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The LinkStation Mini from Buffalo is a fully loaded network attached storage device (NAS) with a slew of great features & options. The only downside is you pay more per GB than you would 4 similar units, but 4 home use the extra cash you spend is worth it.

HARDWARE
The LinkStation Mini comes with a slim ethernet cable & power supply. The brick of the power supply has one of the smaller footprints I've seen 4 an AC plug. They both fit well with the mini theme of the device.
The LinkStation unit itself is unbelievably small. There are two laptop-sized hard drives in the black enclosure. The case is vented on multiple sides, has an ethernet jack, USB jack, power supply jack, & an On-Off-Auto switch on the back with a couple small LED lights on the front. The sleek black shell with blue LED design allows you 2 put it in your living room, office, or bedroom--especially since there is no fan in the unit & therefore virtually zero noise.

INSTALLATION
The LinkStation Mini comes with an install disc 4 your computer(s). Just pop in the disc, follow the simple directions, & you'll be able 2 hook up your LinkStation 2 your router & have your computer(s) be able 2 drag, drop, & copy files on it with no problem. If this is all you want 2 do, you will only need basic computer skills 4 this set up. As a side note, the LinkStation Mini has a USB port on it, but that is not used 4 a direct USB connection 2 your computer as you can only read/write the files on the LinkStation through the ethernet cable. The USB port is there 2 add additional USB storage drives 2 the LinkStation later.

If you want 2 use some of the more advanced features, you will need 2 have an intermediate 2 advanced level of networking knowledge 2 set up the LinkStation. If you have a Universal Plug & Play (UPnP) router the set up steps might be easier, but my UPnP router didn't work with the LinkStation. This is most likely because I have a cheap-O, free DSL modem-router combo unit from my internet service provider. I needed 2 go through & set up my advanced networking features manually. So if you don't know what terms like UPnP, port forwarding, DLNA, FTP, & SSL are, you'll probably have a difficult time setting up all the advanced features without enlisting the help of a computer geek.

USABILITY AND FEATURES
At its core, the LinkStation is a NAS, or networked hard drive. The advantage is that multiple computers in your house can all access the one hard drive instead of moving a USB hard drive from computer 2 computer. The two laptop-sized hard drives within the single unit can be set 2 be used as one continuous, 500 GB hard drive, or be set 2 mirror each other as two 250 GB hard drives that constantly back each other up. You can also set the rear switch 2 be On all the time, Off all the time, or Automatically turn on when a computer accesses the LAN network. After that basic functionality, you can have the LinkStation do all kinds of neat stuff.

If you have a static IP address you can open up the ports on your LinkStation & set it 2 act as an FTP. My DSL provider gives me a dynamic IP address, so I can't set that up with any long term success. However, Buffalo has a website that mediates a free peer-to-peer connection with your LinkStation from anywhere in the world as long as you have internet access. You have 2 open a few ports on your router, but it works very well 4 reading photos & music files. The website even opens your music files within an Adobe Flash environment complete with mp3 playback, so you can play your music files straight from a webpage on any computer in the world without having 2 download your files. The peer-to-peer webpage takes a little while 2 load, but works very well, especially if you group 50 files or less into separate folders.

You can also use the LinkStation as a DLNA server 4 movies, music, & photos. I'm able 2 have my Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 find the LinkStation & stream music & videos straight from the disc. Combined with the "remote play" feature using the Playstation 3 & PlayStation Portable (PSP) with my LinkStation Mini & surround sound receiver, I can use my PSP as a remote control with a screen 2 browse & play my whole music library on my stereo system--all without booting up a computer or using my TV. It's similar 2 having a Sonos or SqueezeBox player in your house. A very, very cool feature with the LinkStation if you already have the video game consoles.

The software that comes with the install CD gives you an easy desktop icon 2 click 2 find your network shared folders on your Mini. It also provides a dedicated way 2 access the settings 4 your Mini. In addition, there is a licensed program, Memeo, included 2 help you schedule file back-ups between your computer & the LinkStation.

PROBLEMS/DOWNSIDES
The only downsides are the price & speed. Since there are two 5400 rpm laptop-sized hard drives in the unit, it's a little slower than larger units (with fans) that have 7200rpm hard drives. But the speed isn't that bad. In a RAID 0 configuration ("one" continuous 500 GB hard drive) I was able 2 move 500 MB of multiple files 2 the LinkStation in about 1 minute. For my home needs, this is enough speed. You will also be paying more dollars per GB 4 the LinkStation Mini compared 2 other units out there. Therefore, if you are putting it in an office at work, I might opt 4 a cheaper, faster NAS.

OVERALL
Personally, I think the LinkStation Mini is great & suits my needs perfectly. It's fine 4 the office/work environment, but perfect 4 the home because: 1) there is a very low electricity drain so you can leave it on all the time, 2) it doesn't have a fan so it barely makes any noise, 3) plays nice with Vista, XP, & Mac, & 4) you'd be hard pressed 2 find so many useful NAS features in such a small package. I highly recommend it.

(P.S. If you found this review helpful please click yes below so other prospective shoppers will read it. I place a lot of weight on Amazon reviews before I make a purchase too. Thanks!)

works as advertised. easy installation & back-up set up 4 all computers on my home network.

Buffalo LinkStation Mini 2.5" compact network attached storage is the first NAS in the world using 2.5" hard disks. Its small size, fan less operation & low noise makes it an ideal storage solution 4 anywhere in your home. Auto Power on/off function enables the LinkStation 2 turn off automatically when you shut down the last PC or laptop with installed NAS Navigator software. With Web Access feature, you can access your digital library simply, & from anywhere.Small, silent, low power consumption, LinkStation Mini is the most feature rich, complete, compact & advanced consumer NAS solution.