Performance - more

In Figure 9, you can see the results of the "top" command in Linux, obtained by telnetting into the EZ, using the acp_commander tool from the NAS Central. Although it's not an altogether fair test, since some resources are used by the top command and by logging into the EZ, you can see that simply performing a Windows Backup to the EZ uses around 87% of the CPU and leaves only 560K of memory free.

Figure 9: Top command during a Windows Backup operation

Although it's not really Buffalo's fault, the included Memeo AutoBackup software took an incredible amount of time to perform its initial backup. It took literally over 48 hours to back up around 14 GB (around 14,500 files and 250 directories) of data. I don't know the exact amount of time because I wasn't in front of the computer when the backup finished.

Even if it copied the data twice, verified it, and copied it again, there's still no justification for that amount of time. One can only imagine how long it would take to back up a whole computer, let alone multiple computers.

On the plus side, copying a directory (1.26GB, 282 files) via Windows Explorer took only about 10 minutes. Backing up the same directory with Windows Backup took 7 minutes and 19 seconds. Memeo only took 14 minutes and 37 seconds for this directory.

Conclusion

The Buffalo LinkStation EZ comes with a 500 GB hard drive and, as I write this, costs from $146–$220. This segment of the NAS market has relatively little competition, with most of the other devices either low-end BYOD boxes or lower-capacity older models.

There are NASes out there that perform better, have more features, and provide better data security. There are even some NASes for around the same price that do more and have better hardware. However, there aren't any comparable NASes that don't have to be configured at all and don't have any settings for users to mess up.

The LinkStation EZ is more like a USB hard drive that works on a network. If you can attach a USB hard drive to a computer and share it over the network, you can use the EZ—with the added bonus that you don't have to turn on a computer to make it available.

Although it would have been better if the EZ were a little more configurable, or if Buffalo hadn't locked down the device so that advanced users could tweak it, the EZ is not trying to accomplish any of those things. The EZ is trying to provide non-expert users with the NAS advantage without any of the hassles, and it, at that, it succeeds.

See the slideshow for more internal photos

Tags: Buffalo, NAS,

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