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(More customer reviews)Today's test is utilizing the "LaCie Wireless Space 1 TB Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet Network Attached Storage 301932", a sleek looking device designed by Neil Poulton that can be utilized via Wi-Fi and Ethernet and can serve as a:
* Extension of your Wi-Fi Router
* Central wireless harddrive backup for your devices on your network
* 1TB Media server
* Time Machine compatible for Mac devices and also comes with a Genie Timeline Software for scheduled backups on the PC.
After reading the reviews on Amazon and other forums, I admit that I wasn't quite sure why people had difficulty with this device. I have had Lacie devices before and have had no troubles whatsoever with them.
Out of the box, you have your device, your plugin outlet which comes with various adapters for those living in different countries. This was a nice addition to the package. Also included is the software which comes with the Wireless Space Setup, Lacie Network Assistant and Intego Backup Assistant. Also, the CD has documents for the product.
It also comes with a Ethernet adapter but my purpose was using this as a wireless device. If you plan to use Ethernet, I recommend using your own cable if it is long as this one is not too long.
MY SETUP INCLUDES:
1 iMac, another Mac, 1 Toshiba PC Laptop, 1 Compaq PC Laptop, iPad, Nook and Android Netbook
I. INSTALLATION:
Installing the software, everything installed just fine. NOTE: It requires you to use your router user name and password. NOTE 2: It is very important to select the right setting. Do you want this device to be used as a router? Or do you want to use it as a central backup device? By selecting the wrong setting, you can easily shut down your router and make the LaCie Wireless Space as the primary router and lose Internet connection. If this happens and you make a mistake, no problem... turn off the LaCie Wireless Space and you should be able to reconnect on the Internet (Mac users, on the upper right of your operating system - "Turn Airport Off" and then turn it back on).
It's also important to note that I put the device about 5-6 ft. away from my router. It detected the device and then I notice that there were many IP conflicts. The booklet mentions if you don't use the software, you will get conflicts, but I used it and still had conflicts (PC conflicts). Did a repair on the laptops so, it would reassign itself a different address.
On the Mac, I was able to see an OpenShare folder but on the PC's, I was not able to access it. Then I tried to access the folder on the Mac and it would give me an error.
For the next hour, I tried getting it to work, scouring on the web and nada. I tried rebooting, reinstalling the software and nothing. I was trying various ways in order to get the Wireless Space to work and nada...
By an hour and a half, I was frustrated and felt I was not going to get this device to work...UNTIL...
I decided to go on my desktop (note: Using Mac OS 10.6.7), click on Connect to Server, Browse and then I was able to activate the LaCie Wireless Space. No conflicts! My Macs detected the device, my PC laptops detected the device and all computers were able to access the Wireless Space.
II. TRANSFERRING FILES
As mentioned by a few people, they complained about the slow speed of transferring files especially when using the device as a Time Machine backup. I wanted to see if this was true.
I did a transfer of 202.7 MB of data and it said it would take 20 minutes. This PC Laptop was about 15-20 yards away from the Wireless Space device but transfer did work as mentioned and it took around 15-20 minutes for transfer. I did a wireless transfer of the same data from my PC laptop to my Mac and also took about 15-20 minutes. But I then did the same transfer from the Wireless Space to my Mac and instead of taking 15-20 minutes, it took 10 minutes. Took the same data and transferred it from the Wireless Space to a PC Laptop and it said it would take 21 minutes and then all of a sudden it would go down to 11 minutes and then 5 minutes. A bit inconsistent in timing comparisons but I suppose you can say that the device did work.
I then tested a 1.08 GB file and it took 24 minutes to transfer from my iMac to the device.
I then tested a 8 GB file and at first it showed that it would take 22 hours. But I let it go and for about three hours and surprisingly it didn't have to take 22 hours at all. So, I cam to the conclusion that if you have a lot to transfer, do it while you go to sleep. It may go quick, it may go slow...but depending on the files, YMMV.
The next test was to stream video and audio and actually, this device worked but once again, it all comes down to ones patience of transferring large files to the device. If you have the patience to transfer GB of files and then let it go while you sleep, then it's OK.
Granted, there are a lot of factors that can affect transfer speed.
So, I did multiple tests through the day which included images, music, etc. and these transferred quickly to the Wireless Space but similar to the situation above, transferring files and its speed was YMMV (your mileage may vary).
Because of this, I decided not to do test a Time Machine backup, especially on a wireless connection. I have my time machine backup for my Mac going via USB2.0 on a 3.0 SeaGate External FreeAgent GoFlex)and it goes quickly for me.
III. JUDGMENT CALL
As mentioned, I have never had issues with LaCie devices. They have worked well for me in the last decade and LaCie makes quality products. I will say that the LaCie Wireless Space Network Attached Storage was the first device which took a while for me to experiment via trial and error and get it working. Suffice to say, it was frustrating and I nearly gave up until I decided to check the "Connect to Device" and manually add it. In the instructions, there was no mention of it and in some way, I guess I was expecting it to be like a harddrive that automatically shows up when detected.
While the LaCie Wireless Space does have instructions in various languages, I felt that the instructions should have been more user friendly because those who are not computer savvy or are beginners to computing are going to have problems with this device. If myself and others who have some technical knowledge to set devices up have this many problems, it's a device that can easily frustrate some. It took me about an hour and half to figure out by trial and error and I was able to get the device working on my Mac and PC's.
I wasn't able to get it to work as a router as I had connectivity problems and that would probably take another hour of trial and error but it did work out in the end as a wireless backup storage device for all computers.
I can easily say that this device would be good as a backup storage especially if you are a designer and have a lot of image files, a person who has a lot of documents or media on their harddrive. I recommend it for small offices and home offices because anyone on the network can retrieve data or documents quickly. I do wish that there was a way to assign personal accounts and passwords to difft. users than rather having to use the username/password for my router. So, for now, I can say that as a SOHO, especially for home office use, the device would definitely do its job.
I probably would hesitate to use it as a Time Machine backup because of its backup time inconsistency and if you have a lot of files to back up, it's probably best to have a direct connection rather than doing it via wireless. For Time Machine, I prefer to use a USB hub to connect to an external backup hard drive and that works perfectly and is much faster.
As mentioned, the device is sleek looking. How durable it is, I probably wouldn't want to experiment but I would say that its best to keep this device on a flat surface that is not near an edge where people can trip over the outlet wire or Ethernet cable and cause the device to fall.
But overall, I was able to get this device to work but it did take me awhile. It's not a user-friendly device and those who know how to setup hardware devices and do a lot of trial and error is best utilizing the device, not for beginners. And don't look to the instructions for help because it's not as straightforward (although how to reboot or reset was easy to do).
If you are looking for a central backup for your office or personal use that deals with smaller files such as documents, images, mp3 or videos, this device works and it's wireless! If you want to stream videos from the device wirelessly, then this device works as well. And if you can get it to work to use as an extension of your router, then that is a plus as well.
But if you are looking at it primarily for time machine (or an HD software) backup, backup for video editing, scratch drive or anything that requires instantaneous use of its storage, stick with an external harddrive.
Click Here to see more reviews about: LaCie Wireless Space 1 TB Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet Network Attached Storage 301932
The LaCie Wireless Space takes network-attached storage to the next level by implementing Wi-Fi technology, making it easy for you to access your files, no matter where they are in your house. It has three pre-configured modes that allow you to create a Wi-Fi access point, a Wi-Fi Ethernet extender to connect your printers or computers, or even use it as a Gigabit router. If you already have a Wi-Fi network, you can use the LaCie Wireless Space as wireless storage. With capacities of 1 and 2TB, it holds all of your music, movies, and photos, helping you to access and share them on any computer on your home network. You can even stream movies from the Wireless Space to any UPnP/DLNA compatible device, and it works in tandem with iTunes. Now, it's simple to organize your files in a central location and play them on all your devices. Use it as your network router-with static and dynamic port forwarding and PPoE connections, the Wireless Space performs even better than most cable routers, thanks to Wi-Fi n and Gigabit Ethernet performance. Box Content : LaCie Wireless Space, Ethernet cableExternal power supply, Utilities CD-ROM and User Manual, Quick Install Guide.
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