- LGNASDetector is a free and very useful application developed for MAC OS which allows you to find any LG NAS devices on your network. LGNASDetector also provides a link to the Web menu and shared folders. It allows you to change some of the network settings.
- LG Software, Firmware, & Drivers Download: Optimize your LG devices by downloading the latest drivers and firmware updates. Keep your LG products up-to-date.
LG NAS Installation Wizard. Program that helps you to set up network which is complicated to do without in an easy way. Provides a function of checking the state of LG Network Storage in real time as well as a simple control. Nero Backitup&Burn. Software that protects and stores data for backup and restoration.
The N2A2 offers support for a number of services, including FTP and AFP servers, network printing, iTunes music server, DLNA media server and torrent file sharing.
File Server:
Like most NAS devices, the N2A2 features a built-in FTP server. Using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), you can download or upload files from a remote location. To use the FTP service, enable it through the web menu and specify the port it should listen on. If you haven't already, you will also need to go in and give users permission to access folders via FTP.
The N2A2 also features support for the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP). Unless you have older Macs running Mac OS 9 or earlier, you're better off using Windows File Sharing (SMB/CIFS).
Network Printer:
The N2A2 can also function as a network print server that can be used by both Macs and PCs on the network. To do this, you will need to plug a printer into one of the USB ports and enable the service through the web menu.
iTunes Music Server:
The iTunes streaming server will allow you to stream your music from the N2A2 to any PC or Mac on your network that has the iTunes software installed on it. To use this service, enable it on the N2A2 and copy your music over to the iTunes folder located within the service share.Before new tracks are recognized, the library will need to be updated. The N2A2 can perform this task automatically, or you can do it manually through the web menu. Once updated, they will show up in your iTunes software.
DLNA Media Server:
While the N2A2's iTunes server can stream music, its DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) media server allows you to share other digital content, such as photographs and movies, with devices on your network as well as the internet. To use the media server, enable it on the N2A2 and select the folders where the multimedia files are stored.
The N2A2 is one of the first NAS devices to feature LG's MediaPlu DLNA media server. Available in the 3603 firmware, MediaPlu offers faster speeds as well as support for the MKV and FLAC formats and subtitle files. On top of that, it provides access to iPhones and Android phones using LG's MobileApp.
The N2A2 is DLNA protocol certified and is compliant with the standard for a Digital Media Server (DMS). To see how well LG's new MediaPlu server worked, I tried watching a few movies through Windows Media Player in Windows 7 as well as my WD TV Live media player. In both cases, the N2A2 worked flawlessly.
I also tried LG's MobileApp on my LG Optimus S Android phone. The app had no problems streaming audio over wireless. However, when trying to play back videos it would return a 'Can not Execute!' error. I tried a variety of formats, including those supported natively in Android, and the result was the same each time.
Torrent:
Last but not least, the N2A2 features a built in Torrent download service. To access the Torrent program administration window, click on the Torrent icon on the top of the web menu. From here you can manage your downloads or start a new one by uploading a Torrent file or entering an URL to one. When the download is complete, the file is automatically placed in the Torrent folder located within the service share.
With the network interface configured, you access the web menu by entering the N2A2's IP address into your web browser's address bar. Initially, you will need to login using the default administrator account. The user ID is ‘admin’ and the initial password is ‘admin’.
The web menu lets you view information about the system and change its settings. It also offers share and service management as well as menus to backup data to and from optical discs and USB devices.
First, we'll take a look at the System Settings. This menu lets you configure things like the N2A2's network connection, hard drives and power settings. You can also setup mail notifications and update the firmware of the system.
Network:
The network settings are pretty straight forward. From here, you can designate a custom system name and description as well as change the IP address properties.
Using Dynamic DNS (DDNS), you can connect to the LG N2A2 by its domain name in environments where the IP may change over time. The service monitors the IP address and maps it to a domain name in real time. Instead of using a well known service like DynDNS.com, LG has implemented their own. To use this service, enable it through the web menu and provide a domain name and password.
As you can see, the N2A2 also supports UPnP port fowarding. When enabled, the NAS will talk to your router and automatically configure it so that its services can be accessed from outside your network.
Time:
The first time you set up the N2A2, you will need to set the time, date and local time zone. You can also specify an NTP server so that the time is automatically synchronized at set intervals.
Hard Drive:
The Hard Drive menu lets you view the status, RAID level and capacity of the storage volumes on the N2R1DD2. The two hard drives can be configured to use RAID 0 (striping), RAID 1 (mirroring), JBOD (linear) and RAID 1 + JBOD, or they can be used as individual disks.
There really isn't much to configure when using RAID 0, RAID 1 and JBOD. Selecting RAID 1 + JBOD will activate a slide bar where you can adjust the size of each volume.
The N2A2 also supports a new feature called Active BSR (Bad Sector Recovery). When a user accesses a file on the hard drive, Active BSR looks for bad sectors and remaps them to a new location.
Selective Mirror:
The Selective Mirror function automatically generates copies of certain folders, which allows data recovery even after the loss of source data. If SMB (Samba) or FTP is used to store data on the N2A2 and a change incurs in the source folder, the same change will be applied to the destination folder.
When adding a new mirror, you will need to select the source folder that will be backed up as well as the destination folder where the data will be saved.
Power:
When the volumes on the N2A2 have not been accessed for a given amount of time, the hard disks will enter standby mode to minimize power consumption. The standby mode can be adjusted or disabled altogether through the Power menu.
The N2A2 can also communicate directly with an APC style USB UPS and power itself down in the event of a power failure.
Last but not least, the N2A2 can be restarted and shutdown remotely through the Power menu.
Firmware:
Firmware for the N2A2 and its optical disc drive can be downloaded from LG's website and updated through the web menu. Before doing so, it is highly recommended that you backup your current configuration.
If the firmware upgrade goes wrong or you want to start totally over, the N2A2 can be restored back to its factory settings. Take note that this will delete all of the data stored on the volumes.
Mail Notification:
If you don't want to login to the web menu to check the status of the N2A2, you can have it send you a periodic status report. To set this up, enter the SMTP server address, SMTP authentication information and the recipient's email address.