I was looking for a NAS device that was cheap, used low power and could handle at least 2 SATA drives. I found the Dlink DNS-321.

Features Include

• Easily insert up to 2 internal 3.5″ SATA hard drives (not included) without using any tools or attaching any cables
• 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet port easily connects to a wireless router for networking capabilities
• Stores and mirrors digital content, such as music, games, photos, documents and more to securely back up important files
• 4 hard drive modes (Standard, JBOD, RAID 0 and RAID 1) allow you to choose the configuration that best suits your needs
• Built-in FTP server allows remote Internet access to stored files over the Internet
• Built-in UPnP A/V media server allows you to stream digital media to compatible media players
• Drive management functions include scan disk, e-mail alerts, defrag, power management and the 4 hard drive configurations
• Built-in fan protects against overheating
• LED indicator lights include power, LAN, HDD 1 and HDD 2
• Works with most operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac)
• Includes power adapter, Ethernet cable and software CD-ROM

This little unit seemed to fit the bill. I purchased the Dlink DNS-321 and two 1.5 Terabyte drives. I installed the drives, turned on the box and logged into the web client. After logging in with the static username and password, the system found both the drives and ask me to format them. The process started, then stalled at 94%. After sitting there for 20 minutes, I shut it down. After a quick web search, I found a firmware update. I applied the update and tried to reformat again.

The format finished properly and I was off to set up the drives. The configuration screens were easy to follow and I do not think I looked at the manual once. I set up a couple of users and about 5 different directories. Then I added some movies and music.

Then turned on my Xbox Media Center and Mapped the drives for my Movies and Music. To do a little testing, I turned on a movie and then used a couple other computers to do some load testing. I have 3 computers watching movies at the same time with no glitches.

This seems to be a perfect low cost, low power solution to your streaming media needs. I really like the size and ease of use. I also like how quiet the little box runs. You could run it in your entertainment center with out a sound issue. If you use this unit to share your media instead of a computer running a file server, it should pay for itself in a couple of years in electricity savings alone.

Cost: NAS with two drives $397

Enjoy