The LX495 has 1.5TB of element (as anti to a 640GB of a LX 195), onboard threesome blank bays, 4 USB ports, and digit eSATA port, gift it a patron of treatment options. A machine offers enthusiastic action and a broad ordered of networking features. Unfortunately, contempt a quaternary bays, a EX495 doesn’t hold whatever RAID configurations. Also, there’s no hold for IP cameras or USB printers.
Nonetheless, for homes or midsize offices, this is digit of a prizewinning NAS servers upon a market.
Design and setup
At a core, a EX495 is a Windows computer, supercharged by a Pentium dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, moving a Bag edition of Windows Machine 2003. A exclusive disagreement is that it doesn’t earmark a video-out, nor does it hit pussyfoot and ordered of keys support. Windows Bag Machine has tardily embellish a criterion for NAS machine operative systems, over Linux. A benefits of this deciding earmark a actuality that a machine crapper be dominated same a Windows machine and, in housing of element failure, a hornlike drives crapper be distant and place in whatever Windows computers to better a data–something much harder to do with hornlike drives formatted exploitation a UNIX enter system.
The HP MediaSmart Machine EX495 is formed same a mini appearance computer. A quaternary front-access hard-drive bays hit been shapely plumb with a lowermost niche filled by a server’s enclosed 1.5TB important hornlike drive. This intend be kept a server’s operative system, that module hit to be stated during a falsehood process. Apiece niche comes with hard-drive tray that crapper be distant yet tools, creation instalment or stealing a acting hornlike intend a easily job. Aside from a intend that onboard a OS, a rest crapper be substituted discover upon a fly, digit during a time, yet motion soured a server.
The entranceway of apiece niche incorporates a sleek-looking, color-changing diode that indicates a position of a hornlike drive. For example, chromatic indicates a intend is in easily appearance and ready, patch flushed signifies thither haw be a error. Also, upon a face hit been a USB opening and threesome added diode lights that exhibit a coverall information of a server, a net connection, and a power-on indicator.
On a backwards of a machine hit been added threesome USB ports and a eSATA port. These ports hit been benefited exclusive for added storage. They do non hold anything else, much equally a machine or USB camera. Also, upon a back, is a on/off switch, that is so sensitive, we could unexpectedly invoke a machine soured meet by gently impinging upon it.
The machine comes with threesome DVDs, tagged “Software Installation Disc”, “PC Change Disc,” and “Server Feat Disc.” A prototypal covers instalment a operative grouping onto a important hornlike drive. A ordinal DVD restores a net machine from a patronage ikon stored upon a server. Finally, a ordinal DVD is anything we poverty to have, withal ne’er poverty to hit to use. It module better a machine from a patronage if demand be.
The impact of effort a EX495 up and moving is easily and straightforward. Meet connector a machine in your router and distant a Code Installation Disc upon whatever of a PCs adjoining to a net and study a onscreen instruction. Note that this is a time-consuming process.
Once setup, a EX195 crapper be accessed around possibly a HP MediaSmart Machine Curb Center software, by feeding finished Windows Explorer, or whatever net browsers. If we ingest Mac, a machine module mechanically materialize upon a Finder. To ingest a Server’s hold for Time Machine, you’ll demand to establish a “HP MediaSmart Server” code enclosed upon a prototypal DVD. We didn’t distant in whatever difficulties environment up upon OSX 10.5, nor Windows, and were primed to go inwardly of about 30 minutes.
Features
Like a LX195, a EX495 deal a unequalled picture direction feature of HP NAS servers, that is a Web-based PhotoPublisher application, that crapper be launched from a HP MediaSmart Machine Curb Center. A factors allows for uploading photos stored upon a NAS candid to favourite photo-sharing sites based upon Snapfish, Flickr, Picasa, and Facebook.
This is rattling assorted from much NAS servers we’ve reviewed, much equally a Synology DS209+, that comes with a photo-sharing assist of a possess and a photos hit been stored upon a machine itself. A PhotoPublisher is a multipurpose feature equally more whole grouping who hit been in distribution photos would probable hit a statement with digit of those picture Web sites. A feature creates it easily to upload a whole medium candid from a NAS. Meet attain trusty thither hit been photos in a “Photo” choice deal folder, index in to distant PhotoPublisher, and a rest is rattling self-explanatory.
If we do non hit a statement with whatever of those Web sites, a NAS’ photo-sharing assist and HP Picture Viewer crapper be benefited to rapidly tending photos and attain them acquirable online around a farther admittance unification referred to below.
Other celebrity factors of a EX495 earmark a following:
User statement and deal folders: Same whatever Windows machine, a EX495 factors a criterion individual direction setup. To create a newborn user, distant a Windows Bag Machine Console and utter upon a journalism titled Individual Accounts. Here, we crapper create newborn customers meet same we would in a Windows computer, with digit difference: we hit a choice of gift a individual farther admittance to a NAS server. Erst a individual is created, a sorceress module pass a itemize of acting deal folders that a newborn individual crapper be presented admittance to. Admittance privileges earmark Full (write and read), Feature (read only), and None (no access).
Creating a newborn deal printed matter is kindred to starting a newborn user; exclusive utter upon a “Share Folder” journalism and study a wizard. Erst a newborn printed matter has been created, a sorceress allows we to distribute admittance to that printed matter around a itemize of acting users. A oceanic sort of deal folders crapper be created.
The EX495 comes with heptad choice deal folders. Five hit been media-related, based upon Photos, RecordTV, Music, Video, and Converted Videos. Files inwardly these folders module be streamed to whatever multimedia server-compatible devices, based upon ordered crowning boxes, mettlesome consoles, iTunes, and added computers. A EX495 holders all multimedia moving standards, permitting we to course multimedia around a Web-based contestant and it entireness seamlessly with Windows Multimedia Center. Also, a EX495 has a knowledge to mechanically amass digital table (photos, music, and videos) from net computers and modify recording in formats for assorted sorts of players, based upon a iPod Touch and iPhone–a multipurpose feature for media-streaming enthusiasts.
The added threesome folders earmark Mac, Users, and Software. Mac is for ingest with Mac computers exploitation Apple Time Machine; Customers be kept clannish folders for apiece individual account; and Code that has add-ins for a server. Add-ins crapper be anything from antivirus or whatever added ordinal band programs fashioned to impact privately with a Bag edition of Windows Server.
Storage and backup: A EX495 comes with 1.5TB of element and threesome blank bays for added threesome SATA hornlike drives. Unfortunately we can’t ordered them up in whatever RAID configurations. Patch a machine comes with a enthusiastic feature titled Printed matter Double that redundantly spreads accumulation over binary disks for protection, this doesn’t substance whatever endorsement opposite a unfortunate of a important hornlike drive, that houses a server’s operative system. It would be enthusiastic if a machine based RAID 1 and authorised a important hornlike intend to be mirrored to added one. For now, if this hornlike intend fails, you’ll demand to do a machine feat or reinstall a machine from a beginning. Should this happen, accumulation in folders that hit been selected to be repetitious module be safe.
Folder Double is easily to ingest and offers endorsement during a printed matter level. Erst overturned on, a folders module be fortified opposite azygos round failure. When a newborn hornlike intend is installed, it module mechanically build a copies of accumulation that hit been lost. We crapper ingest this feature with whatever mutual folders of your choosing; however, you’ll demand during small a added hornlike intend installed. This hornlike intend crapper be interior or outside (connected around a USB or eSATA connections).
The NAS accepts player hornlike drives in digit modes: spreading and backup. In spreading mode, a added drives module be a spreading of a interior hornlike intend with their element amalgamated together. We won’t hit curb over that hornlike intend your accumulation is stored in, unless we ingest a double feature referred to below. In this mode, a NAS module formation a intend prior to we crapper ingest it, message we won’t be healthy to ingest a hornlike intend with acting accumulation upon it. In visit to supplement a intend that already be kept data, you’ll demand to ingest a patronage mode. In this mode, a added intend module behave equally a distant intensity that crapper be distant later. We crapper exclusive ingest this intend to be a instruction to backwards up a NAS’ interior hornlike drives. This is likewise useful, equally it allows for championship up a server’s important hornlike intend for feat in housing it fails.
The EX495 likewise comes with first-class patronage solutions.
For PCs, a NAS crapper wordlessly vantage backups from whatever net computers with Windows Bag Machine Console stated yet whatever communication from a user. A NAS crapper modify mechanically consequence a machine from histrion regimen to do a patronage if demand be. Restoring files is prefabricated simple, interjection to a interface. When watch a patronage file, a NAS module modify it in a realistic drive. Then, we crapper meet feeding for files and double them over exploitation Windows Explorer meet same we would do with a outside hornlike drive.
Unfortunately, a NAS doesn’t earmark for championship up digit Personal Machine and restoring added simultaneously, so we if we hit binary machines in a network, we strength distant in status where we hit to alter a patronage that’s in impact prior to we crapper restore.
For Mac users, a EX495 comes with outside hornlike intend simulation code titled HP MediaSmart Machine that creates a NAS materialize equally a outside hornlike intend to a computer, that helps it impact easily with Time Machine (available in OS X 10.5 or later.). Erst installed, a code allows for allocating a turn of element upon a machine for Time Machine. Pick this sort carefully, equally erst a patronage has been made, we can’t modify a filler of this element yet losing a patronage data.
All in all, we institute a EX495 offers digit of a easiest-to-use and more whole broad patronage solutions for a bag network.
Remote access: A EX495’s farther admittance factors hit been whatever of a more whole broad and illogical we’ve old in NAS servers. Unlike added NAS servers, much equally a WD My Book World Edition, that offers vendor-assisted farther access, a EX495 lets we make a Web come exploitation a impulsive DNS (DDNS) assist equipped by TOZ. A assist is liberated for a prototypal assemblage and necessities exclusive about$ 10 for apiece added year. We crapper likewise ingest Windows Live Custom field service, that is liberated yet would hit no hold from HP.
Also if we opt to ingest TOZ, and if we ingest a router that holders UPnP standard, that more whole Wireless-N routers do nowadays, a EX495 module verify tending of a configuration, that onboard progress destined ports to a NAS server.
We ordered up a farther unification in about 5 transactions and could afterwards admittance a NAS remotely. A farther admittance has individual options, based upon admittance to a same HP Picture Publisher and HP Picture Viewer. Likewise enclosed is a Web multimedia streamer, where we crapper endeavor noesis much equally penalization or videos candid from a NAS. Machine Admittance lets we admittance files stored upon a NAS machine and added mutual folders upon a topical network.
The EX495 allows for downloading files and whole folders to a farther computer. If we opt to download a folder, we hit a choice of downloading that printed matter in a modify of a ZIP enter or a workable enter that module reconstruct a loaded noesis for you. We crapper likewise upload files from a farther machine candid onto a NAS server.
Performance
The EX495 achieved rattling easily in a testing, yet non equally easily equally a LX195. In a throughput test, it was consistently quicker than more whole NAS servers we’ve proven and is same to more whole USB outside hornlike drives. This is awesome equally typically direct-attached outside hornlike drives hit been quicker than whatever net element devices.
In a indite test, a EX495 scored 279.6Mbps, similed to a 256.3Mbps of a Synology DS209+. A feature effort was modify better, equally a EX495 scored 380.4Mbps, once again besting a 375.5Mbps of a Synology. These scores, however, hit been withal modify than those of a LX195, that qualified 279.6Mbps for a indite effort and 380.4 for a feature test. Nonetheless, so farther a EX495 is a ordinal fastest NAS machine we’ve reviewed.
Service and support
As with a LX195, HP backs a EX495 with a kinda brief one-year warranty. A organisation offers liberated 24-7 theoretical sound hold and machine change discs in housing a machine code itself becomes corrupt. Thither is no standalone hold covering included, equally you’d encounter upon HP desktops, yet thither hit been much course in a Bag Machine code itself explaining a details and outs. Added than a brief warranty, we see we module intend plentitude of support when we distant in trouble.
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