Linksys ships entry-level NAS unit
(Credit: Linksys)At the CES 2007 Pepcom event tonight, Linksys announced its entry-level NAS (network-attached storage) unit, the descriptively yet boringly named Network Storage System with 2 Bays (NAS200). The SOHO-oriented device offers up two empty drive bays in which you can install one or two 3.5-inch SATA drives of your choice. You can treat the two drives as one large drive, as two individual drives, or set them up for mirroring or striping. Additionally, it sports two USB ports to connect additional drives for increased capacity or for backup. Once you've installed the drive(s), you can connect the device to a LAN port on your router and access it from any PC on your network. You can also setup the drive for remote access over the Internet via Web browser or FTP.
The NAS200 comes with a built-in download manager that lets you initiate FTP or HTTP downloads. Once the download is initiated, you can even power down your PC and the drive will continue the download until complete. For backup tasks, you can schedule automatic backups or use the onboard one-touch backup button to initiate a backup task. Unfortunately, the device supports only Windows PCs.
Linksys expects it to ship in the first quarter for $180.
