Iomega Home Media Network HD Review

My wife surprised me one day with a 500GB Iomega Network HD as a present. I had for quite some time wanting a network HD, but wasn't really sure on which one to get. Thankfully, that decision was already made for me and now I just get to enjoy all the perks of having it.

Aesthetics:

Right when you open the box, you can tell that this network HD is going to be a looker. It is cased in a chrome/titanium look finish, which exudes that it is professional and something that you won't need to hide.

Construction:

The casing of the Iomega Network HD feels very solid. Not that I would advocate this but I feel like I could drop it from five feet without it falling into pieces. The case is a solid cool metal and it feels very sturdy and that it was build to last.

Setup:

The physical setup is really simple. Inside the box comes with everything you need to get started. First there is the HD itself, followed by a stand to keep it upright if you so desire. Attachment is as simple as just sliding the shelf onto the HD. There's an AC adapter and an ethernet cord for you to connect the HD to your router. Everything up to this point was just a simple plug and play without any trouble.

The problem after the physical setup was getting my computer to map the HD onto my laptop. Unfortunately for me, Windows Vista has some kind of networking setting which disables your ability to map drives proberly. Thankfully, I had a buddy who's good with networking, so he knew how to adjust the settings. I'm still unsure as to what he did up to this day, but I would be cautious if you're a Vista user.

Speed:

The HD's speed is very good. Transfering data from my laptop to the HD is at times faster than USB 2.0. I am currently using an N1 Router, which helps with data transfers. I am also able to use my HD to stream HD video content to my Xbox to project onto the TV without any issues or lag.

Price:

Networkd HD's are going to be about $50 more pricier than its non-network equivalent. In some cases, it won't be worth the extra pay but in our case, its been something that's been far more helpful.
Overall, I would say that the price is reasonable.

Final Word:

I love the Iomega Network HD. My only caveat against it is the lack of support for Vista users on getting the drives to map. But once it's up and running, it is a fantastic piece of equipment to have in you household.