NAS for Squeezebox

[willgaunt]

Ok so I know this has probably been discussed many times, but I can't find any threads which really answer my questions. Bearing in mind I am a novice with this sort of thing, are there any solutions for FLAC storage that are easy to set up other than Readynas of whatever description? For instance, would the Netgear Stora 2 be any good, or do I need to be looking at something better?

If there are any possibilities that any numpty could set up within an hour, please let me know!

 

[amcluesent]

The Vortexbox Music Appliance is ready to go out the box with Squeezebox Server pre-installed.

 

[Anonymous]

Yup, and if you've got an old unused PC knocking around you could use it to run VortexBox software (which is free) - great for saving a bit of cash though obviously not as elegant as the purpose made VortexBox device itself.

Another option would be a NAS (the sort with built in processor / memory) to run the Squeezebox software from - have a gander at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squeezebox_Server for some compatible ones and at Logitech's own Squeezebox forums.

The Synology NAS series is generally highly regarded and is very flexible - storage, server, FTP etc. The Synology ds211j model looks pretty good value (though you have to put your own hard drives in - good ones are about £40 a pop) and apparently works well enough with a Squeezebox.

 

[Vimeous]

I use an old PC for storage and I'd only recommend it as a stop-gap until you can afford a proper NAS.
I've recently tried wake-on-lan to start the PC remotely (the Logitech remote supports this) which improves things somewhat (thanks a gent on here for that suggestion). However a PC is typically bigger, more power hungry and needs more peripherals to get it running.

A supported or compatible NAS is a great solution.
As usual more spec equals more cost but also faster access times. I've read 256Mb is recommended minimum memory to run the Squeezebox server successfully though cannot confirm it from personal experience.
What can be said is that the older Marvel CPU's (usually 800MHz - 1.2GHz) cannot match the throughput of devices powered by Intel's latest Atom CPUs. Cost of course reflects this but it's worth considering if you plan to stream HD video later. Bit-tech, Engadget, Hexus and many other enthusiast techie sites will the the greatest detail in this area.

As for brands. Netgear are the only brand listed on the official Logitech site I can see. A quick look at Qnap and Synology's sites however show that many of their NAS devices will also happily run a downloadable version of the Squeezebox server.
Thecus may also include the feature but have not double-checked.

Prices start for compatible devices start from around £160 for an empty two-drive NAS chassis and soar to £600+ for the best empty 4/5 drive chassis. Storage is cheapest in 2TB chunks these days at around £70 a drive although a pair of 1TB Samsung F3's can be yours for £80 to give 1TB of redundant media storage (RAID1 configuration with all data duplicated).
If you're not happy with screwdrivers a populated NAS is no bad thing - I'm just picky about which hard drives I want to use.

The choice is bewildering as many suppliers continue to carry stock of older NAS while manufacturer model numbers change ever-so-slightly. It's a minefield!
I'm currently trawling through it myself and considering (without drives):

• £200 | 2 Drive - Qnap TS212 / Synology DS211 (not J-version) : Ok spec, low-price
• £300 | 2 Drive - Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra2 / Synology DS211+ : Fast, mid-price
• £350 | 4 Drive - Qnap TS412 / Synology DS410 (old model) : Ok spec, mid-price, lots of storage potential
• £450+ | 4 drive - Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra4 / Qnap TS419P+ / Synology DS411+ : Fast, lots of storage potential

The only proviso with the Netgear's is all the reviews I've read point towards noisy fans so potentially not one for the front-room!

What I've not even touched on is sound quality.
My copy of the latest mag turned up yesterday and if the Reader Review is anything to go by the combination of storage and player hardware is as critical as ever.

Shame there's no listening room for computer kit really .....