For many families the days of owning just one computer are over. The “family computer” is dead, or at least it is in our home! Rather we have several computers, and with five family members all using their own in separate rooms around the house, sharing data effortlessly can become a daunting task.

The Thecus N2100 is a small and simple to use network attached storage device that would allow everyone on the home network to access and share data. However, while simple in design, I quickly learned upon receiving it that it was actually very powerful when it came to sharing data. Features such as dual Gigabit LAN, external USB 2.0 ports, optional wireless and Serial ATA hard drive support make this NAS device one to take under serious consideration.

http://www.techspot.com/review/48-thecus-2100-yes-box/

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I just built a server which had emphysis on storage, in this case it has 4 x 500 GB SATA drive, with RAID 5 PCI-X controller card, but I'm looking for something to back all of that up onto.

Looks like I just found the solution. N2100 is not an enterprise product by any means (and seems more like a backup solution judging by performance) but its clearly aimed at the home market given the price. Would be great for dumping all my multimedia server's data onto as a backup.

I don't see how this is any more useful, or any less costly than many other backup solutions on the market. Tell me more.

I am just going to add that it is much much more than just a data backup unit. It can be used as a central hub for media and while the performance is average the N2100 is more than capable of steaming media content. We have also found it handy at LAN’s for housing game updates (patches) as it allows everyone and anyone to grab these files without lagging someone out of a game.

Oh, there's a whole range of applications for such technology, I am sure.

Whilst I don't think you are likely to see it in the data centers of any big companies any time soon, for SOHO its ideal. Fairly cheap, and you can get SATA disks for a song now, even at quite large capacities. Oh, its a good piece of kit, I am sure. I am seriously considering getting one when my financial situation is looking more certain.