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Overview
Do you feel those "hunger pains"? Hear
the grumbling? Hey, that's not your stomach churning out those
gurgling noises. It's all of those movies, music, files and data
eating away at the inner linings of your "other" stomach. Face it,
the more technology available to all of us, we need more places to
put it so we can keep "feeding" our insatiable appetite. I'm running
five computers on my network and as the unofficial IT guy in my
home, I've got to stay on top of all of that food generated and find
a place to store it until it's time to get rid of it. Like you, I've
got too many thumb drives, micro drives and medium-sized storage
compartments that appear as our kitchen cupboards and refrigerators
do. Full to capacity and hard to locate just what you want when you
need them. So, let's stop the endless moving, storing, searching and
disposing. How about we use all of that new technology to assist us
with those "full" stomachs and empty it into one place that can
handle it all. Alas, no more fruitless time spent managing where
you're going to unload or load all of your important "food". After
all, food is much like the data we use on a daily basis; it needs to
stay together to give us the greatest benefit. I-O Data is working
on satisfying our hunger with the UHDL-160GB network HDD. Whew, my
data and I feel better already. It's become my personal
refrigerator. Storing everything we need until we need it and we
know precisely where to find it all. And, wow, do I like going to
the "refrigerator". I can fill it, take things out, adjust and fine
tune it just how each of us likes. How does my personal
refrigerator, the UHDL-160GB HDD, do it all? Funny you should ask.
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Krista gets all business with the
I-O Data network drive. |
We needed something
not taking up a lot of space, compact, thin, nicely designed,
durable and, of course, with excellent function. The aluminum case
and convection cooling allows little to no noise. The UHDL-160 met
those requirements and more. My "fridge" came with some goodies to
whet that appetite such as an Ethernet LAN cable, AC adapter, power
cable, quick setup guide and a CD-ROM for easy install. On the front
of the unit is a power and access lamp. The rear of the device has
an on/off selector switch, two USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet port,
MDI/MDI-X selector, link lamp (indicates LAN connection), ACT lamp
(reveals data being sent/received), reset switch and DC power cable
connection. Optimum throughput is 94.5mbps with a high speed CPU and
the internal Ultra DMA/133 HDD. It also supports Windows
XP/Me/2000/98SE/NT4.0 MacOS 8.1 to 9.2.2, MacOS X 10.1 to 10.3.2.
Your personal storage valet is ready by switching the MDI/MDI-X
selector, connecting the LAN cables, powering it up to green status.
Insert the CD-ROM and follow the in-depth instructions. Next, click
on "network places (Windows XP), enter "uhdl" in the computer name
box, click on search, double click on the uhdl file name, right
click on map network drive, select the drive letter you wish to
assign and, click on reconnect at logon and then finish.
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The I-O Data network drive back
side with the network plug and the two USB ports. |
Now you can access it as you do any other drive. If you don't have a
LAN or hub, simply attach the Ethernet cables and assign the IP
address included with the product and follow the step-by-step
directions. Begin transferring or downloading data, files, movies,
music, etc. I tested the unit by transferring 15GB of data stored on
four other computers on my LAN network. The throughput speed was at
or near 94.5. I opened many of the files and folders and each one
worked flawlessly. Everyone was happy at that moment as we now had
additional storage space on the other computers. If you have other
external HDD, as I do, you'll want to create the daisy chain effect
and can do so by connecting the device via one of the two USB 2.0
ports on the back of the UHDL. I transferred over 20 hours of movies
and, again, everything went as planned. I was relieved. I moved all
of those files/folders back with no problems encountered. I now have
over one-half TB of storage. No, it's never enough storage, but it
will definitely keep me going for a long time to come. Also, you can
connect other devices such as printers, MP3 players or any other
gadgets you may have with USB 2.0 support. Each of the devices I
utilized worked great (what a relief).
In addition, you can slide everything off of your digital or video
camera, memory stick, thumb drive, etc. I-O Data also included AVeL
LinkPlayer capability, has a link server inside and allows great
enjoyment of all multi-media entertainment. Take time to set up
scheduled backups with the included system. A total of 90 users and
90 groups can be registered to the UHDL with a maximum of 90 users
in each group. Use as many Windows terminals connected as you wish,
but the performance of the UHDL will drop with increased numbers of
terminals connected. You should have no more than 16 terminals
connected at any given time. With Mac terminals, it is suggested no
more than eight terminals be connected, but you can share data using
AppleTalk or TCP/IP settings. That's basically all there is to it.
You now have an outstanding peripheral to increase your
"refrigerator" size, which will allow you to keep "eating" for some
time. If you need more, talk to I-O Data about their UHDL-300GB mega
machine. I always love to dream and help out those manufacturers do
the same for everyone else. So, here goes, again, for my wish list
on the UHDL-160GB. Oh, stick around for the "stuff" that satisfies
my "hunger" and makes my personal "fridge" tick. Now, I-O Data,
what's for dessert?! Can't wait....
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The I-O Data Network HDD packaging |
Wish
List
Move everything from the rear of the unit (with
the exception of power cable and Ethernet port) to the front for
easier access and ability to view
Link and ACT lamps.
.-Remote control
.-Firewire (400/800 "bilingual cable") and Wi-Fi capability since
this unit is obviously very portable
-Safe shutdown feature to avoid any loss of data
.-Soft carrying case for portability
.-A/V links/jacks
How to Buy
The I-O Data UHDL-160GB drive sells for $239.00 on the I-O Data
online store.
Specifications:
Supported OS Windows
XP/Me/2000/98SE/NT4.0
MacOS 8.1 to 9.2.2, MacOS X 10.1 to 10.3.2
Web Browser Internet Explorer 5.0 or later is needed to setup
Network 100BASE-TX/10BASE-T (IEEE 802.3, IEEE802.3u)
LAN Interface RJ-45 (MDI/MDI-X Switch)
USB Host Interface USB2.0 A Connector x 2
File Server Windows/Macintosh/FTP File Service
AVeL LinkServer
Printer Server SMB over TCP/IP Windows Protocol Only
USB x 1 Printer Only
User Management MS Domain Log/HDL Series User Registration
Max Registered Users 90 clients
Max Access Clients Win: No Limited / Mac: Up to 30
IP Address Setting Auto(DHCP Client) / Manual
Time Server NTP
Wake On LAN Supported
Access Log Record FTP Access Only
Sleep Mode Available on no accessing (can set a term)
Additional Drive Function Up to 2 USB hard disks & devices
Power Supply AC120V 50/60Hz 14W
Size 42(W) x 265(D) x 131(H)mm
Mass 1.4kg
Operation Temperature 5 to 35 °C (41 to 95 °F)
Operation Humidity 20 to 80% Non-condensation
Warranty 1 year
Bundle Items LAN Cable x 1 (3m)
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