Netgear Stora 2120 - Network Storage Made Easy - Baltimore home technology

The Netgear Stora is a Network Storage device which allows you easy access to your data and lets you to share that data with the people you choose. You can even access your data when you are away from home. I was able to test the Stora 2120 which is a 2 TB storage device with room to add a second hard drive if needed. The Stora comes in different storage capacities depending on your needs.

What’s in the Box

Netgear Stora 2120 with one 2 TB Seagate hard drive.
12V, 5A power adapter
Power cable
Ethernet cable to connect the Stora to your router
Quick installation guide
Warranty card
Resource CD

Since I had never set up a network storage device before, I carefully followed the instructions provided in the installation guide as I connected the Stora to my Linksys broadband and wireless router. A slight whirring could be heard as the hard drive in the Stora came online and the lights on the unit lit and flashed on cue as described in the instructions.

The next step was to insert the Resource CD in my computer and run the Stora software setup. It takes the program a minute or two to initialize before you will see the "Welcome to Stora" message. After you agree to the inevitable software license agreement, you will be asked to enter the product key which is found on the CD sleeve that came with your Stora unit. Then you will need to provide a name for your Stora so that it can store data. Next you will need to enter your username and a password. Just follow the on-screen prompts to finish the setup and you’re ready to use your Stora.

I had one little hiccup at this point in the process. Apparently the IP address assigned to the Stora was also assigned to one of my network printers. Since each device on the network must have a unique IP address, the connection to the Internet was disabled until I reset the router by unplugging it for about 60 seconds. When the router was plugged in again, the Internet connection was restored to all my computers and the Stora had a different IP address so all was well.

Once the Stora is physically connected to your network, you can install the optional Stora Agent software which greatly simplifies accessing the new network storage. The software is included on the Resource CD. Just follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation, then login with the Stora Agent. It will automatically map the Stora as 3 hard drives. One drive for each of three folders, MyComputers on Stora, MyLibrary on Stora, and FamilyLibrary on Stora with the IP address also displayed. When you boot your computer, you will need to login to the Stora Agent or the Stora drives will not be mapped and visible in My Computer. The file structure of each drive is divided into folders for MyDocuments, MyMusic, MyPhotos, and MyVideos. You can add and delete folders at your discretion regardless of how you log in to the Stora.

Using the Stora Agent software allows you to see and use the Stora network drives just as you would any other hard drive physically in or attached to your computer. This means that you can use your familiar programs to read documents, listen to music or view videos.

Depending on your network and router settings, that IP address might change from day to day but

if you know the IP address assigned to the Stora, you can also access it with your browser by typing http://192.168.1.xxx with the last 3 digits representing the internal address assigned to the Stora on your network. Assigning a permanent IP address to the Stora will avoid problems and is easy to do through the Stora Application.

You can also go to http://www.mystora.com where you will need to enter the Stora name, your User Name and Password to access your Stora. Remote Access is available with a Premium Subscription. A 30 day trial of the premium Service is included. After that time, the charge is $19.99 a year. Premium Services include: support for Flickr, Cooliris integration, RSS feeds, unlimited user accounts, Secure FTP, remote access for iPhone, Blackberry and Windows Mobile phones and future premium feature upgrades.

If you are connecting to the Stora through one of these other methods, and want to view a movie or listen to music, Stora Cinema, a built-in video player will handle the task. When playing a movie stored on the Stora, you will probably get a message that the movie is not natively supported by Flash. If you select "Play Anyway" a Quicktime Flash plugin will be installed which will play the movie. You also have the option to download that movie to your own computer to play with your own software. A future upgrade will include support for Android devices that lack Flash capability.

Using the Stora Cinema application requires a bit of patience because it buffers the whole movie before beginning to play. Playback, once it begins, is smooth and clear. Although there is a button on the player to toggle to fullscreen mode, nothing happens when the button is pressed. If you need to pause the movie, make sure you hit the pause button and not the Stop button or it will have to re-buffer the entire movie again and will start over from the beginning. Stora Cinema may not be perfect but it is a huge convenience if you’re accessing your files directly on the Stora instead of through your computer. It’s also a convenience for those you invite to share your files so they can view them online. Just create an Album and select the Share option from the menu to create an email invitation which will be sent to allow the person Guest access to those files. It’s an easy, no hassle way to share your files with others.

A surprise feature of the Stora is the option to setup a network printer by connecting a USB printer to the USB port on the front of the unit. It will install the appropriate driver for the printer and will apparently work with a wide range of printers. This option is available for simple USB printers. Multifuntion printers are not supported at this time.

The Netgear Stora 2120 is slightly smaller than the average toaster and very quiet making it a great option for adding network storage which is available to multiple computers and users. The Installation and setup is extremely easy and the instruction sheet walks you through the process in simple terms that even a novice can follow. I give Netgear high marks for the software and setup which doesn’t require an IT professional to use or understand it. This is the perfect option for file sharing and backing up your computers to a central location. The Stora is easy to set up, easy to use and does what it says it will and does it very well. What more could you want? How about a 3 Year Warranty and 24/7 Tech Support? I did not need to contact support but it’s a comfort to know it’s available if necessary.

I have only one minor issue with the Stora. The User Manual and documentation is available through the Resource CD which will connect you to the Internet when you click on the Documentation option. I suppose this is so you have the latest version of the documentation but I would have preferred that the files were included on the disc for easier access.

The Stora 2120 with 2 TB of storage is available for $349.99 directly from the Netgear web store. It’s also available from the following online retailers:

PCNation for $269.85 with free shipping.

Newegg for $279.99 with free shipping.

Amazon for $279.99 with free Super Saver Shipping.

The Stora 2110 with 1 TB of storage is available from the following retailers:

Walmart for $199.82 with $ .97 shipping to your home or free shipping to your local store.

Staples for $179.99. The Stora 2110 is available at the Staples stores in Bel Air and Elkton, MD.

Stora 2120 Specifications

Web Browsers Supported

Microsoft® Internet Explorer™ 6.0+
Netscape® Navigator™ 7.0
Safari 1.22+
Mozilla Firefox® 1.03+

General

NETGEAR Stora Home Media Server for music, photos and videos
Two (2) Serial ATA channels
Compatible with SATA and SATA II HDD
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
USB 2.0 port
Embedded 256 MB flash memory for OS
Powerful processor for fast transfer speeds and smooth media streaming
Supports Windows®, Mac®, Linux®/UNIX clients
Setup wizard and easy browserbased interface
Includes Stora Desktop Applications for Windows and Mac for automatic backups, easy connection and more
RAID 1 Mirroring to protect against disk failure
JBOD feature to unlock the total capacity of both drives (no protection)