Using The LinkStation

Using the LinkStation is very easy. Buffalo offers up a really nice browser based utility that is very easy to use. From here you can assign it a name, create new shared folders and set up security. Client computers can find the network drive in their Network Places and, if permission has been given to them, access the drive. Another way to hook up a client computer is to run the Client Setup Utility from the setup CD. The utility will find the LinkStation and install a cool piece of software that allows you to chose what files or folders to back up to the LinkStation. You can backup instantly or schedule a time to do it, like every day at 2AM.

{mosgoogle}The LinkStation Network Storage Center has a very nice compact design and we really like the white and silver finish. We also like how Buffalo integrated the power supply into the LinkStation so there's no additional power brick dangling from the unit's power cord. The front panel houses four LEDs that let you monitor for network activity, drive errors, and power, plus check to see whether the drive is nearly full. To keep the drive inside the LinkStation cool a near silent fan installed at the back of the LinkStation.

Buffalo doesn't list the specs of the drive inside the LinkStation but we suspect it's your garden variety 7200RPM unit, which is more than fast enough to handle a 10/100 network. If you place the LinkStation on a network with multiple users who like to stream MP3 or videos across it, you may experience an occasional hiccup in your media playback. However, this has more to do with the way you set up your network than it does with the LinkStation. Because the LinkStation runs at a maximum 100Mbps network, the unit is slower than a hard drive attached directly to the computer via IDE or SATA connection, so if you run application intensive data, it's best to keep them on the local computer drive than LinkStation drive. If you wish to run applications off the LinkStation and you have a Gigabit network, then you might consider the top of the line 400 GB model as it offers 10/100/1000 speed.

The LinkStation's print server is a really nice added feature. If you're currently sharing a printer with a computer on your network, you should use the LinkStation's print server because printer sharing is a very resource intensive operation. By off-loading the print sharing duty from the host computer you can recoup the resources required to maintain the printing queue.

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