As file sizes continue to grow and electronic file sharing becomes the norm, the idea of a home server is becoming more attractive. HP’s MediaSmart Server LX195 is among the newcomers of such devices on the market.
At just four inches high, the MediaSmart Server allows multiple users to share a common place to upload, store, and download files. It can also be accessed anywhere an Internet connection is available.
The Epoch Times received an HP MediaSmart Server LX195 for a three week test drive. After carefully examining it, we found both ups and downs.
First the bad news. The server only offers a 640 GB storage capacity. Anyone who regularly takes photographs or who has an online movie library knows how fast 640 GB can go, especially when shared among a household of users. A storage limit of 1 TB (1,000 GB) is quickly becoming the standard.
Luckily, MediaSmart features four USB slots that allow for expanded storage space—a good save on HP’s part—but this means additional purchases such as external hard drives. However, considering that a 1 TB storage unit sells for around $100, extra storage is certainly affordable.
On the brighter side, the HP MediaSmart Server LX195 offers quite a bit in terms of compatibility and account management. It’s good to remember that although it requires a PC to work as the main computer, many other servers do not support both Macs and PCs.
Lower-end brands of external storage devices also pose the threat of crashing and taking all your precious data with them—there are too many stories like this. HP’s server on the other hand seems rather solid. It also comes bundled with two recovery disks that could rescue your data if there ever is an issue.
Simple Setup
The MediaSmart Server LX195 looks rather simple. There are only five slots on the whole server—four USB slots, one to connect to a modem, and one to plug it into a power source.
It’s also very easy to set up. A single button on the back of the unit powers it on and off, while the uncluttered front displays just three small lights letting you know if it is powered on and its current status.
An installation disk comes bundled with the server, which works on both a Mac and PC—although you will need to do the initial installation on a PC. The installation process is easy. After guiding you through a few steps, a navigation menu can then be used to manage user accounts and edit different settings.
Most users should be able to figure out how to use the software in no time. I came across a few roadblocks while setting up the server—such as getting lost in various files—but it was mostly on account of my not having read the instructions first.
I tried the server on both a Mac and PC. Everything worked perfectly on the PC, but there were a few issues with not being able to view certain files while using a Mac. After doing some research though, this doesn’t seem to be a common problem among users.
Overall, my experience using the HP MediaSmart Server LX195 went rather well. Uploading large files to an offsite drive certainly comes in handy. Since most e-mails cannot handle large files, this makes it much easier sending pictures to family members or even sharing larger files, such as home movies.
Price: $400.00
Web site: www.shopping.hp.com
