LaCie 2big Network 2 TB

The LaCie 2Big Network is a NAS server with two hard drives.  It comes in four different versions, with capacities of 1, 2, 3 or 4 TB.  It has more options than the Network Space, but that's still not enough to rival the big names in this field.  It's mainly aimed at people who wanted a shared storage solution, and doesn't offer much else.

As usual, LaCie has produced an enclosure that's impeccably crafted, with the whole thing finished in aluminium to improve the efficiency of heat dissipation.  There's a large round button at the front that automatically backs up USB peripherals.  

File sharing and other features

The 2Big Network supports three different network protocols for networks running Windows (SMB/CIFS), Mac (AFP) and Linux (NFS).  You can also access your files remotely using an FTP client or via a browser, where you can also encrypt your data and send it over a secure HTTPS connection.

Some rather slow speeds

Lacie 2big Network 2 TB  Synology DS209
Reading USB Writing USB

This is a NAS system that's beginning to show its age, and that can be seen  when you examine its data transfer rates.  Over USB, the speeds are quite simply disastrous.  On average, the 2Big Network managed 3.0 and 3.1 MB/s respectively for writing and reading from our external hard drive.

Lacie 2big Network 2 TB   Synology DS209
Reading RAID 0 Writing RAID 0   Reading RAID 1 Writing RAID 1

When we used a Windows network, the data transfer rates showed how far behind Qnap and Synology LaCie is lagging.  We measured speed of 6.4 and 9.6 MB/s for writing and reading in RAID 1 and then 7 and 9.5 MB/s in RAID 0 mode.

Lacie 2big Network 2 TB   Synology DS209
Reading RAID 0 Writing RAID 0 Reading RAID Writing RAID 1

As you can see in the graph above, the speeds are a little better over FTP, but the Synology model is still a long way ahead--it's an average of three times faster.

Noise and energy consumption

Unlike its big brother, the 2Big Network is a long way from being the quietest NAS system we've ever heard.  According to LaCie, the enclosure is designed with reducing heat in mind, which is why it includes a 40 mm fan.  Unfortunately it's loud and not powerful enough to keep the two Hitachi Deskstar 1 TB drives that are turning at 7200 rpm cool.  We measured temperatures of up to 50 °C across both drives.