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12:00 AM EDT Mon. Aug. 11, 2008
From the August 11, 2008 issue of CRN
Page 1 of 2
D-Link And NAS Excitement
Whether due to resource-hogging applications, ever-expanding databases or multimedia files, home users and businesses of all sizes are almost always looking for more storage space. With the continuous decline in hard drive prices, Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices are answering the call. The CRN Test Center took a look at D-Link's new DNS-343 for a glimpse of where this growing market is headed.
Technically, the 4-bay DNS-343 is a Network Storage Enclosure (the hard drives are not included). Its 2.7-pound (empty), 5.1-x-7.2-x-7.9-inch black case is sleek and unobtrusive, while the bright amber OLED display is easy to read.
D-Link's Easy Search Utility, which is launched off the included CD, makes it simple to find and configure the device. It will search the network for all D-Link Network Storage Devices and show their network info (IP address, subnet mask, gateway, etc.) It will also allow the user to configure the network settings to use a static address or to receive DHCP. In addition, the utility can be used to assign and map a drive letter to the unit.
Once the initial network settings are taken care of, all additional configuration and management is done by way of a browser-based console. This is where reviewers realized the power the little black box really contained.
As expected, there are User and Group management pages to set access rights and quotas, as well as RAID configuration, with options for Standard (individual disks), JBOD (combines all the physical disks into one logical drive), RAID 1 (mirroring)—and RAID 5 (striping with parity). In addition, the DNS-343 can function as various types of servers, including an FTP server, a UPnp AV server, an iTunes server and a DHCP server, with each role having its own settings page on the console.
The device's design is simple. The front panel consists of only the OLED display and two buttons labeled Power and Next. In the back are two small fan outlets, the power adapter port, a reset button, the RJ-45 jack and a USB port, which can be used as a print server port, allowing a USB printer to be connected to the network without the need for a dedicated server. The port can also be used with a UPS monitor to automatically shut down and power back up the unit during power outages. There are also four drive eject buttons.
During speed testing, the DNS-343 wasn't as fast as we had hoped. Copying 1.2 GB of files to and from the device took 2 minutes, 52 seconds and 7 minutes, 35 seconds, respectively. The to/from times for 3.2 GB of data were 8 minutes, 58 seconds, and 20 minutes, 52 seconds, respectively. These speeds are by no means debilitating, but they're slower than other NAS devices the Test Center has evaluated.
With an MSRP of $519.99 (not including drives) the DNS-343, apart from copying speeds, impressed reviewers with its good looks and powerful feature set.
—BRIAN SHEINBERG
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