Product ReviewsHard disks
Iomega's StorCenter ix2 is a two-bay network attached storage (NAS) device that comes in capacities of 1TB and 2TB, and connects to your local network by Gigabit Ethernet. It's no surprise, given that Iomega is owned by EMC, that much of the emphasis here is on data security and disaster prevention and recovery, rather than on transfer speed. To that end, the StorCenter ix2 can be configured as Raid 1 (mirroring) and Jbod, but not Raid 0. In addition, there's a copy of Retrospect Express for backup, and recovery of files and folders on client Macs. There are many other features now common to UPS devices aimed at homes and small offices, including the ability to stream media to Universal Plug and Play and DNLA media adaptors, and an iTunes server. It also has two USB ports to connect additional
The StorCenter itself is a compact black box that looks smaller than other two-bay Nas devices. All its connection ports are on the back, which is a missed opportunity, as having a USB port on the front for plugging in a USB memory stick is always useful. So far so good. Unfortunately, setting up and using the StorCenter was less than easy. Installing Iomega's management application enabled us to connect to the drive, but we were given no indication of its IP address or, even worse, the default admin account username and password. A search through the documentation (a loosely assorted folder of HTML files) gave no clues and we were left to guess. Once logged in, we could create folders, users and groups. Despite Iomega's claim that the StorCenter can be configured in four clicks and that its LifeLine software makes it easy to back up and recover data, we found it complicated, unintuitive and frustrating to use. It has potential, but the documentation and the setup procedures need to be significantly improved if the StorCenter is to compete in an increasingly crowded market. By Kenny Hemphill
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