Iomega StorCenter ix2 2TB and 1TB Ethernet / Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review

The Iomega StorCenter ix2 is an interesting twin SATA hard disk drive (HDD) network attached storage (NAS) device which doesn’t fit the usual NAS product features profile but, does provide some unique capabilities. A noteworthy difference to other NAS devices is that it works on a local network but, does not provide remote access via the Internet. It does however, offer Bluetooth support allowing the upload (only) of data from Bluetooth enabled devices such as cell phones or PDAs. Bluetooth support is optional though, requiring the plug-in of a USB adapter into one of the StorCenter’s two USB ports.

Iomega StorCenter ix2 NAS

We all are now accumulating ever growing quantities of digital media, including music, photos and NAS device is an excellent step to seeing they are safely stored and protected. Conveniently, Iomega have included with the StorCenter ix2 EMC’s award-winning Retrospect Express HD backup software for scheduling automatic backups. Backups can be created of the whole HDD or the contents of My Documents and Desktop folders but not others. Most users should be able to work with this arrangement quite easily but, there may be some who desire finer control. Hackers will be thwarted by the encryption technology from RSA (security division of EMC) as well as the user permissions which can be set up.

Iomega have obviously tried hard to make the StorCenter ix2 simple to use for the novice – like an appliance almost. Setup consists of inserting a CD and clicking through some dialog boxes. The Iomega StorCenter Manager software launches can be used for further custom configuration if required. A point to note is that the StorCenter Manager application must be installed (running) on the computer being used to access the ix2 using the web interface with your Web browser.

Unlike most NAS devices, the ix2 does not provide home user access to the two HDD for purposes such as upgrading. This is compensated for however, with the ability to connect other HDD to the USB ports. The ix2 provides both read and write access to FAT32 and NTFS connected external HDD . It’s a simpler way for the novice to upgrade capacity than poking around the internals.

A useful feature of the StorCenter ix2 is the included print server for sharing your printer over a network. There is also support for a security camera feed which can be recorded on a scheduled basis. Streaming support is good with media server compatibility with UPnP, DLNA and iTunes.

The twin HDD can be set up in two configurations, JBOD or RAID 1. The JBOD links the hard drives together without data redundancy for maximum storage capacity. RAID 1 provides mirroring of the data on each disk for full data redundancy in case of a drive failure.

The Iomega StorCenter ix2 has a very compact form factor at 4.92 x 3.15 x 7.875 inches (HxWxL) making it easy to find a spot to place it. The warranty provided is one year so an extended warranty may be worth considering.