Iocell NetDisk

Offered either as a shell or in capacities up to 2TB and designed with small businesses in mind, Iocell Networks utilises Network Direct Attached Storage (NDAS) to pitch its drives above and beyond other comparable single-disk Nas solutions. With claims of ultra-tight security, Raid configurability with multiple drives and …

[Gulfie]

Sounds nice...

Can we have a review of the 352 now as well, please, or at least a review using a pair of 351s as a mirror? I'm particularly keen to know about how well a drive failure is handled, the underlying format of the drives, if they can be accessed over VPN and how nicely they play with OS X...

[Fred Flintstone]

Not in a lifetime..

Any idiot who designs a case that can tip over with a spinning disk inside should be fed a couple of rabid hamsters, Richard Gere style. Like some other of these designer inspired designs, the dimensions say "please knock me over", and your average non-laptop hard disk does not have movement sensors to whisk the heads away from damage.

Add to this that such devices are typically used to concentrate end user data and the certain path to certain data death is set. Add cat, child, or a good night out causing the case to tip over while the disk is live (i.e. unparked) and the probability for a head crash and full data loss is high.

*Not* impressed at all.

[serviceWithASmile]

linux?

can it be used with a linux box?

also, if i were you i would have knocked a few more % off for the unsecured drive... thats gash

[Gulfie]

Check out the web site

There are 'beta' drivers available. So no, not yet, unless you are very brave...

[Anonymous Coward]

Curious

I'm Curious about a couple of things..

No web interface is useful as it reduces power and means dedicated data transfer, but surely this still uses an IP/MAC and the data is still routed through the network, Hence Im curious about the security/hacking claim?

In addition the device can be shared on a network as long as all the machines have the drivers. So how does the OS cope when another machine re-partions a supposedly 'internal' drive?

This device seems completely pointless without generic network connectivity, If all of my devices cannot connect im not interested....

I mean ALL of the following:

A Windows PC (yep it does this)

A Media Streamer (unlikely?)

A Linux netbook (unkonwn?)

A BusyBox NAS server (unknown?)

A Mobile Phone (unlikley?)

1/10

[Alex 28]

Are those prices a misprint?

So it's 110 quid for an empty box but 250 quid for a 1TB box. The exact same drive is available from ebuyer for 72 quid. (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/150245)

So why do Iocell charge 140 quid for a 72 quid drive. Is it because they think we're all stupid? Perhaps it's some sort of intelligence test....

[Anonymous Coward]

10 screws...

... to change the hard disk?? I can change a hard disk in my PC with 6. My PS3 with 5. My laptop with 1.

Overkill perhaps?

[Anonymous Coward]

Sounds very much like....

the software that came with Freecom Classic SL network drives. Ximeta seems to have taken over the software now - it utilises a protocol called LPX (Lean Packet Exchange). Obviously this means the protocol isn't easily routable, thereby losing quite a lot of the attraction.

The RAID functions are carried out entirely in software and from memory its a complete bastard to unbind a disk (to use on its own) if it was part of a failed RAID array as it will keep insisting that you provide the missing disk(s). All the RAID options work well enough if a bit slowly. Array rebuild times are horrendous - truly horrendous.

[Gordon Stewart]

Streaming

"playback of HDTV content is jerky and certainly far from an enjoyable experience"

Eh? How does that work if the ethernet speeds are so good? Is this just a firmware issue that will be resolved later?