NSLU2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| NSLU2 | |
 An NSLU2
|
|
| Manufacturer | Linksys |
|---|---|
| Type | NAS |
| Release date | June 15, 2004 |
| Connectivity | USB, Network |
| Retail availability | Discontinued[1] |
| Operating system | Linux based |
| Power | 5V DC Adapter |
| CPU | 266Mhz ARM Intel XScale IXP420 |
| Storage capacity | External hard drive/flash disk |
| Memory | 32MB SDRAM, 8MB Flash |
| Dimensions | 2.1 x 9.1 x 13 (cm) |
| Weight | 0.2 Kg |
The NSLU2 (Network Storage Link for USB 2.0 Disk Drives) is a now discontinued device that was made by Linksys. It makes USB Flash memory and hard disks accessible over a network (NAS).
The device runs a modified version of Linux and by default, formats hard disks with the ext3 filesystem, but a firmware upgrade from Linksys adds the ability to use NTFS and FAT32 formatted drives with the device for better Windows compatibility. The device has a web interface from which the various advanced features can be configured, including user and group permissions and networking options. The device shares attached drives over a network using the SMB protocol (also known as Windows file sharing).
Contents |
[edit] Hardware
The device has two USB 2.0 ports for connecting hard disks and uses an ARM-compatible Intel XScale IXP420 CPU. In models manufactured prior to around April 2006, Linksys had, for an unknown reason, underclocked the processor to 133MHz, though a simple hardware modification to remove this restriction is possible. Later models (circa. May 2006) are clocked at the rated speed of 266MHz. The device includes 32 MB of SDRAM, and 8 MB of Flash memory. It also has a 100 megabit Ethernet network connection.
[edit] Modifications
Unofficial hardware modifications include:
- Doubling the clock frequency on underclocked units.[2] As of summer 2006, the NSLU2 is sold without the "underclocking"
- Addition of a serial port
- Addition of a JTAG port
- Enabling extra USB ports
- Addition of extra memory
- NSLU2 units that have had their memory upgraded are commonly referred to as 'FatSlugs'[3]
- Devices have been successfully upgraded to 64 MB but no stable operation with 128 MB and 256 MB of RAM[4]
- The version with 256 MB RAM and 16MB flash (twice the standard amount) has been nicknamed 'ObeseSlug'[5]
- Forced Power On[6]
[edit] Alternative firmware
As the device runs Linux, Linksys was required to release their source code as per the terms of the GNU General Public License. Due to the availability of source code and the relatively low cost of the device, there are several community projects centered around it. There are two main replacement firmware images available for the device: the first is Unslung which is based on the official Linksys firmware with some improvements and features added.[7] Optware packages are available to expand functionality. The other is SlugOS/BE (formerly OpenSlug), which is based on the OpenEmbedded framework.[8] SlugOS/BE allows users to re-flash the device with a minimal Linux system including an SSH server to allow remote access. Once installed, the operating system must be moved to an attached hard disk due to the lack of space available on the Flash memory. Once this has been done, a wide range of additional packages are available to be installed from an Internet repository.
It is also possible to run OpenWrt,[9] Debian,[10] Gentoo[11] and NetBSD[12] on the device.
The ability to run an unrestricted Linux OS on the device opens up a whole new range of uses. Some common uses are a web server, mail server, DAAP server (iTunes), UPnP AV MediaServers, BitTorrent client, asterisk PBX[13] and network router (with the attachment of a USB network interface/USB modem).
[edit] Awards
The NSLU2 won the "Most Innovative in Networking" Reader Award in the Tom's Hardware 2004 Awards.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b NSLU2 shown as "Archived"/"Product no longer shipping"
- ^ Overclocking (De-Underclocking) the NSLU2
- ^ FatSlug
- ^ Kernel Bug Tracker Bug 7760
- ^ ObeseSlug
- ^ NSLU2 ForcePowerAlwaysOn
- ^ The Unslung firmware
- ^ The OpenSlug firmware
- ^ OpenWrt NSLU2 Wiki page
- ^ Debian on NSLU2
- ^ Gentoo on the NSLU2
- ^ NetBSD on the NSLU2
- ^ Asterisk PBX on NSLU2
[edit] See also
- BarracudaDrive application server for NSLU2
- Buffalo network-attached storage series
[edit] External links
- NSLU2 Product Information at Linksys
- NSLU2-Linux
- Linksys Network Storage Link for USB 2.0 Disk Drives reviewed
