Buffalo debuts 2TB model of TeraStation NAS

Buffalo has introduced a 2TB model to their "TeraStation" line of Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices. The product code on this one is "TS-2.0TGL/R5," where the R5 refers to the device's RAID-5 support. It is set to be released in late December in Japan for what equates to about $2,036 USD. You'll find an ethernet interface with 10Base-T, 100Base-T, and 1000Base-T support alongside two USB 2.0 ports. Just to give you an idea, on a network of 10 computers, 2TB would allow each user to have just over 200GB of storage space (MATH). Not too shabby if you ask us, but given Buffalo's track record with the TeraStation line, you may want to hold off until a review or two comes in.

[paskal @ Dec 19th 2005 2:28AM]

em actually not really, hard disk companies always assume that 1000 byte = 1 KB, 1000 KB = 1 MB, 1000 MB = 1 GB, and 1000 GB = 1 TB.

therefore, its 2,000,000,000,000 bytes only add up to 1.82 TB, and therefore each 10 computers would only have 182 GB, a little LESS than 200 GB (MATH).

[Adam Don @ Dec 19th 2005 2:28AM]

1#:paskal
Thats only.... WAIT thats whats 180GB!!!

[Markie @ Dec 19th 2005 2:28AM]

I have been using the TeraStations for a while now and find that they are excellent in a workgroup environment. I use 2 600gb for departmental shared files and then these back up to a 1.6TB version. I find them to be easy to use and effectively maintenance free.

Being based aroud ATA(IDE) I'm not so sure on how reliable the drives are going to be but replacements are easy to come by and RAID-5 should ensure that any data is well preserved.

Anyone wants to know about them, from my pov as a field tech then drop me a line through my website

[Scott @ Dec 19th 2005 2:28AM]

Terabytes are great for a morning snack.

[Branedy @ Dec 19th 2005 2:28AM]

I just recently purchased one of the LinkStations (120GB) and could recommend them. The issues with any NAS device, ethernet connection speed. If you want superfast disks, use firewire. But as a Share disk on a network it works great. And besides it runs Linux. And has it's own Wiki at http://linkstationwiki.org/

[Ben @ Dec 19th 2005 2:28AM]

Actually, you are wrong on the assumptions of sizes in the PC industry. 1 kb = 1024 bytes, 1 Mb = 1024 kb, 1 Gb = 1024 Mb, and 1 Tb = 1024 Gb. So if it is listed as containing 2Tb of space, then that is 2048 Gb, 2,097,152 Mb, 2,147,483,648 kb, or 2,199,023,255,552 bytes. NOT 2,000,000,000,000 bytes. So each user would have 204.8 Gb of space. MORE than listed above, not less.

[Justin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:28AM]

#6: Those are the correct sizes technically (2^x), but that's not what the MANUFACTURERS use. #1 is right. 2.0gb is easier to sell than 1.82gb.

[foQ @ Dec 19th 2005 2:28AM]

I ran into some great sites today on building your own NAS. With the cost of HDDs today, 2TB would be a lot cheaper to build than to buy.
http://backuppc.sourceforge.net/
http://www.serverelements.com/
http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8590

[John Laur @ Dec 19th 2005 2:28AM]

You only think the Buffalo Terastations are good until you use something that IS actually good. Get a ReadyNAS ... you can even get them sans drives and bring-your-own disks at whatever capacity you want.

I have a Terastation 1.0TB unit and it's complete junk compared to any of the other ones. Samba 2 is outdated and slow as a dog -- no group support etc. There's no NFS. OS X support is barely there. The gigabit interface is CPU bound (Max throughput from the Buffalois less than you get at 100mbit on a ReadyNAS for instance). There's not enough memory in the thing to have that many smbd's running, so consequently the timeouts are shortened overzealously causing a lot of delay when you are working with network files. Configuring this thing in a real workgroup setting with real security is next to impossible. Drives are incredibly hard to access in the event of a failure. Also in the event of a failure, the OS is stored on the discs so disk crashes can kill the unit even if it's configured for raid5 or mirroring (trust me on this; mine has done it.) And it takes 20 minutes or so just to get the thing apart if you do need to swap a drive.

I don't expect the new unit to be really any better. Buffalo's sotware is pretty unified across their product line. It works, but barely.

[Tom L. @ Dec 19th 2005 2:28AM]

I'm looking at building one of these:

http://www.lime-technology.com/index.htm

It's gaining a following over at http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=573986

Basically Linux on a USB memory stick.