We continue to see incremental performance improvements as the NAS market grows, but we keep looking for leaps! Anyone who doesn't need redundancy will clearly view the LaCie Ethernet Big Disk's performance leadership among NAS devices as a reason to buy, even though its drive performance isn't even close to its maximum interface capability.

But the Ethernet Big Disk has one more advantage besides performance to offset its lack of redundancy: It has one of the most intuitive configuration interfaces we've seen in a NAS device. And it's easy to get to, with APIPA support easily configuring the disk on our test system without the need for a DHCP server.

Ethernet Big Disk Pros:

• Faster-than-average transfer rates
• APIPA support for networks that lack DHCP server
• Easy configuration interface
• Supports additional USB drive via one USB 2.0 ports
• Supports "USB Network Adapter" mode via additional USB 2.0 port
• Two-year limited warranty

Ethernet Big Disk Cons:

• No data redundancy

The Ethernet Disk RAID adds redundancy and comparatively good download speeds, but its RAID 5 mode upload speeds are a major weakness. Anyone who can afford to sacrifice some additional capacity will probably want to use this NAS in RAID 10, while those seeking pure speed at full capacity and no redundancy will appreciate its Level 0 capability. People "in the middle" who don't mind losing the files stored on one disk, such as in backup media storage, might choose JBOD mode instead.

The Ethernet Disk RAID offers its own DHCP server and dual Gigabit network interfaces, easily becoming the data center of small networks. We just wish its RAID 5 controller had better performance to enhance upload speeds.

Ethernet Disk RAID Pros:

• Redundant network storage secures data with support for RAID 5 and 10
• Hot-Spare support in RAID 5
• Level 0 support for full capacity at enhanced speeds
• JBOD support for full capacity with reduced data loss in event of disk failure
• Hot swap support for spare disk in emergencies
• Includes system backup software
• Dual Gigabit Network connections
• DHCP Server function
• Supports additional USB drives via two USB 2.0 ports
• Additional Drive Units available from LaCie store
• Two-year limited warranty

Ethernet Disk RAID Cons:

• DHCP Server disabled by default, without APIPA support
• Slow upload speeds in RAID 5 mode
• Pricey for home users

The Verdict: Home users will likely find the LaCie Ethernet Big Disk suitable to storage and media transfer needs, while small business owners will be more attracted to the Ethernet Disk RAID's redundancy.

SysOpt Product Info
Product: Ethernet Big Disk Category: Network-Attached Storage Avg. Price: $300 Manufacturer: LaCie U.S. Headquarters 45401 Research Ave Fremont, CA 94539 510-226-7333 Availability: Now Ratings: (Best of four stars) Features: Performance: Value: Best for: Home Network Storage	Product: Ethernet Disk RAID Category: Network-Attached Storage Avg. Price: $680 Manufacturer: LaCie U.S. Headquarters 45401 Research Ave Fremont, CA 94539 510-226-7333 Availability: Now Ratings: (Best of four stars) Features: Performance: Value: Best for: Small Office Networks