Customer Reviews

Cisco-Linksys Storage Link for USB 2.0 Disk Drives NSLU2

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(51)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(43)

 

 

I have been using this for past 1 week. It is a great product. I have learned to work with it rather than against it. Here are some observations that actually add exceptional value to the product. I have discovered some undocumented features too.

1. You can actually use it as a webserver! I am running one, though for personal use. To do this you need to put the files in the public area on the NSLU2, and using webhop like feature from DynDNS, you can map the index.html to a web address.

2. If the above feature is used and the html files are put into the restricted area, it will webserve, but will need password and user name. I serve my family photo site using this method!

3. The file systems seems to be Linux based. I used Acronis True Image 7.0 for backup of the USB drive. It indicated 3 partitions. Two of them were ext3 and one Linux swap! Acronis complained about some errors in the Linux partition. Looks like some propriatory stuff in there.

4. The device features really needs to be explored carefully before deployment and making any judgement call. The features like user+group+password can be used for excellent security. I have multiple pseudo users setup with private directories categorized according to the data, like music, videos, photos, downloads etc. Then I setup most of the actual users without private directories and provided them with selective permission to use the data. This adds to security since I can bump off any user without having to move files or data.

5. Documentation is lacking details and examples. In fact it is inadequate. But this does not make the device any less valuable. I had to explore and experiment with the device to make full use of it.

6. I noticed a number of reviews complaining about the data transfer speed. It is quite true that the speed is slower than USB2.0. In fact it will be slower! USB2.0 is designed for 480 Mbps data rates, while this and any other NAS will be limited by the network speed. NSLU2 is rated at 100 Mbps. This is the most common network speed today. This makes it approximately 5x slower than a direct USB2.0 connection. But, it is not any slower than if you were to share a folder in windows and access it from another computer.

7. I would also like to warn all the users to be careful not to run this device (or any other personal server for that matter) on the default port 80 if you plan to access it over the internet, since every port-scanner on the planet will find you and target you for hacker activity. It is better to change the port to something like 8000, 8081, or any other obscure number HIGHER than 1024 which port-scanners do not generally target. You can use the webhop feature on DynDNS.org in conjunction with cloaking to hide the actual address from normal viewing.

Last week I purchased the linksys storage link. This product is an excellent example or a device that does not try to be all things to all people. Essentially, it is an tiny computer or embeded device with a tiny os that runs code that provides SMB or Windows file sharing. It is 100% compatible with windows, linux, or mac as long as you dont have a personal firewall installed.
Installation is simple.
1. Unbox device
2. Use CD-ROM to set up address, if you have dhcp this is not neccesary
3. Connect drive
4. Format drive via web interface
5. Set any password information
6. Add Users and permissions
7. Enjoy
This is not as complicated as it sounds. The manual is excellent and not neccesary for anyone who is vaguely familiar with file sharing. Performance is excellent. On fast ethernet I was transferring 100 meg files in less than a minute. Over slower networks such as wireless your performance will suffer. This is not the devices fault.
THE BEAUTY OF THIS DEVICE IS NO DRIVERS ARE NECCESARY AS LONG AS YOU HAVE CLIENT FOR MS NETWORKS TURNED ON WHICH IT USUALLY IS. Other NAS drives require you load a proprietary driver, linksys, got it right.
- If you are having performance issues check to make sure that the device is running full duplex when plugged to a switch and half duplex when running to a hub. Over wireless it will be slow, that is the nature of wireless generally speaking.

Do not buy this if you have an existing USB hard drive already formatted with a Windows based file system and wish to keep it formatted that way (so you could still plug it directly into other Window's based PC's if needed).

Your existing external drive will not be compatible with this device until it has been reformatted (and any existing data lost of course)by the Linksys Storage Link and once formatted it will no longer be directly usable on any other PC's. Bummer...

If I had been aware of that limitation I would not have bought this gizmo. A couple of websites that reviewed this device did not mention this limitation and probably should have but ultimately I blame myself for not RTFM <grin>.

Other than that limitation (which may or may not be a deal breaker for some folks) the device seems pretty slick. However, until I get another external USB drive I will be unable to actually play with this device so I am only giving it 3 stars until I get another drive to dedicate to this device at which time I will provide an update based on my experience.

Bottom line: read the manual before you buy this to totally familiarize yourself with its capabilities/limitations.

I can now leave a computer on continuously with streaming audio, ssh, http, and samba (windows file sharing). It's amazing how easy this device can be hacked to add an incredible amount of features. Right away I replaced the default Linksys firmware with UNSLUNG 5.5 and added dropbear (for ssh) and slimserver (mp3/radio stream server). I also added vsftpd (ftp server) because it operates at 3 times the transfer speed of the embedded Samba (windows share).

With Slimserver, I now can stream over the internet (tunnelled over ssh) to listen anywhere.

With dropbear (sshd) I can use scp to copy data from the attached hard drive to wherever I may be at the time. (use PuTTY client in windows). See http://www.nslu2-linux.org for all these goodies and more.

And, if you need to access the ext3 formatted drive from Windoze, use the ext2ifs driver found at http://www.fs-driver.org .

Oh, and by the way removing resistor #83 doubles the clock speed of the device from 133 Mhz to 266 Mhz to make it a speedy little sucker (http://www.nslu2-linux.org/wiki/HowTo/OverClockTheSlug).

I'm actually quite surprised that the NSLU2 device currently has an average of 3.5 stars. Unfortunately, for such a simple device, I have found it to be a dismal waste of my time. It has been unreliable and performance has been inconsistent. I bought this device to give to my sister, as a means of allowing her to store music and movie files on her network. She has very little technical understanding, so a device that is easy-to-setup and use is a requirement. The NSLU2 is not that device!

First off, I want to point out that I am a Linux Systems Administrator with 10 years of experience. I know about networking and computers and obviously Linux. This device is running Linux internally, with Samba being the internal application that provides access to the attached USB disk (i.e. via Microsoft Networking). That said, I hope no one takes my comments as Linux-bashing. On the contrary, I'm a big supporter of Linux. Linux is a great operating system. Unfortunately, the NSLU2 is a poor implementation of Linux as an embedded device.

If Linksys is taking notes on how to improve this product, here are some suggestions. Begin shipping these devices with a serial console port, an SSH server automatically enabled, a faster CPU, and more memory. Having all those items should improve the performance of the device, as well as allow knowledgeable system administrators to fix the "quirks" when they develop.

Regarding the slow transfer speeds, which many others have complained about, I confirm this. First, the NSLU2 gets about a 25 Mbits/second transfer speed, while a real computer which exports a shared directory through Microsoft Network can achieve about 75 Mbits/second. While 25 Mbits/second is slow, it's tolerable. (Of course, this assumes that it is attached to a 100 Mbits/second network.) Second, others have complained about the NSLU2 being slow in comparison to the transfer speed they achieve when the USB drive is attached to their computer directly. Well, that's expected. When directly attached to a computer, USB 2.0 is capable of up to 480 Megabits/second. But the NSLU2 has a 100 Megabits/second network port. By putting a network between your computer and the USB2 drive, you're limiting the throughput to only 100 Megabits/second, 20% of what USB2 is actually capable of. Incidentally, if you're thinking of buying a similar device with a 1 Gigabit/second (i.e. 1000 Megabit/second) network port, do your research, as many will never achieve anything beyond 100 Megabit/second speeds anyway.

In the first few days of owning the NSLU2, here's a sampling of the problems I have had. (1) If I deleted a directory on the NSLU2, it would reappear again instantly. This is most likely a problem with Samba within the NSLU2. Having seen this problem in the past with real Linux servers, it's caused by an incompatibility between how Windows saves files (i.e. attributes and permissions) and how Linux does so. Samba "maps" the Windows attributes and permissions to similar attributes in Linux. Because it's not an exact mapping, quirks will sometimes develop. Also, some filenames that are valid on Windows end up causing problems for Samba. To solve this problem, I had to copy all the files off the USB drive attached to the NSLU2, then reformat the drive. (2) The DHCP client on the NSLU2 is incompatible with the DHCP server on my network. I had to configure the NSLU2 with a static IP address to overcome this. (3) The USB drive attached to the NSLU2 just disappears from time-to-time for no reason. The NSLU2 is available on the network, but it doesn't see the attached drive. (4) Transferring very large files (e.g. 3 Gigabytes) to or from the NSLU2 will cause the device to freeze up, and it will no longer appear as available on the network. I have read that this is probably being caused by attaching only NTFS or FAT32 drives to the NSLU2. Others have suggested that using the NSLU2 to reformat the USB drive will improve reliability and performance. After using the NSLU2 to format a new USB drive, I see that it created 3 partitions: one big EXT3 partition for my data, one small EXT3 partition for user/group authentication information, and finally one Linux Swap partition for improved memory management within the NSLU2. (By the way, EXT3 is the default filesystem used by most Linux distributions.)

Besides reliability issues, the NSLU2 has usability problems. (a) You won't be able to take advantage of the user/group permissions of the device unless the attached USB drive is formatted by the NSLU2, as the user/group permissions need to be stored on a special partition the NSLU2 creates on the USB drive. (b) The NSLU2 is only capable of formatting attached drives in EXT3 format. If you need to format a drive as NTFS or FAT32, you'll need to attach the drive to your Windows computer to do that. (However, the NSLU2 does support attached NTFS/FAT32 drives.) (c) Being a systems administrator, I understand how to configure this device, but I believe the user-interface will not be intuitive to many people. The unit's functionality is spread over too many different screens, and the clickable buttons are sometimes not in an appropriate place. You'll understand what I mean when you actually use it.

Because of the extreme inconsistency and unreliability of this device, I will not be storing any data that I deem "important". At best, I will store only backup copies of files on this device, or files that I don't care about losing. I will probably use the device as a network drive share, where my Windows computers can save their nightly backups. That way, if the NSLU2 dies or gets really horked, I don't lose any data (the originals are on the Windows machines already). Additionally, I will also use it to store the very large ISO images of Linux distributions I download off the Internet. (I can always re-download the ISO images, if the NSLU2 dies.)

Lastly, because we live in a "mostly" Windows operating-system world, here's a tip for those of you who find that the NSLU2 has failed you, as well as your precious data along with it. This is for those of you who find that your NSLU2 stops working. If you initially used the NSLU2 to format an attached USB drive, you should know that it will be formatted in EXT3 format, which Windows is not natively capable of reading. If you attach the USB drive to a Windows computer, it will not be able to read it automatically. However, there are a couple of freeware EXT3 drivers which allow Windows to read the EXT3 partitions on your drive. An easier solution for most people will be a freeware software tool called Linux Reader, created by a company named DiskInternals. (I do not work for that company and I do not know anyone who does, so it's not a shameless plug.) I don't like losing personal data, and unfortunately many people will get the wrong impression that their data is lost when the NSLU2 dies. Not necessarily so.



Well that's all I have to say for now.

What a neat device. Now you can setup a file server at home for under $250, very nice solution for sharing files, videos, and photos with the your family PCs or a place to backup stuff.

Note a few warnings before purchasing this device. From the user manual "If the USB hard drive has not previously been used in a Storage Link, its format must be changed. You will be asked to verify if you want to change the format." This means you will lose what ever files you have on the disk before installation. Second big warning "IMPORTANT: The Storage Link's format is NOT compatible with Windows. You cannot swap USB hard drives between Windows systems and the Storage Link." So the drive will become dedicated as a file server, if this device goes down there is no way to read the files on it.

Another warning would be that the speed of the drive would be greatly governed. The speed of USB 2.0 (480Mbits/second) connection would be reduced to 100Mbits/second by the Ethernet connection. So don't except the same speed that you would have with a drive installed locally in your PC.

I wanted a file server that I could leave up and running 24/7 on my home network. First, I tried the Ximeta 160GB NetDisk, but it wouldn't work on one of my machines (a month later, I'm still working with tech support to try and figure out the problem. Their tech support is to be congratulated for sticking with it so long, though!) Since the Ximeta is not working out, I decided to try the Linksys Storage Link. Here's what I've found:
PROS:
-It's dead silent and uses little power, unlike running most PCs as a server.
-You don't need special drivers on the other machines unless you want to access Flash drives with it
-It works with all my systems, unlike the Ximeta (so far)
-It can be set up to act as a webserver to the net
-You can adjust it more accurately to your storage needs than with the Ximeta
CONS
-The fact that it uses a Linux/proprietary format for the drives is a drag, but not a deal-killer.
-You'll need a second USB2.0 drive to do backups on if you want them to happen in a timely manner.
-Not hot swappable. You have to power down the device to add or remove USB devices.
-Can't be used as a fast local back-up drive like the Ximeta.
-Takes up more space and has more wiring than the Ximeta.
NOTES
-Data transfer rate seems slower than a full-bore PC, but I haven't tried any benchmarks to confirm this. Note that you will NEVER achieve anything like USB2.0 speeds; you have to compare it to transferring from other devices on your network.

So there you have it. If the Ximeta worked for me, it would definitely be a more elegant solution, except for the fact you have to install drivers and it's a lot trickier to upgrade.

The Linksys NSLU2 is an inexpensive Network Attached Storage server. Essentially, it's a tiny box with an Ethernet port and two high-speed USB connectors. You connect it to your LAN, attach one or two external USB drives to it, format the drives and configure the shared storage using the built-in web server.

If this was all the NSLU2 was capable of, it would already be a wonderful little tool. I strongly disagree with another reviewer who recommended a Xinet NDAS drive as a replacement: the big benefit of the NSLU2 (or rather the drawback of the Xinet) is that you don't have to load any unreliable third party software on your computer to access it: it uses the ubiquitous SMB protocol supported by Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Turtle Beach Audiotron, etc... a proper file server protocol capable of handling concurrent access from multiple clients.

But that's only the beginning, because the NSLU2 happens to be running Linux, which makes it an ideal target for all sorts of projects. If you go to tomsnetworking.com's "how-to" section, you will find a series of articles written by Jim Buzbee giving step-by-step, clear instructions on how to hack the NSLU2 to unleash its full potential. I turned mine into an iTunes music jukebox; you can also run other server protocols for any number of tasks.

In conclusion, this is a great, reliable, inexpensive and easy to configure NAS box.
It's a great value even if you only use it as intended; and it's also a wonderful little always-on server project box for the wannabe hacker, with lots of info and help out there. Very highly recommended to all.

If you're interested in the NSLU2's hacking potential you should also investigate the Buffalo Kuro box. It's twice the price of the Linksys device, but its manufacturer fully supports development on it.

Overall: its the first home backup/storage solution I've found that is fully automated, reasonably priced, and easy to administer. Others have noted the limitations of this device, nonetheless it serves admirably as a home backup solution or shared file server. I have mine running overnight backups for all the machines in my home, and I'm very happy with it.

The Storage Link is more flexible than the comparable Netgear product (which integrates a single USB port into a wireless router) as you can connect it to any existing router or switch in your network, as well as hang more than one disk off. (And if you need masses of storage, just get another one and connect it to another spare ethernet port.) It is also significantly cheaper per GB than conventional NAS disks such as those from DLink. Performance is more than acceptable for a network drive, although an initial full backup of my largest drive (100MB) did take a full 24 hours to complete! Fortunately, subsequent incremental backups run a lot faster. In any case, I don't think any other NAS drive would be faster, since the network is the bottleneck.

Extensive admin features, accessed via a web browser (familiar to owners of other Linksys devices) allow you to set up private password-protected partitions for different users, so you can protect work files from your kids or ensure that nobody deletes your precious backups to make room for music downloads! There is also a built in backup utility that is basic, but adequate for simple regular scheduled backups. If you are feeling brave you can also make attached disks visible over the Internet for remote access.

If you plan to use this in conjunction with a Maxtor OneTouch disk, beware: the OneTouch feature will not work over the network. For backups you'll either have to use the Storage Link's built in utility, or backup software. The Maxtor 250 I bought came with Retrospect - however, you default Install doesn't give you option to install Retrospect alone. You'll need to browse the \bin directory on the CD for the installer for Retrospect (but at least its there!)

The NSLU2 does what it is supposed to. I had no problem with standard Western Digital IDE drives in generic USB 2.0 enclosure boxes plugged into the NSLU2. Security settings are very easy to use if you have experience with that sort of thing, but probably more difficult for those without such experience. Backup can be easily set to automatically happen every night if you have two drives (highly recommended). If your primary disk fails, you just swap in the second disk.

Some have commented on the transfer rate being slower than direct USB 2.0, but they're comparing apples to oranges. If you want to plug a USB drive into one PC, you don't want this product. Just plug the drive directly into the PC, duh! However, if you want to share data across a network of multiple PCs, without having to worry about which PC is turned on or has the disk plugged into it at any given time...the NSLU2 is a good solution. It is comparable in performance to setting aside a "server PC" that just serves files over the network...only it costs less, uses less energy, backs itself up easily, and is totally silent.

Now, some minor gripes that are relevant:
- The backup drive is not accessible at all unless you turn off backups. Read-only access to the backup drive would be very helpful for easily retrieving files that were accidentally deleted since the last backup, or just reassuring yourself that the backup files are actually there.
- The box keeps poor time, drifting over an hour in less than a week. Linksys says if you set the box to recycle periodically it will pick up the correct time...but that is a kluge.
- Use of the non-Windows (ext3) filesystem on the drives is a bit of a downer, since it would be nice to unplug a drive from the NSLU2 and plug it into a laptop when travelling. There are supposedly programs that will allow Windows to read ext3 disks, but I haven't tried them.

None of these gripes would keep me from buying the box again, and all should be fixible by Linksys with a firmware upgrade (though I don't expect the filesystem ever will be).

For the uber-geeks, check out the TomsHardware article "Hacking the NSLU2" for how to log in and directly access the Linux server running on this box, giving you the ability to tweak it to your satisfaction. Very cool!