Adaptec’s Snap Server will be a case of overkill for home users, but it’s a versatile – if rather complex – option for business users.

Priced at £350 for a relatively small 160GB of network storage, the Snap Server is obviously a lot more expensive than any of its rivals. It has four USB2 ports for adding network printers and extra storage, but those features are matched by less expensive rivals such as the Freecom Storage Gateway.

However, the Snap Server isn’t just a glorified hard disk. It’s a full-scale file server running its own operating system – Adaptec’s GuardianOS. Fortunately, you don’t need to get to grips with an entirely new operating system to use the Snap Server.

When you insert the supplied CD-Rom, an HTML manual appears and presents you with an ‘initial startup wizard’ that allows you to specify basic settings, such as the name of the drive and the main administrator password.

You can use your web browser to configure additional settings, such as user accounts and passwords, or you can use Adaptec’s SSM – Snap Server Manager – software. This is a Java program that will run on most platforms, including Windows, Mac and Linux, so it’s a good option for cross-platform organisations.

However, you’ll need a fairly extensive knowledge of networking technology to make use of features such as these. Even business users will probably want to leave the Snap Server to their IT department. The three-year warranty is attractive, though, especially to business users.

It may be technically impressive, but the Snap Server really is an enterprise-level device. Home and small-business users will almost certainly prefer to opt for a more user-friendly device such as Iomega’s Storcenter.

This article is part of a group test of network-attached devices.
See also
Buffalo Linkstation Multimedia Home Server
Buffalo Terastation Home Server
Freecom Storage Gateway WLAN
Iomega Storcenter Network Hard Drive
La Cie Ethernet Disk Mini
Linksys EFG120
Maxtor Shared Storage II
Plextor PX-EH25L
Western Digital Netcenter 500
Living with NAS
DIY NAS

The table of features can be read via our pdf download.