Satisfaction in all respects

After a few days of intensive use I would not fail to leave the LinkStation Live a positive report. I was a little skeptical before buying as some negative reports circulating on the net and also here at Amazon, the LinkStation Live is not praised beyond all measure.

But for my needs this NAS delivers superior performance at a comparatively low price.

In our household 3 external drives are already in use, ranging in volume from pleasantly quiet (WD Elements) excessively (TrekStor DataStation maxi z.ul) to annoying (WD My Book Essential Edition).

It's amazing that the LinkStation Live the slightest plate of all is - in spite of a built-in fan. When a device is permanently in close proximity in operation, I want to have it quiet. The fanless Network Space LaCie I had again returned because the operating noise of the plate is unacceptably high and audible rattles File Access the read / write head. Disk and fan are in LinkStation Live of excellent quality.

The housing is generally very well made and gives a solid impression. The power supply is integrated into the device, an estimable property.

Commissioning designed to be easily. The establishment of different directories for different purposes (with or without access permissions), a user or group is easy.

The integrated Media Server provides audio files for iTunes available on the network ready.

The unit delivers on a Fast Ethernet port of a Fritz! Box sufficient speed when writing and reading, connected directly to the Gigabit port on your computer, it is again a whole lot faster. For my purposes, the speed is with Fast Ethernet (100 Mbit / s) at the time nor sufficient. Only the initial data transfer of a large inventory I I LinkStation Live is connected directly to the computer.

Access from Windows XP and Mac OS X (Leopard) by a MacBook Pro is equally straightforward. The system of LinkStation Live support even AppleTalk addition to SMB or FTP. AppleTalk can achieve something higher data throughput on Mac OS, but then by the length of the file name (31 characters) or the file size (2 GB) limit. This restriction does not apply when accessing shared directories via SMB, doing precisely the rate is slightly lower. I can therefore but live well.

With very little effort - something readiness for reading, courage and basic Linux - can modify the software to the LinkStation Live. Popular among others the replacement of the existing media server by eg Firefly or Twonky. As a "hobbyist" you will therefore have particular fun with this device. Personally, I have enough of the preinstalled server although Firefly and Twonky had hinteralssen significantly better impressions.

The system is supported by a huge community around the world, you will find actually any question or any problem at least one answer. A wide "community" is worth something and benefited from the LinkStation Live.

Initially you will be annoyed about the added really slow reacting Web browser interface for configuration. I called it in any case a lot of patience from. One should then but be fair, take into account that the box is not permanently configured, but this is only at start-up and later is the case maybe in the short term. The remaining time is but uses the actual "functions" of the drive - Accessing Shares or provided by the media server contents.

I am glad that I came to the LinkStation Live after some looking for a good, quiet solution. With the product, I am very satisfied and recommend it further.