Vantec NexStar MX Review

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Published on Tuesday, 28 August 2012 20:55

Written by Eric Stemplewski -skataneric-

The router I currently own is a Linksys E1000 that I received for Christmas a few years ago. Many things have changed within the past few years with wireless transfers, especially 802.11n connections. There is now dual band (2.4 and 5GHz), and 40MHz channel width. Transfer speeds with the newest adapters can reach up to 450Mbps. Although still in development, there is even the newest 802.11ac, that can reach up to 1300Mbps speeds. I've since upgraded many computers and laptops, all of which have the newest draft N capabilities. I feel that it's time to upgrade my router to something future proof and more suited to my current needs.

Physical media is all but dead. CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Rays are holding on for dear life. We are able to stream everything to our computers and T.V.s, even if it is not through the internet. Many homes are equipping themselves with little media servers. One major component that people might overlook is their gaming console. Both the XBOX360 and the PS3 have full media capabilities with their built in hard drives, and their network streaming. Even the newest routers are built with media storage expansion. While I was looking at router upgrades, I saw that many companies now include USB connections for media storage sharing across the network, without the need of an HTPC or an expensive NAS.

The Vantec NexStar MX provides a simple way to add massive amounts of storage. The NexStar MX is an enclosure that can contain two 3.5" SATA drives. On top of that, the MX can run the drives in a variety of modes. Management settings support individual, JBOD, RAID 0, or RAID 1 modes. Construction consists of a brushed aluminum case. Vantec included a 40mm fan for cooling. There are both USB 3.0 and eSATA interfaces. The NexStar MX supports up to 6TB capacity.

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