Technical reference
Buffalo LinkStation SoHo 720 8TB specifications
LS720D0802B · 2 bays · 8TB 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 | LS720D0802B[1] United States factory-populated configuration; the B suffix identifies SoHo. |
|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Japan[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Identity → Country of Origin; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
Storage
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| Included raw HDD capacity | 8 TB total[1] 2 installed HDD(s); capacity before RAID, formatting and system overhead. |
|---|---|
| Capacity with drive-failure protection | About 4 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; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
| Drive interface | SATA 6 Gbps[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Storage → Drive interface; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
| Supported RAID levels | 0/1/JBOD[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Storage → Supported RAID levels; SoHo 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 array filesystem not named in the reviewed pages; no native Btrfs/ZFS snapshot[1][12] US product page does not name Btrfs/ZFS. Manual pp. 70–72 describe Settings backup jobs, including management backup versioning. Do not equate management backup with a native snapshot filesystem. |
| Factory RAID configuration | RAID 1 pre-configured[1][4] US overview and SoHo 700 data sheet; RAID 0/1/JBOD remain selectable after setup. RAID is not a backup. |
| Hot-swap / live drive replacement | Not supported[12] LS700 user manual printed p. 226: “This unit does not support hot-swapping.” Replace a non-malfunctioning drive using the RAID-mode procedure; RAID 1 goes degraded until rebuild; RAID 0 deletes the array; JBOD deletes that drive. PCMag called LS720D bays hot-swappable without a demonstrated live swap—the manual controls. |
| LVM volumes | Optional; creating a volume erases the specified area[12] Printed pp. 66–69. Maximum size limits can be set. Reserved names such as array x / disk x / usbdisk x are blocked. Not a native snapshot feature. |
Compute
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| Processor | Hexa-core 1.3GHz CPU[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Compute → Processor; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
|---|---|
| Memory | 2GB[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Compute → Memory; SoHo 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; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
|---|---|
| Data transfer rates | 2.5Gbps / 1000 Mbps / 100 Mbps / 10 Mbps[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Network → Data transfer rates; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
| Number of ports | 1 (2.5GBASE-T)[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Network → Number of ports; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
| Connector type | RJ-45[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Network → Connector type; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
| Supported protocols | TCP/IP[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Network → Supported protocols; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
| Network file services | SMB/CIFS, FTP/FTPS[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Network → Network file services; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
USB
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| Standards compliance | USB3.2 (Gen 1) & USB2.0[1] Manufacturer Specifications → USB → Standards compliance; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
|---|---|
| Data transfer rates | 5Gbps (USB3.2) & 480 Mbps (USB 2.0)[1] Manufacturer Specifications → USB → Data transfer rates; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
| Number of ports | USB3.2 x2 & USB2.0 x1[1] Manufacturer Specifications → USB → Number of ports; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
| External USB filesystem compatibility — user manual | XFS, ext3 (<16 TB), NTFS, HFS Plus (read-only), exFAT, FAT32; first partition only[12] Printed p. 54. NTFS/HFS Plus/exFAT cannot be formatted from Settings. HFS Plus is read-only from the LinkStation. iOS SMB makes FAT32/exFAT read-only. No USB hub; one device per port. Do not connect USB drives while RAID is degraded. XFS format needs firmware 1.02+. |
Power and environment
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| Power consumption | Max 48W[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Power and environment → Power consumption; SoHo 720 column where applicable. Rated maximum, not measured average consumption. |
|---|---|
| Power supply | Internal AC 100-240V Universal 50/60Hz[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Power and environment → Power supply; SoHo 720 column where applicable. Page labels the supply internal but box contents list an AC adapter; construction needs confirmation. |
| Operating temperature | 41˚ - 104˚F (5˚ - 40˚C)[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Power and environment → Operating temperature; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
| Operating humidity | 20 - 80% non-condensing[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Power and environment → Operating humidity; SoHo 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 3.4 x 5 in[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Physical and included items → Dimensions (L x W x H); SoHo 720 column where applicable. Product-page dimensions; the data sheet separately labels package/shipping dimensions. |
|---|---|
| Weight | 5.5 lbs[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Physical and included items → Weight; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
| Compatible hard drives | OP-HDBST-3Y Series[1][4] Manufacturer web table names OP-HDBST-3Y Series. The data sheet lists OP-HD2.0BST-3Y, OP-HD4.0BST-3Y and OP-HD8.0BST-3Y. |
| Support Cloud Services | Microsoft Azure, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, Box[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Physical and included items → Support Cloud Services; SoHo 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, Windows Server® 2016; Windows Server® 2012R2; Mac OS® X up to 10.12 or later[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Physical and included items → Client OS support; SoHo 720 column where applicable. Legacy OS list does not establish current Time Machine support; see the separate macOS 26 row. Manufacturer web text attaches an erroneous 32-bit suffix to Windows 11; PDF omits it. |
| Included software | NAS Navigator 2; NovaBACKUP Buffalo Edition (5 licenses)[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Physical and included items → Included software; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
| Box contents | LinkStation™ SoHo 700, Quick setup guide, Ethernet cable, AC adapter, AC cable, Warranty Statement[1] Manufacturer Specifications → Physical and included items → Box contents; SoHo 720 column where applicable. |
| Shipping dimensions / weight — data sheet | 8.1 × 3.6 × 5 in; 5.1 lb[4] PDF Shipping group differs from web-page dimensions/weight; packing versus chassis scope is not clarified. |
| Replacement HDD part numbers — data sheet | OP-HD2.0BST-3Y, OP-HD4.0BST-3Y, OP-HD8.0BST-3Y[4] PDF Accessories row; the live web table still names the OP-HDBST-3Y series. |
Software and backup
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| macOS 26 Time Machine | Conflicting official statements[2][12] Buffalo KB6060 (October 13, 2025) lists LS700 as compatible with macOS 26 Time Machine, but LS700 manual 35022143-13 (March 2026), p.80, says backups are no longer supported starting with macOS Tahoe 26. Confirm support for the installed firmware before relying on this workflow. |
|---|---|
| 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][7] US download table and 2.04 Windows readme list models LS710D, LS720D and LS720DB. 2.04 patches CVE-2025-69419/69420/69421 and CVE-2026-22795/22796 and adds Microsoft OAuth email. 2.02 added SFTP and a macOS SMB compatibility option. Not a claim about the firmware installed in a shipped unit. The same table still contains TeraStation 1.98 wording copied onto this LinkStation page. |
| NovaBACKUP license count — data sheet | 5 licenses[4] Buffalo Edition; eligibility and supported OS depend on the supplied software terms. |
| NAS Navigator2 Windows download observed | 3.1.6 (2026-08-07)[1] Current US download table. Mac still lists 2.99 plus Mac App Store for macOS 10.13 or later. |
| Backup job types in Settings | Full (1–400 versions or unlimited), overwrite incremental, overwrite differential, management backup[12] Printed pp. 70–72. Full-backup version count requires destination on the same unit or its USB drive. Incremental keeps deleted source files; differential removes them. Management backup stores point-in-time versions and sets the destination read-only; USB destinations ext3/XFS/NTFS only, not FAT. This is not a Btrfs/ZFS snapshot. |
Ownership
Manufacturer values and explicit qualification notes.
| US limited warranty | 3 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 4TB HDD model, recording method, workload rating and firmware in current LS720D0802B cartons are not guaranteed.
- Undocumented expansion and filesystem details: Installed memory still has no documented user upgrade path. Internal RAID filesystem is still not named as Btrfs/ZFS. USB/LVM/Settings backup jobs are now taken from LS700 manual pp. 54 and 66–72. Remainder of the 236-page manual is unread.
- Power supply description: The specification table says Internal AC 100-240V while box contents list an AC adapter.
- Applicable independent test: No accepted original test establishes throughput, noise or power for this exact factory-populated 8TB package. 4TB SoHo and non-B LS720D results are not transferred.
- Video: Lon.TV LS720 video dPhV43m-reI could not be extracted. Not treated as an 8TB test.
- Blocked US PDPs: B&H 1626142, Amazon B08V5LX94W, Best Buy JX5SQLXQPT and Micro Center 643039 were blocked or aborted this round. Dell ab577225 mixes a 4TB URL/title with LS720D0802B 8TB specs and is not published.
- macOS 26 Time Machine official conflict: Buffalo KB6060 (October 13, 2025) lists LS700 as compatible with macOS 26 Time Machine, but LS700 manual 35022143-13 (March 2026), p.80, says backups are no longer supported starting with macOS Tahoe 26. Confirm support for the installed firmware before relying on this workflow.
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 SoHo 720 official specifications ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Specifications tables → LS720D0402B / LS720D0802B columns; Overview RAID 1; Downloads firmware 2.04 / NAS Navigator 3.1.6
- [2] Buffalo macOS 26 Time Machine compatibility ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · KB6060 → Model Series Compatibility; LS700 fully compatible; article updated 2025-10-13
- [3] Buffalo Americas warranty terms ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Network Storage table → LinkStation 700 SoHo / LS720DB 3-year; Limitations: data not covered
- [4] Buffalo SoHo 720 data sheet ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · PDF page 1 RAID 1 pre-configured; page 2 MODELS / ENVIRONMENTAL & POWER Max 48W / SHIPPING 8.1 x 3.6 x 5 in 5.1 lbs / ACCESSORIES OP-HDxBST-3Y / BOX CONTENTS AC adapter / NovaBACKUP 5 licenses
- [5] Newegg — LS720D0802B ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Buy box: Sold by Newegg, Shipped by Newegg, $461.99, Add to cart, 8TB (2 x 4TB)
- [6] Best Buy — LS720D0802B ↗
Checked Sep 10, 2026 · Baseline/open 2026-09-10: exact MPN and 8TB (2x4TB); marketplace seller Beach Audio Inc; price/stock not asserted. 2026-09-11 body blocked.
- [7] LS700 Series Firmware Updater 2.04 Windows readme ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Models LS710D, LS720D, LS720DB; 1.98 prerequisite; 2.04 CVE patches and OAuth email; 2.02 SFTP / SMB macOS option
- [8] Buffalo Japan LS720D0402 product page ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · CrystalDiskMark 5.12 Sequential Q=32 T=2 2GiB 271.3 / 226.0 MB/s; RAID 1 factory; hot-swap not supported
- [9] LinkStation SoHo LS720DB NAS Review ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Live 403; Wayback 2025-06-16 full article; figures 07/21/22/23; meta LS720D0402B-US
- [10] Buffalo LinkStation 720 Review ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Live 403; Wayback 2023-12-11 and UK mirror; LS720D 4TB RAID 1 mixed 4.9GB folder 85 MB/s write / 80 MB/s read
- [11] CDW — LS720D0802B ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Title MPN LS720D0802B 8TB; robots noindex; price not visible; Availability 0-2+ Days, ships once in stock
- [12] LinkStation 700 User Manual (35022143-13, March 2026) ↗
Checked Sep 11, 2026 · Printed pp. 54 USB compatibility footnotes; 66–72 LVM and backup modes; 226 no hot-swap
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 SoHo700 specifications and original PDF, dated manual/KB conflict, complete available original TweakTown figures, primary merchant condition and seller.
- 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)