Features - Storage Innovations:

LINKSYS EXPANDS LINE OF NAS DEVICES WITH 250GB SOLUTION FOR SMBs

Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems Inc announced the new Ethernet Network Attached Storage Device with PrintServer and 250GB hard drive (EFG250) that provides file and printer sharing as well as backup and remote management via the Internet. Linksys has developed the new Network Attached Storage (NAS) device to provide an economical and simple way to store data and content accumulated by small businesses.

The new Linksys NAS appliance offers 250GB of IDE hard drive storage space that stands upright for small spaces or lays flat on the desktop. Storage capacity can increase to 500GB by adding an additional 250GB drive to the empty second drive bay. Once a second drive is installed, users can back up the first drive manually or on a schedule. Additional quick-connect hard drive trays (EFGHDT2) are available, so users can quickly swap multiple backup drives to create rotating backups.

The Linksys NAS device is gigabit ready with a 10/100/1000 port, which can connect the NAS device to a gigabit backbone. It can also connect to a wireless network in areas where there are no Ethernet connections by using the Linksys Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge (WET54G). Plug the Bridge into the gigabit port and now the hard drive content can be shared wirelessly.

"Our small business customers tell us 'we can never have enough storage,'" said Steve Troyer, director of product marketing for Linksys. "We've expanded our network storage line to meet the needs of businesses and resellers who demand more affordable, easy to use storage. We also wanted to provide functionalities that would enable their networks to grow as their business does -- the extra hard drive bay is an example of this."

In many small businesses, customers are overspending on network equipment, purchasing costly PCs to act as file servers, which affect network performance. With the Linksys EFG250 storage appliance, data is shared throughout the entire network without the upfront and operating costs of a new PC. Linksys sees this as an opportunity to provide a solution without the cost, space, maintenance and upgrade headaches. The EFG250 also acts as a PrintServer so all users on the network are able to share the same printer.

The new 250GB storage device provides all the functionality needed to hold content for a network environment while offering easy upgrade capabilities when more storage is needed.