Hands on: Network superstores

Prompted by a number of reader emails, the topic for this month’s Networks Hands On is network attached storage (Nas).

More specifically, I want to cover what Nas is all about and look in some detail at a typical solution designed to be used by home and small business users.

A quick recap
One of the main reasons for setting up any kind of network is the ability to share files, with a file server the traditional way of satisfying this requirement. But because servers are expected to do lots of other things as well – such as host websites and email and database servers – they tend to be complicated and, where Windows is concerned, expensive to deploy.

A Nas appliance, on the other hand, is a server that shares only files, so it can be made simpler and a lot easier to manage. So much so that, in many cases, all you have to do is plug it into the network and switch it on.

At least that’s what you’ll be told. In reality, it’s not always that easy. It depends on which product you buy, with Nas appliances available in a variety of formats, from budget single-disk products costing about £100 up to highly specified and very scalable server platforms costing thousands, for use in corporate datacentres.

The software involved can also vary. Most Nas appliances are based on Linux, but proprietary software may also be employed, and there are Windows-based Nas appliances, too. For the most part, however, the software doesn’t really matter as long as it does the job of sharing files, is quick, reliable and easy to manage.

A small example
I’ve used several Nas servers over the years from various vendors. Currently, however, I have a Buffalo Linkstation Pro (reviewed in PCW, November 2006), not because it’s the best or most complete Nas server, but it does what I want, requires barely any maintenance and didn’t cost a lot of money. As such, it’s a good example.

Moreover, as you can see from the photograph, the Linkstation Pro is small: the tiny box contains a quiet Linux server and a single Sata hard disk. Mine is a 250GB model, selling for about £125, with capacities up to 750GB available. However, bear in mind that the bigger models will cost a lot more (nearly £400 for the 750GB appliance) and for the same price you can find alternatives offering more functionality.

Like other entry-level Nas devices, the Linkstation Pro is easy to get working. I plugged it into the Lan using the cable provided, switched it on and left it to get an IP address automatically from the DHCP server in my internet router. It came with a ready-formatted hard disk with a few preconfigured Windows shares, one containing the documentation and the other an empty public folder for immediate use by anyone on the network.

See also:

Building your own Nas

If you fancy doing a bit of DIY, here’s how to build a network-attached storage device  27 Feb 2007

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