Introduction

In their search for ways to differentiate themselves (and improve their miserably thin margins), networking product manufacturers are once again venturing into bundling network storage capability into their routing offerings. This idea of a combination router / file server isn't new, given that SMC and Linksys both fielded very similar products (OEM'd from Sercomm) back in 2001.

But if I remember correctly, the first-generation product - I tested SMC's SMC7208SBR Broadband Storage Server - was expensive, insecure, large, noisy and didn't really take off. U.S. Robotics' USR8200 Secure Storage Router Pro recently attempted to re-establish the router / storage combo category but requires you to bring your own storage - in the form of a USB2.0 hard drive.

Tritton's All in One Server Appliance (ASAP) and ioGEAR's Broadband Office Storage Server (BOSS) represent the latest incarnation of this product category, which now has the intended-to-be-less-scary "appliance" moniker. Unfortunately, though drive sizes have increased from 20GB to 120GB over three years, little else seems to have changed...