Providing a solution for all your home media network storage needs, the Netgear Stora also offers media streaming to any UPnP or DLNA device, which includes the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Price: £134.99 | Netgear

Easy to set up and boasting an embedded media player, the Stora integrates with Facebook, instantly uploading photo albums to your live feed. Pay a £15 annual subscription you also get unlimited accounts with Flickr and Cooliris. You can also upload pictures from BlackBerry smartphones, browse on Windows Mobile phones and access your music from an iPhone.

The built-in 1TB of storage is likely to be enough for most home users, but you can add extra storage to the second bay or via USB if required.

As well as letting you access content from anywhere there's an internet connection, the Stora means you can back up data in minutes. It's not glamorous, but it is great.