Iomega StorCenter Network Hard Drive (500GB)

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Iomega StorCenter Network Hard Drive (500GB)

CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
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Product summary

The good: The 1TB version supports RAID 0 and RAID 1; includes backup software; can support network printers and other external hard drives; works as a media server; compact design; quiet; inexpensive.

The bad The bad: Setup was not smooth; runs hot.

The bottom line: The Iomega StorCenter Network Hard Drive offers a small footprint and fast-enough performance, but the setup process was a bit frustrating.

Specifications: Product Description: Iomega StorCenter Network Hard Drive - NAS server; Total Storage Capacity: 500 GB; Compatibility: PC, Mac; See full specs

Price range: $186.99 - $219.95

See all products in the Iomega StorCenter Network Hard Drive series

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: Dong Van Ngo
Edited by: Felisa Yang
Reviewed on: 10/24/2007
Released on: 07/31/2007

The StorCenter Network Hard Drives are the latest version of Iomega's home-targeted network-attached storage drives. They are basic NAS drives that offer up many of the same features that the competition offers. They come in three capacities: 500GB, 750GB, and 1TB. The 500GB and 750GB versions are single-drive models, while the 1TB version packs in two 500GB drives (the casing is a bit different on both versions). The 1TB version costs $390, the 750GB version costs $360, and the 500GB version costs $270--all very reasonably priced.

We had some problems setting up the 1TB version we received for review. We used the included Discovery Tool Pro, which found the drive immediately. We were able to log in using an Internet browser to create new users, new share folders, and so on. However, we ran into a wall when we wanted to map the shared folders to our test system. None of the user accounts we created was accepted, and the default admin account didn't work, either. When we turned to Iomega's Web site to find help and an update for the software, we found that it required us to register before we could download any updates. Of all the NAS drives we tested, the Iomega Network Hard Drive took the most time and proved to be the most frustrating.

Once we got the drive up and running, it worked much like others we've tested. We were able to just drag and drop files from our testbed to the drive or used the included EMC Retrospect Express software to schedule automatic backups. The 1TB version supports RAID 1 and RAID 0 configurations, as it has two drives. And all three models can serve up media to UPnP-compatible media adapters, as well as serve up printers and additional external hard drives.

Drive type	External hard drives
Connector options	Gigabit Ethernet; USB 2.0
Available capacities	500GB (single drive), 750GB (single drive), 1TB (dual drive)
Capacity of test unit (if applicable)	1TB
Drive speed	7,200rpm
Cache	8MB
Dimensions (LWH)	500GB and 750GB version: 8 x 4.9 x 1.7 inches; 1TB version: 7.9 x 3.2 x 4.9 inches
Notable design features	2 host USB ports for connecting external HDDs or printers
Other features	Journaling file system; Active Directory support; UPnP AV media server; RAID 0 and RAID 1 (on 1TB version only)
OSes supported	Windows Vista/XP/2K; Mac OS X 10.2.7 or later; Linux: Redhat 9, Mandrake 10, Debian 3.0, Gentoo, FedoraCore 3
Software included	Iomega Discovery Tool Pro (for Windows), EMC Retrospect Express backup
Service and Support	One-year warranty; toll-free phone support is available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET while under warranty; Iomega's site includes online chat with tech support, e-mail to tech support, user forums, FAQs, how-to videos, and downloadable software, manuals, and drivers.

See more CNET content tagged:: Iomega Corp.,; NAS,; UPnP,; capacity,; EMC Corp.

User reviews

Average user rating: 0 stars Not yet available
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1.5 stars

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

"Print Server not for All-In-One, Loud, Hot"

by mcasemo on November 26, 2007

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1.0 stars

"Noisy, doesn't support my printer, difficult to set up."

by BosoxMan on January 12, 2008

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Iomega StorCenter Network Hard Drive (500GB)

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