nas for mac that acts like a connected usb

#Nas for mac that acts like a connected usb install#
#Nas for mac that acts like a connected usb update#
#Nas for mac that acts like a connected usb full#
#Nas for mac that acts like a connected usb software#

#Nas for mac that acts like a connected usb update#

I did not perform any single task 'mac related' on it and it worked from start with my Mac.Ĭons: old firmware from 2009 and no update available, the single 1 TB disk inside obviously do not support any kind of Raid, no serviceable by changing disk if needed (unless you broke your warranty), the control panel do not give you a lot of control also if you use the so called advanced version.ĭefinitively a good choice for a 'first' NAS to work and experience with, if you need to go on a cheap model or if you do not have a lot of IT experience, suggested for simple home environment where no redundancy it's needed, I would avoid it if you need redundancy or if you like to fine tune and experiment with every possible option. Quite cheap compared to a similar solution from QNap or Sinology. It's pre configured with the common shares and if you copy the files in the proper folders it's very, very simple to use.

#Nas for mac that acts like a connected usb install#

Pros: very simple to install and work with, includes a Media Server and a iTunes server that can be used to share music and videos across the network. Yesterday I installed a Western Digital MyBook World Edition, 1 TeraByte, single disk. Documentation and community support are satisfactory. It has a BitTorrent server built in, but again, i haven't used it.Īdministration is very easy (web based), setup is not difficult, but there are several steps to add disks, format them, create a RAID array, create a mount point, enable the services (AFP or SMB) to access. Other iTunes support is available (an iTunes/DAAP server called Firefly), but i haven't used it. I use MediaRover to sync iTunes libraries, and this works fine. For this reason, i don't do this, i use Carbon Copy Cloner to run to a disk image (dmg) every night. Time Machine backups are a little more complex, involving creating a Sparse Bundle (which is not the official method). I use the SMB shares to stream to all the computers in the house, and there is no problem. Works fine with Macs and PCs - and for this reason i use SMB shares rather than AFP.

#Nas for mac that acts like a connected usb software#

Software RAID is reliable.Ī key point, if any of the hardware dies, the RAID array can be rebuilt when the software is installed on new hardware, unlike some proprietary solutions (NAS or RAID cards) where you may be tied to a particular vendor and/or model, which, after time, may not be sold/available.

#Nas for mac that acts like a connected usb full#

I love the ability to grab an old computer, fill it full of cheap hard drives, and install Freenas on a CF card or USB drive.

Use built-in screen sharing to control.

Can run a BitTorrent client to download Linux ISOs and Stack Overflow data dumps (some other NAS can do that as well).

Works great as an iTunes master library, connected to my Apple TV and my other Macs via Home Sharing.

Can serve as a Time Machine backup volume (some other NAS can do that as well).

For more technical information on this, see the Find Any File FAQ, What kind of disks do support 'fast search'? In particular, it supports Spotlight and fast file searches ( CatSearch), something that other NAS systems cannot do as well: They usually use a Linux system with netatalk and an ext3 file system which, compared to AFP with HFS, are not optimized for the ways a Mac can search.

Uses first-party AFP on HFS for optimal compatibility.

The advantages to using an actual Mac over a true NAS system: In my case, I had an old MacBook that wouldn't hold a charge anymore so I rigged up an eSATA connection to my 2TB external drive.