We Got Served » Hardware

Viridian PC Pumps Out Two New Servers

Terry Walsh — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:35:46 +0000

Viridian PC, a UK Home and Small Business Server specialist today announced the release of two new servers supporting Windows Home Server 2011 and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials.

The VS-5HA is a low power server based on Intel’s Atom D525 processor and 4 GB RAM (an 8GB upgrade is also available). The server ships with twin Gigabit LAN ports, a single 2.5″ 160GB drive holding the operating system and 5 free 3.5″ storage bays. 4 USB 2.0 ports are available for rear expansion and twin e-SATAs can be included as an option. The VS-5HA starts at £500.

Meanwhile Viridian’s VS-5HC ships with a flexible choice of processors from the Intel Pentium G620T through to Core i7 and Xeon options. The base specifications are otherwise similar to the VS-5HA.

The VS-5HC starts at £655, and both servers are available to order now direct from Viridian PC.

[sws_blue_box box_size="540"] More: Viridian PC [/sws_blue_box]

Hands On: Synology DiskStation DS-411+II

Terry Walsh — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 07:00:38 +0000

Over the past few years, Synology have worked hard to drive their brand deep into the consideration set for anyone seriously considering a network attached storage drive. Once an unknown far-eastern entity, Synology is now rightly positioned in the premier league of NAS specialists with excellent software and a decent hardware selection to suit consumers, prosumers, small businesses and enterprises alike.

In the prosumer segment, the company’s DiskStation DS-411+II is the latest 4 bay model to hit the market. Released in April this year, the +II naming marks a refresh of the original DS-411 this year. With news of a refresh of Synology’s DiskStation Manager software too just announced, it’s a great time for WGS to catch up with Synology’s latest NAS.

What’s in the Box?

The DiskStation DS-411+II is attractively and securely presented in a branded Synology box. Unlike the company’s business-oriented products, Synology’s consumer packaging is bright and cheery.

Open up the box and you’ll discover:

Synology DiskStation DS-411+II
Power Cable and adaptor
Ethernet cable
Disk screws
Getting started guide
Installation software

Specifications

Unlike earlier DiskStation models which shipped with low performance System on Chip processors, Synology are equipping their modern DiskStations with single-core and, in the case of the DS411+II, dual-core Intel Atom processors. As there are many more features available on these newer NAS servers, that’s a necessary improvement. The new DiskStation ships with a 1.8 GHz Intel Atom D510 processor, and 1GB DDR2 RAM, which offers reasonable performance without heavy power consumption – the company quotes maximum power consumption at 60W in operation (20W during hibernation), which isn’t the most frugal NAS drive we’ve seen, but it’s certainly not going to bankrupt you.

The 4 in the DiskStation’s model number denotes that this is a 4 bay device – note that Synology generally ship their NAS servers without drives, although you can often find populated packages available from online resellers. The lack of drives should be remembered when you’re shopping around – ensure you’re clear whether the advertised price includes drives or whether you’ll need to spend extra. Four bays gives plenty of room for storage expansion, and the good news is that there’s full support for new 3TB drives, so you can fit a mighty 12TB of data internally on the DS-411+II – that’s going to keep all but the most data hungry going for quite some time. If you need external storage expansion at some point, two USB 2.0 ports plus an eSATA port are available on the rear of the device. At some point, we should expect to see an upgrade to USB 3.0 on these devices for the fastest speeds, but not at this point.

Fast data access over the network is supported by the provision of a single Gigabit Ethernet port. There’s no fancy dual Ethernet tricks such as link aggregation on this class of device, so if you’re looking for these kind of business class features, you’ll need to pitch higher up Synology’s product list.

Overall, it’s a competent hardware specification for 2011. There are no real fireworks, but the DS-411+II has everything it needs to do a decent job. For full details on the DiskStation DS-411+II’s specs, head over to synology.com.

Installation

As the DS-411+II ships in a diskless configuration, you’ll need to install 1 or more hard drives in the rear of the device. Installation is very easy. Simply remove the four thumb screws from the back panel, slip your drives in the drive trays located within, and secure with the screws included in the box contents. Slide the drive trays into the device, close up the back panel and power on. The device will initialise, and the sit patiently for you to install its software.

Synology’s installation disk includes a connector application called Synology Assistant which runs on a client computer (Mac, Windows and Linux all supported) to allow access and configuration of the DS-411+II. We’re using the Mac connector for this review, as we’ll be discussing some of the compatibility and feature enhancements Synology have included in the latest (beta) version of their Disk Station Manager operating system.

As you can see from the image above, the Synology Assistant will hunt out the DS-411+II on the network, listing pertinent network information should it be required. As noted, your new disks are completely empty, and that means we need to install the operating system on the device. Synology have just released a brand new beta of the latest version of their NAS OS, DiskStation Manager (DSM 3.2). As previously reported here at WGS, the update includes a wide variety of new features for Synology’s NAS servers – most notable is support for OSX 10.7 Lion, a new version of the Photo Station application, support for Google Cloud Print, a DSM Web App to support management of the device from mobile clients, plus a swathe of enhancements across the operating system.

Simply point the wizard to the downloaded beta file (174 MB), and an installation wizard will take care of the rest, formatting your drives, creating the required system partition and then installing the operating system. It’s a relatively painless operation that most users should be able to perform without too much trouble.

Once completed, you’ll see the device entry in Synology Assistant changes status to “Ready”, and of course, there’ll be a different OS version shown if you’ve installed the update.

Ensuring the device is highlighted, click Connect and your web browser should pop up with the DS-411+II’s web-based dashboard.

PC Specialist Extends Windows Home Server Range

Terry Walsh — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 06:50:48 +0000

News reaches us from PC Specialist, whose range of Windows Home Server 2011 rigs we mentioned a few weeks ago.

They’ve been working hard to extend their range of home server builds this month, and now have one of the most comprehensive range of chassis and internal hardware options we’ve seen on the market. The new range includes cases from £35 up to what looks like the Fractal Design Array R2 NAS case at £150, Intel processor choices starting at the budget Pentium G620 up to a Core i7-2600S for power users, and a plethora of hard drive and RAM options for your custom build.

As we’ve seen across the market, the price of the Windows Home Server 2011 software has also dropped considerably – the company tells us this saving has also been passed on to customers.

Worth a look, if you’re after a custom build (but don’t have the time or inclination to do it yourself.)

More: PC Specialist

HumuHumu: Home Servers That Fit Into Any Room In Your House

Terry Walsh — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 21:18:38 +0000

A home server in any room in your house? So says the UK’s newest home server system builder HumuHumu, which today announced its debut range of Windows Home Server 2011 systems.

The Milton Keynes based company is offering its HumuHumu Home Server (try saying that one quickly) in a range of four colours (Blue, Red, Silver and Black) and a design that they say is “luxurious, eye-catching and elegantly crafted”. On the inside lies an Intel Atom D525 processor, supported by 4GB RAM and 2TB storage.

Available from 20^th June, the HumuHumu Home Server is priced at £478.98 including delivery and 1 year’s RTB warranty. Expect to see our usual detailed hands-on review in the coming weeks.

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Show Press Release

HOME servers that can fit into any room in your house

MILTON KEYNES – June 15th, 2011 – HumuHumu today introduced their Microsoft Windows Home Server 2011 solution. The HumuHumu Home Server is housed in a luxurious, eye-catching and elegantly crafted 100% aluminium case and is available in 4 stunning colours (Red, Blue, Black and Silver).

“With everyone’s life becoming more and more digital, and identity theft being a constant challenge, it’s even more important to think about how you can protect your data on your computers at home. Most households today have multiple computers with an ever increasing amount of data being stored on them daily.

Home computers don’t just have a few digital pictures now, they have tens of thousands. Song collections can number in the thousands and the ability to rip movies to hard disk means that you can create your own on demand cinema.

With an ever increasing amount of data, you need a way of protecting it, organizing it and allowing everyone in the home to access it easily. Microsoft Windows Home Server 2011 is designed for households and home-based businesses to do all of that and so much more.

Microsoft Home Server 2011 takes the hassle out of protecting and sharing your data. The combination of daily PC backups, data sharing abilities and full remote access via the web will simplify your life.

What’s more, our Home Server solution is simple to use with a quick and easy 3 step process to getting it working. Just unbox, plug into your existing router and power on. Within 5 minutes you’ll be protecting your important data and in control of your digital life.

Each of our servers use green “best in class” energy efficient components. They come with a generous 2TB of disk storage, 4GB ram and the latest Intel Atom D525 64bit processor. And our stylish tiny colourful cases won’t look out of place anywhere in the house. They are also whisper quiet so you won’t hear them in your lounge, kitchen or bedroom,” said Leonard powers, technology director.

Availability

The HumuHumu Home Server is available to order from 20th June 2011, is priced at £478.98 (all in and delivered) and comes with 1 year RTB warranty.

Optional external USB drive to backup the Home Server and UPS for power supply protection can also be purchased via the website.

About HumuHumu Limited

Founded in 2011, HumuHumu provides Technology for Everyone and specialises in Home Server 2011 solutions that help home users and small businesses. It has over 25 years’ experience of computer systems and solutions.

AWIECO Announces Windows Home Server 2011 Hardware

Terry Walsh — Wed, 25 May 2011 06:28:12 +0000

You know them as an add-in developer, but it seems as if you’ll need to re-evaluate AWIECO’s offer. The developer of Windows Home Server 2011 add-ins RemoteLauncher and WakeOnLan has announced it will be bringing home/small business server hardware to the market next month.

The forthcoming AWIECO servers utilise the great-looking same HFX chassis we featured last week and ships with your choice of an Intel Atom, Intel Core i3 or Core i5 processor. Five drive bays are available, with a capacity up to 15TB and the servers will also feature Gigabit LAN and USB 3.0. Both Windows Home Server 2011 and Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials servers will be available.

The company introduces the servers as follows:

The new AWIECO Servers combine design, performance, low power consumption and fanless operation.
The compact and robust case made of aluminum and acrylic glass is a real eye-catcher. On the front-panel are a Power and HDD LED as well as a display, which shows status information about the CPU usage or LAN utilization for example. Big cooling rips on the side of the server provide an optimum cooling of the CPU and the entire server. Moreover, a special passive hard disk cooling system is on the top. The temperature of the hard drives is constantly monitored and if the temperature reaches the limit caused for example by high workload or high ambient temperature, then two silent security fans will become active in case of necessity to ensure a fast cooling of the system.
Inside either an Intel Atom processor of the latest generation is working or for more demanding users an Intel Core i3 or i5 Sandy Bridge processor. On the back of the server up to 5 hard drives can be added quickly and easily. Through the support of 3TB hard disks up to 15TB can be used in total of storage for the own data. The 64-Bit operating system Windows Home Server 2011 or Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials is preinstalled on a separate 24×7 optimized hard disk inside the case.

No pricing has been revealed, but stay tuned for more on the new AWIECO servers over the coming weeks.

Update: Prices start at 799 Euro inc. VAT for the Intel Atom server and 949 Euro inc. VAT for Intel Core i3 servers.

More: AWIECO

LaCie Switches 5big Storage Server Strategy

Terry Walsh — Fri, 20 May 2011 07:07:03 +0000

LaCie this week announced the availability of a 1TB version of its 5big Storage Server product, signalling a change in product strategy.

Last year, you may remember that WGS reviewed hardware from LaCie running both Windows Home Server and Windows Storage Server and in the course of our discussions with the company, I was keen to understand why the decision was taken to only ship both products fully loaded with hard drives – such a strategy appeared to reduce flexibility for users, and drove up the price point – two issues that would likely impact sales volumes.

LaCie’s product team defended the decision, pointing to the convenience of purchasing a full solution that would not require expansion for some time. I had to admit to being unconvinced by the argument, and as such, this week’s decision to offer the 5big with just 1TB storage comes as no surprise.

Otherwise the storage server’s specification is unchanged. The 1TB 5big Storage Server from LaCie is now shipping from $1199.

More: LaCie

Open Press Release

For Immediate Release | May 19, 2011LaCie Delivers Expandability with its 5big Storage Server

Today LaCie announced its 5big Storage Server, a professional file-sharing appliance for small and medium businesses, is now offered in a 1TB model for user expandability. With up to 10TB of expandable capacity, the 5big Storage Server delivers the power of Windows Storage Server in a compact aluminum enclosure – making it the highest capacity and fastest-performing file server for your desktop.

MANAGE YOUR STORAGE CAPACITY Now, with the 5big Storage Server 1TB, businesses can invest in a full-featured storage solution that is perfectly suited to grow with your business’ storage needs and budget. Simply add your own hard drives or refer to LaCie’s website for recommendations on hard drives for compatibility and performance.

ENTERPRISE PERFORMANCE In addition to its capacity update, the 5big Storage Server has been optimized for performance, and features up to twenty percent faster speeds than traditional NAS solutions. By combining enterprise class components – 64-bit dual-core hyperthreaded 1.6Ghz Intel Atom processor and Microsoft Storage Server 2008 Standard – as well as dual gigabit Ethernet links for link aggregation, the 5big Storage Server delivers up to 180MB/s–the fastest file transfers and system restoration in a desktop storage solution.

Complete with RAID 0, 1, 5,or 5+ modes for data reliability, the 5big Storage Server is an ideal solution for businesses that require performance without compromising security. Small offices can use the 5big Storage Server for network-attached data storage or as a file server to deliver work files quickly. It can also be set up as a backup target for data replication, and supports up to 100 users.

With high-end server performance, the 5big Storage Server can easily operate in the most challenging SAN environments. It can even support the most demanding virtualization applications, Windows server failover clustering and Hyper-V.

ADDITIONAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Data protection: The 5big Storage Server features RAID 0/1/5 and JBOD. Adjust your data plan as you grow your storage space.

Data deduplication: Save up to 40% space. Thanks to Microsoft’s Single Instance Storage (SIS), the 5big Storage Server will provide file-level deduplication, so duplicate files will only be stored once.

Offsite replication and collaboration: The 5big Storage Server incorporates Microsoft’s DFS-R technology, allowing corporate administrators to complete an offsite backup of their critical data. NAS-to-NAS replication performances on the 5big Storage Server go up to 112MB/s. The DFS-R technology can also be used as a simple tool for offsite backups.

Mac compatibility: The 5big Storage Server will work in heterogeneous environments. PC and Mac users will be able to work and collaborate on the same storage unit. Thanks to fast AFP performances, the 5big Storage Server can complete a 320GB Time Machine® backup in just 2 hours.

Fast server backups: Back up the 5big Storage Server to eSATA hard drive attached. Back up 10GB to the external hard drive in a minute, or a 1TB 5big Storage Server in just two hours.

iSCSI: With performances up to 180MB/s*, the 5big Storage Server can easily operate even in the most challenging SAN environments.

AVAILABILITY The LaCie 5big Storage Server is available in 1TB, 5TB and 10TB capacities through the LaCie Online Store, LaCie Storage Partners and LaCie Reseller+ starting at $1199.00. For more product information, visit www.lacie.com.

HFX PowerNAS 2011 Brings a Touch of Class to Windows Home Server

Terry Walsh — Thu, 19 May 2011 21:09:29 +0000

Now at € 995.00, I’m not saying that HFX’s new PowerNAS 2011 home server is cheapest WHS 2011 hardware available, but it’s most definitely the coolest looking model I’ve seen so far.

The six-bay chassis (1 x 2.5″ system drive bay and 5 3.5″ bays) is powered by an Intel “Sandy Bridge” 2nd Generation Core i3 processor with 2GB RAM – five storage bays equals up to 15TB storage capacity, but note you’ll only find a 250GB hard drive in the base spec and that’s for the system volume.

Designed as a video server, the PowerNAS 2011 is passively cooled, (with even the disks connected to the side cooling fins for heat dissipation) and of course, you’ll find a wide range of connectors available, including DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, 2 x USB 3.0, 4 x USB 2.0, eSATA, GB LAN and 7.1 Audio. To reinforce those media server capabilities, there’s a blue LCD on the front panel and an optional slimline DVD or Blu-ray drive is also available.

The ultimate home server? It might just be… it’s certainly an indulgence, but if you have the cash, it looks like a very nice piece of kit indeed.

Specifications:
5 x HDD 3.5″ bays
1 x HDD 2.5″ Internal Server 250GB
Intel Core i3 with 2GB RAM
Zotac H67 with Intel RAID
Connections: DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, 2 * USB3.0, 4 * USB2.0, eSATA, GB LAN, 7.1 Audio
Blue LCD 2 * 16
SlotIn optional slimline drive
Weight: 4.5 kg to 10 kg
Dimensions: 20cm (h) * 24cm (b) * 24cm (t)
Warranty: 1 Year

Thanks to Hulk for the tip.

More: HFX

HP ProLiant MicroServer to Ship With Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials

Terry Walsh — Wed, 18 May 2011 10:16:34 +0000

HP this week announced that the HP ProLiant MicroServer will be available to purchase with Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials, delivering a low-cost, simple to manage server solution for businesses up to 25 seats.

The company told us this week that SBS Essentials will be a configuration option at launch from HP’s reseller partners. A RAM upgrade will also be required from the base specification’s 1GB to at least 2GB to meet the minimum requirements for the OS.

Going forward, it is anticipated that Microsoft’s new small business OS will be available as a pre-configured option direct from HP in the “late summer”. Direct availability is expected to coincide with a “beefed up” hardware specification, to be released in the coming months.

The 4 bay ProLiant MicroServer is already a popular option with WGS readers, thanks in no small part to a low price point and solid hardware design, alongside flexibility in configuration and expansion. A long-running cashback deal in Europe has ensured it’s place as a firm favourite for both Windows Home Server and Windows SBS Essentials.

Check out our recent review of HP’s MicroServer and stay tuned for more on the new model in the coming months.

Viridian VS-4HA Colorado Edition Home Server Now Pre-ordering

Terry Walsh — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 06:38:25 +0000

A new system builder has announced the launch of a range of Windows Home Server 2011-powered systems for the UK. Viridian PC Systems’ VS-4HA Colorado Edition Home Server is now available to pre-order in a range of configurations from a diskless, 0TB model through 4TB, 8TB and 12TB models.

The new 4-bay home servers include an additional 2.5″ internal drive for the operating system, and are based on Intel’s dual-core Atom D525 processor, 2GB RAM (4GB on the 12TB model), 2 Intel-powered Gigabit LAN ports, 4 USB ports (2 front and rear) with support for RAID 5 and 10 plus IPMI Remote Management support. Twin e-SATA ports with port multiplication are available as an upgrade option.

Prices start at £525 for the 0Tb model up to £1300 for the 12Tb model, with an additional £100 discount available for a limited period.

The company expect to also ship Core i3, Core i5 and Xeon home servers in the coming months, with storage up to a mighty 60TB.

VS-4HA Colorado Edition specifications:

CPU : Intel Atom D525, 1.8 GHz, dual core, 64bit, 1MB cache
Chipset : Intel ICH9R
Memory : 2Gb DDR3 800MHz SO-DIMM (max 4GB)
Networking : 2 x Intel 82574L Gigabit LAN ports
Storage : 4 x 3.5” SATA hot-swap drives (1Tb, 2Tb or 3Tb each dependent on model), 1 x 2.5” 160Gb internal hard drive
USB : 4 x USB 2.0 (2 front & 2 Rear)
Remote Management : IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) v1.5 / 2.0 with Virtual Media and KVM support
Power supply : 200w
Physical dimensions : 9.85” x 7.88” x 11.82” (H x W x D)
1 year return-to-base warranty as standard.

More: Viridian PC

ASUS Kicks Off CES With Tablets For All

Terry Walsh — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:42:56 +0000

ASUS kicked off this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today with an impressive range of new Android and Windows 7-based tablets. The company’s chairman, Johnney Shih, unveiled four new models with a variety of display sizes, specifications and form factors to “provide solutions for all”.

“ASUS is a global technology leader in the new digital era. We focus on the mastery of technological innovation and design perfection. We hold ourselves to the highest standards when it comes to delivering consumers the very best products. Choice is a key ingredient for success, and we offer consumers the ability to customize their own digital futures with an exciting lineup of products that are unmatched in quality and depth of features”

The company launched the following new models:

ASUS Eee Pad MeMO

The Eee Pad MeMO is a 7.1″ Android 3.0-based tablet, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor. Controlling the device is aided by the addition of a stylus – handwritten notes are also supported. A Micro HDMI port on the device allows the MeMO to connect to an external display for 1080P high-definition video playback. The MeMO ships in June with a range of specs priced between $499 and $699.

ASUS Eee Slate EP121

Sitting squarely at the top end of the power scale, the 12.1″ EP121 packs an Intel Core i5 dual-core processor and runs Windows 7 Home Premium at a resolution of 1280 x800. At today’s press conference, ASUS showed off the power of the Slate running a movie in high definition whilst simultaneously editing images in Adobe Photoshop. Like the Eee Pad MeMo, the Slate supports touch controls as well as a stylus which is sure to help with Windows’ non-touch friendly user interface. Expect to see a variety of models available this month, with up to 4GB RAM, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, a 2 megapixel camera, 2 USB 2.0 ports and a mini-HDMI socket. 32 GB and 64GB SSD models will be available with pricing between $999 and $1099.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer

If the Eee Slate sounds like it may munch battery life, then there’s no worries about the Android-based ASUS Eee Pad Transformer. This 10.1″ device has an estimated 16 hour battery life, and boasts a detachable docking station with full QWERTY keyboard that transforms the slate into a notebook form factor. There’s an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor at the heart of the Transformer, with 802.11n Wi-Fi, mini HDMI and USB 2.0 support. Front (1.2 megapixel) and rear (5 megapixel) cameras make video chat easy, and you like the other models announced today can also expect full 1080p video playback to external displays. The Transformer ships in April with configurations priced between $399 and $699.

ASUS Eee Pad Slider

Completing ASUS’ Eee Pad line up is the Slider – a 10.1″ Android Honeycomb device, again powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 processor. ASUS are positioning the device as a “hybrid” Tablet/Portable PC, with a slide-out keyboard supporting the touchscreen. Like the Transformer, you’ll find dual cameras on board, whilst the Slider will also ship with optional 3G wireless support. The Slider will ship in May in configurations at $499-$799.

So, the CES 2011 tablet-a-rama begins – ASUS have kicked of the show with a strong showing of slates, but I’m sure they won’t be the only manufacturer showing tablets this year. That said, today’s announcement may well offer something for everyone – Android, Windows 7, touchscreen, stylus controls, media playback, productivity apps, battery life, processing power – take your choice.

(Image Credit: ASUS)

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Pogoplug Pro Adds Wi-Fi Sharing to Remote File Access

Terry Walsh — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 07:09:59 +0000

Pogoplug this week announced the imminent availability of the Pogoplug Pro, an advanced version of the company’s remote file sharing device.

Up to four USB hard drives can be connected to the device and accessed remotely via my.pogoplug.com for file downloads, uploads and streaming anywhere in the world.

Mobile apps for iOS, Android and Blackberry are available for smartphone access.

The new model now comes in black, and adds 802.11n Wi-Fi to the mix, allowing content to be shared locally to PCs and other devices on the network, as well as remotely.

Best Buy will be stocking the device this week, which will be priced at $99.99.

More: Pogoplug

Apple TV Now Shipping in North America, UK, New Zealand

Terry Walsh — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:49:27 +0000

Following last week’s news that Apple were taking payments for Apple TV pre-orders, various news outlets are reporting that customers in North America have received shipping notices, with units being distributed directly from factories in Shenzhen, China via DHL.

No news as yet regarding shipping outside the US and Canada, with order statuses currently frozen and no payments being taken. Now that the stock has started to flow, let’s hope the rest of the world isn’t waiting too long.

Update: We’re starting to hear of customers in the UK and New Zealand getting ship notifications today. Looks like the freeze is thawing!