are there other devices like the Linksys Network Storage Link NSLU2
PogoPlug, Seagate Dockstar.
There are some more, if you look in https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/25.12.0/targets/kirkwood/generic/.
I might get a PogoPlug
Dockstar is cheap if you're in the right country - https://www.ebay.com/itm/287091486743.
how would that work?, are there one that can Direct Connect Storage USB HDD but not have it on the internet, and only use software to connect to the drives
When running OpenWRT, it'd share the USB drive as a Windows file share on you LAN.
Running stock, I have no idea.
PogoPlug is slightly more expensive - https://www.ebay.com/itm/327033633564.
that pogoplug is not that expensive, can you use it without openwrt? how secure is it
The nslu2 was something new and special 22 years -over two decades- ago, and even back then it was low-end, today it's not a sensible choice. It's immediate successors are similarly old/ slow by now and haven't really kept up with the times. However, there is a number of very sensible low-power x86_64 alternatives, be it from (used) j4xxx/ r1xxx thin-clients to (used) 6th/ 7th generation micro- or SFF systems from one of the big four (the former can get away with 3-6 watts, but will only accept M.2 NVMe SSDs, the later can take 3.5" HDDs as well, at 10-20 watts); and there are also new n97/ n100/ n150 systems around 6 watts.
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I just need something small and able to connect my two HDD by USB on the network and not on the internet and cheap
The kind of systems I talked about regularly sell for 20-50 EUR, they support any OS or distribution you like and manage full speed (the nslu2 never did, not even a tenth of the potential for HDD and ethernet).
EDIT: there is a reason why you rarely see ARM based NAS systems anymore (almost all of them were ARM based, initially, long time ago), because you have to go quite recent/ high-end ARMv8 to push the performance expectations of (even) spinning rust over ethernet, while even pretty old x86_64 systems remain quite bored doing the same. That's before even thinking about comfort options (which need CPU performance and RAM), indexing images, videos, MP3s, running wikis, nextcloud, git repositories, webpages, etc. under docker, etc. Even cifs/ smbfs itself is a quite performance intensive task, as well as attaining sensible performance for filesystem access, RAID, etc. pp.
so what are my options then?
what other devices that can network my USB Drives, I was thinking of a thin clients with open media vault but witch thin clients that can run OMV?
E.g.:
Don't make the (same) mistake of going too old. gemini-lake/ j4xxx or ryzen embedded r1xxx/ v1xxx (or newer) will be actually fun. Some may prefer the odd M.2 adapter to mount a regular M.2 SSD (careful, there are old (now relatively expensive) M.2-SATA and M.2-PCIe/ NVMe SSDs, you need to match the abilities of the host). There are some real gems in that list (and others not in the list), quite often pretty cheap (especially those that need a little diy/ adaptering to get them up to reasonable disk sizes). Small, fanless, often 3-10 watts idle (depending on the exact model). Check what your local second hand markets have to offer. Where I am, I'm very tempted by a nice little ryzen r1xxx that would ship all-inclusive for 25 bucks, but I don't need it (famous last words…).
I have a 10zig 56xx thin client but its a 32-bit?
Beats the NSLU2 by a huge margin, but I would still run away screaming.
The performance/ power consumption ratio is not favourable, but if you already own it…
OS support for 32 bit x86 and pre-UEFI/ legacy BIOS is fading away, you might not get your preferred distribution running, even less looking a few years into the future.
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I still have three Atom N270 based systems, so I am fully aware of their capabilities. No comparison to the abysmal specs of the NSLU2, but nothing you'd really want in 2026 anymore either.
I'm thinking a Dell Wyse 3040, but I want something small and fit in your palm
A general advice for buying used IT stuff would be younger than 10 years, the 3040 just barely meets that metric (the integrated CPU does not) <-- not great.
I know why I would put the cut-off at gemini-lake j4xxx/ ryzen r1xxx/ v1xxx above, as those provide a real jump in performance and still meet modern expectations (apart from Windows 11 on ryzen 1xxx). I personally do avoid the Atom Nxxx/ Zxxx series like the plague (in favour of Jxxx), because of their different target audience and the corresponding performance differences.
Yes, the Dell 3040 is particularly small, but it's really nothing I'd pay money for, there is better (even if slightly larger) and less limited.
Disclaimer: I happen to own a very different Atom x5-Z8300 device myself, you really don't want to be stuck with that performance.
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Yes, I made the same mistake myself, by buying an AMD GX-212JC based device - it works, it's better than originally expected, but it's too marginal for the things I wanted to use it for (my fault, requirements changed in parallel/ new expectations) - and putting more money into that hardware for upgrades simply isn't worth it. Cheap, works, low-power, but minus-zero margins.
I do have a Netgear Wireless router that can Share drives on the network, but the PC's that I have Windows XP and Windows 98 can't access to the share drives. so I need something that will allow Windows 98 and XP access the drives on the network?
(https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/QNAP_TS-433)
(https://wiki.debian.org/InstallingDebianOn/Qnap/TS-433)
The QNAP TS-433-4G is a Rockchip RK3568 (ARMv8-A, Cortex-A55) based NAS. Because of the great work of [Heiko Stübner](https://github.com/mmind), there is from kernel version 6.14 upstream support for this SoC. Makes for a great NAS with 4x 3.5" HDD slots.
133/233/433 look great and run linux with upstream support. 8w with 4 disks; 1x 1G port + 1x 2.5G port.
Same SoC in the FriendlyARM NanoPi R5S so openwrt may even work.