D-Link Debuts Cloud Storage 4000 Small Business NAS

D-Link today unveiled new storage hardware that grants SOHO setups and small businesses remote mobile access to their files.

The ShareCenter Cloud Storage 4000 networked attached storage (NAS) system is a compact (5- x 7.9- x 7-inches) four-bay unit that supports 3.5-inch SATA III drives and can accommodate a total of 16 TB of capacity when stuffed with 4 TB drives. RAID options include 0, 1, 5, 5 plus hot spare, and 10.

Supported network storage protocols include CIFS/SMB, NFS and AFP. The 4000 also features Windows Active Directory Service support for Microsoft setups.

Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports provide network connectivity. Rounding out the port selection is a single USB 2.0 connection.

In addition to serving as a centralized file store, D-link positions the Cloud Storage 4000 as a backup repository.  The unit supports scheduled backups from PC to NAS, local backups and remote snapshots. The small business storage device also supports Apple Time Machine and the Amazon S3 cloud backups.

Downplaying S3 support, D-link submits that it’s the company’s MyDLink Cloud services that puts the ‘cloud’ in Cloud Storage 4000.

In a company statement Ken Loyd, director of consumer products for D-Link Systems, said that “D-Link’s new Cloud Storage 4000 offers the ideal cloud storage solution for any connected home or small business.” Among the many file sharing and media streaming options, “managing your files remotely on your smartphone or tablet,” is chief among them according to Loyd.

For example, iPad users can access the 4000 via the MyDLink Cloud mobile app to access and sync documents and media files. The MyDLink Cloud mobile app is available for iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Windows Phone 7.

ShareCenter Cloud Storage 4000 also supports an increasingly popular use for small business NAS systems: video surveillance.

Earlier this year, Iomega unveiled its StorCenter PX Server Class desktop and rackmount NAS systems that can also serve as the foundation of an IP camera-based video surveillance system. Today, D-Link reveals that the 4000 ships with an embedded network video recorder that supports up to four of the company’s IP cameras and multiple recording modes, including motion-triggered, scheduled or continuous.

D-Link’s ShareCenter Cloud Storage 4000 (Model DNS-345) is available now. Prices start at $449.99.

Pedro Hernandez is a contributing editor at Internetnews.com, the news service of the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE.