Customer Reviews

Seagate BlackArmor NAS 110 1 TB Network Attached Storage ST310005MNA10G-RK

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

I am happy with this drive for many reasons, and disappointed for two. This is a very well-built drive that seems like it will perform quite well for my purposes, which are media streaming. It has a browser-based management utility that is streamlined and easy to use. However, the documentation is very vague, as are the online forums that don't function well. My drive was set up in under 30 minutes with no problems. My dad bought two of these as well, and is having issues setting up the Global Access feature for some reason. I didn't have any issue with that. The two issues that are concerning have to deal with documentation and Media Server functionality. Seagate does not list what file formats/codecs are supported for DLNA streaming. Unfortunately, it appears it is limited to AVI and Windows Media. It will not stream MP4 files of any sort. This is a huge loss for me, since I bought the drive to avoid having my computer on all the time. The details of this issue are not documented anywhere. However, it appears that very few drives out there function properly in this respect. For now, I am streaming through Connect360 while waiting for a firmware update that may offer hope. I recommend this drive as a solid network drive, but must warn you that it does not perform as a DLNA server. I will update this as I get more information.

I've had my Seagate BlackArmor NAS 110 2TB Network Attached Storage devices for less than 24 hours at this point, so I can't speak to its reliability or stability over the long term yet, but I will say this thing was an absolute breeze to set up. Let me say up front that I am an IT professional, so if you are relatively inexperienced with networking and hardware you should perhaps take my review with a grain of salt. However, this was so easy to configure I really do think a novice could've done it nearly as quickly and easily as I did.

I hate when a new piece of hardware comes with a CD. Mice and keyboards do not typically need any software, nor do switches and routers, yet they always come with a Getting Started card that tells you the first step is to insert the CD. Typically, the only real point to any of this software is for the company to get a little bit of their brand welded into your Operating System somewhere. When I saw just such a Getting Started card and CD included with the BlackArmor NAS, I got a little worried.

First thing I did was plug the NAS into my network. I used my router admin screen to figure out the IP assigned to the device, crossed my fingers, and punched the IP address into my browser address bar. I was pleasantly surprised to find a web-based admin area very similar to what you'd find on any router or modem. Everything on the device is configurable from this admin interface, rendering the "required" software absolutely unnecessary. Within ten minutes of fiddling within the admin area and without reading a single piece of documentation, I had a couple of working network shares mapped (one private share each for me and my wife to backup our computers, and a public share so we can swap files when we need to) and a networked printer (previous to this we were each plugging the USB cable into our computers whenever we needed to print, which makes this solution so much more convenient). The network shares were created very easily using the wizard-like interface, so there was really no IT know-how required, and the printer was immediately recognized by the NAS like magic almost as soon as it was plugged in. Both the network shares and the printer only required minimal configuration on our computers to get it all connected.

I personally prefer to use the rsync command-line tool to back up my own Mac (though I'm thinking of trying out Time Machine), but I know my wife will want a backup solution she doesn't have to manage herself or ever even think about, so I'm considering installing the NAS software on her PC, but I haven't checked it out yet at all. I also can't yet speak to any of the more advanced features of the NAS like media streaming or global access (being able to access your files from anywhere over the web), though I do plan to play around with these features down the road and may update my review here. I'll also update my review with respect to stability and reliability as time goes on. For now, though, it's already meeting my needs perfectly and I'm absolutely loving this little guy.

EDIT: I posted this review originally on May 6, 2010. It is now March 20, 2011, so I've had my Seagate NAS for nearly a year. Very shortly after unboxing, I noticed it makes a clicking sound when reading / writing to the drive, which worried me (usually a clicking noise coming from a hard drive means it has failed or is about to fail), but after researching this I learned that all of this particular model seem to make this same noise. I gotta say, this still worries me, but the drive has lasted nearly a year and seems to be doing fine, so go figure.

I still haven't played with the media streaming or global access features, as I haven't really needed them. This drive was purchased primarily as a backup drive. I'm still backing up my own files manually using rsync, but, as I had written earlier, my wife wasn't crazy about manually backing up her stuff, so I did go ahead and install the BlackArmor software so she could back up her files set-it-and-forget-it style. The software was very easy to set up and I rest easy knowing my wife's computer is backed up without any intervention by her or me.

In short, after owning this device for ten months I can still say it was well worth the purchase price. This is a great little networked backup device.

I have mixed feelings.

Short story: Nice hardware, great potential (FPT, wiki, etc). Software unforgiving and difficult to decipher.

Software is lacking and unclear and the instructions alternate between being very simple and helpful to abstract and cryptic or disjointed. I feel there are things I really just had to figure out for myself and while I'm not a computer newbie, I'm certainly no IT professional. Definitely had some trial and error --which is time consuming when backing up 1/4 of a terabyte...

-In some cases there are five different ways to do the same thing (like I can't count the number of menu's where "Validate backup" is an option) --whereas in other cases I had to hunt and hunt to finally locate the obscure reference in the HTML help files that pointed me towards some buried part of the stripped down hardware GUI.

-In some cases you're bombarded with backup options. In other cases, you do a backup (such as USB->NAS) and it doesn't ask you one thing, it just starts backing up. There's not even a "stop" button in that latter example ...!

And so on ...lot's of strange things like this. I would prefer a really stripped down interface where I had to learn to be an IT professional, or I would prefer something where my hand is held the entire time. But Seagate BlackArmor tries to straddle the line ...

(I feel most comfortable just mapping drives with a letter name, but that just reduces it to being a portable hard drive. And good luck figuring out the permissions --because it doesn't tell you how, just tells you "can't do that". ...)

I bought this as a way to backup two computers on my home network. I'm a software engineer by trade, experienced Windows user, understand networking very well, so I figured this would be an easy thing for me to set up. And spending 2 hours on the phone with a very patient technical support representative, didn't help at all.

The backup software was very poorly written. You can probably overlook the silly little things like when you edit a backup task, the scheduler will be reset to some random time seems to be 12 pm plus however many minutes past the hour the task is currently set at. You can also probably overlook that when you edit a backup task, the list of excluded file extensions keeps getting appended so that each extension appears multiple times.

However, what can't be overlooked is that when you create a backup job and specify the archive, a gramatically-incorrect message will appear that the login credentials for the remote device are incorrect, and it instructs the user to press a button on the toolbar to set them. First there is no toolbar on this dialog, so I'm assuming they meant the side panel. But no such option exists. Support told me to check the box so this will not display again, and ignore the error (BIG mistake! There IS a problem here.) If I continued to do the backup as an on-demand, non-scheduled task, this worked. However in order to do a scheduled backup, you need to specify a user ID and password for the machine you want to back up. When the schedule task runs, it fails -- the message is that the user and password are invalid. This is failing on BOTH computers, regardless of operating system.

I was finally able to get it to work by creating an account with the same password on the network device as I have on the computer, and leaving off the computer name when specifying the login ID (for example, if your computer name is MY_COMPUTER and your user id is MIKE, by default the software will fill in for your MY_COMPUTER\MIKE. You would want to enter just MIKE). But the key is, you need to have the same user and password on the device as you do on the workstation. Grrrr....

I have 3 machines on my home network, each with four users. Backups of each machine should be private, while shared data (pictures, music, etc) should be public. The 110 claims to be able to do just this. However, I could never get it to work. Users had to enter their password even to access the public share. Some user passwords were not accepted, despite numerous attempts and careful verification that the user was typing the password correctly. When I finally gave up and deleted all the private shares and just put all the data in the public share, some users still had to enter their passwords to get access. The only way to resolve this was to delete their windows accounts and create a new ones. Needless to say, when you have a highly customized account, this is rather painful!
I do not use the Seagate backup software so I can't comment on that except to say that it doesn't give the user much control, and stores the files in a format that isn't easily accessible if you just want to find one or a couple of files. I am using Allway Sync which provides more control and makes it easy to recover individual files.
In my experience so far the device is impressively quite; the only time I hear it is when it clicks as it sleeps or wakes up. No big deal.
The one thing I find unfathomable is why they made the front USB port only available as a one-way backup of thumb drives. This is just stupid. I want to plug in a portable drive to back up the NAS but I can't use the front port and the rear port is very inconvenient to reach. Why not make the front port universal, as in Universal Serial Bus, instead of limiting it? Just weird.
Finally, I'd like to suggest to Seagate that they offer some kind of on-line backup service. None of the existing services work with NAS drives, but Netgear offers a proprietary service for their NAS drives. Online backup would be the final step in absolute data security and I'm surprised Seagate hasn't thought of this easy revenue stream.

I am a technology enthusiast as well as a writer who contributes to multiple consumer technology publications. With that said, the Seagate BlackArmor NAS 110 is a network attached storage device that isn't particularly consumer friendly.

For those who don't know what a NAS is, this is essentially a 1TB hard drive that connects to your home network (your wireless router) and allows any computer on your home network the ability to access the files stored on the hard drive. In essence, a NAS is a low-cost alternative to a home server.

This is the 8th consumer-oriented network attached storage device that I have used and it's one of the most difficult to setup for automated activities (automated backups) or simple network file sharing (such as sharing a music or video library with multiple PCs or devices on a home network). If you are an IT professional or someone familiar with setting up NAS and server connections then you can probably setup the Seagate BlackArmor NAS 110 without too much difficulty.

However, if you're an ordinary consumer you need to understand this is NOT a "plug-and-play" device. You can't just plug this into your router and expect it to work as advertised. Even the included software that is designed to simplify setup actually makes things a little more complicated than similar NAS devices I've seen from Iomega and Western Digital.

The overall data transfer rate for this NAS is pretty good when it's setup on a quality network connection, but if you're looking for a simple network storage solution this isn't it.

Bottom line, if this isn't your first NAS then the BlackArmor is a good purchase. If you're not familiar with setting up network storage then you should consider another NAS from Western Digital or Iomega.

A Seagate BlackArmor NAS 110 has been installed in my (Windows XP) home network for about a week. It does everything I want it to, with very little work on my part. I installed it in less than 10 minutes using the supplied BlackArmor Discovery software and painlessly back up my desktop, using the supplied BackArmor Backup software. I created a Global Access account and have been easily able to access data on the NAS 110 remotely over the web; I plan to use this capability to share data with colleagues. I use its "one-button" backup for my USB thumb drive, which works exactly as advertised. The NAS 110 also allows me to share a favorite USB printer on my network. After reading other reviews, I was concerned about heat and noise, but I have it installed on a shelf over my desk, in a well-ventilated location with no obstructions on any side and it runs only a few degrees above ambient. It's also very quiet. I am a college instructor and musician, and use my home network for lecture preparation, administrative work (Microsoft Office) and music arrangement (Finale). Storing and retrieving data is sufficiently fast for all of my work. I greatly appreciate the intelligent design that has gone into this no-nonsense product.

I bought the Seagate BlackArmor NAS 110 to replace a Maxtor NAS Drive, which died because the fan failed and the drive overheated. I have 5 computers in my home between desktops and lap tops. I used the Maxtor NAS Drive for backing up the computers and as a music server. The Seagate is difficult to set up and navigate. The Maxtor was easy to set up out of the box. I have a few complaints about the BlackArmor drive.

First the Backup files are proprietary you need to use the BlackArmor backup software to view and restore the files.

Second, the Backup software for this model only comes with 5 licenses so if you need to replace a computer on your network you are forced to buy additional licenses, which cost as of 05/11/10 49.95 for two. You can't deactivate the old license and assign it to a new computer.

Third the Backup software isn't resident on the hard drive so if you need to install it again you better not loose the disk. I was unable to locate a download or request for the software on the Seagate Web site. If you just want to take this drive and view the Backup files on another computer you are out of luck.

If you want a backup drive that just copies the files as is and don't want to get stuck spending for licenses then avoid this drive.

I have had no prior experience with setting up a Network-attached storage (NAS) but I was able to get BlackArmor set up without a hitch.

Setup: Quick and Easy
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My experience with the setup was quick and painless. Setup:
(1) Install the Blackarmor Backup software and reboot the computer
(2) Connect the provided power and network cables.
(3) Launch the BlackArmor software

How To Set Up A Backup: Types of Backup
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There are 3 primary types of backup:

(1) Data Backup
- You can back up the entire drive or browse for and select only the folders/files you wish to back up.

(2) System State Backup
System State Backup backs up your registry, startup/boot files, SYSVOL folder, and other critical system files.

(3) Disk/Partition Image
Blackarmor is able to create an image of an entire disk or partition. A disk image is, simply put, a comprehensive backup of your entire disk or partition (if the disk is partitioned).

How To Set Up A Backup: Methods of Backup
-----------------------------------------
There are 2 methods of backup are incremental backup and full backup. Full Backup backs up all selected files. Incremental backup saves only the changes since the previous backup.

By default (recommend), Blackarmor does a full backup the first time a backup job is run; all subsequent backups will be incremental backups.

The Backup Process
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- Backup Initiation
The backup can be scheduled or run on-demand.

Once started, the backup program displays a dialog with the Remaining Time until the backup is completed. You can terminate the backup if you change your mind. There is an option to Shutdown the computer after the backup is completed.

- Backup Times
Backup times will vary depending on the amount of data to be backed up and encryption level (AES 128-, 192-, or 256- bit encryption). For example, it took 2 hours to back up 45 GB of my data with the highest level of encryption (256-bit).

- Calendar At-A-Glance
BlackArmor has a calendar that shows the scheduled/recurring backups. The calendar also indicates whether a backup was successfully completed for a specific date. A date highlighted in green indicates that the backup performed on that date completed successfully whereas a date highlighted in red indicates the backup failed. Scheduled backup tasks are highlighted in blue.

Streaming Media off of the BlackArmor NAS
-----------------------------------------
You can map BlackArmor as a networked drive so that you can use it as if it were a hard drive installed right on your computer. You can then use Windows Explorer to stream media directly off of the BlackArmor NAS or to quickly copy files to and from the BlackArmor drive without having to go through the BlackArmor software interface.

To map the NAS as a network drive, go to Network Neighborhood > Entire Network and browse for the NAS. Right-click on a folder on the NAS and select "Map as network drive". Select a drive letter (such as Z:).

If you have trouble locating the "Entire Network" in Windows (like I did), here's a workaround. Run through the BlackArmor backup process to get to the point where you're able to browse the network from within BlackArmor. From there, right-click a folder and select explore. Windows will then "see" the NAS and launch an explorer Window listing the folders from the NAS.

Usability
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I just have one little quirk to complain about. It keeps displaying the message "You have selected remote resource and have not specified credentials for it. Do you want to continue?" every step of the way even though I have specified the authentication credentials.

Extras
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Blackarmor includes a few extras:

- Bootable Rescue Media
BlackArmor lets you create bootable rescue media for use when your computer fails to start. Upon booting up with the rescue media, you can restore a disk image or system files to get the computer back up again.

- Try and Decide
How it works: Before you run the setup for a questionable new program, click on the start button to notfiy Blackarmor to monitor your system state (changes to your system). Once the installation is completed, click on the Stop button to notify Black armor the installation is completed. Blackarmor will then ask you if you want to commit or discard the changes. If you choose to discard the changes, BlackArmor will restore your computer back to its previous state, as if you hadn't installed the software at all.

- Wipe Free Space
Blackarmor includes a utility for wiping free space (or more accurately, "slack" space) such that deleted data is irrecoverable, even with forensic recovery tools.

- Wiki Server

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I am no IT professional, but my experience with Blackarmor has been very positive. Despite the less-than-stellar ratings, my tests show Blackarmor to be a very usable piece of hardware/software. Perhaps the disparity in user experiences is due to different versions of Seagate's software? In any case, I would have to go out on a limb and rate the Blackarmor 5 stars. Recommended.

We have multiple networked computers at home and two of them had been intermittently failing. We decided it was a good time to finally buy a NAS and bought this Seagate BlackArmor NAS 110 1 TB from our local Staples (less than 2 weeks ago). We knew prior to the purchase, from research and the box that there is a "BlackArmor Backup software for Windows OS (5 licenses)". We each went off and backed up our computers successfully.

Yesterday we got a replacement for one of our ailing computers and proceeded to install BlackArmor software. It turns out that we used the 5th license so the software rightly complained. Well we were about to try to uninstall the software from ailing computer but searched Seagate's knowledge base on how to do this properly ...

From this Seagate thread, it seems like THE LICENSES CANNOT BE TRANSFERRED!!! There is no mention of this in any of the user manuals in the PDFs on the install disk.

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See the thread "Backup Client License- can I release a used license." by dougolitsky at
[...]

Hi All;
I just installed my NAS 110 and was playing w/ BlackArmor Backup on my laptop before installing it on my desktop computer.
now that I took backup off my laptop I want to reclaim the "Backup Client License" I had used, on another computer.
after uninstalling and even rebooting the NAS it still shows the license as being used.
How do I free up the used license, so I can use it on another computer?
Many thanks for the help!

Doug

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Update from dougolitsky ...

Just spoke w/ tech support and they said it cant be undone, it gets written into perm memory.
additional licenses can of course be purchased!

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Post from Frustrated Mike ...

After a week of frustration with both Blackarmor Backup and the NAS 220, this is the final straw. I too experimented with the NAS and backup (having previously been quite happy with Acronis). I then got a new PC and now understand that I have lost a license. That absolutly sucks and surely can not be legal. Seagate - please can you tell us what the license is linked to (network card MAC address or what?) If I simply rebuild the same PC with a new OS will I still use up a license?

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A response from RAsg Seagate Network Specialist is ...

Hello,
When a BlackArmor Backup License is used it is linked to network cards MAC address.
If the OS has to be reinstalled to the same computer BlackArmor Backup will see the same MAC address and License the
installation without using another License.