In gadgets, just like in other consumer products, you get what you pay for. Too many people learn that lesson the hard way after installing a hard-disk drive into a cheap USB box. It is an invitation to data-storage disaster.
A backup alternative that aims to meet the needs of most home-computer users or small workgroups comes from Taipei-based Synology. The company's easy-to-use iUSB product was a pioneering plug-and-play backup solution - a 2.5-inch hard-disk enclosure with universal serial bus interface that automatically backed up data after connecting to your desktop personal computer. It required no software installation. But today's multitasking digital lifestyle makes its new generation of stylish, compact and energy-efficient network-attached storage (NAS) servers a more attractive proposition.
Hip to be square A NAS server, which can be plugged into your router and has its own internet protocol address, enables you to easily store files for entertainment, share data over the internet, host websites, share a USB printer and, yes, back up desktop files.
Synology's Cube Station CS407e NAS server features slots for up to four hard-disk drives. These can be configured for different levels of redundant array of independent drives (Raid) storage schemes to protect data on all your computers. Raid combines multiple hard disks into a single logical unit. This system can copy data to more than one disk, split data across several disks or store redundant data to detect and fix any problems. With the CS407e, hard-disk drives can be configured for Raid level 0, 1 or 5.
One of the most popular features of the CS407e is Download Station. This allows users to drag various website and BitTorrent file links to the Synology download redirector, a free application used to manage BitTorrent and HTTP download tasks. This application will transfer those audio or video downloads directly to the CS407e. Furthermore, you can turn off your PC while files are being transferred to the device.
With the Multimedia Service function, you will be able to stream multimedia files direct to your stereo system and television. That is, if you have a Universal Plug and Play network protocol-based digital media adapter box handy.
