Review: LaCie 2big NAS

LaCie bundles the 2big NAS with NAS OS2, a “No-Sweat Setup and Management” operating system.  Here you will find product highlights from the LaCie product page.

• From Problem to Solution in 10 Minutes: Don’t lose your cool wrestling with a NAS built for geeks. NAS novices, get up and running in 10 minutes with the 2big NAS, powered by LaCie NAS OS 2. Its convenient, web-based interface, the Dashboard, is user-friendly and provides easy access to powerful features. Wizards with presets make advanced tasks such as RAID management, users management, and NAS-to-NAS backups astonishingly easy. No IT degree required.
• Seamless Network Integration: Mac, PC, Linux? No problem. The 2big NAS speaks all the necessary network languages. This makes it an excellent solution for an entire office, even if your sales force works on PCs and graphic design team uses Macs. Support for Active Directory means you can import existing users and groups with a click of the mouse. No more repetitive tasks.
• Complete Computer Backup Solution: The 2big NAS comes with everything you need to back up your office’s computers. It includes three client licenses for Genie^® Backup Manager Pro™ for Windows^® and three licenses for Intego^® Backup Manager Pro™ for Mac (additional licenses can be purchased online). Install the included software on computers to be backed up, or simply use Time Machine^® or Windows 7 Backup. An employee accidentally deletes an important file or his hard drive fails? Restore it in seconds and get the employee back on track.
• RAID Security and Scalability: RAID 1 mode provides disk-failure proof, hardware-level data protection. If a single disk fails, you can replace it without turning off your appliance. Just swap in a new one without losing a single byte of data. Whatever the challenge, zero data loss, zero work interruption. You can even opt for the diskless model* and simply add more storage capacity as your business grows. This lets you reduce your initial investment while ensuring a long-term solution.
• Automated NAS Backup: Take the hassle and potential for human error out of backing up your NAS. The Dashboard lets you replicate the contents of your 2big NAS onto an attached USB/eSATA hard drive. Or vice-versa. Create automatic backup jobs tailored to each of your attached devices. Backups can also be configured to start automatically each time a USB hard drive is connected to the 2big NAS. You can also use your NAS to back up another NAS, whether it’s on the local network or remote**. Even configure a nightly backup of your NAS onto a backup server in a completely different building.
• Faster Internal File Sharing: Boost your business productivity with up to 100MB/s*** transfer speeds. The 2big NAS is powered by a 2GHz processor and the highly efficient Ext4 file system. This combination optimizes file transfers between employees. Everyone in the office can share files quickly and easily, whether they are on a PC, Mac, or Linux system. Define whether a folder should be private or public within the company. For private folders, closely control access by setting user- or group-level permissions. It’s surprisingly easy. Whatever your office’s internal file sharing needs, the 2big NAS delivers fast and flexible accessibility.
• Mobility = Productivity: In an increasingly mobile world, your employees need anywhere and anytime access to their files. LaCie MyNAS revolutionizes NAS remote access, delivering the simplest setup in the industry. Just name your network storage without leaving the Dashboard, and it’s ready to be accessed from the road. All you need is an Internet connection. From within a browser, employees can download, manage, and upload files remotely. They can even stream image and audio files. A free iPhone/iPad app gives them convenient, instant access to all your NAS’ files and storage capacity right on your phone or tablet.
• iSCSI Target: You can set up an iSCSI share of your 2big NAS and mount it as a local share on your computer in the same way that external hard drives are mounted when connecting to your PC/Mac. An iSCSI connection will bring you performance and flexibility for professional applications, such as backup or virtualization.
• Dual Cooling for Long-Term Reliability: The 2big NAS’s advanced dual cooling system ensures long-term reliability by preventing overheating. Its solid-aluminum casing provides 60% more surface area, which diverts and dissipates heat more efficiently. In addition, its thermo-regulated fan turns on and off according to internal temperature. It cools the components while reducing electricity usage.
• Centralize Printing: Simplify your office’s printing scheme by connecting a compatible printer to one of 5big Network 2’s USB ports. Instantly your employees will be able to print from any computer on the network.
• Energy-Saving Innovations: The LaCie 2big NAS helps you to reduce power consumption by letting you control its energy usage. In eco mode it uses one-tenth the energy of the previous generation of LaCie NAS. Without reducing employee access to data. You can also schedule shut down/restart depending on the day of the week. So it’s possible to configure your NAS to power on at 6:00 am and off at 7:00pm on Monday through Friday, and stay off all weekend. It also supports wake on LAN protocol, so if your NAS is asleep and using zero electricity, you can easily wake it up from your computer without needing to be physically next to the NAS.