Chris Pirillo » NAS

Do You Have Network Media Storage?

Chris — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:39:33 +0000

Do You Have Network Media Storage? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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There’s something to be said for having network attached storage. If you haven’t invested in any hardware yet, you might consider HP’s new offering. It’s a bit more than the average NAS device. Not only was HP at Macworld showing off their Media Smart Server, they also received a trophy for “Best in Show”!!

Maximize the power and potential of your home network with the HP EX475 MediaSmart Server, which enables you to conveniently centralize your files and access them from multiple PCs in your home. Based on AMD Live processing power, the MediaSmart Server enables you to back up your home’s PCs as well as share and enjoy digital music, home videos and photos from any computer or entertainment system on a home network. The server also has the expandability to grow with your family’s changing needs.

This is so far beyond a regular old NAS drive. The HP Media Smart Server runs what is called Windows Home Server operating system. HP introduced the first generation about fifteen months ago, and feedback was amazing! Install the client software on your PC. Once it’s installed on the PC, you can connect to your Mac as well.

You’ll get a preferences pane that opens up, and all of your computers will connect to it. Time Machine on the Mac will even back up to the Media Server. Simply specify how much space on the HP you want to use, and schedule your backup. It couldn’t be simpler to keep copies of all of your files for safe-keeping. The fact that you can use the HP Media Smart Server to do backups across all of your network is something that the folks at HP are very excited about.

They Media Server is expandable up to 9TB of storage!! That’s a lot of file storage, folks. Think about it… an average home user will likely never have that much stuff to back up. Imagine putting every file from every computer on your home network all in one place. If there’s ever a home emergency… grab that ONE machine and go! That type of peace of mind is well worth the cost.

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Are the Best NAS Options Free?

Chris — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 14:55:21 +0000

Are the Best NAS Options Free? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I’ve reviewed a few different NAS devices in the past. Do you have a PC sitting around with hard drives in it, that isn’t being used for anything? There’s a utility that can turn any old PC into an NAS device. The utility at FreeNAS is open-source!

FreeNAS is a free NAS (Network-Attached Storage) server, supporting: CIFS (samba), FTP, NFS, AFP, RSYNC, iSCSI protocols, S.M.A.R.T., local user authentication, Software RAID (0,1,5) with a Full WEB configuration interface. FreeNAS takes less than 32MB once installed on Compact Flash, hard drive or USB key.

They run through everything you need to get you up and going. You can boot off of a CD or even a USB stick. You’ll have probably the most extensive interface you’ve ever seen for NAS. I’ve had paid programs for this in the past, and they weren’t even this extensive. This is running from Linux, and is just seriously extensive. Everything you can think of you might need from a file storage machine, you will find within Free NAS.

If you have an old computer sitting around collecting dust, you might as well convert it into something. Serve yourself up some files! Don’t leave them on your computer. Turn your old machine into a file server, and make your life easier.

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Which NAS Device are you Using for Network File Storage?

Chris — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:05:16 +0000

Which NAS Device are you Using for Network File Storage? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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For years, I used a computer on my home network as a file server. I then used that file server to share files throughout my network. Some of you may be using Windows Home Server to serve up your files, but you may want to think about getting a NAS device. NAS stands for “Network-Attached Storage” devices. They are enclosures with hard drives inside them that could be accessible anywhere on the network. Then as NAS prices started to drop, they became a more feasible option for me. One NAS option for you is the Synology DS207.

DS207 is designed with Windows ADS authentication, USB printer sharing, dynamic website hosting, and data backup. The ultra-high-density file storing capability gives business users the freedom to store twice as much data. With the RAID 1 protection, DS207 can further prevent data loss from inevitable disaster.
When the hard drive on DS207 is full, you can expand more storage simply by attaching an external USB hard drive to the DS207.
DS207 is designed for Windows users and Mac users to share files seamlessly. Windows users can access DS207 via Samba and FTP, and Mac users via Samba, FTP, and AFP. Unicode support allows sharing files smoothly in different languages.

It’s designed to keep the unit cool, and running quietly. There is remote file management within a Web browser. You can even do Website hosting, with support for PhP and MySQL, which is kinda neat.

The front is quite interesting, with all the lights and a USB port. But, it’s not just any USB port. If I plug something into it, it will automatically suck all the data off the device, and copy it onto the NAS. On the back, you have the fan and a couple of USB 2.0 ports where you can plug in a printer or other device.

When I first heard about Synology through a friend, I couldn’t believe they were right here in Seattle. I couldn’t believe I had never heard of them. I did my research first. For me, it’s all about usability, working cross-platform, and Web-based features. So, I was excited to find that not only are they right here in my hometown, they also have a large variety of products to suit all of your needs.

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Dealing with Hard Drives NAS, eSATA, and ZFS

Chris — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:56:43 +0000

Dealing with Hard Drives NAS, eSATA, and ZFS is a post from Chris Pirillo

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http://live.pirillo.com/ – The round table got into a pretty deep discussion about SATA drives, and different ways of getting more storage on your computer.

Four of my friends joined me for this discussion: Kat, SC_Thor, Wirelesspacket, and last but certainly not least… Datalore.

An eSATA port is built into most newer motherboards. This is a port built right into the back of your computer that allows you to plug in an external hard drive directly, allowing it to run at much faster speeds.

Drobo is the world’s first storage robot. It keeps your data safe by automatically monitoring and repairing problems that could put your data at risk.

ZFS is a new kind of file system that provides simple administration, transactional semantics, end-to-end data integrity, and immense scalability. ZFS is not an incremental improvement to existing technology; it is a fundamentally new approach to data management.

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How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

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VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.