HP Mediasmart Server EX490

To restore one of the computers, you use the special recovery CD, which connects to the EX490 over the network to access the backup. If it recognises your computer’s network connection it works very well but otherwise you will have to manually find the drivers for the network hardware and put them on a USB memory key.

We had to do this for our test Acer Aspire One netbook. Alternatively, if the PC is up and running already, you can restore individual files or folders using the Console software at any time.

The EX490 also sets up shared network folders for photos, videos and documents as well as private folders for each user. It can stream audio or video over the home network or the web using Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), with built-in servers for iTunes and the Twonkymedia software, which can stream video over the network.

Photos can be uploaded (while you’re on holiday, for example) through a publicly-accessible personal website powered by the EX490, it can automatically convert videos on any computer into various formats, and there’s an add-in for archiving recorded TV from Windows Media Center.

The personal website also allows remote access to shared folders and even remote control of the PCs.

The Mediasmart EX490 is a very powerful device that’s mostly easy to use, but some of its more advanced capabilities (and its advanced price) might be wasted on less-confident users.

As a fit-and-forget backup system it’s excellent, and not unreasonably expensive compared with a standard four-bay multimedia-capable network hard disk.