Kitz Forum

Computers & Hardware => Networking => Topic started by: kitz on September 18, 2006, 01:57:55 AM

Title: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on September 18, 2006, 01:57:55 AM
Kitz wants......

Nearly a month ago, I saw one of these on e-buyer.. and ever since...  the geeky bit of me has wanted this new *toy*.

(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.buffalotech.com%2Fproduct-images%2FHD-H120LAN-main.jpg&hash=80c8d120dfcc55444f654f3c8d00685192def920)

http://www.buffalotech.com/products/product-detail.php?productid=72&categoryid=16


atm..  I have a fairly powerful machine thats switched on 24/7 using leccy, acting basically as a web/ftp/file server.

This machine has a couple of drives attached to it, one of which is basically my backup drive...  and tbh I didnt really like the idea, that both drives were on the same machine, until I got around to putting it on fixed media (once in a blue moon).

A couple of months back the idea was I was gonna build a "proper server" using an old p3, and parts etc were priced up to equip this.

However, since Ive seen this.. the more I want...  ok.. so I may be able to do things a lil bit cheaper (but not much), and this seems to meet my needs, now that theres only me and *the brat*.

Most of the time I use the lappy and the PC is only really switched on so that I can continually work from and access files that are stored on the main PC.
It would also be pretty good to have a central storage for music thats shared by me and my daughter.




I think the only thing I'd loose would be the webserver, but thats only a *play thing*, and I woudnt/could dream of hosting kitz.co.uk on there as it would kill my adsl connection.

Sooooooo...  every day I keep looking at this...  waiting for pay day...  and drooling... 
and chris is probably sick of me talking about it. :/
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: roseway on September 18, 2006, 07:40:25 AM
Hmm... I can see the attraction, but I would be very nervous of any disk storage connected via USB, which is arguably the most unreliable interface on the planet. It has an ethernet interface as well (albeit a bit slower than USB2) so I suppose you could plug it into a spare port on your router or ethernet switch.

For years now I've been using a second PC with a large hard disk as my backup storage. As you rightly say, it's a bit wasteful of electricity, but for me it's a simple and practical solution which doesn't get in the way of actually doing backups (like some backup solutions do).

Eric
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on September 18, 2006, 08:10:28 AM
mhmm..  Id plug it into a spare port on the router via ethernet.

They do a 10/100/1000 version, but that was quite a bit more and I decided it wasnt really worth paying the extra since Id be limited by the existing network anyhow. Id also looked at the cost of a NAS unit case but by the time Id bought another drive it was almost as much, and didnt have the print/ftp server. 

Like I said earlier the original plan was converting and upspecing an old p3 that is currently a "playmachine" that dual boots with RH, but its only got a 2x20GB HDDs - so by the time Id upspeced that with a bit more ram and drive, then again your talking almost as much and still means a unit on 24/7.  Yeah it would be nice to have a "proper server", but since Ive been leaving a machine on all the time, my leccy bill seems to have gone up quite a bit. :/

I know it isnt the real geek solution of having a dedicated server..  but I think for now it seems to fit what I need.
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: mr_chris on September 18, 2006, 09:19:11 AM
> chris is probably sick of me talking about it. :/

*snore.... WHA? oh... what, no not at all  ::)

Heh - seriously though, I think it's a good idea. Looking at the specs it seems they've thought of pretty much everything you'd need actually.

My only slight concern is how it's going to work FTPing through NAT - if it doesn't support specifying the PASV ports, then the person the other end is gonna have to have either a direct connection to the net, or a NAT with an FTP ALG (application layer gateway, that opens ports intelligently based on what you're using). Can't find any info about it, hopefully it can be tweaked if it doesn't do it "out of the box"

Couple of links for you if you haven't seen them already:

http://linkstationwiki.net/index.php?title=Main_Page - Home of OpenLink - alternative firmware for LinkStation
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/LinkStation_General/ - Yahoo Group about the LinkStation
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: Accordion on September 18, 2006, 12:32:44 PM
Shall I organise the whipround?

 :D

Dave
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on September 18, 2006, 01:18:00 PM
>> WHA? oh... what, no not at all  ..

hehhhhhh payback is so sweet   :P

(mr_geekygadget_chris)

Thanks for those links chris.
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on September 18, 2006, 01:20:20 PM
>>> Shall I organise the whipround?

oooh yes purlease.

Donations should be sent to .............
 :lol:

Welcome to the forums accordian, nice to to see you *over here* :)
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: feliscatusx2 on September 18, 2006, 01:50:21 PM
Whats wrong with large slabs of stone and a chisel?  All you have to do is remember where you buried them when you need them.

Foolproof backup, lasts for years  ;).

Did you know that US Government storage centres are stuffed to the gills with backups of important stuff on tape, disks etc that now cannot be read because the equipment used to create the backups is now obsolete and has been scrapped.

Governments never seem to get anything right
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: Accordion on September 18, 2006, 02:40:17 PM
Quote from: kitz on September 18, 2006, 01:20:20 PM
>>> Shall I organise the whipround?

oooh yes purlease.

Donations should be sent to .............
 :lol:

Welcome to the forums accordian, nice to to see you *over here* :)

I thought it was time to join in - BTW, you can call me Dave.
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on September 18, 2006, 02:46:59 PM
>> Whats wrong with large slabs of stone and a chisel?

the amount of time taken to to write data to the storage medium is a bit slow though, and the stone mason requires the occasional kick start. :D

>>> the equipment used to create the backups is now obsolete and has been scrapped.

lmao... typical.
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on September 18, 2006, 02:51:31 PM
>> I thought it was time to join in - BTW, you can call me Dave.

Welcome aboard Dave... 

just watch out for the occasional bouts of madness from astral and roseway though ;)
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: mr_chris on September 18, 2006, 06:03:48 PM
I wasn't aware there was a defined protocol for storage of data on stone slabs :lol:

Oh wait, weren't they dreaded IBM 75GXP *deathstar* hard drives - most of them ended up about as much use as stone slabs.... and guess who had one  :-\
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: feliscatusx2 on September 18, 2006, 07:32:39 PM
The defined standard is Runes, ISO 2501BC.  Just think, you could still read your data in 3000 years time, I bet your optical disks won't last that long.
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: Accordion on September 19, 2006, 08:20:15 AM
Stone tablets may be a reliable data storage, but the security issue is another matter. In the Gospel According to Indiana Jones, most people died when attempting to by pass the firewall protecting the oldest known disks of stone.

 :lol:
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: feliscatusx2 on October 15, 2006, 08:59:55 PM
ps My Mother always said that "I want don't get".
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on October 15, 2006, 11:58:33 PM
heh..  Im determined to get one.  :P

Just had other things on my mind over the past couple of weeks which have distracted me. :(

Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: oldfogy on October 16, 2006, 04:29:50 PM
Quote from: feliscatusx2 on October 15, 2006, 08:59:55 PM
ps My Mother always said that "I want don't get".

People who don't ask, don't want,
and people who do ask don't get.

You just can't win can you........
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on October 16, 2006, 06:02:37 PM
guess not :/

*still wants one*
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: oldfogy on October 16, 2006, 06:47:17 PM
Well who knows, Christmas is just around the corner so maybe father Christmas might bring you one,
 "if you've been a good girl that is"?

Then again, I still believe in the tooth fairy as well.
(Just wish she would bring me some instead of taking them away).
Then I could dissolve the partnership with my dentist and the NHS because they own more of mine than I do :)
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on October 16, 2006, 10:54:04 PM
kitzy musta been bad girl... cause cant see anyone buying her anything like that for crimbo.  :'(

guess I'll have to buy it myself :/
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: oldfogy on October 17, 2006, 01:11:37 AM
There you go peeps, there is a mommy christmas after all.

All Christmas mail will now be re-directed C/O Kitzy (Mommy Christmas)  :police: well it also looks like a postie.
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on October 17, 2006, 01:28:24 AM
 :-X
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: shiplu on October 17, 2006, 05:30:08 PM
is it possible to host webpage with this
and also pop email?
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on October 17, 2006, 07:27:05 PM
Quote from: shiplu on October 17, 2006, 05:30:08 PM
is it possible to host webpage with this
and also pop email?

nope... fraid not..  FTP/Print and File serving is all it does.
I do currently run a web-server, but thats on one of the other PCs, and Im not too bothered if I get rid anyhow.
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on November 04, 2006, 11:48:28 AM
Guess what I just ordered.

Amazon are currently selling the HS-D300GL for less than the HD-H250LAN

Go figure.. since the HSxxxGL range is the better model with more *things*
..and also has a 300GB drive rather than a 250GB one that I was originally looking at.

Im hoping that it is a HSD300GL that comes.. 
cause for what Ive paid.. its still the equivalent price of the cheapest HDH250LAN that I could find.

Wont be here for a few days though cause I got the free delivery thingy.. not that Im in any hurry to go crawling under desks etc right now.
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: roseway on November 04, 2006, 01:42:04 PM
Oh dear, I can feel my credit card twitching. Oddly enough it seems to be quite a bit more expensive in the US - I saw one place offering it at well over $400.

Eric
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on November 04, 2006, 03:21:46 PM
yeah...  I must admit when I saw the price for that particular model I got my credit card out straight away.
Selling the HS-D300GL at a price which the HD-H250LAN would go for seemed too good to miss.

A month or so ago when I was looking..  I really wanted the HS-D300GL which was priced at nearer ?200 but I couldnt justify the extra cost.

A couple of weeks ago I  was going to get the HD-H250LAN from dabs since they were selling it at the cheapest price I could find which was ?129.99 plus P+P.
- Most other places were selling the 160GB one at ?120
The only reason I didnt order it then was cause I knew I was going into hospital the next week.
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: roseway on November 04, 2006, 07:01:14 PM
Well, I've done it, I've ordered one. If I don't like it, I'll blame you. ;)

Eric
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on November 04, 2006, 09:10:44 PM
>>> Well, I've done it, I've ordered one. If I don't like it, I'll blame you.

whoops  :-[


lol  I hope I like it too..  Ive been drooling over it for weeks.
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: roseway on November 08, 2006, 02:43:25 PM
Has yours turned up yet, Kitz? Mine arrived this afternoon, sooner than I expected. I plugged it in, switched it on, and there it was on the network. Easily set up via a web interface. I'm going to have fun with this, but no more time now unfortunately.

Eric
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on November 08, 2006, 03:12:24 PM
Got min too eric.

Not had chance to set it up yet and its still currently sat unopened in the box.

Im going to have to crawl under desks etc, so Im waiting for my daughter to come home so she can help pass me any cables etc from behind the desk.

Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on November 08, 2006, 09:26:54 PM
ok all set up...
The Basic set up was easy like you say :)

sorta..  I find it ok from the PCs...  but I cant find it from the lappy..
But then again I cant even seem to find any of the other PCs from the lappy right now :(


Oh and I managed to lock myself out when setting up the security.
Teach me to be a smart arse and play without even RTFM  :lol:
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: oldfogy on November 09, 2006, 01:50:19 AM
Quote from: kitz on November 08, 2006, 09:26:54 PM
But then again I cant even seem to find any of the other PCs from the lappy right now :(

Probably not the same problem Kitz, but after just re-setting my networking on this lappy all my network places do not show as they used too (under Network Places) however, if I follow through the "Entire Network folders" all of the shared folders are there.

So I may have to just drag and create some shortcuts to the Network Places folder to be able to access them quicker.
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on November 09, 2006, 02:06:06 AM
Thanks for the suggestion OF.

Nothing shows in my network places..  entire folders or even under mshome.

I normally work in dreamweaver over the network and thats been playing up the past few days too.
Dreamweaver cant find the work files on the other PC.

Ive found another few weird things as well.

Its a good job I first noticed that dreamweaver couldnt find stuff a few days ago.. otherwise I woulda blamed the linkstation installation - but I think its totally unrelated. :/
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: roseway on November 09, 2006, 07:42:26 AM
I'm afraid I don't know anything about Windows networking these days. The only thought that occurs is that the DHCP setup in your router is mixing up the IP addresses of the various boxes. In my case, I've got three PCs, one of which is usually switched off, and when I switched on the LinkStation it received the IP address previously used by the inactive PC. I've now configured it to use a fixed IP address away from the range of DHCP.

Eric
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on November 09, 2006, 12:25:20 PM
Thanks for the suggestion eric but all addresses are manually assigned.

Ive opened a new thread (http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php?topic=222.0) with all the symptoms in one place.
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: 2pods on November 16, 2006, 07:08:05 PM
Did Kitz get, though ?

If not, what about one of these ?

https://www.ripcaster.co.uk/node/62 (https://www.ripcaster.co.uk/node/62)

I bought the 200gb version.

Webserver, FTP, Multimedia Server etc though I just bought it for the onboard Slimserver for my Squeezebox 3 (NO......It's not an accordian ! )

Peter
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on November 22, 2006, 07:31:38 AM
Quote from: 2pods on November 16, 2006, 07:08:05 PM
Did Kitz get, though ?

If not, what about one of these ?

https://www.ripcaster.co.uk/node/62 (https://www.ripcaster.co.uk/node/62)

I bought the 200gb version.

Webserver, FTP, Multimedia Server etc though I just bought it for the onboard Slimserver for my Squeezebox 3 (NO......It's not an accordian ! )

Peter


Yep I got the LinkStation Home Server HS-D300GL (http://www.buffalotech.com/products/product-detail.php?productid=131&categoryid=28) a couple of weeks ago now.

300 GB
FTP/Print/File Server
DNLA certified Media Server
Gigabit Ethernet (although a bit pointless atm -  cause even though I do have some gigabit ethernet cards - the switch in my router is only 10/100). :/

Im well chuffed with it so far although I havent yet set everything such as the FTP server.
Im also still using one of the other PCs as the main file server - as Im just waiting to see how it performs as a file server which I havent properly been able to test due to
a) being without the lappy for over a week
b) having had Windows Browser problems (http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php?topic=222.0) and having it think there were 2 domains rather than 1 :/


Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: 2pods on November 28, 2006, 04:23:56 PM
got gigbit in my QNAP too.
Pity my router only does 10/100 too  :)

After backing my main desktop to the TS101 I'm thinking gigabit would be a big improvement  ;)

Peter
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: kitz on November 28, 2006, 06:46:14 PM
>> After backing my main desktop to the TS101 I'm thinking gigabit would be a big improvement

Im with you there...  I transferred the largest part of my DDrive onto the linkstation which took long enough.
In fact I did a full back up of the DDrive onto an FDrive at the same time..   that took a looooong time too.... but nowt I can do about that  :D

I still need to play with the ftp and print server, but still not had the time yet.

Eric bought one at the same time as me (amazon had a really too good to miss deal on them).
Have you had chance to play with yours properly yet?
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: roseway on November 28, 2006, 06:53:35 PM
Mine is in permanent use as a backup device - I run automated backups from two PCs. I want to use it as a print server as well, but I haven't yet worked out how to do this from Linux.

Eric
Title: Re: Kitzy wants...................
Post by: 2pods on November 28, 2006, 08:19:28 PM
Well, I could have used the print server except we'd already bought a wifi network printer-doh !

I find the multimedia server OK 'cept for the image previews being grainy (memory limitation ?), haven't used the rest yet.

That reminds me, I'll have to change the Slimserver (audio only) port if I want to use the onboard Twonky upnp server as they are both on 9000.

Peter