Buffalo’s LinkStation Quad offers large, secure and remotely accessible storage for your home or SOHO network-- all with the peace of mind of RAID technology. The LinkStation Quad supports RAID0, RAID1, RAID5 and RAID10. By default the Quad ships in RAID5, continually providing redundancy and protecting your data from potential drive failure. RAID5 also provides the best balance between security and available storage space.

The LinkStation Quad comes loaded with features! With its built-in Web Access feature (optimized for iPhone), you can access your files anytime via web browser from anywhere—best of all, you can also upload files while away from home! A built-in DLNA™ multimedia server allows you to stream multimedia content directly to any DLNA player on your network and the BitTorrent client lets you access and download multimedia files without the need of a PC running during the download. A DirectCopy function enables the Quad to automatically save multimedia files from USB attached storage devices to its internal hard drives.

The LinkStation Quad has a heavy-duty cooling system, which allows the unit to run cool and quiet at the same time. The LinkStation Quad is best suited for home and SOHO users who want a reliable RAID 5 NAS, as well as the ability to stream multimedia content to their entertainment devices.

• Overview
• Features
• Specs
• FAQ

The LinkStation Quad ships in RAID 5, providing the best balance between security and available storage space by default. However, the Quad also supports RAID 0/1/10 and JBOD modes. Additionally, the LinkStation Quad features a heavy-duty cooling system, allowing the unit to run cool and quiet at the same time.

A snap-off front plate allows for a quick and easy drive replacement without shutting down the unit and a USB port on the back of the unit allows you to easily expand capacity with a simple USB hard drive. The LinkStation Quad is perfect for home or SOHO users who need fast, dependable network storage.

WebAccess: Upload and watch photos and files or listen to music from anywhere

iPhone® Support: Use your iPhone to stream and view content

Time Machine™ Compatibility: Works perfectly with Time Machine Backup

Eco-Minded: Unit automatically powers down and saves electric cost

iTunes® Support: Play music from the LinkStation through your iTunes application

DLNA CERTIFIED™: Built-in media server to stream content

BitTorrent® Client: Download digital content over the Internet directly to your LinkStation Quad

Network Servers: FTP and print servers included with the firmware

Print Server: Share existing printers with others in your home or office

USB Storage Support: Connect USB hard drives to back up or add storage

Direct Copy: Plug in your USB hard drive or camera to quickly offload pictures

Access Protection: Protect data by restricting access with group and user level security

RAID Support: RAID 0 (Striping), RAID 1 (Mirroring), RAID 5 (Parity) and RAID 10 (Striped Mirrors)

Memeo™ AutoBackup: Automatic backup software for PCs and Macs

LAN Interface

Standard Compliance	IEEE802.3ab / IEEE802.3u / IEEE802.3 Standard (1000BASE-T / 100BASE-TX / 10BASE-T)
Data Transfer Rates	10 / 100 / 1000 Mbps
Connector Type	RJ-45
Number of Ports	1

Internal Hard Drives

Number of Drives	4
Drive Interface	SATA
Hard Drive Sizes	500 GB, 1.0 TB, 1.5 TB, 2.0 TB
Total Capacity	2.0 TB, 4.0 TB, 6.0 TB, 8.0 TB
Supported RAID levels	0, 1, 5, 10, Normal

USB Interface

Standard Compliance	USB 2.0
Connector Type	A type
Number of Ports	2
Data Transfer Rates	Max: 480 Mbps (High Speed Mode)

Protocol Support

Networking	TCP/IP
File Sharing	SMB, FTP, BitTorrent, DLNA
Management	HTTP
Time Synchronization	NTP

Others

Dimensions (WxHxD in.)	5.91 x 5.91 x 9.01
Weight (lbs)	12.5
Power Consumption (Watts)	~45W (without attached USB devices)
Operating Environment (Fahrenheit)	41-95°
Setup Utility OS Support	Windows® Operating Systems
Client OS Support	Windows® 7 (32-bit/64-bit), Windows Vista® (32-bit/64-bit), Windows® XP, Windows®2000, Windows® Server 2003, Windows® Server 2008, Mac OS® 10.3.9 or later
Power Supply	External, AC 120V 50/60 Hz

• Does the LinkStation Quad come with a hard drives, or is it a bare shell?

The LinkStation Quad comes with four internal hard drives. It is complete and ready to use.

• Can I replace the hard drives in my LinkStation Quad by myself?

During the warranty period, please send the unit back to Buffalo Technology and we will replace any defective drives for you. If maintaining your warranty is no longer a concern, most 7200 rpm SATA drives from reputable manufacturers will work fine in the LinkStation. Because of thermal and power issues, the use of drives with speeds higher than 7200 rpm is not recommended.

• Is the LinkStation Quad compatible with Windows Server 2000, 2003 or 2008?

Yes. The LinkStation Quad works perfectly with Windows Server 2000, 2003 and 2008. However, some of the included software (Memeo AutoBackup) is not compatible with server versions of Windows.

• Can I connect the LinkStation Quad to a PC with the USB port?

No, to connect the LinkStation Quad directly to a PC, use the Ethernet ports instead. The USB port on the LinkStation is designed to connect external USB devices, such as memory sticks or external hard drives, to the LinkStation Quad. Files on these devices will then be available on the network.

• Does the LinkStation Quad work with Mac systems?

Yes, the LinkStation Quad works perfectly with Mac OS X 10.4.11 and later.

• Does the Web Access feature require any software to be installed on a PC?

No. Buffalo's Web Access feature is completely embedded into the firmware of the LinkStation.

• How does the BitTorrent download feature work?

The BitTorrent feature is access through a web browser where a user can upload a .torrent tracker file or simply provide a URL to a tracker. The NAS then downloads the BitTorrent file(s) to the pre-determined download directory.

• What capacity will the device have in different RAID modes?

The LinkStation Quads supports RAID0, RAID5 and RAID10. In RAID0, all hard drives are combined to provide maximum storage equivalent to the stated capacity of the device. However, in RAID0 there is no data redundancy. RAID5 provides data redundancy by using parity information on all drives and therefore provides 75% of the stated capacity (the equivalent of one hard drive is used for data redundancy). Finally, RAID10 is a combination of RAID0 and RAID1 in which half of the stated capacity is used for redundancy providing half of the stated capacity. RAID10 provides faster write times than RAID5.