Entered CNET Catalog: 02/26/2004
SKU: NDU10-250
Manufacturer: XiMeta, Inc.
Manufacturer description
NetDisk with NDAS Technology is the only external Hard Disk Drive (HDD) that can be connected directly to either your computer or your Local Area Network (LAN) using an Ethernet cable or directly to your computer using a USB cable! Now you can easily share additional storage with everyone on your network. NetDisk utilizes XIMETA's own NDAS Technology, making it easy to add instant, high-speed storage to your PC while giving you the option to share. Designed with ease of use and expandability in mind, this external storage solution combines high performance, reliability, security, and versatility. Its value can also be found in the non-PC environment. For example, Digital TV broadcasting has already been launched. Home networking is being improved and popularized, and the game industry (currently represented by the PS2 and X-box) is growing. In this age of home networking, NetDisk makes it possible to save digital TV recordings, digital audio recordings, and digital camera movie files onto a single network storage system and share this data with different kinds of terminals, including TVs, audio components, PCs, etc.Product summary
The good: Ethernet and USB 2.0 connections; quick setup; good throughput.
The bad: All clients must have NetDisk software; only Windows XP/2000 clients can simultaneously write to disk; expensive; lacks FTP server.
The bottom line: If your computer's hard drive is choking on all that the Internet has to offer, Ximeta's NetDisk can be a place to stash it all quickly and easily.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 10/18/2004
Inside the NetDisk's silver-and-black plastic case is a 7,200rpm hard drive with an 8MB buffer. Our 120GB unit yielded 111GB of usable space after formatting. The kit comes with all you'll need to get connected, including a power adapter, USB and Ethernet cables, and a CD with software and a thorough electronic manual. The drive can sit flat or, as Ximeta recommends, on its side (for heat dissipation). The lack of a cooling fan means that the NetDisk is smaller than the Maxtor OneTouch or Buffalo's LinkStation, though a fan can be an important factor in a drive's longevity. Constructionwise, the NetDisk feels flimsy. The black-plastic side pieces shift around a little when jiggled, and the on/off switch doesn't seem sturdy enough to handle heavy use. LEDs on the top-rear edge indicate power and drive activity.
The NetDisk amalgamates an external hard drive for a single computer (via USB) and a network hard drive (via Ethernet). The setup is essentially the same for both scenarios. After you run the included installation CD on one or more connected computers and enter the hard drive's product code (printed on the bottom of the drive), the NetDisk appears in Windows under the computer's next available drive letter. By default, the drive will appear on every computer onto which you've loaded the NetDisk software. But by using the Administrator tool, you can manually map the drive to particular machines. You can also use the Administrator software to see a drive's status (such as how much disk space remains) and to view and change a client's read/write privileges. Happily, unlike Maxtor's OneTouch, the drive doesn't automatically reformat itself when you connect it for the first time. It comes preformatted with FAT32 but also supports NTSF.
With the help of Network Direct Attached Storage technology, the NetDisk moves data between the computer and the drive without the overhead of TCP/IP. To the user it appears as a local drive. The absence of an FTP server means that while you can use the NetDisk to optimize data transfer on a LAN, you won't be able to access it remotely--a feature that other networked drives offer. With a pair of NetDisks, you can create a cheap storage array that can mirror data (you set up mirroring through the included software). The drive works with computers running Windows, Red Hat Linux, or Mac OS X 10.2 or higher, but not all OSs get the same perks. For example, only Windows XP and 2000 clients can simultaneously read and write data. All the others can read simultaneously, but they have to write one at a time, waiting their turn using a software token arrangement.
In addition to the 120GB drive we tested, NetDisk is available in 80GB, 160GB, and 250GB capacities for between $150 and $400. Over the course of a week of hard use, the drive ran quietly and dependably, handling everything we threw at it from a variety of clients. In fact, the NetDisk was able to work simultaneously with four PCs, playing MP3 tunes on one, running Auran's resource-intensive Trainz simulation game on another, showing a video on the third--a wirelessly connected notebook--and moving files on the fourth. Everything went without a data hiccup.
In our informal tests using an IBM ThinkPad R50, the NetDisk read and wrote in USB mode at 96.8Mbps and 131.5Mbps, respectively, which puts it a half step behind Maxtor's OneTouch. In network mode, it moved a variety of files back and forth at 42.5Mbps, 30 percent faster than Buffalo's LinkStation.
In addition to the drivers on the included CD, the NetDisk comes with Symantec's V2i Protector backup software, Norton Internet Security 2004, and the JetAudio jukebox program. Unfortunately, it can't match the ease of OneTouch's automated backup.
Ximeta's one-year warranty is standard for an external hard drive, but you'll need to register the drive within 90 days for it to take effect. The company's Web site has FAQs, software downloads, and e-mail links for service, but its chat room wasn't operational, and some of the pages were in Italian. Phone support is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, and a human being came on the line with an answer to our question after just over three minutes.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8out of 8 user reviews
Netdisk, slow and not worth the money
Pros: It is small......
Cons: Very slow performance
out of 8 user reviews
Had to send in for replacement
Pros: USB worked fast
Cons: Setup and required software; Wireless didn't work
out of 8 user reviews
Runs very hot, not durable
Pros: Simple setup - Good while it lasted
Cons: Unit dead after 13 months
out of 8 user reviews
MIne's been running for a year, no probs
Pros: Easy setup, ethernet, shareable
Cons: Worry about heat.
out of 8 user reviews
Quite useful for secure file backup that is fireproof
Pros: Easily networkable
Cons: Driver has large footprint
Most house fires start at the bottom and go up, so you reduce your chances of data loss in a fire this way.
out of 8 user reviews
Decent but not robust
Pros: Pretty cheap for networked storage
Cons: Flimsy On/Off switch - glitchy software for multiple users
Overall I am happy. The machine serves its purpose, but I wish I held out for a machine with a print server now.
out of 8 user reviews
Quick and Easy to Setup and Use
Pros: Very small footprint, drivers have been updated to permit simultaneous r/w access from different computers, Ximeta has free b/u software on website that is set-and-forget.
Cons: OS will crash if wireless connection to device is lost.
out of 8 user reviews
Home Storage Area Network
Pros: Easy way to add a lot of shared disk storage to your home eathernet network. Relative Inexpensive. Makes drive backup/imaging a snap. Is a easy and safe way to share data on your internal network without lowering the firewalls on any of your attached c
Cons: Does not use standard protocols, requiring you to install a bit of software on all coumputers you want to access the device. You can only have one system at a time open the device in read/write mode.
