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Initial unit setup is made easy thanks to the bundled NAS Navigator software – which is incidentally also available from the Buffalo Tech website if you don't happen to have an optical drive handy.
This software tracks down any Buffalo related drive on your network and offers shortcuts to both the device web interface and to the mapping of the storage within. You can bypass this software and use a direct IP login once you ascertain the IP via your router interface.
The Nas Navigator system is simple, clean and works well for people new to this technology. I have to admit, once I played around with it for a few minutes I never touched it again.
We immediately noticed that our firmware was out of date so downloaded it from the Buffalo Tech website and performed the update procedure via the unit interface. It took about 10 minutes in total, including the reboot required afterwards.
Once the main interface is accessed via the IP address, the user logs in with the default password of ‘password'. This can be changed later if you share your network with other people.
The screens above show the main information window and the shared folder which is automatically created via the software. It is a relatively simple user interface which while not offering the same level of control as more expensive solutions offers a solid array of functionality for the target audience.
We were surprised (and happy) to see full support for 9k jumbo frames. This can really help with large file transfers over gigabit networks if the controller is up to the task.
There are a wide array of features on the unit which will mean you will probably want to leave it powered on all the time. DLNA and UPnP compliant media streaming is a strong asset to have and we experienced no issues with media center on Windows 7 and also it fully supported our Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 units. The option to use the NAS as an iTunes server will surely appeal to a wide audience of people also.
Additionally, they offer a built in Bitorrent client which lets you download any files you wish – its easily set up via an interface panel and accessible via a smartphone, meaning you don't even need your computer turned on to start downloading over your network.
There is a USB port on the back of the Duo which can cope with a couple of demands. You can connect an external drive to the unit which can then have data transferred to it either on a scheduled basis or when the Function button is pressed. You can also transfer media files from a USB storage device to the Duo and this allows files from a camera to be moved painlessly for storage.
Performance according to Buffalo themselves is around 40MB/s – 166 percent faster than the previous models. Obviously to achieve this you will want to be connecting to a gigabit network/switch.
Well this seems like a really good low cost way to get into NAS systems 🙂
Yeah its not the fastest unit, but for the price, its really a good buy, especially for more casual users, rather than hardcore guys.
Thats such a good price, the Synology tempted me, but with 1tb of storage its over 500 quid. thats a lot of money. I would be willing to live with lower performance.
Wow I was stunned at the price. the drives alone are almost half of the asking price. Can you upgrade the 1TB unit later with bigger drives?
Funnily enough I was looking at this unit last week with the possiblity of upgrading my own ancient NAS system which is falling apart. I tend to backup documents and videos. I just ordered one , thanks for the review
Read performance is decent, write is a little slow. I like the price, but im not sure how it would handle bigger files. that might be painful to wait at times.
The controller is obviously not an expensive model, which means its not able to saturate the network, but its still quite decent really.
It is not fast enough for me unfortunately, I copy over a lot of files at 10GB or more, 1080p MKVs/ the wait would be painful. but I agree, its a nice pricing point.
That is really inexpensive, didnt think you could get a full NAS system for that price. It would be fine for me, im not into mega network speeds, my network is crappy anyway 🙂
Hey Zardon maybe you could write an article on how to set up a gigabit network, yours looks rather impressive!
Performance is average but the price point is hard to complain about 🙂
I just ordered two of them, one for my brother for his birthday and one for myself :p
Thats a really inexpensive option ! I shall pick one of these up for backups over the network, when speed isnt really that critical.
great review, many nice tests which are real world and useful. I think this is a good option, really cheap too. shall get one.
I was a little disappointed with performance, but I saw the price and its really so little money for a NAS system. with USB option too? Think I might pick one up too for a present for my cousin.
try the speed tests again with differnt hardrives in there? some WD black’s
junk, the onboard controller is trash and creates trash out of your data
Thanks for a great review. Looking to buy one of these to replace a Buffalo Linkstation Live that has recently died. I have been pleased with the Linkstation so it sounds like this will provide similar service. Not the fastest around but great for the price.