fast home NAS

I'm currently using a Linksys NSLU2 for home networking/storage but not
too happy with its speed. I have a couple of usb hard drives plugged into it
and 5.5Mb/sec seems to be the fastest I can get out of it. Having googled
around about this is it seems that this is the normal max for this device,
even with the latest firmware and overclocking etc.
So I'd be grateful for opinions/experiences about a faster NAS. It would be
good if I could use my existing USB drives...
I'd like to aim for about 15-20Mb/sec if anyone knows of a low power home
device that will do this, thanks for any pointers.

tg wrote:
> I'm currently using a Linksys NSLU2 for home networking/storage but not
> too happy with its speed. I have a couple of usb hard drives plugged
> into it
> and 5.5Mb/sec seems to be the fastest I can get out of it. Having googled
> around about this is it seems that this is the normal max for this device,
> even with the latest firmware and overclocking etc.
> So I'd be grateful for opinions/experiences about a faster NAS. It would be
> good if I could use my existing USB drives...
> I'd like to aim for about 15-20Mb/sec if anyone knows of a low power home
> device that will do this, thanks for any pointers.

have you done the math?
Hint: What's the throughput of a 100mbit ethernet?
I've found the cheapest way to NAS is with a Dell GX270 SFF
computer. Has gigabit ethernet and can be had for under $20
at garage sales and swapmeets. Downside is power consumption...save
the planet...

On 5/2/2011 10:21 AM, tg wrote:
> I'm currently using a Linksys NSLU2 for home networking/storage but not
> too happy with its speed. I have a couple of usb hard drives plugged into it
> and 5.5Mb/sec seems to be the fastest I can get out of it. Having googled
> around about this is it seems that this is the normal max for this device,
> even with the latest firmware and overclocking etc.
> So I'd be grateful for opinions/experiences about a faster NAS. It would be
> good if I could use my existing USB drives...
> I'd like to aim for about 15-20Mb/sec if anyone knows of a low power home
> device that will do this, thanks for any pointers.

I have a couple of Iomega NAS units and they are about the same speed as
yours although I can't test to obtain an exact number right now because of
some other stuff running on the network.

Have you looked at the PogoPlug device?

http://www.pogoplug.com/products-pogoplug.html

These have a gigabit ethernet connection and may work a bit faster for you.
The device connects multiple USB2.0 storage devices although I don't know
exactly how many.

tg wrote:
> I'm currently using a Linksys NSLU2 for home networking/storage but not
> too happy with its speed. I have a couple of usb hard drives plugged
> into it
> and 5.5Mb/sec seems to be the fastest I can get out of it. Having googled
> around about this is it seems that this is the normal max for this device,
> even with the latest firmware and overclocking etc.
> So I'd be grateful for opinions/experiences about a faster NAS. It would be
> good if I could use my existing USB drives...
> I'd like to aim for about 15-20Mb/sec if anyone knows of a low power home
> device that will do this, thanks for any pointers.

There is a list of devices tested here.

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/nas/nas-charts/view

USB2 is limited to about 30MB/sec or so. Maybe 35MB/sec tops. So you
wouldn't expect USB2 to set any records. It would be better to put
the drives inside the device, if it has the hardware to go faster
than that.

Just for chuckles, the fastest one in the chart, is $640 and has four bays.
For that price, I'd rather build my own computer to do the job.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822108059

Paul

"mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ipmrhh$ic5$(E-Mail Removed)...
> tg wrote:
>> I'm currently using a Linksys NSLU2 for home networking/storage but not
>> too happy with its speed. I have a couple of usb hard drives plugged into
>> it
>> and 5.5Mb/sec seems to be the fastest I can get out of it. Having googled
>> around about this is it seems that this is the normal max for this
>> device,
>> even with the latest firmware and overclocking etc.
>> So I'd be grateful for opinions/experiences about a faster NAS. It would
>> be
>> good if I could use my existing USB drives...
>> I'd like to aim for about 15-20Mb/sec if anyone knows of a low power home
>> device that will do this, thanks for any pointers.
>
> have you done the math?
> Hint: What's the throughput of a 100mbit ethernet?

I don't know what 100mbit throughput is and I'm unfamiliar with the math,
but I also run an old cobalt raq4r server connected to the same router as
the linksys nas and that gives 12Mb/sec so its not the network.

On 2/05/2011 11:51 PM, tg wrote:
> I'm currently using a Linksys NSLU2 for home networking/storage but not
> too happy with its speed. I have a couple of usb hard drives plugged
> into it
> and 5.5Mb/sec seems to be the fastest I can get out of it. Having googled
> around about this is it seems that this is the normal max for this device,
> even with the latest firmware and overclocking etc.
> So I'd be grateful for opinions/experiences about a faster NAS. It would be
> good if I could use my existing USB drives...
> I'd like to aim for about 15-20Mb/sec if anyone knows of a low power home
> device that will do this, thanks for any pointers.

I am currently using a "NetDISK" from Iocell, over a Gigabit ethernet.

I'm using this from 3 local PCs. Seems to work well, and is simple to use.

http://www.iocellnetworks.com/netdisk-solo-newfast/

(oh! it seems the new link is
http://www.buyalldisk.com/index.php/...enclosure.html)

the technology was originally developed (I believe) by Ximeta.
http://www.ximeta.com/web/

tg wrote:
>
>
> "mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:ipmrhh$ic5$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> tg wrote:
>>> I'm currently using a Linksys NSLU2 for home networking/storage but not
>>> too happy with its speed. I have a couple of usb hard drives plugged
>>> into it
>>> and 5.5Mb/sec seems to be the fastest I can get out of it. Having
>>> googled
>>> around about this is it seems that this is the normal max for this
>>> device,
>>> even with the latest firmware and overclocking etc.
>>> So I'd be grateful for opinions/experiences about a faster NAS. It
>>> would be
>>> good if I could use my existing USB drives...
>>> I'd like to aim for about 15-20Mb/sec if anyone knows of a low power
>>> home
>>> device that will do this, thanks for any pointers.
>>
>> have you done the math?
>> Hint: What's the throughput of a 100mbit ethernet?
>
> I don't know what 100mbit throughput is and I'm unfamiliar with the math,
> but I also run an old cobalt raq4r server connected to the same router
> as the linksys nas and that gives 12Mb/sec so its not the network.

Ok, I read your first post more carefully.
The low numbers led me to infer bytes instead of bits.
My Bad.
You want 20 megaBITS/second. That should be dead easy.

I'm getting 3MBYTES/second out of a Hawking NAS-1. That's one of the
slowest devices on the planet. Way too slow for my attention span.
I was getting 14MBYTES/second out of a Dell GX270 with a USB2-connected
slow green drive and gigabit ethernet.

Why not just put the usb drives on one of the computers and share 'em on the
network?

"Paul" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ipn0kp$40q$(E-Mail Removed)...
> tg wrote:
>> I'm currently using a Linksys NSLU2 for home networking/storage but not
>> too happy with its speed. I have a couple of usb hard drives plugged into
>> it
>> and 5.5Mb/sec seems to be the fastest I can get out of it. Having googled
>> around about this is it seems that this is the normal max for this
>> device,
>> even with the latest firmware and overclocking etc.
>> So I'd be grateful for opinions/experiences about a faster NAS. It would
>> be
>> good if I could use my existing USB drives...
>> I'd like to aim for about 15-20Mb/sec if anyone knows of a low power home
>> device that will do this, thanks for any pointers.
>
> There is a list of devices tested here.
>
> http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/nas/nas-charts/view
>
> USB2 is limited to about 30MB/sec or so. Maybe 35MB/sec tops. So you
> wouldn't expect USB2 to set any records. It would be better to put
> the drives inside the device, if it has the hardware to go faster
> than that.
>
> Just for chuckles, the fastest one in the chart, is $640 and has four
> bays.
> For that price, I'd rather build my own computer to do the job.

Exactly - and use that old motherboard and CPU combo that's lying around
from the last upgrade...

"Gorby" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:eoIvp.3331$(E-Mail Removed) nd.com...
> On 2/05/2011 11:51 PM, tg wrote:
>
> I am currently using a "NetDISK" from Iocell, over a Gigabit ethernet.

thanks, and what data speeds are you getting with this device?

"GT" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:4dbfce75$0$1646$c3e8da3$(E-Mail Removed) b.com...
> "Paul" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:ipn0kp$40q$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> Exactly - and use that old motherboard and CPU combo that's lying around
> from the last upgrade...

I've got loads of those lying around but they eat up electricity, way more
than a dedicated NAS. It isn't financially sensible and I'm struggling to
pay the bills as it is...