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Ximeta's NetDisk required its software to be installed on every computer that needed access. A code was entered for read-only and write mode. If an update was released, this had to be on every computer too. Not practical for giving access to lots of computers. The software was also buggy; therefore, it had to be upgraded all the time. Using a web interface that is on the drive eliminates all these issues.</p> <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/09.jpg"><img src="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/09th.jpg" alt="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" title="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" width="250" height="197" border="0"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> </p> <p align="left">Use the instruction guide to figure out what the web address is for the device. Overall, the installation guide has solid instructions. It walks a person through installing a drive, connecting the device to the network, and using the web interface. The CD ROM is only for Windows 98 driver installation. </p> <p align="left">Once the address is typed in, a web menu appears with info about the device. Date, Workgroup, Host Name, Language, and DHCP can be changed here. DHCP for those who do not know, is used to automatically assign a network address, which normally the router or firewall does. Host name is the name that appears on the network, like a computer name. Group name is the Windows work group name, normally workgroup. If on a business network this could be different. Change the Administrator account to change the password of the NexStar. I highly recommend doing this.</p> <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/web.jpg"><img src="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/webth.jpg" alt="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" title="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" width="350" height="261" border="0"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> </p> <p align="left">To configure the IP address of the device manually, click the IP Config menu. Here automatic IP is chosen by default. Simply select Static IP if wishing to change, then enter in all the information.</p> <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/web2.jpg"><img src="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/web2th.jpg" alt="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" title="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" width="350" height="281" border="0"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> </p> <p align="left">The maintenance menu does not include a lot of features. There is a feature to upload the firmware, which I could not find any available at this time. There is one to reboot the device if needed. If an error is made and the NexStar LX is not working like it should, there is a feature to reset the NAS to factory defaults.</p> <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/web3.jpg"><img src="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/web3th.jpg" alt="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" title="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" width="350" height="229" border="0"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> </p> <p align="left">Security is always a big issue. Maybe not at home to most users, but in the business world for sure. The SMB Server menu allows the user to create folder shares on the root of the drive. These shares can then be assigned a password, so the only way users on the network see the data is if they have the password.</p> <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/web4.jpg"><img src="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/web4th.jpg" alt="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" title="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" width="350" height="193" border="0"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> </p> <p align="left">If sharing the device does not work correctly, the NexStar LX can be used as an FTP server. This is also cool if you need an FTP server. Not really sure home users would have a need for this. Users can be added and permissions assigned. I don't have a use for an FTP server right now so I turned off the FTP altogether. I would suggest doing this as well. </p> <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/web5.jpg"><img src="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/web5th.jpg" alt="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" title="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" width="350" height="218" border="0"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> </p> <p align="left">The last menu option is the disk utility. This is used to format the disk to Fat32. This means if you are using an old NTFS disk like I did, that disk must be erased. It also means that NTFS file permissions cannot be used from a server if in a server network. Formatting a disk is very quick, less than a minute to do my 80GB Samsung hard drive. Also, there is an option to scan the disk and check for errors. The last feature is sleep mode. This is nice because if the disk is not in use it will put the disk to sleep. This saves power and keeps the disk cooler, prolonging the life of the disk. </p> <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/web6.jpg"><img src="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/web6th.jpg" alt="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" title="Vantec Nexstar NAS Storage" width="350" height="229" border="0"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> </p> <table width="100%" border="0"> <tr> <td><a href="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/nas_storage.php"></a> <a href="vantec_nexstar/nas_storage.php">Previous (Description & Installation)</a></td> <td><div align="right"><a href="atruereview/vantec_nexstar/nas_storage3.php"></a> <a href="vantec_nexstar/nas_storage3.php">Next (Performance & Conclusion)</a></div></td> </tr> </p> </div> </td> </tr> </table> </div> <div id="footer" class="clr"> <div class="rk-1"> <div class="rk-2"> <div id="the-footer"> <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? 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