Mediasonic SU2LA Dual Bay RAID + NAS Review

Software Installation

As with any NAS, the actual installation process is a two stage procedure. The first stage is the physical installation of the hard drives and getting the NAS enclosure ready for use and is executed exactly the same as the previous Mediasonic HUR1 models. After this has been completed, and unlike the other enclosures that were “plug and play”, a second software installation step is required. This second stage is just as (if not more) important than the hardware and this is what will “make or break” a NAS’s usability. After all you are only as good as the tools you have and the same holds true for NAS boxes. If the software is user friendly and yet still powerful enough to get the job done it can take a mediocre performing NAS and turn it into a highly sought-after item. I like to call this phenomenon the “Apple Ipod effect” for obvious reasons.

For detailed instructions on hardware installation please see the Mediasonic Dual Bay RAID Hard Drive Enclosures Review. For better and for worse not a single thing is different from those models and this model, except the different location of the RAID array selector pins (which are now on the backplane).


The software installation is a bit quirky to say the least. What one must do is first insert the CD-ROM, click on the “User Guide” button and find the instructions which are hidden under the system requirements section of web page that opens up. When you understand what is expected, you can then go back to the pop up and hit “Utility” which opens up the older Microsoft explorer program. When this is done you simply have to run Sdisk.jar and allow it to search for the NAS. If you do not have java installed on your system this obviously needs to be downloaded and installed first to get Sdisk to work. Unfortunately, this is potentially crucial step is not mentioned in the instructions and could possibly leave first time users unable to set up up their NAS. This unit is priced for the lower end of the market and a customer who doesn't have java installed on their system is a situation that is more than likely. Mediasonic really needs to revise their instructions and not only include a printed version but not make assumptions such as this one about how one goes about installing the NAS.


After the Sdisk program has found your NAS, you simply press the “Connect” button and type in “admin” for both username and password when it asks you in the popup window and then wait for the IE window to fully load the NAS admin page. When it finishes loading you then have to set up a SMB account to use this NAS. This is very straight forward process and all you have to do is hit create, input a user name and password and save it. This creates a small file on the hard drive that is essential for accessing the NAS. Every time you change the array mode or format the hard drives you must recreate your SMB accounts, otherwise your network drive will not be accessible.

Then you are expected to set up an XP user account with the exact same name and then log out of xp and log in using this new account you just created. Yes that is correct, Mediasonic doesn’t expect you to use your regular account and just map this NAS as a network dirve; nope, they expect you to log out and then change accounts for the privilege of using this NAS. To say that this is a kludgey pain in the butt is an understatement. Luckily you can easily ignore this and simply map it like you would any other network drive. Unfortunately, there is no software or “wizard” included to do this and you are expected to know how to do this yourself. If you do not know how to map a network drive you may want to ask someone who does as it is much easier than changing user accounts every time you want to actually use the darn thing.

Overall, what should have been a very easy, intuitive process has the potential for being anything but easy. If you are not very technically inclined we strongly recommend you get a friend who is so inclined to set up and install this unit for you. It is a shame that this is necessary but until Mediasonic revises their installation instructions it will save you many hours of frustration.