2XL Networks

We've used a Linksys NSLU2 in the past to provide a small, easy-to-use, Network Attached Storage device (or NAS) for a small office, and it works fairly well. A NAS is basically a very simple file server that just provides disk space on the network for file sharing, backup, storage, etc. In the case of the Linksys NSLU2 you just plug in one or two USB drives, start up the device, and after some simple configuration and formatting, you've got storage space.

The NSLU2 has a few nice features. For instance, if you have two drives connected, you can choose to use them both for file storage, or you have one automatically back up to the other on a scheduled basis. This way if one drive goes bad, you have another one with all your data.

While the NSLU2 is a small device that uses very little power, one of the complaints about it is that it can be slow. Another concern is that it only supports FTP (File Transfver Protocol) and SMB. (SMB is typically used by Windows computers.) If you want a NAS that supports AFP (Apple File Protocol) as well as other protocols, you might look at something like FreeNAS. We plan on doing some testing with FreeNAS to see what it can do. It seems a bit more full-featured than the Linksys NSLU2, though the question is, do we trade simplicity and stability for a device that requires much more power but offers more features?