NASLite Network Attached Storage

I've been working with computers as a consultant and programmer since 1988, but always with DOS and Windows.

About a year ago, I ran across a link to this site at a site like DailyRotation. The blurb sounded interesting, so I followed the link and read up on it. At the time, the only thing available was the floppy based version with the CD version "in the works."

I came back a couple of months ago, read about the CD version and bought it. I built 8 workstations and a server for a client, and he gave me all his old computers. It wasn't as generous as it sounds because other than 1 Pentium IV 1.8GHZ, everything else ranged from 250MHZ to 800MHZ.

I gave the 1.8 to one of my kids, and I grabbed one of the 800MHZ ones with 128MB SDRAM and decided to give it a go.

After burning the CD, I searched and searched and finally found a couple of old floppy disks. I haven't used them in years! Virtually all the systems I have built in the last two years have no floppy drives in them.

I left the original 20GB HDD in there, and also slipped in a 320GB Western Digital that I happened to have. When they start supporting SATA, I have a couple of 200GB SATA drives in my parts box that could be put to some good use!

Anyway, I stuck the CD in the drive, fired up the old PC and changed the boot settings in the BIOS after it tried to boot Windows 95 - that's how old this thing was!!

It booted without a hitch, I logged in, changed the IP address, rebooted and selected the two hard drives. It did its magic, I saved the configuration and shut down.

I put it under my computer desk, out of the way and hooked it to my LinkSys Wireless Router with 4 standard ports.

When I went into Windows and looked in the Network Places, there were both NASLite disks waiting there as pretty as you please. No fuss, no muss and about 20 minutes from start to finish!

Needless to say, I am very happy with this, and will be recommending it to a couple of my clients as a storage receptacle for their backups, etc. One thing I like to do is copy all their CD's and floppies to a Hard Drive that is accessible across the network. That way, anytime a new system is set up, I don't have to run around finding CD's. I just point it to the shared drive and install everything from there. It works like a charm.

So... great job, guys! I am extremely pleased with the product. Yeah, it would be nice to have security and a print server, but for the price and using an old, piece of junk machine - you can't complain too much!!

Thanks a million!

Matt