Provides: File, print, and media sharing over a home network
Developer: Cirago
Compatibility: Mac OS X, iOS, Windows, protocols include: Samba, SMB, RAW, UPnP, WebDAV
Price: $79.99
Availability: Now
Cirago’s NUS2000 offers a veritable treasure trove of networked goodies to those willing to navigate the small maze of settings, configurations, and options. Plugging the NUS2000 into your network makes file, print, and media sharing simple, while the built-in BitTorrent client can automatically store downloaded content to your new network-attached storage for easy retrieval. The biggest advantage the Cirago offers is when you leave your own network; the NUS2000 connects with the CiragoLink service, turning the drives connected to your NUS2000 into your own personal cloud storage.
Major Features
The NUS2000 features 4 USB ports, each supporting up to 2TB of connected storage each (for a total of 8TB). The good news is that the unit supplies enough power for bus-powered drives, though these usually top out at a max capacity of 1TB since bus-powered enclosures typically support smaller capacity 2.5 inch drives. The integrated print server makes it easy to share any printer over your local network, though at the expense of a USB port (reducing storage space). Setup of a network printer is relatively easy, as the NUS2000 uses Bonjour to broadcast the printer—just be sure you know the exact model number of your printer, as you must choose the driver manually (most major manufacturers’ drivers come built-in to OS X). Multi-function device owners take note; there is no protocol for sharing scan functions via a network (which is no fault of Cirago’s), so scanning and faxing may still require your device to be plugged directly into your Mac.
The NUS2000 is mainly designed to allow easy deployment of network-attached storage (NAS) to your home network, so it offers many advanced filesharing features, including:
- built-in iTunes server for sharing one or more music libraries
- streaming of photos, movies, and music to entertainment devices via the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) protocol (this is not a standard Apple widely follows, since AirPlay offers many similar features)
- multiple user accounts/permissions for file sharing access; shared drives are available through either Samba or WebDAV, allowing for access across Macs (either standard), PCs (Samba), and iDevices (WebDav)
Setup
Cirago touts a simple and clear web interface for setting up the NUS2000′s various features and functions; this claim is true so long as you have a basic understanding of networking concepts and terminology. If any of the words in the following paragraph are unfamiliar to you, you might want to brush up on your networking skills or find a more technically-inclined friend/relation to set things up. If you are using the NUS2000 for anything business-critical, make sure you have adequate tech support, as there are several important settings and security functions you should get properly configured. While it offers several great features, the NUS2000 does not follow the Apple mantra of “It Just Works,” due mainly to its implementation of a multitude of standards and flexibility of configuration (as opposed to Apple’s one-way or nothing approach).
The NUS2000 is configured through a very straightforward web interface, accessed on port 1010 of the device’s local address (again, if this sounds like Greek to you, find somebody who has experience to do your setup). Access to this interface is the first hurdle for Mac users, as the device requires a change from the default 10.0 IP address range AirPort routers typically provide. It is possible to reassign the device a static IP within your existing range, though the AirPort configuration utility easily lets you set a different DHCP range. The NUS2000′s web admin interface is available from either your desktop or iOS device; Cirago’s iPhone interface is actually more pleasant to use for routine tasks, though it only offers configuration of about 95% of the NUS2000′s features.
Once the device is set up, you can utilize the web interface to name, partition, or reformat disks, as well as set up user and file permissions. Permissions can be restricted to allow access to a whole disk, a specific partition, or all the way down to the folder level. One of the NUS2000′s weaknesses (for Mac users, at least), is its exclusion of the Apple filesystem HFS, with support only of NTFS, FAT32, or EXT2 formatted disks. Although OSX will happily read all and write to some of these formats, there are certain limitations not present HFS disks, such as use of lowercase and some special characters in disk and file names. In addition, there is no RAID capability, so each disk shows up on its own (a massive 8TB RAID would be great, but is not feasible at the Cirago’s sub-$100 pricepoint). Setup of filesharing over the Internet requires registration of an e-mail and password with the CiragoLink service, which is simple, and entry of these credentials into the NUS2000′s web admin. Once that is done, any files stored on disks attached to the NUS2000 are accessible from anywhere you have an Internet connection.
With a few caveats, the NUS2000 is an excellent way to add file, iTunes, media, and printer sharing to your local network, and to make files available via a personal cloud. One caveat for use includes the complex features available, which require at least an intermediate knowledge of networking configuration and setup. Another is the lack of support for HFS-formatted drives, which imposes some unusual limitations on use (the drives attached to the NUS2000 can be used for Time Machine, though this is not officially supported and may put your backup data in danger).
Overall, Cirago’s NUS2000 has great features and a relatively straightforward setup/configuration process, though those looking for an Apple-style “plug it in and forget it” experience will want to look elsewhere for their needs.
(Via Appletell.)