120GB Etherfast Nas/print/ftpserver 1 Open Bay for Addl HD

Average customer rating: 2.0

Huge mistake!
Doesn't work
Reliability Problems
Problems with File Locking
EFG is so unreliable as to be worthless

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Digital Media Servers

120GB Etherfast Nas/print/ftpserver 1 Open Bay for Addl HD

Manufacturer: Linksys
Product Group: CE
Binding: Electronics
ASIN: B00009X6PS

Related Categories:

Network Attached Storage

Networked Attached Storage

Networked Attached Storage

Computers

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Product Description

Now you can quickly and easily add 120 gigabytes of storage space onto your network with the EtherFast Network Attached Storage from Linksys. This stand-alone network appliance features two hard drive bays - one with a 120GB drive in it, and the other available so you can add an additional up to 120GB IDE hard drive as your storage needs grow. Installation of the Network Attached Storage is simple - just plug it directly into your 10/100 network, and it's instantly available. Or connect it to a Gigabit network! It can serve as your network's DHCP server, and also has a built-in Print Server so you can add a network printer without burdening a PC with spooling chores. The Network Attached Storage features built-in disk utilities, accessible through your web browser. You can run a self-test, and scan or defrag the disk(s). If you've installed a second disk drive, you can back up one drive to the other, either manually or on a schedule. For even more flexibility and utility, the Network Attached Storage can be set up to be accessible directly from the Internet - uploading and downloading files either via a web browser or by FTP. Files can be available publicly, or create password-protected accounts for your authorized users. You can even use it as an Internet print server, saving fax machine phone charges and using the internal hard drive space to spool and print high-resolution color pages from anywhere in the world. The EtherFast Network Attached Storage is a fast, powerful, flexible and economical addition to your network.

Customer Reviews:

Huge mistake!.......2005-09-09

I was lured to this product through an ad-slick stuffed in with my LinkSys network card packaging. In retrospect it was really too good to be true - a NAS for under $700, with group rights assignment, built in backup, print server and gigabit network card! I started thinking about all the old small office servers I could retire using this device. "Huge Mistake!" Why, oh why did I not research this product before I invested in it? Just the reviews here would have alerted me to the imminent falibility of the EFG120. With 5 EFGs deployed to various locations finally the hammer fell. The largest of the 5 locations using the EFG120, (that recently replaced their aging Novell server) called to say that the device was no longer responding. I tried a VPN connection session with the EFGs web interface and got the interface up. Drive1 status reported "Not Formatted", and Drive2 status reported "120GB 100%Free". What?! To make a long and very sad story short; the "backup" system had never made a copy of disk1 to disk2. Drive1 lost the shares and users configuration and even restoring the configuration from the .bin file I made did not give us access to the files which are locked away in the Linux file system. LinkSys tech support immediately directed me to contact Maxtor (the drive maker) to retreive the data and said I should call back. I refused to be passed on and forced the poor Indian guy to work with me. He clearly knew very little about the device and had to put me on hold several times to answer basic configuration questions I had. I'm having a PC shop that has a linux box try to recover my data. If I'm lucky and the data can be retrieved rest assured that it will NOT be going back on the EFG120 (should be re-christened the POS120). If your data is even mildly important select some other device to host it, ANY other device - a thumb drive, an old '95 box, ANYHTING but the EFG120. This was a great idea but poorly, poorly executed. The online, phone and printed support is woefully scant. If it were possible I would give this product - (negative)-5 trillion stars.

Doesn't work.......2005-07-04

This is a piece of garbage. It stopped reading the harddrive about 14 months into usage. Cisco support is based in India, they bounce you around like a hot potato and then after 1 hour tell you that it is out of warranty. It has turned me off to Cisco and Linksys products completely. I used to be 100% Linksys -- not anymore.

BTW, I finally did get some support out of Linksys, but it was not easy and definitely not worth the hassle.

Reliability Problems .......2005-01-06

I am the not-so-proud owner of this model as well as a couple of its previous incarnations. Of the 4 I've had in my possession, 3 have died without explanation, and without any kind of manufacturer support beyond "ship it back and we'll replace it for you". I don't know that I should expect any more than that given the nature of the device, but it is indeed frustrating for that to be every problem's answer.

Additionally, the Linksys tech I first talked to after it failed told me that my data was simply "gone" beyond any ability to recover it. I asked to be moved up to the next support level. The new tech support person told me that the data wasn't gone, but he couldn't find out what filesystem the disk used when asked.

(XFS, for those who find themselves in need of that information. `mount -t xfs /dev/hdb1 /mnt/`. The data is in the directory of the same name). If the filesystem is ok, this should allow you to get your data back.

Problems with File Locking.......2004-12-11

Had major issues with this due to file locking settings (oplocks)
This unit will not work with FoxPro programs and multiple users properly, and Linksys does not give access to be able to change the oplocks configuration.

EFG is so unreliable as to be worthless.......2004-10-20

Problems experienced include:
1. EFG "disappearing" from the network in the midst of large backup transfers (This happened on every large transfer except for one. When it happened, afterwards the EFG was pingable but it was no longer responsive in any other way to the network. Had to reboot the EFG to "fix" it and in several of the instances I also had to reset it).
2. Disk 1 or 2 or both occasionally showed up as Not Installed after rebooting the EFG or resetting it. Subsequent rebooting and /or resetting would "fix" this, eventually.
3. Disk 1 suddenly showed up as "Unformatted" in spite of having been in use and having 48GB worth of files stored on it. No amount of rebooting, resetting, or reseating (of the drive) would "fix" this. I had to reformat the drive to make it useable again!
I would very strongly recommend avoiding this product, period. I returned mine for a refund. P.S. Linksys technical support was "supportive" but had nothing to suggest beyond resetting, rebooting, reseating. They concluded the unit was defective - I say it was flaky.

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