Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Home 1TB STAM1000100 Review & Ratings

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Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Home 1TB STAM1000100 Review

EDIT on August 11, 2011: According to another user, this Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Home external hard drive will NOT work with OS X Lion. The new operating system that was released by Apple on July 20, 2011.
I give this item a 3.5 stars. It looses some stars because it really is not "simple set up" as it states. It takes some time to get it up and your files to back up the first initial time. I was extremely excited to try this product with my home network since we have two Windows PCs (1 XP & 1 Windows 7), and one Mac computer.For each desktop computer, I have installed wired external backup drives. The idea of having ONE back up drive to backup all my files, photos and iTunes music seemed to be like a dream come true. Features a 1TB storage, which is equivalent to 1024GB.
Lets start with the installation. I am using the Windows 7 PC for initial setup. First and most important, you need a Home Network, a wireless router and of course an internet connection. Enclosed in the box is a very basic "Quick Start" guide, I recommend going to the manufacturer's website and downloading the 82 page manual which gives more information. I plugged in power and Ethernet cable to my wireless router. I powered up the drive and inserted the installation CD. I named and registered my drive and added additional user accounts , one for each computer. After that was complete I had to install the software on my other Windows PC and Mac. After I installed the CD on the other PCs, a screen pops up asking to insert the username and password. It's that simple. On my Mac the installation was a little different, but I was able to easily follow the instructions and get it connected using Time Machine with no hassles. One bit of advice for Mac users, if you plan on using Time Machine to back up your files instead of using the optional Memeo Instant Backup, you need to go to Seagate Share Preferences before installing the program on the Mac. Once you are in the preferences page, enable ComputersBackup. Create a password, this password will be used to configure the program when it is installed on your Mac. This information can only be found in the downloaded Users Manual online. Luckily I read the entire manual before attempting to install the Seagate GoFlex. It did take a long, long time to backup all files and folders from all three computers, but I had no bugs or issues. Depending on how many files and folders you are having backed up, it may take all day and night. The program will just run in the background and you do not have to do anything.
The drive will automatically created three folders for each PC account, a public, personal and backup folders. The Seagate Dashboard is the centralized location for all the computer files. This only works with Windows, this is the reason I used my Windows 7 PC as the main system. On the Mac it is Seagate Share and you must use the internet to access the files. You do have the option to use the internet storage base for Windows as well if you like.
There are a few options on how you want to backup your files, I went with the automatic backup. I clicked on instant backups on my menu and the computer shows you the amount of storage that will be included in the backup. If you only what to choose certain files, you can use the advanced settings and drag which files to backup. After clicking "Start Backup", my files started backing up. Whenever I add a new file to the folder or make and changes, the Seagate GoFlex will automatically back up the new file.
Every computer in my home already has a wireless printer, so I really have no use to for the share printer option. But if you do want to use a printer wireless throughout your home network, you must attach the printer via the printer's USB cable to the Seagate GoFlex Drive.
There are many other features and options that can be used, but my primary reason for using this device is to backup the iTunes and photo files on all the computers. When you have thousands of songs and spent several hundreds of dollars on iTunes purchases for every iTunes account on each system, you want to make sure you can access your file in case something terrible happens like the internal hard drive dies. Trust me, I have had this happen to me. I always burn my photos to a CD for added protection, but this way we can share our photos from any computer.
Overall, once you get the unit installed and your files and folders backed up it is extremely easy to use. I guess time will tell if the unit is reliable for retrieving backup files if your system crashes or dies. Hopefully I will not have to find that out! :-)
UPDATE: Sometimes I am not able to gain access to my account online. This is because I use Firefox with a 64-bit operating system and currently "Flash" is not not supported for this OS. I keep getting the "Flash Crash Error Report". However, I can sign in with no troubles using Internet Explorer. So if you have troubles signing into the account online, try a different browser.
If you notice that the drives are not showing under devices in your computer, best thing to do is to unplug it for 15 seconds and then plug it back in to reboot.

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Home 1TB STAM1000100 Overview

The GoFlex Home network storage system connects to your WiFi router, allowing you to wirelessly store and access files and back up multiple computers in the home. The GoFlex Home network storage system includes software to automatically and continuously back up all the files and folders on up to 3 PC and Mac computers in the home. By storing files in a central location on your network, you can use one drive for all your storage and backup needs. When connected to your home WiFi router, the GoFlex Home network storage system enables you to wirelessly store and access files from any PC or Mac computer in the home. The GoFlex Home network storage system also allows you to stream media to game consoles and the GoFlex TV HD media player. Store all your photos, movies and music on the GoFlex Home network storage system and enjoy your media and favorite memories from any room in the house. Additionally, you can share a USB printer with every computer in the home by simply connecting to the USB port on the GoFlex Home network storage system or you can plug in a USB drive to the port to increase storage capacity. The built-in drive can also be upgraded by simply removing the drive from the base and replacing with a higher capacity GoFlex Desk drive. With a simple guided setup process and just two cable connections, the GoFlex Home network storage system installs in just minutes, allowing you to quickly begin protecting your files, enjoying your media and accessing your content wherever you are. Additional licenses available for purchase

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Buffalo Technology DriveStation Duo 2.0 TB (2 x 1 TB) USB 2.0 & FireWire Combo External Hard Drive HD-W2.0IU2/R1 Review & Ratings

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(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Buffalo Technology DriveStation Duo 2.0 TB (2 x 1 TB) USB 2.0 & FireWire Combo External Hard Drive HD-W2.0IU2/R1? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Buffalo Technology DriveStation Duo 2.0 TB (2 x 1 TB) USB 2.0 & FireWire Combo External Hard Drive HD-W2.0IU2/R1. Check out the link below:

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Buffalo Technology DriveStation Duo 2.0 TB (2 x 1 TB) USB 2.0 & FireWire Combo External Hard Drive HD-W2.0IU2/R1 Review

I usually do not write reviews but this time after spending so much time doing a research on a good external RAID1 hard drive and finding no useful information I figured I'll write one up to save other people time and money.
I've read a whole bunch of reviews on Amazon and other websites all people complaining about DriveStation Duo RAID-1 configuration on Windows. Not sure what those people did wrong but they definitely got me concerned before buying this unit.
Before choosing this unit I've compared whole bunch of products available. I was looking for external hard drive either USB or NAS that supports RAID-1 for redundancy and I need to have a flexibility to swap one of the hard drives if needed in case it crashes after warranty expires by not going to the manufacture. Out of all products I looked at (Linksys, Buffalo, Maxtor, Iomega, SimpleTech and many others) I liked Linksys NAS200 the best as it gives you most flexibility with hard drives you choose and Linksys usually have a pretty good software to configure and maintain their hardware but the only downside with NAS200 was the speed. I don't need high transfer rates but I do need at least 10Mb/sec when NAS200 was producing around 3Mb/sec.
When I got the hard drive the one thing I was concerned about is configuring it for RAID-1 based on all the problems other users had (from reviews). I just ran a disk utility that comes with the drive, connected hard drive via USB and then configured it for RAID-1. It was that easy. No problems on Windows XP as other people reported. Then I just formatted the drive using Disk Management utility and it is ready to go.
I even decided to test redundancy so I copied some files to the drive and shut it down and pulled out one drive out of it. Started it back up and the drive was accessible with all the files there. So then I shut it down again and reconnected the drive and it started rebuilding it. According to their doc on the website it is supposed to take 8-11 hours for 500Gb hard drive but after 18 hours it did not finish and I decided to call tech support. After calling tech support they confirmed that the reconnected drive will not rebuild since it expects brand new drive RAW formatted and a drive formatted other than RAW it will go in infinite loop trying to rebuild it. First tech support suggested to format the drive while it was rebuilding it (which I didn't think was a good idea but did it anyway) and that didn't work (2-3 hours wasted). Then after keeping me on hold while (probably) reading some documentation tech support rep. said that because I opened up front cover the warranty is void and they can't replace it for me so he suggested returning back to the place where I got it from since there's no way to fix the problem any more. Then I figured I'll take it into my own hands and tried using DiskUtility to change the drive back to Normal Mode (2 independent drives) and that worked fine but changing it back to RAID-1 failed with misspelled error "Disk Restracturing failed". So, I formatted each drive using FAT32 (back to default formatting) and then tried converting it back to RAID-1 and it worked just fine.
At the end here are pros and cons of this hard drive:
+ Supports RAID-1
+ High transfer rate
+ Auto-power shut off (via USB). Nice feature. Starts up the drive when you start up your computer and shuts it off when you shut down computer.
+ Swappable hard drives. After hands on experience with the hard drive I found out that it will not be that easy to change them, but at least it'll get you the data if one crashes.
+ Easy to access hard drives - just few screws away
+ No need to install all kinds of drivers and whole bunch of useless memory and CPU wasting software to make this unit work. It is literally Plug-n-Play. Windows recognizes this unit without any issues. You can format it using Disk Management in Windows.
+ Comes with 2 Seagate hard drives and not some proprietary like other manufactures
- 1 year warranty. Some websites advertise 3 years warranty for this drive but support confirmed that it is actually 1 year
- Tech support. Doesn't seem like they know what they're talking about. They kept putting me on hold every time I ask them any question. My guess, they were looking for answers in some documents because they didn't know. Really takes them long time to come back with an answer and at the end those answers are useless and misleading.
So at the end, the drive seems to be performing as advertised. I got about 30Mb/sec when copying large files and over 100Mb/sec when copying some MP3 files. At the end, I think this is a good bang for the buck.

Buffalo Technology DriveStation Duo 2.0 TB (2 x 1 TB) USB 2.0 & FireWire Combo External Hard Drive HD-W2.0IU2/R1 Overview

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Save 58% Off: Belkin Wireless N+ 802.11n Router (Black) Review & Ratings

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Belkin Wireless N+ 802.11n Router (Black) Review

The Belkin wireless N+ router is the third wireless router I have purchased over the last five years. I have a three story house and the router is located on the first floor. The earlier routers did not cover the entire house and I had to use a wireless repeater. More importantly, these earlier routers were always having to be reset, sometimes on a daily basis. This new Belkin router has taken care of both problems. It gives a substantially stronger signal and I do not need the repeater any longer. More importantly, is has been absolutely reliable. I have not had any problems since plugging it in a month ago. Set up was a breeze. I am one totally-happy camper!

Belkin Wireless N+ 802.11n Router (Black) Overview

For those who need the fastest wireless connection, the Belkin N+ Router will have you flying down the fast lane. Thanks to the 802.11n Draft 2.0 technology that provides up to 300 Mbps of data throughput, and a wide variety of high-performance features, the N+ Router is the ideal choice for demanding Internet users.
Compatible with 802.11n Draft 2.0 for Incredible Performance Using the latest, 802.11n Draft 2.0 technology, the N+ router offers outstanding range thanks to smart MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) technology. This router offers enough range to easily cover most homes or office spaces.

With data throughput of up to 300 Mbps, the N+ Router can handle media-intensive applications that take up large amounts of your bandwidth. The router will easily handle high-demand network activity such as streaming music and HD video, playing games online, downloading large files, and making Internet phone calls, all without hiccups or slowdowns.

If even this isn't fast enough, the N+ router also has four gigabit Ethernet ports for ultra-fast wired connections.

Backwards Compatibility for Ultra Convenience The N+ router is backwards compatible with all Wireless-G and 802.11b networks and devices, which means that you can continue to use your current computers and peripherals that are on the older standards.

Keep Your Network Safe and Private With support for Wi-Fi Protected Security, you can ensure that your wireless network is safe and secure with a single button push. In addition to Wi-Fi Protected Security, the N+ router also supports 256-bit WPA/WPA2-Personal, and 64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption to ensure that your data is protected.

Easily Share Storage with Your Whole Network The router features a USB port that allows you to connect a USB storage device, such as a hard drive or thumb drive, and share its contents with all the computers on the network. With an attached storage device, you can store music, videos, and photos in a central location for everyone on the network to share and access.

Elegant, Informative Design Featuring an elegant and smart vertical design, the N+ Router saves space and looks good on your desk. LED icons let you know at a glance the status of the connection, if security is enabled, if USB storage is being accessed, and other useful information. There's also a "Download Speedmeter" Bar of LEDs that constantly measures the download speed of your network.

The Belkin N+ Router is backed by a 1-year warranty and includes free 24/7 technical support.



Winner of the CNET Editors' Choice Award
What's in the BoxN+ Wireless Router, quick installation guide, user manual on CD-ROM, power supply, Ethernet cable.



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