Seagate Black Armor

One of the benefits of running a review website is you get to experience some of the coolest devices the computer industry has to offer. Even though our website name contains the word "overclocker", it's not always about overclocking and tweaking. Today is one of those days when we have the unique opportunity to play with a new device that is neither a stick of memory, nor a hot new graphics card. Today we have a device that no small business or computer enthusiast should be without, a NAS or "network attached storage" device.

For years business and enthusiasts alike have purchased or built expensive data servers to store important documents and software. These files servers didn't require anything fancy. Even an old and somewhat outdated desktop workstation would do. We stripped the tower down to the bare essentials, loaded up an operation system of our choice, shared out the drives, and placed it on our network. These file servers run 24/7 with the sole purpose of storing data at an alternate location for easy access by other workstations. This is all just basic networking 101 and it works beautifully with the only other alternative is spending many thousands of dollars on an actual network server that most small business really don't need.

Over the years we've seen NAS devices slowly take the place of file servers. We've seen quite a few NAS devices in recent years, but most of them have been single or dual hard drive units designed for home use or very small businesses. The Seagate BlackArmor NAS we have before us today takes the NAS to the next level. The BlackArmor is a complete, stand alone, 4-bay RAID NAS, designed for small businesses with up to 50 workstations. Tired of that file server taking up an entire desk? The BlackArmor is only about 8 inches tall and is completely self contained. I'm all about clearing out clutter and the Black Armor may be the perfect replacement for my bulky and very loud, full tower file server. Let's have a look at the Seagate Black Armor NAS 440 and see what it's all about.

Business-ready network storage for up to 50 workstations.

Supports Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, and Mac OS® X 10.4.11 or later.
Two Ethernet ports.
Four USB 2.0 ports.
Four preinstalled hard drives
2 Ethernet Ports
4 USB 2.0 Ports

Selling Points

Flexible enough to fit your business: Whatever you need, BlackArmor fits: single or multi-drive, portable, workstation, or network-attached storage.

Built-in service and support: You’re not on your own. The support available includes data recovery, priority tech support, and extended warranties.

Trusted drives for over 30 years: Energy efficient, ultra-reliable Seagate® hard drives are at the heart of BlackArmor. And all products come with a three-year limited warranty.

Features

Four Serial ATA (SATA) disk drives that are hot-swappable (easily removable and replaceable). The disk drives are enclosed by the server door.
Two Ethernet, or LAN, ports that let you access the server from your local network or over the Internet.
The server’s two LAN ports can be configured for link aggregation, which means you can connect both LAN ports to your network at the same time and improve transfer performance. The BlackArmor server then uses both network connections simultaneously so that it can transfer data at a faster rate. Alternatively, you can use one LAN port to connect to your network and the other LAN port to set up replication, or archive backup, where an exact copy of the data on your BlackArmor server is created and maintained on a second BlackArmor server.
Four USB ports that let you back up data directly to or from a portable USB drive, connect a USB printer that everyone on your local network can use, or connect an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS).
LEDs representing the ports, disk drives, and server that indicate activity and status.
LCD screen that displays current server settings and status information, including messages that appear when an event (a problem or change in setting) occurs on the server. Buttons beside the screen help you scroll up and down through the available information. When the LEDs indicate a change in setting or status, information about this change appears on the LCD screen.

Uses For the BlackArmor

Create a central storage place for the files you want to share with other people on your local network or over the Internet.
Create and maintain automatic backup copies of all your files—even your operating systems.
Share your files—contracts, business presentations, progress reports, and so on—with other people on your local network or with business clients over the Internet.
Recover quickly from a disaster, such as the unintentional deletion of important files, the failure of a disk drive, the loss or theft of your computer.
Access your BlackArmor server over the Internet from anywhere in the world to download files that you need where you are, or upload files that you want to secure or share while you’re out of the office.
Share a USB printer with other people on your local network.
Create a media server so that everyone on your local network can enjoy downloaded photos, videos, and music.
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