May 6th, 2009
LaCie reveals 1.5TB d2, 4TB Big Disk NAS for home office
Storage company LaCie has announced the availability of two new high-capacity Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, the “Big Disk Network” and “d2 Network,” that the company says deliver high-performance and professional-class reliability, and are intended for the home or small office.
Both NAS devices can be used in small to medium sized offices that want to develop workgroup environments for up to 50 users, 15 at one time. Network administrators can choose from various security levels for user profiles, groups, and public or guest access.
The d2 Network (below) supports up to 1.5TB capacity, while the Big Disk Network (above) combines two drives in a RAID 0 setting for up to 4TB of storage. Users can connect an external USB drive to increase security through scheduled backups or expand capacity. The d2 Network also includes an eSATA connection for storage expansion.
Both come loaded with LaCie’s Network Assistant software for configuration and Genie Backup Manager Pro for Windows and Intego Backup Manager Pro for Mac users. Both also have Active Directory support and support most of the network protocols for Windows and Mac users, including SMB and AFP. There’s also Wake-on-LAN (WOL) for system admins to turn on the drive remotely, and be sent email alerts for backups, downloads, and risk indicators.
Both devices can handle the BitTorrent protocol and media playback through a UPnP-AV compatible device such as a PS3 or Xbox, directly to a television. (Both NAS drives are compatible with any DLNA multimedia device.)
Both devices are clad in aluminum with a heat sink design that LaCie says provides 60% more surface area. D2 drives can be rackmounted using standard 19″ IT equipment racks.
Both the d2 Network and the Big Disk Network NAS devices are available now, the former starting at $189.99 and the latter, $379.99.
Andrew J. Nusca is an associate editor for ZDNet and SmartPlanet.
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