Conclusion:
Overall the
Buffalo Technology CloudStor 2TB NAS server is a really good device. The incorporation of a media server, remote file sharing server, BitTorrent server, and backup server all in one low-power, low cost unit makes this a great value. The ability to expand your storage to 4TB and beyond, is both practical and a virtual necessity.
Wth all of it's positives, there is one minor negative - and this one may not be a deal breaker for everyone. The problem lies with Time Machine backups. The issue is that Apple has changed the protocol it uses for backups - OS X Lion uses DHX2, while earlier Mac OSes used DHCAST128. Most manufacturers are trying to deal with this and some have fixes out already. Buffalo has a fix for some of their other devices, but has not issued a fix for the CloudStor units. The have, however, issued a statement regarding their delay:
The CloudStor will not get an update to resolve this issue until August 29th, and I am sorry about that. I will however tell you why (and also give you a sneak peek). We have been developing an update to the CloudStor with a host of really cool new features. Because we are a month away from updating the whole firmware package, the engineers are unable to put out a Beta because there would be a whole host of things that would no longer work or work poorly. Here are a couple of things that will go into the new firmware to, hopefully, hold you over:
» RSS support for BitTorrent
» New GUI
» Private and Public Shares
» Designate Multiple Users
» USB Drive Support
A quick check of the Bigbruin.com shopping engine reveals that the Buffalo CloudStor 2TB NAS can be found at
a few online retailers for as little as $179.99 (US), while further searches reveal that it can be found for a bit less at
Amazon.com, where it is $174.99 with free shipping.
For it's plethora of highly prized features combined with a reasonable price, the
Buffalo Technology CloudStor 2TB NAS server earns the Bigbruin.com "Highly Recommended" award.
Pros:
» Compact size, low power, and flexible power options
» Expandable storage
» Ability to share media over wireless and cell networks
» Can backup both PCs and Macs
Cons:
» Issue with Macs running OS X Lion (10.7) - a fix is coming!
» Only holds two hard drives
» No Mac version of NAS Navigator
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comments or questions.
