Conclusion:
The Vantec NexStar LX is a quick and easy option for anyone looking to add network attached storage to their personal network, or perhaps even a small office / home office. Vantec has a well respected history of building quality drive enclosures, making their offering even more attractive in this growing segment of the market.
When connected via USB, the NexStar LX functions simply as an external hard drive with no server capabilities, but it does offer excellent data transfer speeds. When connected via Ethernet, the true power of the NexStar LX is unleashed and you can take full advantage of the SMB and FTP server applications built in to the device.
The interface is easy to navigate and provides the basic functionality that many users would want. You can quickly create folders to share on your local network through SMB, and using Window's "Map Network Drive" you can have it available on any PC on your network right from Windows Explorer. The FTP server is just as easy to use, and with perhaps a bit of configuration in your firewall you can be sharing your files with the rest of the world in no time.
Cooling your drive was definitely well considered by Vantec, as the NexStar LX offers both a passive heatsink to draw heat out of the enclosure, as well as a variable speed fan to contribute even more to your drive's health. Throughout testing, even with many consecutive hours of data transfers, the drive stayed relatively cool and quiet.
There aren't many negatives to list with this device, but I do have some wish list items that Vantec might want to consider for future versions. The first is that the area inside the enclosure is rather cramped, and a hard drive just barely fits. Having a bit more room would be nice, and it might help with airflow around the drive which could aid in cooling. The second is that the network connection is capable of 10/100 Mbps speeds only. With Gigabit LAN really becoming more common these days, it would be great if a device like this could take advantage of such speeds.
A search of PriceGrabber turns up nothing, but looking around the web shows that the Vantec NexStar LX is available at a few outlets. XPCGear.com is one store with the device in stock, and it carries a $73.99 price. The price is not out of line for this type of device, but there are other options on the market that do cost less, or perhaps do more for about the same amount of money. Vantec does have a reputation for quality, so it may be worth investing in a product like this from such a trusted name.
Considering the design, performance, and simple user interface, the Vantec NexStar LX gets a final rating of being "Recommended".
Pros:
» Fast USB 2.0 transfers
» Decent user interface
» Active and passive cooling help keep drive cool
» Variable speed cooling fan
» Sleek and stylish
Cons:
» Tight installation
» Speed is 10/100 Mbps only
Special thanks to Vantec USA for providing the Vantec NexStar LX NAS Hard Drive Enclosure to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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