nslu2

We are still using the Linksys NSLU2 as our file server, and we still aren’t 100% happy with it. (See Small Business – Server & Backup and Linksys NSLU2 versus ???? for background.)

Some Macs in our office seem to be able to connect via browsing the network, while others require typing in the smb://192.168.0.xx address. At least one Mac seems to see it, and use it, but then not be able to use it, then when you try to dismount, and remount, it says it’s already there and requires some command line magic (or a reboot) to clean things up.

After a recent reboot of the NSLU2, we noticed a few days later the backups were not running anymore. Seems that after the reboot the 1st drive was recognized fine, but the 2nd was not. I was just about to reformat the 2nd drive but thought I should reboot one more time – that fixed it! The 2nd drive was recognized and I just had to re-setup the backup schedule.

I think if we continue to have issues, I may just take a weekend and install Unslung on it.

NSLU2-Linux looks like a fun little project. The Linksys NSLU2 is a “Network Storage Link” which means you typically attach it to your network, add an external USB hard drive, and it’s a file/backup server for the computers on your home network.

Pick one up at Amazon for about $80, and while you’re there grab an 80 GB drive for under $100 and you can build a nice little (and quiet) server running Linux, and once you’re running Linux, well, you open up a whole new world of possibilities…

Some links:

Need more info? It’s all over the place, just search for NSLU2 linux.

(I have a whole nother post on the trends I’ve noticed in small, cheap, hackable devices. So stay tuned…)