d-link DNS-320L ShareCenter 2-Bay Network Storage

I used to have one of these, and wrote a piece way back when on how to upgrade it from the built-in UPnP/DLNA software, which didn't seem to work too well (OK, it was pretty rubbish), to Twonkymedia Server. Though it pains me somewhat to direct traffic that way(!), you can still find the piece on the whathifi.com website here.

The D-Link is a cheap housing, and my main observation is that with the two Seagates I was running at the time inside it – this was in the days before WD Reds – it was noticeably noisy. I mean noticeably noise as in you couldn't help noticing the racket it made!

Or as I put it in a later piece I wrote for Gramophone: 'The D-Link often did an impersonation of a Phantom jet running its engines on full power waiting for the deck catapult to be fired, and so was banished in disgrace to a cupboard.'

It ended up with it snaffled away out of earshot with a very long run of Ethernet connecting it to the network player I was using at the time (an original NaimUniti, still going strong as part of my desktop system).

Oh, and boy was it slow to copy content over from my computer to its storage!

I think I'd say that in NAS enclosures, you tend to get what you pay for: I won't stick my neck out and make any comments about sound quality, for fear of prodding the 'digits is digits' trolls awake, but in terms of usability there are certainly better (and quieter!) enclosures to be had.

Hope that helps.

Many thanks for you comprehensive answer. I originally had a four bay Netgear Ready NAS which was great until you have a power cut and then it took hours to check itself. Cured that by putting in a UPS but then decided it was overkill and put in a Windows i7 based machine using Asset UPNP

After your comment am maybe thinking either Synology NAS or build a NAS using an HP Micro Server that is sitting round doing nothing.

Would welcome peoples views on Using the HP Microserver N36L with 8GB ram and which OS to use or Vortexbox etc

I have a DNS-320 (though not the "L" model, I don't think). I've done as Andrew indicated in his post and installed fun_plug and I'm now running minimserver as my UPNP software. It works great! BUT... the hours I've invested in reading on how to install fun_plug, java, and testing various UPNP software (not to mention the stress of hoping my NAS doesn't bite the big one from me making mistakes) is not worth it. If I had done better research years ago I'd have a better NAS with proper UPNP software or the ability to install new apps without hacking my NAS. My advice, don't buy the DNS-320. 

I disagree in terms of overkill, I run a server with 14 gigs and twin zeon quad core processors. Yes it does other things too, but I would rather have the head room because ultimately it NEVER puts a foot wrong.

Thats what you want from all this malarky. The largest problems I perceive on this forum are crappy networks headed by crappy routers and/or crappy NASes.

Call that a server...?

^ ha ha, I recognize that

Going back to the OP's question, the DNS-320L is a little underpowered to be a decent UPnP / DLNA server. QNAP is still IMHO the brand to beat....

Anyone tried Win Server 2012 with the High End Audio PC software? not a cheap solution but cheaper than a Unitiserve

WHS 2011 on a small NAS-oriented PC is generally pretty good; Server 2012 and onward should also work.

The HP ProLiant N40L or N54L MicroServers are previous generation yet very good and can fit a full-size DVD optical drive, which tends to give a little bit more peace of mind relative to a slimline drive.

I have it on my Assetnas, works very well

Server software is not required in this respect. You would be just as well served from Windows 7 running on an external device. Server software is concerned with getting services out beyond your LAN and have very little baring on whats going on inside it.

This is an important distinction. Because windows in particular charge a fancy amount of money for those server services and in regards to running some upnp bits, windows standard will suit just fine.

If you have a PC now, then all you need to do is right click a folder of music then properties and open it up for sharing and boom, you are running a server baby. Its dead easy. I am a mac user and have a dirt ugly cheap arse dell doing this for me. If I can do it, damn sure you can.

For those interested and importantly have an area where a PC could go that is NO WHERE NEAR your hifi or life in general (mine lives in a garage) then there are some great value propositions out there. a Dell precision 3400 can be had for 70 quid and can take 6 sata harddrives. A 690 which is a total beast can be got for a hundy and has twin sockets running xeon chips. This animal can take 7 drives off the mother board, or stick a perc in it for some hardcore raid action increasing possibilities further.

If you are a god damn hippy then get a HP proliant N54L, 140 quid gets you 5 drive action, dual core cpu, room for 8 gigs of ram-o-fonzi and won't cause your light bulbs to dim.

Genuinely if what you want to do primarily is deliver UPNP and store music it can be done cheaply with the only caveats being noise and consumption.

 My server works really well for me; shares files to multiple devices all over the house, monitors and backs up three pcs automatically and never misses a beat whilst being virtually silent. My pc also has Asset upnp on it and can do a job, but its not a server and I don't regret buying the Assetnas for a second.  Either will work but I preferred to have a dedicated server, whatever floats your boat

In a sense we agree. A server is a definition of a device that is sat in place doing things for other devices. The OS running on that server is relevant to people that want to do certain things.

If you want to back up drives from your network and dish out UPNP, you absolutely do not need windows 'sever', you just need windows.

If you want to run exhange, and a couple of websites then you need windows server. 

If you want to play music out of your music playing device then all you need is SMB, every OS does that.

While it was still available, Windows Home Server 2011 was actually cheaper than a standard Windows 7 Home Premium license, and ran better than desktop Windows on the same hardware (even though MinWin is largely the same between both). Core optimizations are also different, including network-related services that would be important for file-sharing / streaming purposes.

My current setup is completely Linux-based, though I keep a single Windows host around for UPnP compatibility testing.

Ubuntu rulez.

Ubuntu is alright if you have the patience. However if its pure server/NAS duties I would install OpenMediaVault