The LinkStation Duo from Buffalo contains two SATA hard drives with a total of 2TB storage. Using RAID modes, you can configure the LinkStation Duo for maximum storage, using each drive as an individual storage space. You can also configure the device for maximum reliability and redundancy, where everything you store is copied to both hard drives, ensuring that your data remains intact in the event of a hard disc failure.
The LinkStation Duo connects to your network via USB or Ethernet, and functions as a BitTorrent client or iTunes Server, and supports Time Machine back up. The drives are easy to replace as your storage needs increase.
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Capacity |
2TB Per Drive: 1TB |
| Average Seek Time | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Sustained Transfer Rate | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| RAID | RAID 0, RAID 1, JBOD |
| Protocol Support |
Networking: TCP/IP File Sharing: SMB, FTP/SFTP, HTTP/HTTPS, DLNA Management: HTTP Time Synchronization: NTP |
| Input/Output Connectors | |
|---|---|
| Interface | Gigabit Ethernet, USB |
| Ports |
1x USB 2.0 1x RJ-45 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet |
| System Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Mac |
OS X 10.4 or later Only basic hard drive functionality is supported |
| Windows | Windows 7 (32-bit/64-bit), Vista (32-bit/64-bit), XP, 2000, Server 2003, and Server 2008 |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Mounting Orientation | Desktop |
| Power Requirements | AC 100-240V 50/60Hz |
| Environmental Requirements | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 3.4 x 5.1 x 8.1" (8.6 x 12.9 x 20.6cm) |
| Weight | 5.1 lbs (2.3kg) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Most Liked Positive Review
By far the best option for SOHO NAS
I spent a lot of time and effort researching options for a home NAS to centralize all of my data storage for use among the 6 PC's and 1 mac in my house.
Read complete review
I spent a lot of time and effort researching options for a home NAS to centralize all of my data storage for use among the 6 PC's and 1 mac in my house.
I looked at many different options and saw a wide variety of reviews for each. I decided to take the plunge on the Buffalo LinkStation Duo. Having been a Network Administrator for more than 17 years, I figured I should have no problem getting this to do what I want even with the low price point and oversimplified design. (I have had a professional 4 TB NAS on my office network for the last 6 years and have just upgraded to a 8TB)
I have this configured as a 1TB with RAID redundancy in place to protect against disk failure. I have also configured this to store all of our iTunes libraries (for 3 iPhones, an iPod and an iPad) as well as being the centralized repository for all of our outlook pst files (so mail can now work from ANY of the computers in the house - without an actual exchange server).
I have also taken all of the old USB External Hard Drives away from the PC's that used to host them and attached each to the USB port (needed a hub) allowing each of them to be additional network storage locations.
This device is absolutley worth the price and seems to be leaps and bounds beyond every other option.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Good but ...
This is one of those 3 or 4 star ratings, depending on what you want to do. If all you want to do is share files with no restrictions, then this is a 4...Read complete review
This is one of those 3 or 4 star ratings, depending on what you want to do. If all you want to do is share files with no restrictions, then this is a 4 star plus device! Share files with restrictions, 3 stars.
I give it 3 stars on the latter because the restricted files and folders must be shared at the same level as the main share folder and not below it. In other words, we couldn't find a way to restrict access to folders below the main share. They had to be above. We use Cobian for backups so this made things a little more cumbersome. Setting permissions and users was also not easy and the manual doesn't do a good job of explaining this. It certainly makes you jump around. Oh, it's default RAID 1 out of the box. That will save you some time! :-)
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 13 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-13
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
Expanding my archive with Raid Protected network storage
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
The disks use a proprietary format so if the network hardware goes bad, the disks are useless unless get a replacement ethernet connection. Also the provided software for Mac does not work with older Macs; need to download a correct version. The setup using a browser is generally OK; but if change the workgroup there's a significant delay before that change appears on the network. In addition in changing from one RAID configuration to another you need to 'delete' the current configuration before the manual's promised pulldown menu will appear to permit choice of a new RAID configuration. Finally, the automatic backup that comes with it won't work unless are doing it between two Buffalo units; so is kinda useless for small business purposes with only one of these unit; need to use another backup program to do the job.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
I configured the unit at home for a customer. However my network group was different than the customer's. When installing it at the customer's site it took a little doing to get the IP address set correctly. Some of the setup options and screens take getting use to particularly if you want to change the default RAID 0 to RAID 1
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
I really like its small footprint. I didn't expect it to be as small as it is. It runs quiet, my time machine has no problem backing up and I love that it's tucked away safe and sound. Outta site outta mind. I use an iMac and it would have been nice to have detailed instructions in the box as I don't have and or make enough time to use it for my originally intended purpose... It it's a fantastic backup drive, but I'm out of memory on my computer and wanted to just move all of my files onto the Buffalo and call it a day having it set to Raid 1 and having it backed up on a second drive...for now just have it mirrored on both drives and a full hard drive on my computer. Oh well...
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
This is an effective network storage product for the small home environment. Two separate 1TB drives can be run independently or in a RAID configuration. I found the setup very easy and had the unit up and on the network in less than an hour. So far performance is good and there have not been any issues. I have given this a 4 Star only because the unit has been in service for less than a month. I'll revisit the review in 6 months.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
This is one of those 3 or 4 star ratings, depending on what you want to do. If all you want to do is share files with no restrictions, then this is a 4 star plus device! Share files with restrictions, 3 stars.
I give it 3 stars on the latter because the restricted files and folders must be shared at the same level as the main share folder and not below it. In other words, we couldn't find a way to restrict access to folders below the main share. They had to be above. We use Cobian for backups so this made things a little more cumbersome. Setting permissions and users was also not easy and the manual doesn't do a good job of explaining this. It certainly makes you jump around. Oh, it's default RAID 1 out of the box. That will save you some time! :-)
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
The 2.0 GB Linkstation Duo has proven over the years to be the most reliable backup device I have ever used. I have 10 drives backing up all of my historical architectural digital drawings and my entire photo library's from a lifetime of travel. I have them set to RAID 1 with multiple linkstations holding identical data. I have never had a device fail, I have had 1 hard drive fail out of 20 over the past 10 years and the device is so easy you remove the bad drive and install the new drive, the linkstation automatically formats the drive, then you restore the RAID. Your back up and running. I have never lost any data using these devices.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
[...]was easy to set up. I've had unit for lessthan two weeks but have had no major problems.I noticed while handling the unit that therewas something loose inside, I opened it up and there was a screw loose. It was one of two screws that held part of the insidessecurely. I replaced screw and tighned the otherone.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
I use the device for archival of family systems' user data. It has plenty of capacity for my needs and as it's a backup device with occasional need for config changes, performance is sufficient. It's a great option for a novice. Intermediate and advanced users would probably want more device management features (e.g. log viewer, RAID 5, etc.).
In addition to its basic NAS function, I like its simplicity and compact size.
It has several access features that I've yet to use. They might be more bells and whistles than is practical.
There are a couple of bugs that Buffalo Techs have yet to resolve, but all-in-all I feel good about the purchase.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
THIS PRODUCT WILL BE USED FOR LOCAL BACKUP FOR THREE MACS AND ONE PC. WHICH WILL REDUCE THE NEED FOR ON LINE STORAGE EXCEPT FOR THE PRIMARY COMPUTER. THIS WILL SAVE ME UP TO $150.OO PER YEAR.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
I spent a lot of time and effort researching options for a home NAS to centralize all of my data storage for use among the 6 PC's and 1 mac in my house.
I looked at many different options and saw a wide variety of reviews for each. I decided to take the plunge on the Buffalo LinkStation Duo. Having been a Network Administrator for more than 17 years, I figured I should have no problem getting this to do what I want even with the low price point and oversimplified design. (I have had a professional 4 TB NAS on my office network for the last 6 years and have just upgraded to a 8TB)
I have this configured as a 1TB with RAID redundancy in place to protect against disk failure. I have also configured this to store all of our iTunes libraries (for 3 iPhones, an iPod and an iPad) as well as being the centralized repository for all of our outlook pst files (so mail can now work from ANY of the computers in the house - without an actual exchange server).
I have also taken all of the old USB External Hard Drives away from the PC's that used to host them and attached each to the USB port (needed a hub) allowing each of them to be additional network storage locations.
This device is absolutley worth the price and seems to be leaps and bounds beyond every other option.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
I just installed my new NAS (BTW, thanks B&H for a great packaging - the item arrived in perfect condition and on the expected day). I have 3 PCs and a printer in my house, all networked. The Buffalo is seen by everyone. I copied about 137 GB of data in few hours. The only issue is that because I didn't have enough ports in my router (next purchase...), I had to use the NAS as a Printer server, making the printing process a little slower.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
We have a small digital company, and we've had 6 guys writing huge files all at the same time. Handles great, no issues, and is fast. I'd recommend it, and we will be getting another. Wish it had an eSata port on the back though, USB 2.0 is good, but wish it was a bit faster.
Displaying reviews 1-13
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Most Liked Positive Review
By far the best option for SOHO NAS
I spent a lot of time and effort researching options for a home NAS to centralize all of my data storage for use among the 6 PC's and 1 mac in my house.
Read complete review
I spent a lot of time and effort researching options for a home NAS to centralize all of my data storage for use among the 6 PC's and 1 mac in my house.
I looked at many different options and saw a wide variety of reviews for each. I decided to take the plunge on the Buffalo LinkStation Duo. Having been a Network Administrator for more than 17 years, I figured I should have no problem getting this to do what I want even with the low price point and oversimplified design. (I have had a professional 4 TB NAS on my office network for the last 6 years and have just upgraded to a 8TB)
I have this configured as a 1TB with RAID redundancy in place to protect against disk failure. I have also configured this to store all of our iTunes libraries (for 3 iPhones, an iPod and an iPad) as well as being the centralized repository for all of our outlook pst files (so mail can now work from ANY of the computers in the house - without an actual exchange server).
I have also taken all of the old USB External Hard Drives away from the PC's that used to host them and attached each to the USB port (needed a hub) allowing each of them to be additional network storage locations.
This device is absolutley worth the price and seems to be leaps and bounds beyond every other option.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Good but ...
This is one of those 3 or 4 star ratings, depending on what you want to do. If all you want to do is share files with no restrictions, then this is a 4...Read complete review
This is one of those 3 or 4 star ratings, depending on what you want to do. If all you want to do is share files with no restrictions, then this is a 4 star plus device! Share files with restrictions, 3 stars.
I give it 3 stars on the latter because the restricted files and folders must be shared at the same level as the main share folder and not below it. In other words, we couldn't find a way to restrict access to folders below the main share. They had to be above. We use Cobian for backups so this made things a little more cumbersome. Setting permissions and users was also not easy and the manual doesn't do a good job of explaining this. It certainly makes you jump around. Oh, it's default RAID 1 out of the box. That will save you some time! :-)
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 13 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-13
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
Expanding my archive with Raid Protected network storage
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
The disks use a proprietary format so if the network hardware goes bad, the disks are useless unless get a replacement ethernet connection. Also the provided software for Mac does not work with older Macs; need to download a correct version. The setup using a browser is generally OK; but if change the workgroup there's a significant delay before that change appears on the network. In addition in changing from one RAID configuration to another you need to 'delete' the current configuration before the manual's promised pulldown menu will appear to permit choice of a new RAID configuration. Finally, the automatic backup that comes with it won't work unless are doing it between two Buffalo units; so is kinda useless for small business purposes with only one of these unit; need to use another backup program to do the job.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
I configured the unit at home for a customer. However my network group was different than the customer's. When installing it at the customer's site it took a little doing to get the IP address set correctly. Some of the setup options and screens take getting use to particularly if you want to change the default RAID 0 to RAID 1
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
I really like its small footprint. I didn't expect it to be as small as it is. It runs quiet, my time machine has no problem backing up and I love that it's tucked away safe and sound. Outta site outta mind. I use an iMac and it would have been nice to have detailed instructions in the box as I don't have and or make enough time to use it for my originally intended purpose... It it's a fantastic backup drive, but I'm out of memory on my computer and wanted to just move all of my files onto the Buffalo and call it a day having it set to Raid 1 and having it backed up on a second drive...for now just have it mirrored on both drives and a full hard drive on my computer. Oh well...
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
This is an effective network storage product for the small home environment. Two separate 1TB drives can be run independently or in a RAID configuration. I found the setup very easy and had the unit up and on the network in less than an hour. So far performance is good and there have not been any issues. I have given this a 4 Star only because the unit has been in service for less than a month. I'll revisit the review in 6 months.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
This is one of those 3 or 4 star ratings, depending on what you want to do. If all you want to do is share files with no restrictions, then this is a 4 star plus device! Share files with restrictions, 3 stars.
I give it 3 stars on the latter because the restricted files and folders must be shared at the same level as the main share folder and not below it. In other words, we couldn't find a way to restrict access to folders below the main share. They had to be above. We use Cobian for backups so this made things a little more cumbersome. Setting permissions and users was also not easy and the manual doesn't do a good job of explaining this. It certainly makes you jump around. Oh, it's default RAID 1 out of the box. That will save you some time! :-)
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
The 2.0 GB Linkstation Duo has proven over the years to be the most reliable backup device I have ever used. I have 10 drives backing up all of my historical architectural digital drawings and my entire photo library's from a lifetime of travel. I have them set to RAID 1 with multiple linkstations holding identical data. I have never had a device fail, I have had 1 hard drive fail out of 20 over the past 10 years and the device is so easy you remove the bad drive and install the new drive, the linkstation automatically formats the drive, then you restore the RAID. Your back up and running. I have never lost any data using these devices.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
[...]was easy to set up. I've had unit for lessthan two weeks but have had no major problems.I noticed while handling the unit that therewas something loose inside, I opened it up and there was a screw loose. It was one of two screws that held part of the insidessecurely. I replaced screw and tighned the otherone.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
I use the device for archival of family systems' user data. It has plenty of capacity for my needs and as it's a backup device with occasional need for config changes, performance is sufficient. It's a great option for a novice. Intermediate and advanced users would probably want more device management features (e.g. log viewer, RAID 5, etc.).
In addition to its basic NAS function, I like its simplicity and compact size.
It has several access features that I've yet to use. They might be more bells and whistles than is practical.
There are a couple of bugs that Buffalo Techs have yet to resolve, but all-in-all I feel good about the purchase.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
THIS PRODUCT WILL BE USED FOR LOCAL BACKUP FOR THREE MACS AND ONE PC. WHICH WILL REDUCE THE NEED FOR ON LINE STORAGE EXCEPT FOR THE PRIMARY COMPUTER. THIS WILL SAVE ME UP TO $150.OO PER YEAR.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
I spent a lot of time and effort researching options for a home NAS to centralize all of my data storage for use among the 6 PC's and 1 mac in my house.
I looked at many different options and saw a wide variety of reviews for each. I decided to take the plunge on the Buffalo LinkStation Duo. Having been a Network Administrator for more than 17 years, I figured I should have no problem getting this to do what I want even with the low price point and oversimplified design. (I have had a professional 4 TB NAS on my office network for the last 6 years and have just upgraded to a 8TB)
I have this configured as a 1TB with RAID redundancy in place to protect against disk failure. I have also configured this to store all of our iTunes libraries (for 3 iPhones, an iPod and an iPad) as well as being the centralized repository for all of our outlook pst files (so mail can now work from ANY of the computers in the house - without an actual exchange server).
I have also taken all of the old USB External Hard Drives away from the PC's that used to host them and attached each to the USB port (needed a hub) allowing each of them to be additional network storage locations.
This device is absolutley worth the price and seems to be leaps and bounds beyond every other option.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
I just installed my new NAS (BTW, thanks B&H for a great packaging - the item arrived in perfect condition and on the expected day). I have 3 PCs and a printer in my house, all networked. The Buffalo is seen by everyone. I copied about 137 GB of data in few hours. The only issue is that because I didn't have enough ports in my router (next purchase...), I had to use the NAS as a Printer server, making the printing process a little slower.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Buffalo 2TB LinkStation Duo:
We have a small digital company, and we've had 6 guys writing huge files all at the same time. Handles great, no issues, and is fast. I'd recommend it, and we will be getting another. Wish it had an eSata port on the back though, USB 2.0 is good, but wish it was a bit faster.
Displaying reviews 1-13