Nexsan Transporter Private Cloud - 1TB (CTR1D12US1R)

If you like having control of your own files rather than using a cloud service this thing is great. I got the transporter early and initially the software sucked and always messed up. I lost files fairly often because there were five or so computers syncing with it. With the 2.0 update the transporter is great. The software is easy enough that I could walk my mother, who is computer illiterate, though the process of installing and setting up the drive on her computer. I prefer the way it works on Mac rather than PC, but I'm not a PC person so I suppose that makes sense. My only issue with the transporter was the lights because they would illuminate my bedroom at night from the desk so I moved it into the cabinet but because the top of the drive housing is unnecessarily tall, it didn't fit so I had to move the shelf down to accommodate. This is a pretty minor issue barely worth mentioning. Overall this product is great and I highly recommend it.

Forget everything below, this product works great, until it doesn't, then it erases the existence of your files from the face of the planet! Pictures GONE! Files GONE! Any precious memories GONE! Absolutely horrible recovery and disaster planning! DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!! OK one of the things I was unsure of, do I need two transporters for this to work? No, you don't, one transporter is all you need. If you have two they can be setup to automatically sync to each other, or be used for additional storage. I don't like the file management in version 1, hopefully version 2 will fix this. I have a NAS (WD DX4000) which has its own quirks for setting up shared folders, it would really be nice if I could setup multiple cache locations for the transporter and point them to the existing folders. As it stands right now I use a separate app to sync the NAS to the transporter. Other than those minor issues it is a "Fantastic Product"! Update: I have two of these units now; one at home and one at the office: Version 2 BETA rolled out with promises of being more like dropbox, I had several issues adopting the new version, the major early issue was it was deleting GB's of data with no warning. I took my primary data out of the mix and have been waiting for the final release of Version 2 before I test the system again.

I initially heard about the Transporter from a friend who bought one on Kickstarter. I was really intrigued by the idea of what the Transporter could do. I bought one and can honestly tell you that the instructions were easy to follow, and after a few minutes, I had my own personal, private cloud. Now, I'm able to share files, photos and documents with family and friends, because accessing and sharing the folders and files from anywhere WITHOUT monthly cloud fees does, in a word: ROCK!

I found this to be an intriguing device - the possibility of having (and maintaining) my own cloud - so I purchased the 2TB model. Setup was not exactly painless, but the website's support answered most questions. I had it up and running shortly, and quickly added on my iPhone and iPads. This all seems to work fairly well now. The main issue arose when I invited others to share my Transporter. Connected Data designed this so that others, even others without their own Transporter, could share data with you. This is part of the tremendous potential to which I was alluding. This, however, is when things started to break down a bit. I invited a friend who then signed up for the web account and downloaded the software. The Transporter creates a link in your Finder's sidebar which is how one accesses the contents of the Transporter. This link, for my friend, was a broken link. Despite searching the website support and trying a number of other options, like re-installing the software, it was not possible for him to access my Transporter. I finally figured out where the link went, and after digging through the ~/Library/Application Support/.... folder, we found an alternative way for him to access the data. All in all, a good product, with a few rough edges that will undoubtedly be worked out in time. It works well, I can share data with friends, and I have full control over the contents. Exactly as advertised! GOOD - Your own private cloud! - Access contents on computer, phone, tablets - Share data with friends BAD - Setup requires some IT knowledge or at least some patience - May require port forwarding on your router, not a simple task for some people UGLY - Setting a friend up who does not have a Transporter to share yours is an error-prone and painful process with no clean resolution.

The instructions direct connection to the router/modem. I have a Time Capsule connected to mine so connected the device to an ethernet port on the time capsule. The lights on the device blink green, then flash blue and green, which, per the set up guide, means the device disk is formatting and that could take 10 minutes. The next instruction directs me to the webside to open an account. What you dont know from the set up guide is the device wont capture while the green, or flashing blue green lights, are on. The lights are still flashing blue and green the next day. The support page on the website suggests the device can be connected to a wifi extender, so I hook up the device to the extender. The support page also lists the tech support department is available on Saturdays, so I try through Friday to set up the device on my own. No joy, the light is still flashing blue green. i disconnect my time capsule and connect the device directly to the router modem. Two hours later, lights are still blue and green. I call the support line at 8am their time, as indicated on their support page, and get a message that they are really only open Monday theough Friday. The device is going back today. ADDENDUM I didnt make clear that I did attempt direct connection to the modem but had the same blue green flashing lights response. I finally received an email tech response telling me that blue green lights flashing means I have no internet connection. According to the website support page, no internet connection would be indicated by red yellow flashing lights. I suspect a bad disk drive.

This is my 2nd edit to what used to be a 5 star review. I purchased the 1 TB Transporter in Aug. 2013 and loved it. I used it all the time. It was so easy to set up and use. What's not to like ? Well, eleven months later it stopped working. Suddenly I couldn't access it at all. Lucky for me, it was still under warranty. The process for reporting it and working with Connected Data's tech support was a painful experience lasting three weeks. I had to jump through many many hoops. It was very frustrating, especially in the end when they were convinced the issue was on my end. I was told that there was an issue with my router that was preventing the transporter from communicating with my network and the internet. Keep in mind that we're talking about a new router that I had just bought a month earlier from Amazon and has been working perfectly with all my other devices. And when I unplug the Transporter from the router and plug in something else in it's place, that device also works fine. To Connected Data's credit, they did ship me out a replacement minus the 1 TB Hd after I RMA'd my broken unit to them. Problem now is that I'm no longer interested in something that is not very reliable in my opinion. Plus, there's no redundancy. If it breaks down, you better have had a backup somewhere. Fortunately for me, I did and the whole thing was an experiment anyway. Since loosing the Transporter I've been relying on my Diskstation a whole lot more and if I could recommend any kind of attached storage, the Synology Diskstation would be it. Yes, it's way more money but it has tons of features and it's MUCH more reliable. I think the Transporter is a product that's on the right track, it just needs to be made more reliable. As for my replacement, I'm looking to sell it. I'm just an average guy who has an average job and who likes having fun tech toys. I'm in no way affiliated with either of these companies.

After talking with Connected Data prior to purchase and being assured that the Transporters worked as advertised, I plunked down the $800 for two of the 2TB units. Units arrived quickly and in good shape. The first problem I encountered was trying to open a port on my NetGear WNDR4000 router. Their knowlegebase was of little help unless you have an AirPort router. I muddled through it and got it working on day two. From day three to present, remote access to my test files is not working. Multiple emails to tech support have gone nowhere. They do not answer your questions and the answers they do give sluff off responsibility to your ISP or to 3rd party help websites. If you do not get an answer that helps you the FIRST time you contact them, do not plan on that support ticket to be followed up on subsequent requests for clarification! I could go on a rant here, but I will just say that I am no slouch when it comes to computing software or hardware setup and configuration. I will say without reservation that Connected Data's Techinical support services are absolutely useless....it's like they have not even listened to the question you've asked. As for the Transporters themselves, be aware that you cannot share a folder hierarchy! All files you would like to share must be in a top level folder, so if you have the idea that you can, for example, have remote access to your MyDocuments folder along with all the files and folders contained therein, you are out of luck! Version 2.0 informational releases vaguely allude to possible enhancements that "might" make this thing useful, but of course the release has been delayed and no statements given as to why or when. I'm willing to revisit this review if I get a chance to try out 2.0, but if it doesn't come out very soon, I'm going to return these two $400 paperweights for credit before Amazon's 30 day return policy is up. I can't express how disappointed I am that these things do not work as promised. Update July 5, 2013. Connected Data Tech Support continues to be of no help via email and their Support telephone number has been disconnected. Again, the idea behind the File Transporter system is great and if it would work properly would be a life saver. As it is now, it is useless. Please be careful if you decide to purchase this product! UPDATE: July 17, 2013. I am still unable to call Connected Data directly, however, Clyde in their Tech Support department has been working diligently with me over the past two weeks via email and direct phone calls to me by him to try to help me. We STILL have been unable to get the Transporters to function properly, but are continuing to work on the problem. We'll see how that goes & I'll post another update at a later date. UPDATE: July 31, 2013. I'm upgrading this to 3 stars and may increase that soon. My Tech support problems were elevated to what they call a higher "tier" and I was subsequently invited to participate in the 2.0 Beta program. My two transporter units are, for the most part, working well. The support staff helping me now is very quick and helpful and I'm finally getting to the point where I feel I can trust these things with my data and have begun to share with friends on a preliminary test basis. So far all is going well. I will update again.

This is a great machine. It does exactly what I wanted it to do, which is keep my documents on my disc drive, but is accessible from various other locations. As I have to be concerned about HIPPA laws, this is a great way to deal with that and being in control of your documents and location of them.