Cisco Systems Linksys division, best known for making Wi-Fi hardware for home offices and small businesses, introduced its first line of network-attached storage products Feb. 26.
The four new network storage systems all include four-bay gigabit network connectivity and are designed in modules for future expansion, said David Tucker, Linksys senior director of product marketing.
Linksys Small Business Network Storage Systems chassis do not include hard drives, so a small business can choose the capacity that best fits its needs, Tucker said. No installation CD is required. Linksys does not place proprietary code or drivers on the hard drives, which enables interchange, Tucker said in Irvine, Calif.
On-disc file encryption makes highly secure offsite backup, archiving and data migration possible for businesses such as health care, law offices or accounting firms.
Additional options—such as Journaling, Hot Spares, RAID Set Failure Handling and RPSU (Redundant Power Supply Units)—provide an added level of data integrity, Tucker said.
The NSS4000 and NSS6000 also offer five RAID configurations plus JBOD (just a bunch of disks) capabilities; self-monitoring analysis and reporting; 802.1p, 802.1q, QoS and Cable Diagnostic Enterprise LAN features; network snapshots for data recovery; up to 15 simultaneous user connections (Windows/MAC via CIFS) with NSS4000 and up to 75 simultaneous user connections (Windows/MAC via CIFS) with NSS6000; and secure FTPS (FTP over SSL) access, among other features.
Along with all of the features of the NSS4000 and NSS6000, the NSS4100 and NSS6100 also include four 7200-RPM, 250-GB hard drives for a total unformatted capacity of 1TB, Tucker said. The systems come pre-configured with RAID 5 to ease the installation process.
Pricing and availability
All four products are available immediately through major distributors, value added resellers, and direct from Linksys, a company spokesperson said. The Linksys Small Business Network Storage Systems carry the following estimated street prices: NSS6000, $1399.99; NSS6100, $2499.99; NSS4000, $999.99; and NSS4100, $1999.99.
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