D-Link DNS-321 2-Bay Network Attached Storage Review

D-link DNS-321 3.5" Hard Drive Enclosure DNS-321 Drive Cabinets Read more...

Check Price & Order Now!

D-Link DNS-321 2-Bay Network Attached Storage Specifications

The D-Link ShareCenter 2-Bay Network Storage Enclosure (DNS-321) connects to your network instead of to a computer so everyone on your network can back up content to one central location. Plus, it lets you share your stored content across your network and over the Internet so family members, friends and employees can access it no matter where they are.

This version of the DNS-321 does not come with a hard disk drive, enabling you to add your own hard drives (see specifications below).

With Sharecenter You Can

Back It Up

Keeping all of your important files on your computer without backing them up is like owning a house and not insuring it. It's important to back up your files so if the unexpected happens, you still have a backup in place. The ShareCenter 2-Bay Network Storage Enclosure can house up to two 3.5-inch SATA hard drives of any capacity¹, giving you plenty of space to store your music, photos, videos, documents and other important stuff. When used with two hard drives, the 2-Bay ShareCenter allows you to back up files in full or incremental backups and comes with four different hard drive modes so you can best configure it to your needs.

Standard mode creates two separately accessible hard drives
JBOD (Just a Bunch of Drives) combines both hard drives in linear fashion for maximum space efficiency
RAID 0 provides faster speeds by combining both drives in a striped configuration, which means data is distributed across both drives in the enclosure.
RAID 1² causes the drives to mirror each other, providing maximum protection. If one drive fails while configured as RAID 1, the unaffected drive continues to function like a single drive until the failed one is replaced. When a new drive is inserted, it's restored--returning full protection to both drives. Two is better than one.

B.Y.O.D. (Bring Your Own Drives)

One of the best things about this ShareCenter device is that it comes without built-in hard drives. That means added flexibility and reduced strain on your wallet. Rather than being handed any old hard drive, you're free to hand pick the one that is the best fit for you. Choose the size. Choose the brand. Search for the best deal. Buy one. Buy two. The sky is the limit.

Bundled Software

With bundled software, you never have to worry about your hard drive crashing. Not only does it let you restore individual files and documents in case they get lost, it lets you take snapshots of your entire hard drive so you can restore your computer to the way it was when the snapshot was taken.

Sharing is Caring

Because this enclosure connects to your network instead of directly to a computer, it allows you to share all of your saved content over your network. Music, photos, videos ... think of the possibilities! And no need to worry about the safety of your stuff. You can give rights to specific users or groups and assign them to folders with either read or read/write permissions. This is perfect for an office environment with employee-specific data or for the home where you can ensure your children will only have access to age appropriate material.

D-Link Green

While this may look like your average storage enclosure, it's not. This is a D-Link Green storage enclosure, which means it's as good for your wallet as it is for the environment. This product:

Features a fan that only comes on when hard drives need cooling
Allows hard drives to enter sleep mode when not in use to conserve electricity and prolong the life of the hard disk
Complies with the European Union's RoHS directive that restricts the use of certain hazardous materials
Uses recyclable packaging to help reduce waste that goes into the environment

The D-Link Easy Utility

The D-Link Easy Utility allows you to easily locate the 2-Bay ShareCenter from anywhere on the network. Once it is located, you can use the utility to map the hard drive so it will appear in My Computer on your PC.

Easy Peasy

Not quite the handyman? That's OK. You can insert hard drives without using any tools or attaching any cables.

The Power of Gigabit

This ShareCenter device comes with a 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet port, giving you blazing fast speeds so you can back up and access your stuff without the wait.

Be Cool

There's no overheating in this enclosure's future. It comes with a quiet built-in fan to keep things nice and cool.

Find the Best ShareCenter for You

All ShareCenter devices enable everyone on your network back up and share documents, music, photos, videos and more across a network and over the Internet. Depending on your needs, you can choose between two- and four-bay models as well as consider extra features such as a USB print server, built-in BitTorrent client, or RAID 5 hard drive technology.

Models:	DNS-321, 2-Bay	DNS-323, 2-Bay	DNS-343, 4-Bay
	D-Link's most affordable ShareCenter solution, it can store up to two SATA hard drives of any capacity and it lets everyone on your network back up and share documents, music, photos, videos and more across a network and over the Internet.	Featuring a built-in BitTorrent client that allows you to download files without turning on a computer, it also has a USB print server port so you can share a single USB printer with all of the computers on your network. Learn more.	A scalable solution for your home or business, you can start with one SATA hard drive and add up to three more as needed. Other features include RAID 5 technology for ultimate protection, an OLED display, a USB print server port and a management program for setting rules and schedules. Learn more.
Hard drive bays	2 bays	2 bays	4 bays
FTP server
USB port
Gigabit Ethernet
BitTorrent
OLED
D-Link Green
Backup Software
UPnP Media Server
RAID 0
RAID 1
RAID 5
Remote Backup (RSYNC)

Xbox 360
PlayStation 3
The Boxee Box by D-Link

Protect

Hard Drives Crash

If you're like most people, a lot of your digital life is stored on your computer. Your digital photos, home videos, music, work documents and more. But guess what. Hard drives crash, so isn't it time you backed yours up? And not just manually every so often with an external hard drive. We mean really back it up.

Enter ShareCenter

ShareCenter can be programmed to back up your digital content on a schedule or in real time so you can set it and forget it. Plus, ShareCenter can house more than one hard drive and can be configured to operate in the hard drive mode of your choice. It's truly a custom solution.

Feature Rich Backup Software

With ShareCenter's feature rich bundled software, you never have to worry about your hard drive crashing. Not only does it let you restore individual files and documents in case they get lost, it lets you take snapshots of your entire hard drive so you can restore your computer to exactly the way it was when the snapshot was taken.

ShareCenter devices allow you to easily create backup schedules and storage quotas for specific users and groups.

Manage

Simplified Management

Io ShareCenter solutions can do a whole lot. They let you back up your content, share it with friends and family, access everything remotely from the Internet and stream content to your TV. Thankfully, they're also incredibly easy to manage.

With included feature-rich backup software, Windows users can easily create schedules and rules including real-time, full or incremental backups and can set storage quotas for specific users and groups. All without breaking a sweat.

Network Access

ShareCenter storage enclosures support up to 64 unique users and allow you to add them to a group or individually, making it simple to manage who has access to what. Plus, you can easily give rights to specific users or groups and assign them to folders with either read or read/write permissions. This is perfect for the home where you can ensure your children will only have access to age appropriate material or for an office environment with employee-specific data.

Storage Quotas

Hate it when people fill up your hard drive with their photos and music? Want to save some space for your own stuff? Good news: ShareCenter supports storage quotas for both groups and individual users. That means you can easily limit the amount of storage users are allocated and change those quotas as necessary. With ShareCenter, you've got the power.

Hard Drive 101

3.5-inch SATA Hard Drives

3.5-inch SATA (Serial ATA) hard drives can be found easily right here on Amazon.com! As long as the hard drives you purchase are 3.5-inch SATA drives, they will work with your ShareCenter Device.

The Right Capacity for You

Hard drives come in a variety of storage capacities, generally ranging from 250 GB all the way up to 1 TB. Think of everything you want to store and back up on your ShareCenter device, including music, videos, photos and documents to decide on the best size for you:

250 GB Hard Drive	500 GB Hard Drive	1 TB Hard Drive
80,000 digital photos 4,150 hours of digital music 62 two-hour DVD-quality movies	160,000 digital photos 8,300 hours of digital music 125 two-hour DVD-quality movies	320,000 digital photos 16,600 hours of digital music 250 two-hour DVD-quality movies

The Right Number of Drives for You

	You want to use your ShareCenter device for extra space to store your digital content and to share that content with all of the computers on your network.
	You want to store and share content over your network, but you also want to take advantage of RAID 1 technology to ensure that if one of the drives crashes, your content is still safe.
	You want to store and share content over your network with the 4-Bay ShareCenter device (DNS-343) and want to use RAID 5 technology because it offers the highest performance and the most reliable data recovery in the case of hard drive failure.

Product Features

Two 3.5-inch SATA hard drive bays
Diskless (Add Your Own Hard Drives)
Tool-less hard drive installation
Four hard drive configurations--Standard, JBOD, RAID 0, and RAID 1
High-speed Gigabit Ethernet connectivity
UPnP AV server for streaming music, photos, and video to compatible media players
Built-in FTP server for file access over the Internet
Schedule downloads from Web or FTP sites
Full or incremental backups
Real-time backups with the included software
Assign users/groups to folders with read or read/write permissions
Establish storage quotas for users and groups
Automatic e-mail notifications of device status
Configurable via a Web browser
Power management to conserve energy and help extend hard drive life
24/7 Basic Installation Support
1-Year Limited Warranty

What's in the Box

2-bay network storage enclosure (DNS-321, diskless), power adapter, Ethernet cable, installation guide, CD-ROM with software and product documentation

Hard Drive(s) not included. An internal SATA drive is required to store or share your files; drive must be formatted before use.
RAID 1 mirroring requires the use of two (2) internal SATA drives. To avoid data incompatibility in RAID 1 operation, use SATA drives from the same manufacturer. Formatted drive capacity for RAID 1 operation is dependant on the drive capacity of the lowest-sized drive. May not work with older generation SATA drives.
D-Link cannot guarantee full compatibility or proper playback with all codecs. Playback compatibility depends on the codec support of the UPnP AV media player.
Unless additional precautions are taken, use of an FTP Server to access files over the Internet does not provide for secure or encrypted transmissions. It is recommended that the end-user utilize a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to establish a secure FTP session.
* Examples of the number of photos, songs, videos and any other files that can be stored on a hard drive are provided for illustrative purposes only. Your results will vary based on file size and format, settings, features, software and other factors.

CD Storage

Monday, February 28, 2011