LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini with Gigabit Ethernet (500GB)

CNET Editors' Rating

3.0 stars
    Overall score: 6.8 (3.0 stars)

Good

Average User Rating

19 reviews

As shown: $159.99

See manufacturer site for availability
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LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini with Gigabit Ethernet (500GB) - front LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini with Gigabit Ethernet (500GB) - side LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini with Gigabit Ethernet (500GB) - back
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  • LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini with Gigabit Ethernet (500GB) - front
  • LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini with Gigabit Ethernet (500GB) - side
  • LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini with Gigabit Ethernet (500GB) - back

CNET Editors' Review

CNET Editors' Rating

3.0 stars Good
    Overall score: 6.8 (3.0 stars)
  • Design: 7.0
  • Features: 7.0
  • Performance: 6.0
  • Service and support: 7.0
  • Reviewed by: Ryan Belonga
  • Reviewed on:
Edited by: Felisa Yang

The good: Gigabit Ethernet port; USB port for connecting additional hard drives; UPnP media server; backup software included.

The bad: Read/write times could use some improvement.

The bottom line: The LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini is a decent NAS drive for a good price. If you need more features or faster performance, look elsewhere.

Review:

The LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini is a compact network-attached storage device. It is designed for the home user who doesn't need high performance: it delivers middle-of-the-road performance when reading and writing files over a local network. With a Gigabit Ethernet port, a USB port for direct connection, UPnP-based media server functionality, and a second USB port for storage expansion, the drive offers a wide range of connectivity and uses. At $300 for the 500GB version, it's fairly priced compared to the competition. If you need faster data transfer speeds and don't need the media serving capabilities, consider ... Expand full review

The LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini is a compact network-attached storage device. It is designed for the home user who doesn't need high performance: it delivers middle-of-the-road performance when reading and writing files over a local network. With a Gigabit Ethernet port, a USB port for direct connection, UPnP-based media server functionality, and a second USB port for storage expansion, the drive offers a wide range of connectivity and uses. At $300 for the 500GB version, it's fairly priced compared to the competition. If you need faster data transfer speeds and don't need the media serving capabilities, consider the comparably priced Ximeta NetDisk Portable. And if you'd like even more features such as RAID capability and a built-in print server, take a look at the slightly more expensive (per-gigabyte, that is) HP Media Vault MV2010.

  • Capacities: 250GB, 320GB, 500GB
  • Capacity of test unit: 500GB
  • Number of drives/bays: 1 drive/installed
  • Max capacity: n/a
  • Hot swap/cold swap: n/a
  • Drive speed: 7,200rpm
  • Cache: 16MB
  • Dimension: 1.7x6.8x6.3 inches
  • Notable design features: none
  • Connection options: Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports (one for direct connection to a PC, the other for expansion)
  • OSs supported: MS Windows 98/2000/XP/Vista; Mac OS 9.x/10.2 and up; Linux 2.4 and up
  • Software included: LaCie IP Configurator, LaCie 1-Click Backup Software
  • Any additional features: Connects with hard drives and cameras via USB
  • Service and support: One-year warranty; toll-based phone support available Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST; e-mail support site offers driver and software downloads and FAQs
CNET Labs' throughput tests revealed acceptable read/write performance. Among the NAS drives we've tested, the LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini placed somewhere in the middle. It wrote a 5GB folder of mixed files in 18 minutes, 21 seconds, and read back the same folder in 20 minutes, 10 seconds. The similarly priced Ximeta NetDisk Portable completed the same tasks in 10 minutes, 49 seconds, and 9 minutes, 53 seconds, respectively. Connected directly to our PC test bed via USB, the LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini wrote a 10GB test folder in 39 minutes, 24 seconds, and read back that same folder in 18 minutes, 36 seconds. Either connection is adequate for streaming multimedia content around the home, including high-definition video. The only limitation is your network speed. (It's important to note that USB connection on the LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini communicates using the Internet Protocol. It allows other networked devices to see the drive as a networked drive separate from the computer it's connected to.)

Transfer speed tests (min:sec)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
5GB read test (min:sec)  
5GB write test (min:sec)  
Ximeta NetDisk Portable
09:53 
10:49 
HP Media Vault MV2020
15:12 
13:25 
LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini with Gigabit Ethernet
20:10 
18:21 
Maxtor Shared Storage Plus
21:19 
23:34 
Western Digital NetCenter
21:56 
23:27 
Note: *Tested in RAID 0 mode **Tested in RAID 5 mode
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LaCie Ethernet Disk

LaCie Ethernet Disk

  • Editor's rating: 3.0 out of 5

Average User Rating

1.0 stars out of 19 user reviews

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star: 1
  • 4 star: 0
  • 3 star: 3
  • 2 star: 4
  • 1 star: 11

My Rating

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Most recent user reviews

Showing 3 of 19 reviews

3.0 stars

"4 years old & still working...w/ one help from Support" By tcomments

Pros: Still working after 4 years. Lacie Support was quick and accurate in fixing sole problem.
Low cost when purchased as place to share files at home with family and provide a backup location; it has filled that very well as it gets accessed daily.

Cons: Stopped working within first year. Even though light was on, support suggested new power supply and that solved everything. Just wish it had not happened; after reading other reviews, it sounds like they had a known defect and did not let customers know

Summary: Lacie Support is very good.
The Mini is not a current product, but may be worthwhile on used market if you know it is working. If not, be prepared to try another power supply.

1.0 stars

"Save your money for something else" By Heartstealer101

Pros: Affordable

Cons: The power supply used with this line of NAS drives is garbage. I went through three power supplies,

Summary: Slow, Garbage Power Supply ... overall a piece of junk.

Where to Buy

MSRP: $159.99
See manufacturer site for availability
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Specifications

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Quick Specs

  • Product Description: LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini - NAS server
  • Total Storage Capacity: 500 GB
  • Compatibility: Mac PC

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Where to Buy

MSRP: $159.99
See manufacturer site for availability
Set price alert

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