SmallNetBuilder

Features

The slideshow walks you through pretty much the entire interface and the LinkStation comparison chart from Buffalo's website lists the key features. The larger version of the chart shows all the features, except for the RAID modes, which apply only to the Pro Duo and Quad.

Figure 3: XHL Login landing page

In keeping with Buffalo's new simplified NAS strategy, both the new "Pro" and "Live" models include UPnP AV / iTunes media serving, remote Web Access and even BitTorrent downloading. But given their consumer vs. small-business focus, they don't include the ability to join an Active Domain for user authentication. But both, curiously, can join an NT domain.

Backup remains one of the LinkStation line's strengths and the XHL can do immediate or scheduled back up to an attached USB drive or another networked LinkStation or TeraStation. I would really like to see Buffalo (and all other NAS manufacturers) adopt the networked backup flexbility of the NETGEAR ReadyNASes, which can back up to or from both attached drives or any networked share.

The LinkStation can format USB drives in FAT32, EXT3 or its native XFS and supports read and write to all three. It will also mount an NTFS-formatted drive for sharing, but not write to it. As with other Buffalo NASes, you get one license for Memeo Backup, which is rather stingy, given the multiple (and sometimes, unlimited) backup client licenses offered with other products.

In Use

I am happy to report that the XHL features a completely redesigned web admin interface, which appears to be AJAX based. Navigation and organization are also improved and response was reasonably peppy. Figure 3 shows the view after you log in.

Figure 3: XHL Login landing page

As with previous LinkStations, the XHL has no log page. And I was unable to see if a log could be mailed to me, since I could not get the username / password login authentication method to work for emailed alerts.

Despite its improvements, the new interface lacks a Status page. Instead, there is only the left-hand System Information area, which is an insufficient substitute. There is other status information scattered around in other screens. But I could not find fan status, temperature or even firmware version anywhere. I would really like to see a System Status page brought back, hopefully using the expanding subsections that now are part of the GUI to present even more information in one place.

I fired up iTunes to see if it found the XHL, but it didn't show up. Once I moved a folder containing a few tunes over to the XHL, had it rescan and restart, however, iTunes found the XHL just fine. I ran some quick backups to an external USB drive, which ran without a problem. I'll cover backup performance in the next section.