LaCie has announced an addition to its network attached storage (NAS) line of products. The LaCie 2big NAS joins the product lineup. The new drive case is fully compatible with Apple’s Time Machine software as well as Windows 7 Backup. Remote access is by way of FTP, SFTP, or HTTP file transfer. Cloud storage is accessible by an iOS application.
The two-bay storage case runs the Lacie NAS OS 2 operating system on an ARM 2GHz processor. The NAS OS 2 provides backup services, email notification of failures, and a print server.
If used for media storage and playback, the 2big NAS can act as an home iTunes server, and is uPnP AV media player compatible. Photo browsing and audio streaming are available through a web interface.
Each drive bay in the 2big NAS accepts a full-size 3.5-inch hard drive, up to 3TB in size for a maximum storage capacity of 6TB. If desired, the drives can be formatted for RAID 1 mirroring. Each drive installed is hot-swappable, so a failed disk can be replaced with no service interruption.
Network connection is provided by a single gigabit Ethernet port. Two expansion ports to increase the capacity of the 2big NAS are available- one eSATA, and one USB2 port.
The cross-platform storage device is available at retail and online now. A driveless enclosure costs $299 and the 6TB model populated with two 3TB drives can be purchased for $649.
