The Planex NAS-01G is a single drive Network Attached Storage ( NAS ), that allows for easy back up / storage of your data. With multimedia files now growing in the hundreds of megabytes, if not gigabytes, it only makes sense to invest in a large capacity storage solution to store these files in.

We will be looking at the Planex NAS-01G Gigabit Network Attached Storage today, and compare it to other traditional methods of file storage.

Features

• Support 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet port for network connection .
• Provides 2 USB port for printer and storage.
• Web-base UI for easy configuration .
• Support EXT3 internal H.D file format .
• Support FAT16/32, EXT3 USB Storage file format .
• Auto Networking Configuration Utility for Window O/S .
• Provides Web Server to create a personal web site easily.
• Bulit-in FTP server for user conveniently transfer files by using FTP client.
• Supports CIFS/SMB for Microsoft Network remote users easily retrieve files by using"My Neighborbood".
• Support all standard ATA 133 3.5"IDE HD up to 400G .
• Auto-detect HD for new installed HD(Existed folder and file)
• Provides HD formatting function for new HD or USB storage.
• Provides Password security for Web management & HD Access.
• Supports Unicode for different language character .
• Compatible Windows 95/98/98SE/ME/2000/XP/ NT4.0 .

Specification

Installation

Setting up the NAS-01G was a little tougher than that. You have to install the PNMD software suite, in order to detect the NAS.

A simple wizard will guide you through the installation process If your network is on fixed IPs. You may need to configure with the IP/DHCP settings.

Note:
The packaging states that it supports FAT 16 / FAT 32, but the manual states that the hard drive has to be formatted in EXT3 format, before it will even be recognized. As my hard drive was in NTFS format, it had to be formatted first. Formatting takes a zippy 3 minutes 45 seconds to complete.

A Web GUI is available for more intricate adjustments.

With a NAS, some factors need to be considered:

Thus Two tests will be performed:

We copied the contents of Microsoft Windows XP SP2 from one hard drive to the NAS, and back to the hard drive. Windows XP SP2 has about 6996 Files, 204 Folders and takes up about 618MB ( 648,905,830 bytes ), as reported by the WinXP Operating System.

AnalogX Netstats Live shows that the bandwidth obtained, using the integrated Broadcom Gigabit LAN of the Gigabyte GI-975X motherboard yielded a maximum of 12MB/s. There seems to be some serious bottleneck here, as a connection to my home server, which is utilizing an Intel Pro/1000 integrated Gigabit network adaptor, yielded a maximum of 27MB/s.

It should be noted that current generation hard drives yield about 20 - 70MB/s of data throughput.

Using Pinnacle Studio 10.5 Titanium Edition, I was able to capture DV quality video without any frame drops. Considering that the bandwidth needed for sustained DV transfers is 3.6MB/s, the NAS-01G should not have any problems capturing video.

Rendering of the sample footage to MPEG2 DVD Compatible format took 1 minute 23 seconds, for rendering to either the Internal SATA Drive, or the NAS-01G.

Besides being easy to setup, the Planex NAS-01g provides a simple and affordable solution for people to back up their important data in a device that is operational 24/7. More stable than an external USB enclosure, Planex created this as a setup and forget box. You set it up, then you forget that it ever existed. Any maintenance work can be done through the Web GUI. Heck, even setting it up is simple enough for those who are not too IT savvy.

I would have preferred if Planex had the power supply built into the casing. True, the NAS device might be bigger, but it will produce less of a clutter. Also the slow transfer speed might be a point of contention with those transferring huge multimedia files in the region of several gigabytes a single file.

With a plethora of storage solutions available in the market, the Planex NAS-01G is a recommended solution for SOHO and home users who need to share data without switching on their PCs. The Planex NAS-01G has a Suggested Retail Price of SGD$229/ USD$150.

More information about this product can be obtained from their offical website.