Fabrik SimpleShare Network Hard Drive - STINAS500
SimpleTech 500GB SimpleShare NAS Office Server Storage

When the SimpleShare worked, it was great! Used it both for Windows and Unix. Then it died. It was kept behind UPS and never got that warm. Now all that happens is that the yellow light comes on. The drive does not spin up. I have yet to hear back from SimpleTech (submitted the ticket about 3 months ago). I put the IDE drive into an enclosure and it spun up fine - though my PC could not recognize the filesystem. This is not a reliable device - though it is a great value when it does work. Fortunately, this was a backup drive and my main drives are still running.
 
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Purchased this over a year ago and have experienced zero issues. I use it to store all of our home movies – music – and documents from several home computers. Best part it has a USB slot in the back, so now I have a “networked” printer as well. It does have a tendency to get a little warm (and a little noisy) even when not being used, but it does not seem to affect the performance. At the time it was a great price for the storage – and it would still be a decent buy now.
 
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Very happy with this item, no problem accessing it with regular SMB tools (Samba, Windows Networking) without resorting to their proprietary NAS client software. Worked great until lightning zapped my network. :(
 
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bought this about a year ago and it has been a great product. Have and will recommend it to friends.
 
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After the release of the 250GB version, SimpleShare decided to eliminate support for RAID drives in the 500GB & 750GB models. Sorry, you've got too much data, because that support is available in the 250GB and below. There are other solutions out there that actually provide RAID support for those of us with a lot of data, look for those units.
 
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It is nice if you want a network drive but don't want it tied to a computer. I plugged it into my router, ran the software, and my computer could see it. I haven't had any problems with it. I did disable the print server and I tuned the settings so it shuts down after 10 minutes of inactivity. It doesn't get too hot, even when I use it a lot. The only bad thing is that the backup software needs a key and although I followed the instructions to request a key I have never received one. I even emailed their support team and got back silence. If you want an automatic backup, get your own software.
 
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Pros: super-easy installation, wireless connection-great for multiple users, laptops or if you hate cables, big storage capacity - great for media library or backups, low price, option to add more storage space - I did not use this option. Cons: slower then USB drives - it takes time to move large files, problems with remote access over the internet from some computers - I haven't figured out the problem and simpletech customer service was not very helpful, large files (100's of MB) can not be accessed over the internet at all.
 
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that is the only drawback, otherwise very happy
 
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Pro: Quiet, no fan. Easy to install. Printer server, additional USB port for ext. storage. Con: it cannot be access if the NAS is behind the bridge. I want to buy another one, but it is out of stock from Buy.com
 
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I bought this NAS device almost 3 month back. It was pretty easy to setup and since than I have not touch the configuration and everything is working very cool. I think its much better to buy NAS over typical external hard drives (USB) since its so efficient to share all your resources like video,songs, documents etc between all of your home computers. SimpleShare is Simple to use with great features. I would recommend SimpleShare to everyone who is looking for any kind of external hard drive or NAS storage.
 
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I've only used this NAS so I have nothing to compare it to. But it works well for me as a file server for my laptop and for my xbox running XBMC. (tivo files, music, pictures, etc. Makes a cheap Media Center) PROS v1.09 firmware actually spins down the drive when you ask it to(unlike 1.07) 2 Usb ports for usb harddrives / printers. very useful control interface i've read you can swap out larger drives in it CONS v109 firmware doesn't support striping (not that i want striping over 100Mbit connection...) It's not 1 gigabit. THAT SAID -- can't complain for the price!
 
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Very easy to setup and use. This works with both Windows and Mac machines on my network. I can map a drive on all my machines to this drive (which I put on a static IP). The drive goes on standby if you're not accessing it, so it isn't always hot and noisy. It does get very hot if you're moving large amounts of data. My only other complaint is that my G85 Office Jet printer was not compatible with the USB print server. I didn't find out about this until after I bought the unit.
 
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I bought 3 of these units and couldn't connect to any of them. SimpleShare tech support suggested returning them for replacement. Instead a google search showed other users with same problem. Trick is to turn off printer sharing, which was ok since I didn't need that service anyway. Once I did that all was well. Overall good value.
 
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The device is well constructed. The access light is tiny compared to the BRIGHT BLUE power on light. I'd like to have a more visible access light. The drive functions very well but the included backup software is awful. The registration process is long and tedious. The software has yet to work. I'm using another product. No fan means quiet but may be hot with lot so of use.
 
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You have to go the the SimpleTech website to read the FAQs. They stopped supporting Mac OS X at version 10.3.8 (March 2007) All newer systems don't work. You can't access the networked drive. Their tech support person said they have no plans to support the current OS versions or Leopard either and that I should return the drive and not wait for a workaround or fix!
 
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This NAS device is exactly what I needed to store all the music and photos that were filling up all the computers on our network. It works flawlessly and as advertised. It is a definite value for the dollars spent. I do reccommend, however, that a more than average understanding of how to properly set up a network be required. Also, the instructions for adding this server to the network aren't written for newbies to networking, so have someone who knows how to set up a network do the install if you are at all unsure of yourself. Otherwise, I'm quite happy with the product and highly reccommend it.
 
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The product was simple to setup but the software had problems connecting. I was not able to use Vista to find the NAS product but once a share was established with an XP machine I was able to connect to the share and use it. I was not able to connect to a USB drive connected to one of the 2 USB ports as advertized in the literature.
 
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Low price for a 500 gb NAS drive and one of the best. Just plug it into your network, some easy setup and you're done.
 
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Works as described. Tried to use Windows to control NAS, but found that you had to use the included software to manage and backup data. I saw this for $40 less a few months ago, but did not need it then. Still the best deal for a 500gb NAS. No wonder it is temporarily sold out.
 
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Good value for the features that you get, especially NAS. You will pay for the same price for similar external USB HDD but no NAS feature. Very easy to setup and easy to maintain. I have been using it for a month and so far so good. Very convenience and can be accessed from any computers with network connected at home. Like it.
 
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This is about as easy as NAS can get. Runs very quiet and just warm to the touch. Installation in XP was trivial, including adding a second USB drive. I like this server so much I bought a second one for a different network. Looks cool, runs great, very reliable, super value. Only caveat, the print server part does not support bi-directional printers, making it of limited utility. But you can't beat this as a file server at any price. Highly recommended.
 
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Easy to use, only thing to remember is to turn off your firewall before you install.
 
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When my drive arrived I hooked it up to my router and ran the enclosed software. It recognized the drive immediately and I was off and running. I'm able to see the drive from every computer in the house (including the ones using wireless). The backup software that is included works like a charm, although it took a few days of experimenting to figure out what all the options really do. The only complaint I've got, and it's a minor one, is that the drive doesn't integrate into a domain. I run an Active Directory server at home and everything on the network is secured using Windows Authentication. The drive is set up to work in Workgroup mode, so I can't use any of my domain credentials to secure the shares. I can live with it, but it would have been nice if it were AD-aware.
 
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When I purchased the 500Gb SimpleShare, I was under the impression that I could setup a Raid array to mirror the contents of the device. I was disappointed to discover that v1.10 of the firmware removed this capability. Repeated emails to SimpleTech have been unanswered. So much for customer support. They did (finally) change their FAQ to add the disclaimer that 500Gb and 750Gb models do NOT support Raid. I guess I got my answer.
 
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Pro: quite (no fan), fast, easy, hot (means heat did spread out), hot (as a small heater during Winter time), Has printer server, Expendable (via USB) Con: Hot (but you put it into sleep) it cannot be accessed if NAS placed behind a bridge. No Raid 1 for 500GB model. Limited supports/function for Vista.
 
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No support for OSX 10.4.9 - You find out only after purchasing simpleshare.
 
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Amazing drive. Received in the mail last night, took only 5-7 minutes to hookup, run CD install to map drive over my network at home and map it on 2 other computers!!
 
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i wanted to share that i ran into the same problem as other people : error 53, remove your firewall. I tried everything for hours until simpleshare support replied to my email suggesting to use the reset button with a paperclip for 10 seconds. And that made it !!
 
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Just installed it today. Pros: Very quite, Peace of mind, great value, easy to setup, easy web interface for management. Set and forget. Cons: Blue "ready" light is very bright! Included backup software is not very intuitive and unnecessarily complicated. I ditched it in favor of Karen Kenworthy's "Replicator". Using it to network a printer will only allow very basic printer functions. I gave it a 4 on performance because of the backup software included. I'm sure the software does a good job, but it was just taking too much time to try and figure it out and make it work. Backing up data shouldn't be that complicated!
 
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So there is nothing simple about installing the simpleshare NAS. Not enough room to detail all install problems, so if you are not experienced at networking computers, you may not be able to set up the server. It took me about 4 hours over 2 days. The instructions are very vague and do not give the correct advise when working with a non-widows firewall. Also, customer service is only available during regular hours and did not return my phone calls or emails. Once set up the server does work very well on computers on your local network, fast upload and download with massive storage. The major drawbacks occur when accessing over the internet. The upload and downloads occur at 10mps or less (painfully slow, but may be an artifact caused by cable modem)and if you want to transfer more than one file you must zip the files. You cannot transfer folders via internet, local works fine. Other problems are the arcaic interface, it's like trying to navigate a 80's version of DOS (expcept for local networks which uses windows explorer) and it will not work as a print server for new, multi function printers. Bottom line- excellent for small office/business or home use on local networks - limited when accessing over the internet, but it will work. Wonderful for the price.
 
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I love this device - problem is that it is more than a bit warm (which is what I was expecting) it is HOT HOT HOT. Only problem I ran into was that Norton 360's firewall was blocking access from several home machines after initial set up - but we got that figured out. HOPEFULLY Simpletech can tell me if this thing running HOT is 'normal' or not (we are talking - do not touch it - this is too hot)
 
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I just bought a SimpleShare 500GB Network Access Storage device from buy.com when it was on sale for $139.95 with free shipping. I was a bit hesitant as to whether it will work with eComStation, but the price was about what I would pay just for a drive of that size. It works great so far and was pretty easy to set up. Unlike some other NAS devices this drive can only be accessed over a network. It lacks a USB or Firewire interface. But I suppose that is why it is priced considerably less then other comparable devices. <Br> <P>Of course it includes software for windoze and Mac, but you don't need it to configure the device. All I had to do was connect it to my Netgear WGT624 wireless router. The device used DHCP to get an IP address, which I was able to learn by accessing my Netgear server with FireFox and finding the attached devices which was conveniently named "SimpleShare" so I could easily find the IP address. I could then access the SimpleShare's internal web server, again via FireFox, and using the advanced configuration, configure it with a static IP address and change the password and the Workgroup name to IBMPEERS. The initial setup wizard item didn't work in eCS but the advanced configuration worked fine for everything I tried. It has the ability to access the device remotely, but I haven't managed to turn that on yet. <Br> <P>It comes with a WDC WD5000AAJB-00UHA0 500GB EIDE drive defined as an entire single network share. I had checked previously with SimpleShare support and found out that the internal drive is formated ReiserFS so this is a Linux device. There are 2 USB ports on the back. SimpleShare support told me that only those formatted FAT32 or NTFS (Read only) are supported. I'm not sure if that just means official support, or if the device will also use a drive formatted JFS or ReiserFS as well. I'm not a big fan of FAT32. The web browser UI allows you to do some basic drive configuration (you can reformat the drive) and drive status checking and testing. You can also attach and configure a USB printer for network printing. <Br> <P>I was then able to use the command line "Net view" or the eCS "File and Print Client Resource Browser" to find the \\SImpleShare server and then I used "Net Use V: \\SimpleShare\Netfolder" to mount the drive as drive V:. I'm copying files to it as I type and so far only one file failed with an "Incorrect internal file identifier" error. <Br> <P>So far the only issue is that the metal case gets very warm but its not uncomfortable to touch. SimpleShare claims this is normal as the device is fanless and the case acts as a heat sink to cool the drive. The case also vibrates a little but its very quiet. <Br> <P>All in all for the price, 500GB of network storage that can be easily accessed/configured by both my eCS machines and my Macs, I think its a pretty good deal. I'm sure it works equally as well with Linux. I still need to try adding USB drives, especially ones formatted something other than FAT32. Mark
 
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Excellent device, Easy to physically setup & just as easy to setup on my system had it hooked up & available to all 4 systems in less than a half hour total (except for one system my son was gaming on). Have it already more than half filled up, I will be hooking on a another 500gb in a WD MyBook that I already have that can chain off the back of the nas box. I just have to reformat it to FAT32 so it can be written to. This is the ONLY drawback it has, which is any chained NTFS drives are read only, otherwise this is a great unit.
 
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I bought this STI-NAS/500 unit because of the features offered and its great price. The features that I valued the most and made me buy it were: 1) MIRRORING and 2) PHOTO SHARING and remote access to files. Well, to my surprise, MIRRORING didn't work for this unit and Vista is not supported. PHOTO SHARING and remote access worked as promised. MIRRORING: If you are putting all your valuable information in a 500 Gb drive, the last thing you want is to putting it at risk, so Mirroring solves that without depending on a PC having to do the "backup". Mirroring basically automatically copies all information on an external drive (That I also bought!!). As mentioned, MIRRORING doesn't work on this 500Gb unit. This was confirmed in an e-mail and a phone call to SimpleTech Tech support. Even when it is advertised in their web page (http://www.simpleshare.com/) as one of the "advanced features". Before buying I read all FAQs in the manufacturer web site and there is not a single mention that the 500 Gb unit is not supported. The reason given by SimpleTech Tech Support is that in this unit, they are offering the Photo sharing (iShareGallery) and remote access feature and that forced them to eliminate the mirroring support offered, IRONICALLY, in smaller capacity units (400 Gb and below). In my opinion, it seems that they can't afford putting more flash memory to maintain both features, or mirroring is failing in other units... Another issue is that Vista is NOT supported. You can access the drive from Vista, but nobody will support it and nobody will help. A program that you need to use during the initial configuration, called NAS Finder may not work in Vista. In any case, I ran it in a Windows XP machine to do the setup and then had a hard time accessing the password-protected shares in Vista. After a lot of guessing and experimenting, I found that the trick to access a password-protected network share in Vista, is to use the "workgroup_name/share_name" as username and then the "password" assigned to the share. Note that Username and Password are CASE SENSITIVE (In windows, normally the Username field is NOT case sensitive). I'm planning to return this unit... It's a shame that the manufacturer doesn't clearly specify what they are selling.
 
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Good and reliable product
 
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Easy installation and setup. Only drawback on the printserver port is that it doesn't support all functionality of all-in-on(print/scan/fax)units (i.e. HP PSC 2210). Very pleased with drive access speed and functionality provided with setup tool.
 
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I didn't even need the setup disk for this. As soon as I plugged it in to the network my system located it (with uPnP). Setup was easy. Great device for the money - buy two and create a mirrored device configuration to add fault tolerance.
 
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This drive works flawlessly and for the price you can't beat it. The built in web browser is a bonus as well. I highly recommend it
 
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I bought this item to back up the computers on my home network, and it didn't disappoint. It was easy to set up, and as a network attached device, it doesn't rely on a computer to function. It's like having my own file server, without the hassle of maintaining another machine. Plus, it can function as a print server for easy sharing of printers without having to buy one that's network-ready. I use my own backup software rather than what came with the drive, but it's a great product even if you don't need the included software.
 
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The price was right. Setup was simple. It's worked flawlessly since I received it a month ago.
 
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After exchanging a defective unit through Buy.com I quickly recieved a functioning unit. Was very easy to setup. I liked that I can setup web based read access over and above the local mappings. I setup my router to open up my external IP to the unit with port 80 (the standard HTTP port). Worked like a charm. Now I can acccess my files (read only) away from home with password protection. The only down side is I cannot figure out how to change the port from 80 to another port. I'd like to use a non-standard port for http to avoid hackers. I could not see a way in any of the configuration screens. Overall great product.
 
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Buy.com had this drive on sale for $139. I couldn't resist. Even for the current price of $169, this seems like a bargain. The case is sturdy and heavy, attractive, too. Set up took seconds. Performance is good on my network. 2 gigs of data (the average size of my archives) copy in about 20 minutes. My only reservation is that the drive cannot be reformatted for Mac OS. This causes filename and file-length problems for Mac users not familiar with FAT character limitations. Nothing terrible, but occasionally inconvenient. Still, a great drive and value.
 
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Worked for a grand total of 5 minutes and then it died.
 
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Hi Tech, Simple to use, Hi value as of Jul 2007, only not sure is creating Heat a lot.
 
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The only reason I do not rate a 5 is because the speed does seem slow over the wireless connection. I do not have it connected directly to the ethernet connection. Unfortunately, I can not completely tell if it is my computer or the hard drive. Otherwise, the setup was extremely easy. The price was exceptional for the size. I like having the printer server built in so I can access my printer anywhere in my house.
 
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Fanless case makes it quiet. Average speed just like USB, about 45Mb/sec, maybe 55Mb if you don't use you computer while transferring. I was expecting transfer rates of 60-70Mb. I like the freedom to map it from any computer and not having a host computer on, like shared USB drives. Ubuntu found the drive with no problems.
 
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This is a good value for a basic NAS. You can create multiple shares, each with optional/unique passwords. Works fine with my Mac, although I haven't tried the backup software yet. Adding extra drives via it's USB ports is easy. Only supports FAT as read-write, and NTFS is read-only. With the latest firmware, NFS is no longer supported, and you can NO longer create RAID arrays - I confirmed this with their tech-support. But for the price, I wouldn't expect those features. My drive internally is a Western Digital.
 
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was easy to set up. i plugged the NAS drive into my switch, it grabbed an IP address, i navigated to the IP address with my web browser and followed the configuration. took all of 15 minutes from unpacking to having files stored on the drive. I have had it for just 3 weeks, but it's been on the entire time and has performed flawlessly. NOTE: i did not use the NAS finder software the came with the drive.
 
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I received the the SimpleTech NAS 500GB within two days of order. It was incredibly easy to setup. The software walks you through everything necessary. Couldn't be happier with it's performance. A must have item for any home network.
 
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Fast shipment. I had it within a week. Easy to install and hook up with network. Web interface makes the operation/setup very easy. I use mac. And this item works perfectly with mac. The speed is fast as well. I can play video that stored on this device without any noticeable delay. I have been use it for about 3 weeks. No problem found. Great produce.
 
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This is possibly a useful unit for a Windows-only network. Mine is mostly Mac OSX. While it works, I had to create some "workarounds". Share names are in upper case only. Not a drop dead deal, but a real annoyance. I assume this is a limitation of the CIFS implementation on the SimpleShare. The instructions leave a lot to be desired. Good thing that I figured out that there was a web interface. Otherwise, I would have been beating my head against a brick wall trying to get the instructions to work. OK. The price can't be beat right now, so pick one up anyway. If there are any problems with it, call SimpleShare or write a bad review. Or both.
 
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