Bytecc LanDisk Network Storage (ME-850) Enclosure Review

The Bytecc LanDisk supports file transfer connections over Samba and FTP. Users with a small workgroup will like the Samba feature while users with larger networks may prefer the FTP approach.

Power consumption and noise are big problems with it comes to servers and is where the LanDisk is different. It contains no fans and runs off a single ATA HDD for near silent operation. As an added bonus the system can be configured to power the HDD down after a certain time thus making the system totally silent and with minimal power consumption.

The LanDisk does have a few limitations that restrict it from being anything more than a personal/small business NAS solution. The first is security, by default every share you make on the Landisk can be password protected but you have to set the password from within the device. Those running a windows domain may not like this since permissions can no longer be centrally controlled. On the data side the only filesystem option is FAT32, you will get large drive support but as any windows98 will tell you FAT32 is prone to corruption over time. Lastly the single drive option not only limits storage capacity and access speed but data redundancy is also an issue since if the drive fails you will pretty much lose everything.

Those things aside the LanDisk is still a great solution for a personal or small business user looking for an easy an inexpensive way to share files over the network. The LanDisk does not compromise security of your personal system or require that another expensive computer to sit idle on the network.

Now for the ever popular list of Good things and Bad things.

Easy web configuration
Compact NAS device
HDD power down / up on demand
Samba and FTP server in one

Requires UDMA drive
No Data redundancy
Limited security options

I would like to thank Bytecc Inc. for helping to make this review possible.