Buffalo Technology Launches Entry-Level NAS Series

Japanese networking and storage device manufacturer Buffalo Technology has launched two entry-level Network Attached Storage (NAS) enclosures as part of the LinkStation 200 series.

The single-bay LS210 and dual-bay LS220 offer read speeds of up to 100MB/s, and can be accessed from any smartphone or tablet.

“This state of the art NAS offering ensures Buffalo is providing its customers with an easy to use ‘mobile first’ storage solution. The LinkStation is built around the user and is the only series available on the market that supports full device setup via a smartphone or tablet,” explained Klaas de Vos, COO at Buffalo Technology.

My first NAS

Buffalo is a manufacturer of storage, multimedia, and wireless networking products for the home and small to medium enterprise. The company, a subsidiary of the Japanese family business Melco Holdings, is relatively unknown in the UK but has been recognised as the most popular manufacturer of PC peripherals in its home country.

The LinkStation is significantly notable among the Linux community both in Japan and abroad for being “hackable” into a generic Linux computer, and made to do tasks other than file storage. At the moment, it’s unclear whether the new NAS boxes posses this capability.

Both entries in the LinkStation 200 series ship preconfigured and will be ready to use within minutes. By connecting one or two drives to the network, they create a personal cloud that can be accessed on any device with a browsing capability.

The simple boxes dressed in matte black plastic will appeal to the fans of minimalist design, while the absence of any fans will ensure almost silent operation. UPnP and DLNA support powered by Twonky software enables users to control any media content on the LinkStation and stream it to appropriate Digital Media Receiver (DMR) devices. Both products come with five ‘NovaBACKUP for PC’ licenses, worth over £200.

Free apps with additional control and streaming features are available for iOS, Android and Windows Mobile.

The LinkStation 210D arrives with a single hard drive offering from 2TB to 4TB of storage capacity. Meanwhile, The LinkStation 220D is being shipped either as an empty enclosure, or fully populated with two drives offering 2TB to 8TB capacity.

“Users often encounter restricted access to their data, however the LinkStation 200 enables them to securely access their data and media files on the go – with no compromise on performance or security. As the industry continues to rely on mobile devices, it is extremely important that Buffalo meets the changing needs of its consumers,” added de Vos.

Both devices are available now, with prices for a 2TB LinkStation 210 starting at £123.99, and going up to £193.99 for a 4TB version. The empty LinkStation 220 enclosure costs just £99.99, while an 8TB version will set you back £349.99.

Buffalo has also released an affordable dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi router – the AirStationWHR-1166D – to complement the LinkStation 200 series.

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