?    

Everything works great; plug and play. Locates quickly on the network, no problems since setup. Included backup takes ages to backup to an external drive. I started a 40GB backup on Friday night, and by Monday morning it still had not achieved 50% completion. Switched to free syncback software and now works like a charm. If you need a network backup system, this will do the job for you!
 
Was this review helpful?    

It took me quite some time to make a selection of NAS device. This Buffalo LinkStation has everything I'd want (well, except for FireWare connection, but I can survive without it). Installation is easy - just plug it in (according to the supplied instruction) and use it. On the CD I have found a small program that shows the device's IP address, but I could get this information from my router as well. FTP works just fine as well as Windows Network Share. I did not test the backup software that comes with the device since I am not intend to use it, but I am sure, it should work without problems. Performance of this small thing is amazing. I was pleasantly surprised that device works very quietly, and consumes very reasonable amount of electricity. For those who wants more then just NAS, this device can act like small server running Linux. It has 128MB of memory, 200 GHz CPU and ...250 GB Hard Drive - enough to run Apache Web Server. Since default Linux distribution is very limited on features, there are ways to extend it at your own risk. You can search on Google "LinkStation Wiki" for the instructions. Overall, I am very pleased with the quality and performance of the device - this is definitely good choice for the money.
 
Was this review helpful?    

This is a great NAS. I got it on a special for $179. That's about what you'd expect to pay for a plane ole USB hard drive of similar size. The setup was very easy. I just plugged it into my network hub and used the setup software. After it's setup in your network then all you have to do is map it as a network drive on all your computers. It couldn't be any easier to setup! You can access all of it's features from any web browser just like a router. Type in the IP address along with the user name and password and you have full access to all features. It's got a sleep mode that will allow you to have it shut down during during the wee hours and come back on at a preset time. As others have stated it could be a little faster but so far this has not posed a problem for me.
 
Was this review helpful?    

The Buffalo NAS drive works great. I have had it for about a week and really like the way the drive can be administered. It allows me to set up secure shares and drive shutdown times to take some load off the drive. My only complaint about the drive is the noise. If you have your router near your work area, the fan in the drive housing is a bit noisy. I ended up moving mine to a bookshelf and put it between a couple of books (it has enough air circulation through the ends to stay cool). Otherwise, it works great.
 
Was this review helpful?    

The LinkStation is intended for the SOHO market and it exceeds in capability but is hobbled by a poorly written manual that is too simple and doesn't offer enough details for more tech-savy users. I cannot comment on Mac functionality, but contrary to what others may have written about printing support, on the PC the LinkStation appears to work with typical SOHO ink-jets. I have a Canon Pixma4000 and despite what the LinkStation manual says, this printer works great! I can print text documents from Word, or photos from Photoshop with no problems. It even supports selecting which paper port to use! I couldn't ask for more. As far as using a web-browser to configure the LinkStation, this works just like any router so I don't see what the issue is. And the default IP address is published in the manual. Note, make sure your router has the proper IP address range enabled, otherwise the LinkStation will not be added to the network. You can use the Buffalo IPSetup tool to find the LinkStation IP address, or if you are on a Windows network, just browse My Network Places and the LinkStation should be shown. Configuration is near fool-proof, with the exception of printing which makes you believe that the LinkStation supports only tired dot-matrix line printers of years past.
 
Was this review helpful?    

Setup was easy, added folders without problems. Have scheduled backups to individual folders all set. Had to change workgroup for Windows 98 machines to access, though.
 
Was this review helpful?    

Just received my new Buffalo over the weekend and it was plug and play, follow the directions and I was up and on the network. Moved all my pictures and music to the drive and now the whole family can enjoy. Read articles and talked to a friend who said that there were some issues with the back-up software included, so I avoided installing it and just opted to map a drive to the new buffalo drive and then setup a Microsoft Backup task to back-up my wife and my computers automatically, worked like a charm. So far so good! And very fast shipping from the time I placed order to the door step (this was with the free shipping no less)
 
Was this review helpful?    

Very easy to plug into the network and get running with Buffalo's basic utilities. The administration console is excellent compared to others I've used in the past. It was very easy to get my USB printer and backup setup setup with this unit. Didn't have to format my existing USB drive to read it's data (have to format it if you want to write to it). FTP server works great - I simply forwared port 22 from my Linksys router to the LinkStation's IP address. Cons: -Client backup utility took forever to run a backup. Using other software for that. Would like to see: - Both USB ports in the back versus having one in the front (cable sticks out) - Unit has an on-demand Sleep function. Would like to be able to actually schedule times when the unit goes into sleep mode (i.e. a schedule similar to what's used by backups) - (minor) Would like to be able to rename the connected USB drive and printers (fixed names of 'usbdisk1' and 'lp on <linkstation name' used)
 
Was this review helpful?    

The H250LAN is plug and play IF you have a PC. With OSX it is hard to find and the download required setup intructions for OSX do not help at all. It is easy to find in Mac OS 9 via Appleshare. None of the software on the CD works with a MAC and the only way to control the device is via a web browser which reguires knowing the default IP address of the H250LAN. Sadly the IP address is not given in any of the inclosed info nor on any of the downloadable instructions on the Buffalo site. To compound the problem response from tech support via email or phone is none existent. I was fortunate to contact sales and find an actual person who could talk me through the setup process and give me the necessary IP address. Print serving works ONLY with postscript printers and ONLY with OSX or higher.
 
Was this review helpful?    

I just got it and it works great. I had to update the firmware so it worked on one of my computers, but it was easy and tech help was great. The FTP server works-kinda... I can't read the files, but im sure its just something that I am doing wrong. Any questions about it send me an email at TPBax32@aol.com!
 
Was this review helpful?    

With three computers and ever-filling harddrives, I was looking for a device that could serve as a storage site for backups and disk images AND be fast enough to also serve as an archive for a growing catalog of digital images. I was also looking for expandability. This product filled all bills. Installation was EASY, and the included backup software works fine. Works well, too, with my disk imaging program. SUPER PRODUCT. My only "complaint" is that the current product only uses fast ethernet, which means its a bit slow over my gigabit ethernet network. However, the customer service rep at BuffaloTechnology told me that the next generation product, due out in Q1 05, will have gigabit ethernet capability. I'll buy a second LinkStation then to act as a network picture/movie server.
 
Was this review helpful?