Picture the scenario, I design, run and maintain several websites all of which are subject to frequent hacking and defacing abuse, my solution using DVD’s and CDR’s to backup was failing and I really needed a better system.

My software testing responsibilities with Microsoft also meant I was formatting often.

Add my enthusiastic gaming on recent titles like BF2142, NFSU2 and NFS Carbon not to mention older favourites like F1 Challenge and GTR2 and beginning from scratch every time was frustrating and unacceptable.

I don’t like to reinstall them and have to start again, though BF2142 is a god send with the online database, even if a little flaky at times.

So, I have a lot of DVDr’s and CDr’s with age old information stored. It was becoming extremely apparent that this wasn’t working. I would get CRC errors, bad sectors, and just plain old scratched discs.

This would be an issue, as I have lost some backups to these woes. It was time for something new, and defiantly and improvement. I was looking around at network drives. I never really looked at USB or Fire wire drives. I know they  are good, but recent experience shows me this can be lost with the constant removal of the drive.

So, it was confirmed. Some sort of network drive.

Enter the SC101 Network Drive from Netgear. Goodbye to CRC errors, bad sectors, misplaced and damaged discs. Welcome drag and drop ease in a dedicated central and expandable unit.

Netgear has already earned my trust with the DG834GT Router and their honest approach with publicizing new drivers reassures me this product is well supported. There is a note here for example which lists the latest drivers and firmware which Netgear warns you should use in preference to those on the support disc with the product.

I compared the SC101 to other network drives, and found them to be no competition. I also have read that the unit is terrible. So I researched a little more. Netgear’s website has a strong message saying don’t use the drivers on the CD, download the new versions and install. So after a little debate, I bought one.

This is what Netgear have to say about it.

From the Netgear website

Network Storage

With the NETGEAR Storage Central SC101, you can plug in up to 2 IDE drives of any size and create a central storage space for all your music, video, photos, games, and files. These files and media resources are then easily accessible by all the computers on your home or small office network as a simple letter drive, from ‘My Computer’. You can start with as little as 80 GB and upgrade to 800 GB or more as required. Never worry about losing your most valuable files with advanced back-up features. Keep your personal files private from other network users if desired by placing them in secure, password-protected folders. Different drives can be created for different purposes or users on the network. You can even link multiple Storage Centrals together for additional storage capacity.

Applications for Use

Do you own a digital camera or camcorder and have lots of photos and home movies that you would like to back-up and store securely? The SC101 enables you to store and back-up precious digital photos and home movies of weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and other special occasions and create a drive to share your memorable family moments to all the computers on your home network. Do you have private financial information or commercial files that you would like to store and back up? The SC101 includes back-up software, allowing you to safeguard any valuable files by keeping real-time duplicate copies, automatically and effortlessly. Is your computer or laptop slowing down because it is weighed down with lots of files, digital music, photos and video? Transfer all this data on to an SC101 and give your computer or laptop a new lease of life!

SC101 Storage Central is easy to setup and install. Just slide in one or two 3.5” IDE disk drives of any capacity. Connect Storage Central to any wired or wireless router or switch from any vendor, then configure with NETGEAR’s Smart Wizard install assistant. Now you’re ready to access files from any PC on your network, from a simple letter drive in 'My Computer'. The user interface is also intuitive.

Value For Money

NETGEAR’s SC101 Storage Central device brings business enterprise storage technology to the home and small business at an affordable price point. The SC101 enables users to have a True Storage Area Network for their home networks; shareable, expandable, available, failsafe and easily accessible.

• Interface:
• 10/100 Mbps (auto-sensing) Ethernet, RJ-45
• Standards:
• IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3μ
• Supported Protocol:
• TCP/IP, DHCP, SAN
• Interface:
• One 10/100Mbps RJ-45 Ethernet port
• One Reset Button
• Connection Speed:
• 10/100 Mbps
• Supported Hard Drives:
• Two 3.5" internal ATA6 or above IDE hard drives
• Diagnostic LEDs:
• Hard Disk: Red
• Power: Green
• Network: Yellow

• 6.75" x 4.25" x 5.66" (L x W x H)
• Ambient Operating Temperature
• 0°-35° C

• FCC, CE, IC, C-Tick
• System Requirements
• Windows 2000(SP4), XP Home or Pro
• (SP1 or SP2), Windows 2003(SP4)
• DHCP server in the network
• Compatible with ATA6 or above IDE
• (Parallel ATA) hard disks

• Storage Central SC101
• 12V, 5A power adapter, localized to country of sale
• Ethernet cable
• Installation Guide
• Resource CD
• SmartSync Pro Backup Software CD
• Warranty/Support information card

• WPN824 RangeMax™ Wireless Router
• WGT624 108 Mbps Wireless Firewall Router
• WGR614 54 Mbps Wireless Router
• XE102 Wall-Plugged Ethernet Bridge
• XE104 85 Mbps Wall-Plugged Ethernet Bridge
• w/ 4-port Switch
• WGE111 54 Mbps Wireless Game Adapter

Next, product pictures.