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LS-QL/R5
LinkStation Quad
www.buffalotech.com v2.3
Introduction
Congratulations on your new LinkStation Quad. This user manual is intended to assist
you in configuring it.
Because we’re constantly updating our products, the images and text in this manual may
vary slightly from the images and text displayed by your LinkStation. These changes
are minor and should not affect the ease of setup adversely. As time passes, future user
interfaces, updated software, and later versions of this manual may be freely available for
download at our web site www.buffalotech.com.
For best results, attach the LinkStation Quad to an uninterruptable power supply (UPS).
Back up all your stored files regularly. See pages 63 - 66 for instructions on how to use
the LinkStation Quad’s built-in backup utility.
If you run into difficulties or need additional help, feel free to contact our technical
support. Contact information for Buffalo Technology and our technical support is available
on pages 93 and 94.
2
Table of Contents
Layout.............................................................................................................. 4
Installation....................................................................................................... 7
Using your LinkStation with a PC .................................................................. 11
Using your LinkStation with a Mac®.............................................................. 15
Add USB Devices . ......................................................................................... 19
Function Button............................................................................................. 20
Web Admin Tool ............................................................................................ 22
Language Settings ......................................................................................... 26
Network Settings............................................................................................ 27
Disk Management.......................................................................................... 29
Shared Folders............................................................................................... 40
Groups . ........................................................................................................ 44
Users............................................................................................................. 45
Passwords...................................................................................................... 46
WebAccess..................................................................................................... 47
Remote Access with FTP................................................................................. 52
Media Server.................................................................................................. 54
Direct Copy.................................................................................................... 55
Installing a Printer......................................................................................... 56
Troubleshooting Multiple Shares.....................................................................61
Backups ........................................................................................................63
Time Machine................................................................................................. 67
BitTorrent Client............................................................................................ 72
Maintenance & Notification............................................................................ 74
UPS . ............................................................................................................. 75
System Status ............................................................................................... 79
Client Utility................................................................................................... 83
Troubleshooting............................................................................................. 85
Replacing a Hard Drive . ................................................................................ 86
Specifications................................................................................................. 92
Contact Information (USA).............................................................................. 93
Contact Information (Europe) ........................................................................ 94
GPL Information ............................................................................................ 95
3
Front Panel Layout
Power Switch
Power/Status LED
Disk LEDs
Green-Accessing
Red-Not mounted
Function Button
Function LED
USB
4
Front Panel (Open)
Power Switch
Power/Status LED
Disk LEDs
Green-Access
Red-Error
Function Switch
Function LED
USB
5
Rear Panel Layout
USB
Ethernet LED
Security
Mounting Point
Power Adaptor
Power Cable
Guide
6
Installation
If you are installing the software on a Mac, open the CD and click
LinkNavigator to begin installation.
7
LinkNavigator Setup
8
LinkNavigator Setup
9
Power Mode
The “Power Mode” switch on the back of the unit has two
positions: “Auto” and “Manual”. The “Auto” position
Auto
automatically powers the unit on or off with your PC. If
Manual your PC is turned on the LinkStation will power up; if the
PC is turned off the LinkStation will power down.
You must have installed the NASNavigator2 software on
your PC for this feature to work. Otherwise, if you move
the switch to “Auto”, your unit will power down by itself
and you will have to manually turn it back on.
Also note that the unit needs to be powered on if you
want to use the Web Access feature. When using Web
Access, it is best to leave the Power Mode switch set to
“Manual”.
To turn the LinkStation off, hold down the power button on the front panel for five seconds. It
will take about 30 seconds to shut down. Do not unplug or interrupt power to the unit until
shutdown is complete and all LEDs are off.
10
Using your LinkStation with a Windows PC
The Buffalo NAS Navigator icon opens the LinkStation’s client utility.
Turn to page 83 for more on using the NASNavigator2 client utility.
11
Accessing LinkStation Data from your PC
Your LinkStation uses folders to hold data. The default folder is called “share”. This
folder is where you place data that you want to share with other users. You can create
additional folders using the Shared Folders option. To start using your LinkStation, you
can either click on the LS-QLxxx shortcut on your desktop, or open My Computer, where
setup has mapped the next available drive letter to the default share in your LinkStation.
12
Accessing LinkStation Data from your PC
13
Accessing LinkStation Data from your PC
From the Tools pull-down menu, select Map Network Drive. Choose a drive letter from the Drive:
pull down menu. To specify the folder to map, either find it with Browse or enter \\LinkStation_
Name\share_name in the Folder: field, where LinkStation_Name is your LinkStation’s hostname
(page 21) and share_name is the name of a folder on your LinkStation. Check the Reconnect at
logon checkbox to have Windows connect to this mapped drive everytime it starts. When finished,
click the Finish button. Your share is now mapped to a drive letter.
14
Using your LinkStation with a Mac
After installing the LinkNavigator software, your Mac will have two
new icons.
On the desktop, the LS-QLSettings.txt file contains the IP address of
your LinkStation. In the Finder, NASNavigator is the LinkStation’s
client utility.
15
Accessing LinkStation Data from a Mac
16
Accessing LinkStation Data from a Mac
Select Guest and click on Connect. Note: If you have configured share
permissions on your LinkStation, select Registered User and enter your
login credentials.
Select the volume that you want to mount, such as share, from the list
of folders on the LinkStation.
17
Accessing LinkStation Data from a Mac
18
Adding USB Devices
LinkStation Quad has USB 2.0 ports on the front and rear. These ports can be used for adding
external USB Hard Drives, a USB Printer, or for connecting to a UPS. LinkStation will share
connected USB devices, allowing everyone on the network to use them. To connect a USB hard
drive to your LinkStation, simply plug it into the USB port.
Once your USB hard drive is connected, turn to the “Disk Management” section of this manual
for information on configuring your LinkStation to use it.
To configure a USB printer, see “Installing a Printer”.
To configure UPS settings, see page 75.
1 or 2 USB devices may be used with the LinkStation at a time. USB hubs are not supported.
19
Using the Function Button
Direct Copy - You can copy digital media files directly to the
LinkStation Quad from a USB storage device, such as a digital
camera, USB flash drive, or external hard disk.
1. Connect your USB device to one of the USB ports on the
LinkStation. The function LED will glow solid blue for 60 seconds.
2. While the function LED is still glowing blue, press the function
button once.
20
Using the Function Button
21
Web Administration Tool
22
Login
This login prompt will appear. Enter admin for the user name. Until you change it, the
password for the admin account will be password. Click the Login button when finished.
23
Advanced Settings - Home
Welcome to your LinkStation’s Web Admin tool! You are now at the Home screen. Notice that the
Home button is lit up in yellow. You can navigate this menu by clicking on the buttons at the left
of the screen. Here at “Home”, you can see basic information about your LinkStation’s current
configuration. To exit Web Admin, click on logout or close the browser window.
24
Basic Settings
25
Language Settings
26
IP Address
27
Network (Workgroup)
28
Disk Management
29
RAID
The LinkStation Quad uses RAID (“Redundant Array of Independent Disks”) technology to control
its four hard drives. RAID may be configured several ways:
RAID 0 - All four drives are combined into one large, fast drive, giving the maximum capacity for
your LinkStation. This size is the one listed on your LinkStation’s box and shows the total capacity
of the LinkStation with no data used for redundancy. RAID 0 is fast and efficient, but with no
redundancy, if one hard drive fails, all data on the LinkStation is lost. Back up regularly!
RAID 1 (mirroring) - Hard drives are arranged in mirrored pairs. Each half of the pair reads and
writes exactly the same data. This costs you half the total capacity of the array, but provides
excellent redundancy. If a hard drive fails, the mirror continues to supply data, so you may work
on normally. You may replace the damaged or defective drive at any time, and normal RAID 1
mirroring will then be automatically restored.
RAID 5 (parity) - All drives in a RAID 5 array reserve part of their data space for parity information,
allowing all data to be recovered if a single drive fails. The parity information takes up about one
hard drive’s worth of space, so if you set up all four drives in the LinkStation as a RAID 5 array,
your usable capacity will be about 3/4 of the total capacity of the LinkStation. RAID 5 is an
excellent balance of efficiency and security. This is the default configuration.
RAID 10 - Combines RAID 1 and RAID 0 for a fast, secure array. Half of the LinkStation’s total
capacity is used for redundant information.
30
Disk Management (RAID Setup)
You may also disable RAID Array Error Detection Response from this page. Normally, this is
set to automatically shut down the RAID array when an error is detected. Though it is not
recommended, you may disable that behavior by selecting Disable.
NOTE: LinkStation has four internal hard drives. Before creating a new RAID array, you may
have to delete one or more pre-existing RAID Arrays to clear up the hard drives for your new one.
This will destroy all data currently on the disks, so back up any important data before deleting
RAID arrays. Whether you want to clear out an old array or create a new one, begin by clicking
on the array’s underlined RAID Array #, under Name.
31
Disk Management (Change RAID Array)
32
Disk Management
Choose your RAID mode under RAID Settings and put checks
next to the hard disks you want included in the array under
Disk Structure. Click Setup RAID Array when ready. It may
take several minutes to complete setting up the RAID array.
When it’s finished, a disk check will run.
33
Disk Management
34
Disk Management
35
USB Hard Drives
36
Disk Check
37
Disk Format
38
Disk Erase
39
Folders
40
Add a new Shared Folder
41
Access Restrictions
42
Shared Folders (Services)
To allow FTP Access to your LinkStation, choose Enable for FTP Server. To enable legacy
AppleTalk support, choose Enable for AppleTalk Protocol. Click Apply.
If enabled, FTP lets users access the LinkStation from anywhere. Type ftp://
username:password@IP_address/share into a browser window to access the LinkStation
remotely. Users will have access to shares that they have local access rights to on the
LinkStation. Your network administrator may need to forward traffic on port 21 of the router
to the LinkStation’s LAN-side IP address for FTP to work over the Internet. Enabling FTP is
not recommended unless you’ve configured access restrictions. Step-by-step instructions for
configuring FTP are on page 52.
43
Groups
44
Users
45
Changing User Passwords
46
WebAccess
With Buffalo’s WebAccess, you can access your LinkStation from anywhere in the world with an
Internet connection. It’s easy to access your files, or share them with other people, wherever they
may be.
WebAccess is set up from within the Web
Admin. First, select ‘Web Access’, and then
‘Service Setup’ from the menu on the left.
To use Webaccess, set ‘Web Access Service’ to
Enable.
You may enable SSL Encryption if desired.
Using ‘BuffaloNAS.com’ is recommended.
Otherwise, you’ll have to manage your own DNS
settings.
‘Auto-Configure Firewall’ is also recommended if your router supports UPnP (most do since 2001).
If you choose not to enable this, you must manually configure your router and firewall to forward
internal port 9000 to the Internet.
Choose a name for your BuffaloNAS account and a password (“key”). This name is the name that
will be used to access your LinkStation and to share with your friends. The password for this
protects other people from using it, so picking a strong password is recommended.
Click Help in the top right of the window for detailed information on each setting.
47
Configuring WebAccess
48
Using WebAccess
49
Using WebAccess
50
Using WebAccess (Uploading Files)
51
FTP Server
WebAccess is not the only way to access the files on your LinkStation remotely. The LinkStation
also includes an FTP server. If enabled for a folder, then you can read, edit, and save to any files
in that folder from anywhere.
1: Set up your account. In ‘User Management’, click ‘Add Local User’ and make an account
for yourself. For convenience, give this account the same username and password that you use
to log in to Windows. Then, you won’t have to retype it in each time you access the LinkStation
locally.
2: Enable remote access. In ‘Shared Folders Setup’, click on the folder that you want to be
able to access remotely. It will be named “share” unless you have added new folders to your
LinkStation. Put a check next to ‘FTP’ in ‘Shared Folder Support’. Enable Access Restrictions.
Use the arrows to move your user account to the Read/Write box in Access Restrictions. Click
‘Apply’. Then, ‘Enable’ FTP Server in Service Setup. Click ‘Apply’ again.
3: Forward your port. In your router’s setup utility, forward port 21 to the IP address of the
LinkStation.
52
Accessing with FTP
53
Configuring Media Server
54
Direct Copy
55
Printer Installation
If a USB printer is plugged in to your LinkStation, you can easily add the printer to any Windows
PC on your network. Follow these steps for each PC that you want to be able to access the printer.
• To begin, enable the print server in the Web Admin for your LinkStation.
56
Printer Installation
• You will receive a warning that the server does not have
the proper drivers. Click OK to continue.
57
Printer Installation
58
Printer Installation
59
Print Server (Delete Print Queue)
60
Accessing Multiple Shares from a single PC
61
Mapping Multiple Shares
If only unrestricted shares are being mapped, then it’s not necessary to set a username and
password for shares. Multiple mapped drives to unrestricted shares can exist without a username
or password as long as no restricted, secure shares are mapped. If an unrestricted share and a
restricted share are both being mapped or accessed, use the restricted username and password for
the unrestricted share login by using the Connect using a different user name option. This will allow
a Windows PC to access both shares without any problems.
62
Backup
To create a backup job, click on a job number. The Edit Backup Job dialog will appear.
63
Edit Backup Job
64
LinkStation List
65
Disk Backup (Add LinkStation)
To add a remote LinkStation to your network, enter its numerical IP Address in the Remote
LinkStation IP Address field and click the Add to List button. For remote LinkStation backups,
make sure both firewalls are configured to allow traffic in and out of their networks.
Note: Disk Backups between two LinkStations use port 8873 for encrypted backups and port 873
for backups with no encryption.
66
Time Machine
Name the folder. Make sure that Apple is checked for Shared
Folder Support. Disable the Recycle Bin support. Click Apply.
67
Time Machine
68
Time Machine
For the Target Host Name field, enter the Mac’s “Computer
Name” from the Sharing page. Navigate to this page by
selecting Sharing in System Preferences. To work with
Time Machine, the Computer Name should contain only
the following characters: [0-9], [a-z], [A-Z], hyphens and
underscores. Spaces and other characters may not be
used if Time Machine is to function properly. If using Asian
characters (2byte-codes) as your Computer Name, pick up the
alphabetic characters before the first comma as shown.
69
Time Machine
70
Time Machine
71
BitTorrent
LinkStation’s built-in BitTorrent client will download your files for you. To enable it, click Enable.
Chose a target folder for downloaded files to go to and click Apply. Then, click Open Download
Manager.
72
BitTorrent
73
Notification
74
UPS Settings
75
Power Management
76
Restart
77
Initialization
78
System Status (System Information)
This page shows you the System Information for your LinkStation.
Firmware updates are occasionally available from www.buffalotech.com for the LinkStation Quad.
These must be executed from a Windows PC on the same network.
79
System Status (USB Details)
This page shows you details on USB hard drives and UPSs plugged into your LinkStation. In this
example, no USB hard drives are plugged in to the LinkStation.
80
System Status (Drive Properties)
81
Network Information
This page shows you the System Information for your network connection.
82
NASNavigator2 Client Utility
83
NASNavigator2 Client Utility
IP Address Setup
From the IP Settings tab, you may enter your IP Address and Subnet Mask manually, or enable
your LinkStation to acquire them automatically from a DHCP server. Click OK when you’re done.
84
Troubleshooting
Disk Errors
If LinkStation encounters a disk error, it will be reported in the LinkStation status on the top
of any of the Web-Based configuration screens. Run a Disk Scan in the event of this error. If
that doesn’t work, try a reformat. Reformatting the drive will delete all of the data on it so try
to backup any data you can before beginning. Finally, if none of the above solutions help, then
please contact Technical Support for further assistance.
LED Flash Codes:
The blue LED will flash to indicate error type:
3 flashes - Partition problem with hard drive. Reformat the hard drive.
4 flashes - RAID problem.
5 flashes - ROM problem.
6 flashes - Hard Drive not recognized.
7 flashes - Problem with motherboard (RAM, LAN, or Hard Drive controller).
85
Replacing a Hard Drive
Warning:
Do not use any replacement hard drive which draws more than 0.92A at 5Vdc and 0.9A at 12Vdc.
Replacement hard drives must have safety certification (such as MET or UL) approved by NRTL.
The above warnings are basic safety restrictions only, and do not constitute the full requirements
for a hard disk drive to function properly in the LinkStation.
Your product warranty may be void if you mount a non-approved hard drive in the LinkStation.
Buffalo’s OP-HD series drives are recommended.
For best results, replacement drives should be blank, with no files or partitions on them.
The LinkStation’s hard drives are not hot-swappable. Before changing a hard drive in the
LinkStation, power the unit down and then unplug its power cord.
Ground yourself and the LinkStation before handling drives, or use a wriststrap with the other
end grounded to the LinkStation’s chassis.
86
Replacing a Hard Drive
87
Replacing a Hard Drive
88
Install a new hard drive by doing the same steps in reverse order:
Slide the new hard drive into the case.
With the lock mechanism open for the last bit, slide the drive into place.
89
Rebuilding Your Arrays
90
Rebuilding Your Arrays
The array will rebuild. This may take several hours, and
the LinkStation will not be accessible until it’s finished.
91
Technical Specifications
Data Transfer Rates: 10/100/1000 Mbps
92
Contact Information (North America)
GENERAL INQUIRIES
Monday through Friday
8:30am-5:30pm CST
Direct: 512-794-8533 | Toll-free: 800-456-9799 | Fax: 512-794-8520
Email: sales@buffalotech.com
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
North American Technical Support by phone is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (USA
and Canada).
Toll-free: (866) 752-6210 | Email: info@buffalotech.com
93
Contact Information (Europe)
GENERAL INQUIRIES
Email: sales@buffalo-technology.com
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Buffalo Technology provides technical support in English, German, French, Italian and
Spanish. For opening hours and relevant telephone numbers, please go to:
www.buffalo-technology.com/contact
94
GPL Information (North America)
To have a copy of the source code for an individual product mailed to you, please send one individually
packaged self addressed padded CD shipping envelope containing a blank CD-R to the following address:
Within the envelope containing the self addressed padded CD shipping envelope, please include a bank
draft or money order for $20 (USD) (made out to Buffalo Technology) to cover our handling fee, postage and
CD preparation. The CD-R should have the name of the product and revision number clearly written on the
actual CD-R (not on the insert).
Sorry, but we do not send GPL source code in bulk. Source code for a single product will be sent with each
request.
95
GPL Information (Europe)
To have a copy of the source code for an individual product mailed to you, please send one individually
packaged self addressed padded CD shipping envelope containing a blank CD-R to the following address:
Within the envelope containing the self addressed padded CD shipping envelope, please include a bank draft
or money order for €20 (Euro) (made out to Buffalo Technology) to cover our handling fee, postage and CD
preparation. The CD-R should have the name of the product and revision number clearly written on the
actual CD-R (not on the insert).
Sorry, but we do not send GPL source code in bulk. Source code for a single product will be sent with each
request.
96