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LaCie Big Disk Network 301502U: Review

Posted to Hard Drives 2009-11-25

LaCie Big Disk Network 301502U: Review

The LaCie Big Disk Network 301502U is a 4TB single disk Network Attached Storage (NAS) external harddrive. Connectivity to your computer and home network are well catered for with a USB 2.0 expansion slot as well as Gigabit Ethernet capability. As the 301502U is also capable of Wake-on LAN functionality, the drive can be turned on or off via a network when required.

Added benefits of the Big Disk Network 301502U, apart from the quality manufacturing and design that Lacie has put in, is the drive case also acting as a heat sink. This allows for good removal of heat from the inner workings of the unit ensuring that the physical hard drive is protected. This model also has a Web-based administration page that gives administrators a better way to configure the network access settings of the drive.

Rating:

3.2 out of 5

Value

Only a single disk is supported by this unit, which removes some of the value that can be found in other units such as the LaCie 2Big range and up. If the drive is in regular use, disk redundancy becomes a factor as once this one disk fails there is no alternative one that can be used in the interim. The Big Disk network range is aimed at more professional backup requirements so there is better value to be found in the larger units if the budget can stretch to it.

Performance

Transfer speeds of this external drive setup vary depending on the interface that is being used. The Gigabit network connection which is the preferable method allows transfers up to 1000mb/s whilst if the USB 2.0 interface is used the speeds are considerably slower at around 55mb/s. Backup performance is well looked after for either Windows or Mac OSX users with Genie Soft or Intego Backup Manager applications included along with the Lacie network assistant for easy installation into your network.

Summary

Overall the Lacie Big Disk network struggles to find its niche in the market. It lacks the features that a professional organization would require from a backup solution and is still a bit too large for a general home backup system. Technology buffs might like it for the 4TB network access it provides, but value for money is better found in the larger Big Disk range.

Pros

Share files easily among PC, Mac, and Linux users
Back up to external hard disks with USB
Time Machine® Compatible
Heat sink design for quieter operation

Cons

Struggles for identity