In November 2006 I purchased a 250GB SmartDisk SOHO NAS.

Big mistake.

Here is what their web site says:

SOHO NAS

Share files between computers within your small office/home office (SOHO) network. Centralize music, photos, video and data files. Easily set up a computer network using Apple Bonjour™ or Samba software. Back up any Mac or PC on your network. Create private folders for individual users. Free up hard drive space for individual users. Connect to other USB devices. Add a USB printer to your network using the Print Server feature.
 
At the time it seemed like a good purchase. 250 GB, true network access so I could use the drive with my wireless laptop, print server which would also give me unfettered access to my printer…just what the doctor ordered.

I set up the drive and started configuring it for my use.

First, I downloaded and installed the latest firmware. Then I set up a user account and configured the drive for my network. After reading the manual, I decided to format the drive as EXT3 (a Linux format) since I would only be using it on the LAN and this would give me faster throughput and better security.

Then it crashed.

It was no longer visible from the network, so I had to go back to the USB port to access the drive at all. I used the SmartDisk web site help facility, but it took several days to get a response. Meanwhile I tried the factory reset, then reformatted the drive as per the manual, but was still unable to to access it from the LAN. I also noticed that I could no longer turn off the power with the on/off switch, I had to unplug the drive to turn it off.

I finally heard from support, and their suggestion was to reformat the drive. Duh! I got that out of the manual.

I live in Korea and I use the military APO postal system. Since the only email address I could find was for the Asian repair center, I wrote to them asking them how to contact the US division. They sent me the address so I emailed them telling them about my problems. After several exchanges, they said they would send me an RMA. It never arrived.

I tried the online support again with the same answer, reformat the drive.

While waiting for my RMA, I downloaded a utility that would let me look at the Linux partition of the drive, and I discovered that the Linux operating system had totally crashed. There was no way for the drive to work without rebuilding the boot sector. Since everyone is busy during the holiday season, I just waited patiently for something to happen, but nothing did.

Holidays are over, so, I got on the phone and called the company. Chris, the tech support guy, was very helpful and did send me an RMA so I could return the drive for repair.

Then they dropped the bomb.

The very next day I got the following email from Chris.

Hello,

Unfortunately we can not ship your SOHO NAS replacement back to an APO address as we use FedEx for outbound shipments. We apologize for this inconvenience. Please reply back with a physical address that we can ship the device back to.

Thank You,

Christopher
Smartdisk Technical Support

Yea, right. Just change my address so they can send a replacement drive to me.

I'm supposed to find someone in the US that will accept the shipment for me, then turn around and use their time and money to reship the drive back to me using the Post Office. That makes a lot of sense.

What's wrong with the company putting the drive in a box, taking it to the local Post Office and mailing it to me? But that would interrupt their normal routine, and a customer isn't worth that kind of bother.

I am not happy with the service or support I am currently getting from SmartDisk Corporation. I will certainly not recommend anyone purchasing one of their products. It looks like I'm stuck with a $250 paperweight that I can use as an external hard drive as long as I remember to plug it in before I turn it on, then turn it back off before I unplug it. Of course, I have a 350GB hard drive that does the same thing, only better, and it cost me less than half the price.

So, SmartDisk, you are on my black list, and any time anyone asks, I'll say, "Don't buy a SmartDisk product."

Thanks for reading.

This is Phoenix Rising, telling it like it is.