Maxtor's Shared Storage Does NAS At Home

Features
By Marcel Binder
published

Conclusion: A NAS Device For Beginners

The Maxtor Shared Storage II is a solid NAS device for home users and small offices, requiring just a little basic knowledge to set up. Beginners can quickly achieve their aim, making a lot of storage space available on the network without the need for extensive configuration.

The data transfer rates are respectable for many applications and sufficient for most uses in a home network. The same applies to the integrated media server. It is possible, however, that users with more complex demands may find that they are missing out on extended configuration options. User administration functions have also been kept simple.

The RAID 1 function appears to be out of place, because the housing is constructed in such a way that the user cannot access the hard drives inside the unit without breaking the warranty seal. In addition, the side walls are connected to the housing top with small catches that break off when the housing is opened by an inexperienced user, which means a user is unable to replace a defective drive themselves without voiding the warranty. As a result, the use of the RAID 1 function is put into question. A JBOD configuration or simple interconnection of drives might have been a better option.

The Maxtor Easy Manage software is also relatively basic, and the range of functions available designed more for beginners. Experienced users may prefer not to bother installing the software, and instead set up the NAS device using its Web interface. This leaves you without the convenient backup function, but power users probably already have their own backup tools anyway.

Maxtor Shared Storage II

The Maxtor Shared Storage II offers a range of functions designed for small office environment and home users. The more demanding user will be disappointed by the limited range of functions available. Beginners, on the other hand, get a simple to operate and solid NAS device.

  • Advantages
  • Disadvantages
  • Well-builtEasy to useOffers plenty of storage space
  • Questionable RAID 1 functionFew configuration optionsFTP and NFS protocols are not supported
Marcel Binder
Marcel Binder
23 Comments Comment from the forums
  • badboy4dee
    kwl review for this device. I wonder though if it allowed for mtu/jumbo, vpn security config n such. Prob not but that woulda been a nice touch.

    The Silent Majority
    Reply
  • deck
    These home NAS storage solutions need raid 5 and support for at least 4 drives. Until then my old AMD 500 will continue to chug away...
    Reply
  • serp9000
    "But the fact that a user may wish to replace the drives has not been taken into consideration. Should a drive fail and you need to replace it yourself, you’ll have to take the unit apart and break the warranty seal."

    If a drive fails and it's still under warranty, it would only seem logical to invoke the warranty protection and get a free drive. If a drive fails and it isn't under warranty, then breaking the warranty seal wouldn't be a problem. Doesn't seem like a particularly important detail.
    Reply
  • What's the point of the tiny images where I can't read anything?
    Reply
  • hellwig
    largerimagespleaseWhat's the point of the tiny images where I can't read anything?"...And so, with a clash of lightning that split apart the heavens, and with a mighty voice, God said unto Abraham: 'Click on the image twice you doofus!'".

    I do agree that clicking on the image once to get the main image page, and then a SECOND time to get the full-sized image is stupid, but if they were to insert the full-sized image in the main article, the article would be pretty hard to read through.

    I had one of those little warranty stickers on my old Mactor One-Touch. With a razor and some patience you can get that sucker off without breaking it.
    Reply
  • snarfies1
    serp9000If a drive fails and it's still under warranty, it would only seem logical to invoke the warranty protection and get a free drive.
    Except that this will involve sending your still perfectly functional drive away, where it will be perused by whoever while you have no access to it yourself. Not an acceptable solution to me. This is yet another FAIL solution for home NAS, I'm afraid.
    Reply
  • serp9000
    the problem is you'll have to do without your data while you wait for the warranty work. do you really trust sending out your one good copy?
    Reply
  • oldmangamer
    Let me see...Raid 1 means you can replace a failed drive with a new one and the second drive (the "mirror") still contains the data. But now, you have to replace the failed drive so the mirror can be rebuilt...but you cannot without voiding the warranty. Do I have this straight? If so, this is simply a disaster waiting to happen. Especially with the high drive failure rate reported by customers. Still waiting for a good home NAS.
    Reply
  • xxsk8er101xx
    Buy this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817707125Buy your drives.
    Call it a day.
    Reply
  • kschoche
    Performance is lackluster at best, especially in raid-0! Let me rephrase, performance is TERRIBLE.
    The chances of the working disk getting damaged while shipping the whole box back for a single failed drive are WAY higher than the chances I'll damage it opening it, but considering the literacy of the users of such a slow NAS... I'll stick with my homebrew NAS kthx

    Reply