Technical reference
Buffalo LinkStation 720 16TB specifications
LS720D1602 · 2 bays · 16TB HDDs included · US configuration
Complete specifications with requirements, upgrade limits and sources. For our buying judgment, reviews and prices, return to the buying guide.
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Identity
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| Exact manufacturer model | LS720D1602[1] United States factory-populated configuration; the B suffix identifies SoHo. |
|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Japan[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Identity → Country of Origin; 720 column where applicable. |
Storage
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| Included raw HDD capacity | 16 TB total[1] 2 installed HDD(s); capacity before RAID, formatting and system overhead. |
|---|---|
| Capacity with drive-failure protection | About 8 TB before overhead in RAID 1[1] Calculated from two equal-capacity disks; RAID is not a backup. |
| Number of drive bays | 2[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Storage → Number of drive bays; 720 column where applicable. |
| Drive interface | SATA 6 Gbps[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Storage → Drive interface; 720 column where applicable. |
| Supported RAID levels | 0/1/JBOD[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Storage → Supported RAID levels; 720 column where applicable. |
| Included HDD model, RPM and recording method | Not guaranteed for current retail inventory[1] A past review sample does not establish the HDD revision supplied today. |
| M.2 NVMe and PCIe expansion | No supported upgrade documented in the reviewed US specification[1] The product is sold as a populated SATA appliance; obtain model-specific confirmation before planning upgrades. |
| Internal filesystem and snapshot support | Internal volume filesystem is not named as Btrfs or ZFS. Optional LVM volumes can be created and erase the selected area. Management Backup keeps dated versions for point-in-time reference; it is not a native filesystem snapshot.[9] LS700 manual chapters 4–5. Native filesystem type remains unnamed. Not an LS200 document. |
| Hot-swap / drive replacement | Not supported. Manual p.226: “This unit does not support hot-swapping.” Drive replacement procedures start by turning the unit off and removing cables. PCMag’s “hot-swappable drive bays” wording is not followed. RAID 1 stays degraded until rebuild; RAID 0 array/JBOD drive contents are deleted on replacement.[9] Manual p.226 controls replacement guidance over PCMag’s hot-swappable phrasing. |
Compute
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| Processor | Hexa-core 1.3GHz CPU[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Compute → Processor; 720 column where applicable. |
|---|---|
| Memory | 2GB[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Compute → Memory; 720 column where applicable. |
| Maximum memory / user expansion | Not specified in the reviewed US documents[1] Do not assume the installed memory can be upgraded. |
Network
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| Standards compliance | IEEE802.3bz (2.5GBASE-T), IEEE802.3ab (1000BASE-T), IEEE802.3u (100BASE-TX), IEEE802.3 (10BASE-T)[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Network → Standards compliance; 720 column where applicable. |
|---|---|
| Data transfer rates | 2.5Gbps / 1000 Mbps / 100 Mbps / 10 Mbps[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Network → Data transfer rates; 720 column where applicable. |
| Number of ports | 1 (2.5GBASE-T)[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Network → Number of ports; 720 column where applicable. |
| Connector type | RJ-45[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Network → Connector type; 720 column where applicable. |
| Supported protocols | TCP/IP[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Network → Supported protocols; 720 column where applicable. |
| Network file services | SMB/CIFS, FTP/FTPS[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Network → Network file services; 720 column where applicable. |
USB
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| Standards compliance | USB3.2 & USB2.0[1] Manufacturer Specifications → USB → Standards compliance; 720 column where applicable. |
|---|---|
| Data transfer rates | 5Gbps (USB3.2) & 480 Mbps (USB 2.0)[1] Manufacturer Specifications → USB → Data transfer rates; 720 column where applicable. |
| Number of ports | USB3.2 Gen 1x2 & USB2.0 x1[1] Manufacturer Specifications → USB → Number of ports; 720 column where applicable. |
| External USB filesystems and limits | External USB: XFS, ext3 (<16 TB), NTFS, HFS Plus (read-only on the LinkStation), exFAT, FAT32. NTFS/HFS+/exFAT cannot be formatted from Settings; only the first partition is mounted; one device per port, no hub. FAT32/exFAT are read-only from iOS via SMB. Do not attach USB drives while RAID is degraded.[9] Manual p.54 compatibility table and footnotes *1–*5. |
Power and environment
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| Power consumption | Max 48W[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Power and environment → Power consumption; 720 column where applicable. Rated maximum, not measured average consumption. |
|---|---|
| Power supply | External AC 100-240V Universal 50/60Hz[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Power and environment → Power supply; 720 column where applicable. |
| Operating temperature | 41˚ - 104˚F (5˚ - 40˚C)[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Power and environment → Operating temperature; 720 column where applicable. |
| Operating humidity | 20 - 80% non-condensing[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Power and environment → Operating humidity; 720 column where applicable. |
| Idle/load power and acoustic measurement | No applicable current-stock measurement established[1] Official maximum power is not idle consumption or acoustic performance. |
Physical and included items
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 8.1 x 3.6 x 5.0 in[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Physical and included items → Dimensions (L x W x H); 720 column where applicable. Product-page dimensions; the data sheet separately labels package/shipping dimensions. |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 5.1 lbs - LinkStation™ 720[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Physical and included items → Package Weight; 720 column where applicable. |
| Compatible hard drives (LS720 only) | OP-HDBST-3Y Series[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Physical and included items → Compatible hard drives (LS720 only); 720 column where applicable. |
| Support cloud services | Microsoft Azure, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, Box[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Physical and included items → Support cloud services; 720 column where applicable. |
| Client OS support | Windows 11; Windows 10 (32-bit/64-bit); Windows 8.1 (32-bit/64-bit); Windows Server 2019, 2016, 2012 R2; Mac OS X 10.12 or later[1] Manufacturer HTML still prints “(32-bit/64-bit)” after Windows 11; Windows 11 has no 32-bit edition. Windows 10/8.1 32-bit wording is left as printed. |
| Included software | NAS Navigator 2; NovaBACKUP Buffalo Edition (register on Buffalo’s site to download)[1] Web scrape had pipe/nbsp delimiters around the register-for-download link; cleaned for readers. |
| Box contents | LinkStation™ 700, Quick setup guide, Ethernet cable, AC adapter, AC cable, Warranty Statement[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Physical and included items → Box contents; 720 column where applicable. |
Software and backup
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| macOS 26 Time Machine | Source conflict. Buffalo KB6060 (updated 2025-10-13) lists LS700 as compatible with macOS 26 Time Machine. LS700 user manual 35022143-13 (March 2026) p.80 says Time Machine backups are no longer supported starting with macOS Tahoe 26 and tells users on older macOS not to upgrade if they want to keep Time Machine. Neither statement is discarded.[2][9] Both dated sources retained. Do not pick one. |
|---|---|
| Backup utilities | NAS Navigator 2; NovaBACKUP Buffalo Edition; USB backup[1] Check registration and the license terms for the supplied edition; cloud storage accounts and capacity can cost extra. |
| Remote file access | Buffalo WebAccess[1] Remote access depends on your network setup and supported client; local file sharing works on the LAN. |
| Docker, virtual machines and advanced media transcoding | No supported host or transcoding workload established[1] File serving and DLNA availability do not prove Plex hardware transcoding or an expandable app platform. |
| Published firmware in the checked download table | 2.04 (2026-04-21); update through 1.98 first if required[1] Observation of the manufacturer download table; not a claim about the version installed in a shipped unit. |
| Backup modes and version limits | Full backup keeps 1–400 versions or Unlimited (versioned destination must be this unit or its USB disk). Overwrite incremental keeps files deleted from the source; differential removes them. Management Backup destination becomes read-only; USB destinations limited to ext3, XFS, or NTFS — not FAT. Do not treat this as Btrfs/ZFS snapshots.[9] Manual pp.70–72. Management Backup “snapshot applications” wording is versioned backup, not Btrfs/ZFS. |
Ownership
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| US limited warranty | 2 years[3] Current Buffalo Americas warranty table; retain proof of purchase and observe region conditions. |
|---|---|
| Data recovery and replacement terms | Data is not covered by the hardware warranty[3] Recovery service availability is not a recovery guarantee; a separate backup remains necessary. |
Exact product identity & open questions
- Current included HDD revision: Exact HDD model, recording method, workload rating and firmware supplied in current inventory are not guaranteed in the reviewed US documents.
- Undocumented expansion and filesystem details: Maximum user RAM upgrade is still unspecified. Internal filesystem type is still unnamed. USB filesystems, LVM erase-on-create, backup version limits, and the hot-swap prohibition are now taken from the LS700 manual. Do not promise native snapshots or Docker/VM hosting.
- Applicable independent test: No accepted original test establishes throughput, noise or power for this exact factory-populated capacity. Tests of the 4TB SoHo or user-installed drives are not transferred.
Sources
Research updated Sep 11, 2026. Individual source check dates are listed below. Measurements belong to the named reviewers; tested configurations and software versions may differ from the product you buy.
- [1] Buffalo LinkStation 720 16TB official specifications ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Specifications tables → LS720D1602 / LinkStation 720 column; Overview; Downloads
- [2] Buffalo macOS 26 Time Machine compatibility ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · KB6060 → Model Series Compatibility; article updated 2025-10-13
- [3] Buffalo Americas warranty terms ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · NAS warranty table → LS200/LS700 or SoHo; proof of purchase and region restrictions
- [4] Buffalo 720 data sheet ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · PDF page 2; exact model column, Environmental & Power, Shipping, LAN Interface; table image inspected
- [5] Amazon — LS720D1602 ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Product information → Model Number / Mfr Part Number; selected retail buy box; Sold by Buffalo Americas Inc. Main price requires cart.
- [6] Best Buy — LS720D1602 ↗
Checked Sep 10, 2026 · Product heading / Model; Sold & shipped by; New marketplace offers. Cached delivery dates are not a current offer observation.
- [7] PCMag Buffalo LinkStation 720 review (UK edition of the 2022 lab test) ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Lead (4TB LS720D tested); Preinstalled Drives; Installation's a Cinch folder-copy 85/80 MBps; Final Thoughts. US pcmag.com returned 403.
- [9] LinkStation 700 user manual 35022143-13 (EN, March 2026) ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Printed pp.54 USB FS footnotes; 66–72 LVM and backup modes; 80 Time Machine vs macOS 26; 220–226 drive replacement including non-malfunctioning-drive hot-swap prohibition. Not applied to LS200.
Research and review record
- Research: Grok 4.6 · Source research and data update
- Self-check: Grok 4.6 · Researcher self-check
- Independent review: GPT-6 (Codex) · Exact SKU and capacity specifications; consumer versus SoHo warranty and documentation boundaries; original test conditions and available figures; primary US new-item offers and honest residual coverage.
- Editorial integration: GPT-6 (Codex) · Editorial integration and validation
Independent review completed for the scope recorded in the audit.
Source evidence and review history (JSON)