There's an abundance of external hard drive enclosures on the market today.
From our recent reviews, you can tell there's an army of manufacturers out there
to satisfy your storage needs. Whether you need something ultraportable in the
2.5" form factor or you need RAID'ed discs, it's out there.
Today we've got something that's hopefully a little different than the rest.
On the review block is the EDGE
DiskGO 160GB Network Hard Drive. Now before you go and say "oh no, not
another enclosure review", this one has something that most barebones HDD
enclosures don't. It has the ability to be networked directly from your switch
or router without needing a host machine. So essentially you plug this in and
everyone on your network has access to this drive which is useful in many
ways.
About EDGE Tech Corp:
"EDGE Tech Corp, an ISO 9001:2000 certified company founded in 1986,
is a leading supplier of DRAM and Flash memory upgrades, portable computing
products, storage devices, and other experience-enhancing technology
solutions.
At the age of 14, EDGE's president and CEO Jeff Thompson began the
company with $2500 he had saved from a newspaper route. Today EDGE is one of the
largest and most respected companies in its industry.
EDGE is a channel-focused manufacturer, building long-term partnerships
with distributors and resellers who demand the highest level of service and
support from their vendor-partners.
EDGE's DRAM-based memory product line offers upgrade solutions for
desktops, notebooks, servers, printers, hubs and routers.
EDGE's flash card lineup allows users of digital cameras and MP3 players
to upgrade the devices' memory for maximum performance. The card line consists
of various formats including CompactFlash, SD Memory Cards, SmartMedia,
MultiMediaCard, and xD Picture Cards. A line of card readers provides convenient
interface between the cards and a computer. EDGE digital media products allow
users of digital cameras and MP3 players to upgrade the devices' memory for
maximum performance.
The company's popular DiskGO by EDGE brand includes USB flash drives,
portable hard drives, and USB watch drives."
Specs:
- Size:8" (L) x 4.75" (W) x 1.5" (H)
- Weight:2.5 lbs (product only)
- 4 lbs (boxed product)
- Style:Brushed aluminum cover, providing protection and cooling
- Use:IEEE802.3 = 10BASE T / 802.3u 100BASE T
- Plug 'n Play
- Hot-Swappable
- Speed:10/100Mbps IEEE802.3 = 10BASE T / 802.3u 100BASE T
- Power:AC input: 100VAC to 240VAC. DC output: +5V/+12V
- Extras:Includes mounting base, external power adapter, ethernet cable and
DiskGO™ Finder Software & Quick Start CD. Product includes 2 extra USB ports
for connecting printers and other USB storage devices
- Compatibility:Operating System Windows 2000+ and Macintosh OSX+
- Support:1 year warranty & toll-free technical support
Included in the box:
I heard some rattling and it appears there are some extra screws
in the box as well.
The enclosure has a brushed aluminum finish on the outside. It
also comes with a very small stand to keep it upright.
The front of the DiskGO has three small LEDs to show power
(green), network connectivity (blue), and drive access (amber). You can't see
anything in the below picture due to the sizing and angle of the DiskGO but
there will be powered on images later in the review.
The rear of the unit has the power button, reset pin button, two
(2) USB ports, 10/100 RJ45 ethernet port, and the power plug port.
After examining the DiskGO, I found out where one of the tiny
screws were supposed to go.
It didn't pose any problems, I just screwed it back in and placed
the stand back on.
