Iomega StorCenter 4 TB ix2-200 (2 x 2TB) Network Storage Cloud Edition 35430

Good product, but was running real slow...it is working correctly and quick now after 2 different calls to Iomega...according to them it comes with a bunch of junk that has to be turned off for it too run quickly. Also, setting up a static on this unit is almost imperative if you want the unit to be fast.

The Iomega StorCenter ix2 Series external hard drives have a whole list of capabilities that are not found on many other network hard drives. As an IT provider, I have worked with a variety of network hard drive -- Western Digital, Buffalo, and others. When I learned about the Iomega drives, I was impressed by how many features they packed into this little box.Highlights:RAID1 - This network hard drive comes pre-configured as a RAID1 array, mirroring between the two drives. This means that if one drive fails the user can swap out the bad drive, and not lose any data in the process. While you get half-capacity (1TB rather than 2TB; or 2TB rather than 4TB), the value of the mirroring array cannot be underestimated.User Swappable Drives - Should a hard drive fail, the ability for even an end-user to remove the bad drive and replace it with a new drive is very valuable. This means that the whole unit does not have to be returned to the manufacturer should a problem arise.Gigabit Ethernet - Very fast data transfer, just make sure your router, switches, and computers all have gigabit adapters so you can take advantage of this feature.Online Backup - The capability of this unit to backup directly to online storage providers adds more redundancy and data security. Currently the drive supports Mozy, Amazon S3. It would be nice to see others such as Carbonite Pro and perhaps the ability to connect with some of the enterprise level online backup providers.Copy Jobs - In addition to the online backup, this device can sync it's data with another ix2 network storage device, or even a Windows PC on the the network. In the other direction, this device can copy data from a Windows PC on the network to it's storage. Each copy job can be put on a schedule to run at a specified time, or your can assign the function to the button on the front of the device, perhaps using the front USB 2.0 port to copy data either to or from a flash drive.Permissions - The user permission scheme for the shared folders on this storage device is easy to follow and offers good functionality and control. If you are running a domain, this device can be configured to work with active directory and existing user-password setup.Remote Access - It is easy to configure this device for remote access, so users with appropriate permissions can access their data when they are away from the office. In addition the ix2 comes automatically configured to provide DDNS service.Lots of other features - The ix2 can operate as a server for Axis IP cameras. It can operate as a media server for network music/video players. There are dozens of other features in this device that make it valuable for almost any user with a network and a need for storage and backup.Cons:Slow boot up - This drive takes its time booting up and getting to a stage where it is accessible on a network. Generally the time it took to become ready to use was several minutes longer then it takes for most Windows PC to boot up.Power button on the front - this is a downside from the perspective of someone intending to press the sync button, but pressing the power button instead and shutting down the device. It would be better for the power button to be on the rear of the unit where it could not be accidentally pressed.

I had very high hopes for this device. I've had good luck with Iomega products in the past, but this has turned out to be one of the worst purchases I've made in a long time. The sad thing is that I read reviews of this that were not good for many of the same reasons Im going to talk about. But I mistakenly thought that those bad reviews were all by people who didn't know what they were doing. I was wrong.Everything about this looks good on paper, and when you open the box it looks and feels well made. The problems start when you want it to do what you bought it for.This is, without a doubt, both the slowest and the noisiest hard drive I've ever owned. Did you like the 80's? Well, then you'll be presently surprised when you discover that this transfers data at the speed of an old CD-Rom. I mean a really old CD-Rom.And the noise. I have no idea what this thing is doing, but it runs constantly. All day. All night. And it sounds like you hear every bit being written. I have set it to have the drives spin down after 30 minutes of inactivity. It still runs. It runs when every device in the house is off. It literally runs 24/7/365. If you are planning on putting this in your bedroom, or within 50 feet of your bedroom say goodbye to any chance of getting a full nights sleep.And because of this insane problem, again what it could possibly be doing is beyond me, I have no faith whatsoever that this is a reliable product. The running/noise problem is not only annoying, but as far as Im concerned this thing is running as fast as it can towards a catastrophic drive failure.I will never buy another drive from Iomega. A company that puts out a product this flawed will not be supported by me.