XIMETA NetDisk 120GB Portable Storage
(NDU10-120)

July 29, 2004 by

The 120GB XIMETA NetDisk is perfect backup solution for your home computer or network. It is basically an external hard drive that you can connect directly to your PC using the high speed USB 2.0 port, or via your 100 Base-T home network.

In its simplest form, this device adds a 120 Gigabyte hard drive to your PCs. It is assigned a drive letter, and you can manually copy files, use Windows backup, or the included backup utility to archive files or keep all of those digital pictures safe.

The case is solid-feeling aluminum with LEDs indicating power and drive activity. The rear offers a power switch, USB port, ethernet port, and power connector. The included power supply has a power lead from the transformer to eliminate the "wall wart" syndrome of blocking power receptacles. The unit also includes a USB and ethernet cable, along with the installation CD.

Installation is very simple. Plug in the device, install the software and enter the serial numbers and write access keys to gain access to your specific unit. Many NetDisks can be connected to a single network, and they can be write protected to prevent accidental erasure.

The NetDisk does not work like a server. It does not have any management or security built in, nor is it addressable via TCP/IP. It uses its own NDAS protocol to connect via a network. It does, however, require using 100 Base-T on your router or switch. The manufacturer does not recommend using an ordinary hub, and WiFi speeds are too slow to connect and move data efficiently. The lack of TCP/IP addressability may appear to limit the devices use, but actual adds a level of security to the typical unsecured home WiFi network — Without the drivers and serial number, the device is invisible.

Depending on how the device is used, it can be powered off when not in use. After powering on, connecting to the device is easily accomplished through the Administrator Tool in your system tray. Another feature of the NetDisk is the ability to access the drive from any computer connected to the network. Although only one computer can write to the drive at a time.

Other advanced features are the ability to aggregate multiple drives to appear as one large drive. The disk mirroring function enables a single drive to be duplicated to another NetDisk in real-time.

If you have any information on your computer that you don't want to lose, you need a backup solution. The size of precious pictures, video, and other data make this task even more complicated. XIMETA's NetDisk simplifies this critical task and provides flexible options.