Synology prides itself on delivering budget-friendly network storage solutions. Sure, they have some strong performers as well, but it is their value for money offerings that have secured them a fair bit of market share.
One of the latest additions to their stable is the Synology DS214se NAS 2-bay Diskstation, a successor to the DS213 model. The SE in the name indicates that this a stripped down version, keeping cost of entry exceptionally low but sacrificing some features and performance in
Monday, December 2, 2013
Synology DS213j Review
Synology DiskStation 2-Bay (Diskless) Network Attached Storage (DS213j)
Anywhere where computers are available and are being used, a place where files can be stored, access and shared freely to authorized individuals is needed. With the millions and millions of people who are using and creating files, it is just necessary that a device can be fully used to do that kind of task. That is what the Synology D213j is made for. For individuals who are looking for the best diskstations they can use
Anywhere where computers are available and are being used, a place where files can be stored, access and shared freely to authorized individuals is needed. With the millions and millions of people who are using and creating files, it is just necessary that a device can be fully used to do that kind of task. That is what the Synology D213j is made for. For individuals who are looking for the best diskstations they can use
Monday, November 25, 2013
Drobo 5N Review
The need to have a device that is capable of storing different kinds of a file even on online network is highly recommended for many people. Also, a device that is capable of protecting every single piece of data that is stored inside the computer is very essential.
Drobo 5N is most preferred for the following uses: small office environment, home office and even home that needs a network for different purposes. For example, the Drobo NAS is a simple device but it is capable of providing safe
Drobo 5N is most preferred for the following uses: small office environment, home office and even home that needs a network for different purposes. For example, the Drobo NAS is a simple device but it is capable of providing safe
Friday, November 22, 2013
Synology DiskStation 2-Bay (Diskless) Network Attached Storage DS213 Review
Over the years, Networked Attached Storage (NAS) has significantly evolved to contain the most important features of a conventional PC-based server. NAS is a computer data storage device that allows users to clear their server drive space and have access to their data quickly. Moreover, it also features a Redundant Storage Container that enables one or two hard drives to malfunction without the risk of data loss. Synology America Corp. is offering Synology DiskStation 2-Bay NAS DS213 that is
Monday, November 18, 2013
UNRAID - What Is It
UNRAID is software that is used for managing and storing digital data using a storage server. The technology was designed for digital storage such as videos, music, photos and movies. It provides an array of hard drives and gives the opportunity to share data to the local network. The most important thing that this technology offers to users is that it protects the data inside the drives. The most common benefits of this technology include: helps the individual save money, has the ability to
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
WD My Cloud EX4 8TB Personal Cloud Storage NAS Review
Legitreviews has a new review of the WD My Cloud EX4 8TB Personal Cloud Storage NAS. This is Western Digital's first four bay NAS box. It is powered by a Marvell ARMADA 300 SoC at 2.0GHz CPU and 512MB DDR3 of RAM (not upgradable). Being primarily a hard drive manufacturer, it is not surprising that Western Digital ships this new NAS in various configurations with WD Red NAS hard drives pre configured to run in RAID 5 mode.
Setup is easy:
WD is trying to make personal storage easy and
Setup is easy:
WD is trying to make personal storage easy and
To Drobo or No Drobo
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="208"] Drobo! (Photo credit: pixelthing)[/caption]
There is a discussion of the question of whether to go with a Drobo or some other type of external storage over at the Macrumors forum. The discussion deals with the question of whether the Drobo is reliable enough and what sort of speed you can expect when running a Drobo. As with most discussions about the Drobo, there are a range of opinions. One writer states that Drobo tends to be
There is a discussion of the question of whether to go with a Drobo or some other type of external storage over at the Macrumors forum. The discussion deals with the question of whether the Drobo is reliable enough and what sort of speed you can expect when running a Drobo. As with most discussions about the Drobo, there are a range of opinions. One writer states that Drobo tends to be
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Synology DS214se Reviewed
Smallnetbuilder has reviewed the Synology DS214se two drive NAS. This is Synology's entrant in the small and inexpensive NAS category. Even though it runs only $160 or less, though, this NAS still features the full suite of the Diskstation Manager software. Synology does consider this a single purpose NAS, given its low CPU power and limited RAM, so it would probably be best not to try running too many applications on the NAS while trying to maintain high file throughput.
Speed was measured
Speed was measured
Monday, November 11, 2013
New NAS - Terra Master F2-NAS 2
Terra Master is a name new (to me at least) to NAS manufacturing. There is a comprehensive review of the new Terra Master NAS over at http://us.hardware.info.
The F2-NAS 2 is a two drive bring your own disks enclosure with a striking design. The case has a handle on the top for easy transportation. The TerraMaster F2-NAS 2 runs on a Marvell 6282 1.6 GHz ARM processor and has 512 MB RAM and 512 MB flash memory making it fit in the more affordable NAS market.
Performance of this new NAS
The F2-NAS 2 is a two drive bring your own disks enclosure with a striking design. The case has a handle on the top for easy transportation. The TerraMaster F2-NAS 2 runs on a Marvell 6282 1.6 GHz ARM processor and has 512 MB RAM and 512 MB flash memory making it fit in the more affordable NAS market.
Performance of this new NAS
FreeNAS Restore Default Configuration Using SSH
Here is a tip teaching how to restore FreeNAS to the default configuration using SSH in case you lose access to the web based interface:
cp /data/factory-v1.db /data/freenas-v1.db && reboot
This will overwrite your current configuration with the default configuration stored in /data/freenas-v1.db and immediately reboot.
This can come handy if you have to reset a machine without using the web interface (because maybe you can’t access that) and without having to plug in a
cp /data/factory-v1.db /data/freenas-v1.db && reboot
This will overwrite your current configuration with the default configuration stored in /data/freenas-v1.db and immediately reboot.
This can come handy if you have to reset a machine without using the web interface (because maybe you can’t access that) and without having to plug in a
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Another Quick Review of the Synology DS214se
There is a review of the new Synology DS214se over at micromart.co.uk. The reviewer does a quick run-through of the 2 drive NAS boxes specifications and capabilities. He concludes that performance is good but not great. And he worries that the lower power processor and RAM necessary for Synology to keep the price so low will cause problems for people who try to use the software that powers the NAS to do multiple jobs at once:
What concerns me is that it can be relatively easy to overload the
What concerns me is that it can be relatively easy to overload the
ZFS File System for NAS
A discussion of the ZFS file system choices for building your own NAS is over at the overclockers.com.au forum.
One post lists the major choices available to implement ZFS at home, emphasizing BSD over Linux choices:
A list of ZFS platforms:
FreeNAS - complete features (BSD)
NAS4Free - better interface (BSD)
ZFSguru - easiest solution (BSD)
Solaris - for the nerds not wanting to jump a sinking ship
Nexenta - for the lovers of proprietary software
Linux - for the casual and
One post lists the major choices available to implement ZFS at home, emphasizing BSD over Linux choices:
A list of ZFS platforms:
FreeNAS - complete features (BSD)
NAS4Free - better interface (BSD)
ZFSguru - easiest solution (BSD)
Solaris - for the nerds not wanting to jump a sinking ship
Nexenta - for the lovers of proprietary software
Linux - for the casual and
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Selecting the Best Hard Drive for a Network Attached Storage (NAS)
There is a nice article over at custompcreview.com discussing options for choosing hard drives for use in a NAS. Over the past few years, the major manufacturers have made this a simpler task by releasing drives specifically designed for use in a NAS such as the new drives from Seagate and the Western Digital Red drives.
The article deals with the issues associated with running hard drives in a NAS:
Another point of failure is the drives themselves. Many users (myself included) opt for
The article deals with the issues associated with running hard drives in a NAS:
Another point of failure is the drives themselves. Many users (myself included) opt for
The Thecus N4560 NAS is Reviewed
Over at Smallnetbuilder there is a new review of the four drive Thecus N4560. This is a relatively low cost Intel Atom processor 4 bay NAS focused on the home user. Although the NAS has decent performance, Smallnetbuilder concludes that there are better 4-bay NAS options out there:
At $543, the Thecus N4560 is by no means the cheapest four-drive NAS. In fact, there are seven NASes that are cheaper. As you might expect, the top four cheapest NASes have low (poorer) Total NAS scores. But there
At $543, the Thecus N4560 is by no means the cheapest four-drive NAS. In fact, there are seven NASes that are cheaper. As you might expect, the top four cheapest NASes have low (poorer) Total NAS scores. But there
The Thecus N4560 Reviewed is Reviewed
Over at Smallnetbuilder there is a new review of the four drive Thecus N4560. This is a relatively low cost Intel Atom processor 4 bay NAS focused on the home user. Although the NAS has decent performance, Smallnetbuilder concludes that there are better 4-bay NAS options out there:
At $543, the Thecus N4560 is by no means the cheapest four-drive NAS. In fact, there are seven NASes that are cheaper. As you might expect, the top four cheapest NASes have low (poorer) Total NAS scores. But there
At $543, the Thecus N4560 is by no means the cheapest four-drive NAS. In fact, there are seven NASes that are cheaper. As you might expect, the top four cheapest NASes have low (poorer) Total NAS scores. But there
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
"I think I might be cursed" thread - Too Many Hard Drive Failures
A thread over at http://ask.metafilter.com/251359/I-think-i-might-be-cursed discusses what to do after too many drive failures. There are quite a few good posts which lead to the conclusion that Synology is the way to go.
The discussion also deals with Raid 1 versus Raid 5. In fact, reading that thread led me to do the analysis in my recent post "Raid 1 vs Raid 5 Cost Comparison." This post was what got me thinking:
Three WD Reds ($300): two for a RAID1 setup, one for external off-site
The discussion also deals with Raid 1 versus Raid 5. In fact, reading that thread led me to do the analysis in my recent post "Raid 1 vs Raid 5 Cost Comparison." This post was what got me thinking:
Three WD Reds ($300): two for a RAID1 setup, one for external off-site
Raid 1 vs Raid 5 Cost Comparison
I did a cost comparison using current prices on Amazon to see what the difference in price is between a 4 bay NAS using two Raid 1 volumes and one Raid 5 volume. As you can see, going with Raid 1 arrays means about a 30% premium per terebyte.
These costs do not take into account the cost of the NAS enclosure itself which should add around $360 at least for the least expensive 4-bay Synology
These costs do not take into account the cost of the NAS enclosure itself which should add around $360 at least for the least expensive 4-bay Synology
Synology Goes After the Low-End Market with the All-New DS214se
Synology seems intent on grabbing the low-end part of the NAS market. It has introduced the low priced (MSRP around $180) DS214se two bay NAS. The NAS runs the full DSM software, but it obviously is lower in power and RAM running a single core 800 MHz processor with 256 GB of DDR3 RAM.
Synology claims that the new NAS will still achieve speeds when reading that will support multiple HD video streams:
Centering on the core features of NAS devices, Synology DS214se provides handy and
Synology claims that the new NAS will still achieve speeds when reading that will support multiple HD video streams:
Centering on the core features of NAS devices, Synology DS214se provides handy and
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Yet Another Help Me Find the Right NAS Forum Thread
Another of the threads where people are helping others find the right NAS for their needs is over at http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1223281#p25610075. This thread has some good discussion of Synology vs QNAP vs Drobo. A particularly interesting post is this one where the writer compares two different Synology NAS devices and states exactly what the "j" means in several Synology product names:
I have two Synologies (a DS411+II and a DS211j), and I love both of them. One
I have two Synologies (a DS411+II and a DS211j), and I love both of them. One
Your Own Cloud Server in a Box: Western Digital's My Cloud 2TB NAS box
The theregister.co.uk has a review of the new Western Digital My Cloud 2 TB NAS box. This NAS joins the recent trend of NAS devices that allow for remote access to your files - not just from your LAN but also from the internet when you are away from home.
WD’s mobile app, WD 2 Go, has long let you draw down files from your Live and upload them too as if - your home broadband bandwidth permitting - it was your own personal Dropbox.
Speaking of which, WD 2 Go can tap into that too, and
WD’s mobile app, WD 2 Go, has long let you draw down files from your Live and upload them too as if - your home broadband bandwidth permitting - it was your own personal Dropbox.
Speaking of which, WD 2 Go can tap into that too, and
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Help Me Choose a NAS Forum Thread
I found another forum thread about choosing a NAS - this one over at stereo.net.au. The thread started almost a year ago, but still is receiving new posts. A sample post:
I currently own a Synology DS212j, which recently replaced a Netgear ReadyNAS duo.
Pros
Synology is, in my opinion, way better. Faster network performance. I could never reliably stream anything from the ReadyNAS, so it ended up just being a backup repository while I played music from a USB Drive attached directly to
I currently own a Synology DS212j, which recently replaced a Netgear ReadyNAS duo.
Pros
Synology is, in my opinion, way better. Faster network performance. I could never reliably stream anything from the ReadyNAS, so it ended up just being a backup repository while I played music from a USB Drive attached directly to
Choosing Hard Drives for a NAS
Computerworld (Michael Horowitz) has a post about choosing hard drives for a NAS. The post goes through the thought process in choosing a small NAS. He chose a single drive NAS and a 1 TB Western Digital Red drive - all for the purpose of simplicity:
Besides having fewer tickets in the hard drive failure lottery, the single platter 1TB model will use a bit less electricity, will run a bit quieter (according to published specs) and should run cooler (always a good
Besides having fewer tickets in the hard drive failure lottery, the single platter 1TB model will use a bit less electricity, will run a bit quieter (according to published specs) and should run cooler (always a good
Friday, November 1, 2013
Recommendations for NAS to Work with IMAC
There is the beginnings of a thread over at the Macrumors forum from a user asking for recommendations for a NAS to work well with an IMAC. The first response is another recommendation for UnRaid:
I have had an unRAID setup running 24/7 for several years. My array consists of 8 drives, one of which is for parity. While it's not the fastest system around, it does its job effectively and efficiently.
I share your concerns with having just one parity drive and this is the primary reason why I
I have had an unRAID setup running 24/7 for several years. My array consists of 8 drives, one of which is for parity. While it's not the fastest system around, it does its job effectively and efficiently.
I share your concerns with having just one parity drive and this is the primary reason why I
Synology DSM 5.0 Beta
Synology is going to reveal a new version of its operation system (Diskstation Manager) 5.0 (at least a beta version) in January in London. No word from Synology as to what DSM 5 holds in store, but if you follow the link below, you can register to be among the first to know on January 16th in
Official HP Microserver Owners Wiki and Thread
For owners of the popular HP Microserver that can be used as a NAS with a number of different NAS distributions, there is a wiki and discussion thread over at http://n40l.wikia.com/wiki/HP_MicroServer_N40L_Wiki.
Great little hardware that is remarkable
Great little hardware that is remarkable
Drobo 5D: Not Exactly a NAS but Speedy Storage Using USB 3 or Thunderbolt
There is a nice review over at TUAW of the 5 drive Drobo 5D - an attached storage device that provides for both USB3 and Thunderbolt connectivity. The review includes a good description of the Drobo and speed test results with both USB 3 and Thunderbolt:
The tests were performed both with Thunderbolt and USB 3.0. Using Thunderbolt, the standard test results (nine different file sizes between 4 KB and 1024 KB) showed average speeds as follows:
Sequential Read: 140.504 MB/Sec
Sequential
The tests were performed both with Thunderbolt and USB 3.0. Using Thunderbolt, the standard test results (nine different file sizes between 4 KB and 1024 KB) showed average speeds as follows:
Sequential Read: 140.504 MB/Sec
Sequential
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Roll your own Synology DiskStation for NAS Do it Yourself
Over at the AVSforum, there is an interesting thread that includes instructions and a download link to allow you to turn a computer into a NAS using a version of Synology's diskstation software. The thread is eleven pages long and has many interesting posts. Overall, this approach does not seem feasible for any but advanced computer users. But, if you are interested in experimenting with NAS distributions, this is another approach:
Synology made NASs are one of the more popular home
Synology made NASs are one of the more popular home
Monday, October 28, 2013
Thecus Has a New 2 Bay Raid 1 NAS - the N2310
This is the smallest Thecus NAS to date (as far as I can recall). The new NAS runs the full Thecus OS6 software that includes just about everything that a NAS can run including Plex media server. It includes a bitorrent client, FTP, RSYNC and just about the whole kitchen sink of NAS related software.
The new Thecus only sports a AMCC APM 86491 800 MHz SoC with 512 MB of DDR3 RAM, so don't expect super fast performance when transcoding video files. For normal file serving, this
The new Thecus only sports a AMCC APM 86491 800 MHz SoC with 512 MB of DDR3 RAM, so don't expect super fast performance when transcoding video files. For normal file serving, this
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Review of the Synology DS 1813+ NAS
The overclockers forum (AU) has a review of the Synology DS 1813+ NAS. This NAS comes with 8 hard drive bays and is compatible with Synology's DX513 expansion units (two.) With two expansion units, the NAS is capable of 72TB of storage. This is a massive amount of storage for a small business/home NAS unit, even if it is counting the expansion units in the total.
The DS 1813+ runs a dual core Intel D2700 processor and comes standard with 2 GB of RAM which is upgradeable to 4 GB of RAM.
The DS 1813+ runs a dual core Intel D2700 processor and comes standard with 2 GB of RAM which is upgradeable to 4 GB of RAM.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Seagate NAS Hard Drives
Seagate NAS hard drives have been around for a few months now and are getting generally good reviews. As you may know, consumer rated hard drives are generally not recommended for use in NAS devices for several reasons. Western Digital with their "Red" drives and now Seagate with their NAS drives have sought to provide low cost hard drives for the NAS market that fill the gap between straight desktop drives and enterprise drives that cost considerably more.
I have experience with the Western
I have experience with the Western
Friday, August 23, 2013
Seagate NAS Hard Drives Getting Good Reviews
The recently released Seagate hard drives that are especially configured to be used in network attached storage devices (NAS servers), are receiving quite good reviews around the web. On Amazon, they currently have reviews in the 4.6 out of 5.0 range, which is really good for hard drives.
These drive are competitively priced - just about matching the Western Digital "Red" drive prices. Seagate, however, includes a 4 tb drive in its offerings whereas Western Digital sizes cap out currently at
These drive are competitively priced - just about matching the Western Digital "Red" drive prices. Seagate, however, includes a 4 tb drive in its offerings whereas Western Digital sizes cap out currently at
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Qnap TS-870U-RP review
Qnap has a small business NAS with features and power that are unprecedented until recently. The TS-870U-RP is an eight bay rack mountable NAS with a couple of PCI express slots which allows for optional 10GbE adapters. PCPro recently reviewed the NAS and summarized its findings:
he Qnap’s closest competitor is Thecus’ similarly priced N8900, but while it’s a good performer, it lacks redundant PSUs, and it’s beginning to show its age in other respects, too.
If you
he Qnap’s closest competitor is Thecus’ similarly priced N8900, but while it’s a good performer, it lacks redundant PSUs, and it’s beginning to show its age in other respects, too.
If you
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Real World Drobo 5N Review
There is a nice real world Drobo 5N review from a user who is pleased with the new Drobo NAS device. He is using the new Drobo with three 3TB Western Digital Red NAS hard drives. Overall, this is a recommended setup for someone who wants a plug and play NAS experience. Speed was measured as very good:
The progenitor of the Drobo 5N, the Drobo FS, was known for its sluggish performance, so I was concerned about how fast my files would move. It’s great to have loads of robust
The progenitor of the Drobo 5N, the Drobo FS, was known for its sluggish performance, so I was concerned about how fast my files would move. It’s great to have loads of robust
Friday, May 10, 2013
Drobo 5N Earns 4.2 Stars from Amazon Reviewers
The Drobo 5N, a 5 drive true NAS device from Drobo, is currently earning 4.2 stars from Amazon reviewers. This is one of the best ratings for NAS devices currently for sale on Amazon. It is also quite a comeback for Drobo after being somewhat slammed by reviews for the too slow Drobo FS, the previous Drobo NAS device.
The Drobo 5N, like all Drobo devices, is designed for ease of use and setup. Reviewers are generally impressed with the new Drobo's fast response over a network
The Drobo 5N, like all Drobo devices, is designed for ease of use and setup. Reviewers are generally impressed with the new Drobo's fast response over a network
Friday, March 22, 2013
Synology DS1512+ Review
Digital Photography School.com has released a review of the Synology DS 1512+, a 5-bay NAS device intended primarily for use by small and medium businesses.
As Digital Photography School has a slightly different reader base than more NAS (or even technology) based sites, so a high focus is placed on ease of use and relative simplicity of installation, which the DPS reviewer found very simple. From the review:
The Synology was so simple to setup, yes, I have an IT background but here’s
As Digital Photography School has a slightly different reader base than more NAS (or even technology) based sites, so a high focus is placed on ease of use and relative simplicity of installation, which the DPS reviewer found very simple. From the review:
The Synology was so simple to setup, yes, I have an IT background but here’s
Monday, February 25, 2013
QNAP TS-469L Turbo NAS Review
Small Net Builder recently reviewed the QNAP TS-469L Turbo, a four bay NAS intended for use in home or small business environments.
The full review includes a number of detail photos of both the unit and software interfaces, as well as a slew of speed tests and comparison graphs against competitor's speeds, so make sure to check them out if you're in the market for a new home NAS in the four bay range.
Overall, Small Net Builder seems impressed by the TS-469L. From their
The full review includes a number of detail photos of both the unit and software interfaces, as well as a slew of speed tests and comparison graphs against competitor's speeds, so make sure to check them out if you're in the market for a new home NAS in the four bay range.
Overall, Small Net Builder seems impressed by the TS-469L. From their
Friday, February 22, 2013
Thecus N5550 Review
Hexus has released a review of the Thecus N5550, a five bay NAS device intended for use primarily by small or medium businesses. The full review includes a lot of useful benchmarks, including comparison graphs against similar competitors, so make sure to go take a look.
Overall Hexus appears highly impressed by the N5550, especially its speed testign. The only issues that they aren't as impressed with are some slight issues with the Thecus software, and some minor fan noise. From their
Overall Hexus appears highly impressed by the N5550, especially its speed testign. The only issues that they aren't as impressed with are some slight issues with the Thecus software, and some minor fan noise. From their
Iomega px2-300d Review
Mac World recently released a review of the Iomega px2-300d, a two bay NAS device intended for small or medium business use. We've already featured a couple of reviews about the px-300d, but more context is always better when making such a high-value purchase decision.
Overall, Mac World likes the px2-300d, but mention that many users could likely save a significant amount by adding their own drives rather than buying the device drives-included. From their summary:
The Storcenter
Overall, Mac World likes the px2-300d, but mention that many users could likely save a significant amount by adding their own drives rather than buying the device drives-included. From their summary:
The Storcenter
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Thecus TopTower N6850 Review
Expert Reviews recently released a review of the Thecus TopTower N6850, a six bay NAS intended for use by large businesses. The review includes numbers on the tests they ran as well as the configuration that they focused on, but doesn't include comparison numbers for similar competitors so some additional research might be required for less savvy readers.
Overall, the review ends on a rather lukewarm note, praising the device's price and speed but also mentioning noise issues and some
Overall, the review ends on a rather lukewarm note, praising the device's price and speed but also mentioning noise issues and some
Friday, February 15, 2013
Iomega StorCenter px2-300d 2TB Review
Expert Reviews recently released a review of the Iomega StorCenter px2-300d 2TB, a two bay NAS unit intended primarily for small or medium businesses.
The review includes testing statistics, but not any specific numbers for competitors for easier comparison by less knowledgeable readers. It also includes specifications and overall impressions. From their conclusion:
The Iomega StorCenter px2-300d Pro 2TB costs a similar amount to the Synology DS713+ enclosure with no drives. It’s easy
The review includes testing statistics, but not any specific numbers for competitors for easier comparison by less knowledgeable readers. It also includes specifications and overall impressions. From their conclusion:
The Iomega StorCenter px2-300d Pro 2TB costs a similar amount to the Synology DS713+ enclosure with no drives. It’s easy
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Thecus N4800Eco Review
CNET recently released a review of the Thecus N4800Eco, a four bay NAS tower primarily intended for small or medium business use.
Overall, the CNET review approves of two main features of the N4800Eco - the unit's speed performance and drive bay design.
The four-bay Thecus N4800Eco NAS server is a major upgrade to the company's N4200 that I reviewed a couple of years ago. The new server is now much faster and uses less energy, while retaining the excellent drive bay
Overall, the CNET review approves of two main features of the N4800Eco - the unit's speed performance and drive bay design.
The four-bay Thecus N4800Eco NAS server is a major upgrade to the company's N4200 that I reviewed a couple of years ago. The new server is now much faster and uses less energy, while retaining the excellent drive bay
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Synology Network Printer Tutorial
One of the biggest benefits to going with a veteran producer of NAS devices such as Synology is that they recognize many of the problems that relative newcomers will have when using their products.
Synology in particular has a great set of tutorials available for many of their products, including this one on setting network printers up through one of their NAS devices. These simple tutorials go through each necessary step, including screen shots of each so they can be used by just about
Synology in particular has a great set of tutorials available for many of their products, including this one on setting network printers up through one of their NAS devices. These simple tutorials go through each necessary step, including screen shots of each so they can be used by just about
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Iomega StorCenter ix4-300d Review
Hexus recently released a review of the Iomega StorCenter ix4-300d, a four bay NAS intended for use as either a small business or an advanced home use external storage solution.
The Hexus review includes benchmark performances comparing the ix4-300d to several competing NAS solutions, so if you're in the market for a relatively high end small business or home NAS device, you might want to check out the full review before making any purchasing decisions.
Overall, Hexus appears impressed
The Hexus review includes benchmark performances comparing the ix4-300d to several competing NAS solutions, so if you're in the market for a relatively high end small business or home NAS device, you might want to check out the full review before making any purchasing decisions.
Overall, Hexus appears impressed
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Zyxel NSA325 vs ReadyNAS Duo v2 Thread
I recently spotted a thread over on the AVS Forums comparing the Zyxel NSA 325 and the Netgear ReadyNAS Duo v2.
I'll admit that Zyxel is one company I don't have a lot of experience with. A fair number of the reviews I've seen have indicated that the Zyxel unit might not have quite the same feature list or polish that ReadyNAS provides, but the Zyxel NSA325 is often available for a slightly lower price than the more expensive ReadyNAS Duo v2.
Sometimes it's easy just to go with what
I'll admit that Zyxel is one company I don't have a lot of experience with. A fair number of the reviews I've seen have indicated that the Zyxel unit might not have quite the same feature list or polish that ReadyNAS provides, but the Zyxel NSA325 is often available for a slightly lower price than the more expensive ReadyNAS Duo v2.
Sometimes it's easy just to go with what
Qnap TurboNAS TS-870U-RP Rackmount
Real World Labs recently posted a review of the Qnap TurboNAS TS-870U-RP Rackmount, a high-end eight bay NAS server intended for use by small or medium businesses.
The review over at Real World Labs includes quite a few performance benchmarks, including simplified graphs comparing the 870U to other similar NAS enclosures for easy side-by-side comparison, so if you're interested in expanding your business's storage capacity you might want to check out the full review.
Overall Real World
The review over at Real World Labs includes quite a few performance benchmarks, including simplified graphs comparing the 870U to other similar NAS enclosures for easy side-by-side comparison, so if you're interested in expanding your business's storage capacity you might want to check out the full review.
Overall Real World
Drobo 5N 5-Bay Review
I recently spotted a review by John Pozadzides over on Amazon of the Drobo 5N NAS, a five bay NAS device intended primarily for a small office environment. Normally I don't bring up a lot of Amazon reviews because the quality levels can be all over the place, but this one seems pretty well considered and written.
According to the review, the 5N continues Drobo's trend toward reliable and high performance units with good features, while still retaining a relatively low price point for the
According to the review, the 5N continues Drobo's trend toward reliable and high performance units with good features, while still retaining a relatively low price point for the
Iomega StorCenter px2-300d Review
TechCrunch recently put up a review of the Iomega StorCenter px2-300d, a two bay NAS intended for use primarily in small or medium sized business environments. We've already seen a review a couple of weeks ago by PCMag.com, but it's always good to get a second opinion before putting down hundreds on a piece of hardware you might be using for years.
Overall, they seemed to like to px2-300d, though they had some trouble getting the cloud functionality working correctly. From their
Overall, they seemed to like to px2-300d, though they had some trouble getting the cloud functionality working correctly. From their
Synology DiskStation DS213 Review
TestFreaks recently put up a review of the Synology DiskStation DS213, a two bay NAS device intended primarily for small business use. The TestFreaks review is quite comprehensive, including unboxing and unit detail photos as well as software screenshots. The performance benchmarks against other Synology products are particularly useful, so if you're looking to replace your own aging Synology hardware you might want to the TestFreaks review there to take a look.
According to
According to
UnRaid vs FreeNAS Discussion Thread
Still trying to decide between UnRaid and FreeNAS? Another thread recently cropped up on Overclock.net regarding the two, specifically deciding between the free version of UnRaid and the obviously free FreeNAS. The thread's still pretty young at the moment, and the thread originator eventually did decide on unRaid for the moment, but if you have some opinions on the subject feel free to head over to the Overclock.net thread in
Saturday, February 2, 2013
7 FreeNAS Alternatives Article
Looking for alternatives to FreeNAS? If for whatever reason you're not interested in FreeNAS but are looking to set up your personal NAS, there's a post over on TechShout that you might want to take a look at.
There are multiple reasons behind looking for FreeNAS alternatives. Despite the software being a popular choice and also intuitive to use for sharing content across multiple platform like Linux, Apple and Windows, there are always a few drawbacks that could make it a tedious
There are multiple reasons behind looking for FreeNAS alternatives. Despite the software being a popular choice and also intuitive to use for sharing content across multiple platform like Linux, Apple and Windows, there are always a few drawbacks that could make it a tedious
Thecus N2800 Noise Questions
I recently spotted a question over on SpiceWorks regarding the Thecus N2800 and the amount of noise that it generates. From the original post:
I have seen good reviews on the overall build and net speed of the Thecus N2800 NAS, but a single review has put strong emphasis on its high noise. I have read that the Synlogy DS212+ has a similar feature set but is much quieter.
SpiceWorks
The review the poster mentioned might be about the Bit-Tech review I posted on previously - at least it's
I have seen good reviews on the overall build and net speed of the Thecus N2800 NAS, but a single review has put strong emphasis on its high noise. I have read that the Synlogy DS212+ has a similar feature set but is much quieter.
SpiceWorks
The review the poster mentioned might be about the Bit-Tech review I posted on previously - at least it's
Windows Home Server 2011 Discussion Thread
I recently spotted a discussion thread over on the AVS Forum regarding Windows Home Server 2011. Specifically, the thread asks why is Windows Home Server preferable over just using the basic sharing functions available in most modern Windows platforms such as Windows 7?
Considering that the question is being asked from a home use perspective, this is a pretty reasonable thing to ask. The speeds provided by Windows 7 and up in sharing are more than sufficient for most activities that
Considering that the question is being asked from a home use perspective, this is a pretty reasonable thing to ask. The speeds provided by Windows 7 and up in sharing are more than sufficient for most activities that
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Netgear ReadyNAS Surveillance Review
StorageReview.com recently put up a review of the Netgear ReadyNAS Surveillance bundle. Netgear ReadyNAS Surveillance isn't a storage system itself, but rather a set of features that can be added to an existing ReadyNAS device or shipped already prepared in a bundle.
The review over at StorageReview includes a lot of screenshots of interface and results that they've got set up, so you might want to head over there if you're interested in either getting a new NAS device with security
The review over at StorageReview includes a lot of screenshots of interface and results that they've got set up, so you might want to head over there if you're interested in either getting a new NAS device with security
Monday, January 21, 2013
Blog Testing FreeNAS Performance
I recently ran across a series of blog entries on FreeNAS testing for speeds and such, located at a blog by a guy named Jake. His first post on the subject was pretty negative about FreeNAS in general, but it looks like he might have made a few mistakes that might be pretty common if you're new to FreeNAS. If you saw his previous blog post regarding FreeNAS performance rates, you might want to take a look - as he admits, some mistakes were made regarding those older tests that might have
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Synology DS213+ Review
SmallNetBuilder recently released a review for the Synology DS213+, a two bay NAS device intended for use in a home or possibly small home office environment. SmallNetBuilder breaks down their review in a quick summary leading up:
Summary
High performance value-priced two-bay NAS based on dual-core Freescale QorIQ CPU
Pros
• High Performance for a non-Atom NAS
• Quiet
• Fast attached backup via eSATA
Cons
• Mostly plastic
Summary
High performance value-priced two-bay NAS based on dual-core Freescale QorIQ CPU
Pros
• High Performance for a non-Atom NAS
• Quiet
• Fast attached backup via eSATA
Cons
• Mostly plastic
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
How To Choose The Right NAS Guide
ComputerActive.co.uk recently put out a very brief guide to selecting the right NAS for your personal use. Most of the advice presented is pretty straightforward for anyone who knows much about network attached storage, but it might still be useful to someone just setting up their first storage device.
Most of the advice presented in the article can be summarized in the quick 3 points brought up early on in the article:
There are three key points to consider when buying a Nas.
•
Most of the advice presented in the article can be summarized in the quick 3 points brought up early on in the article:
There are three key points to consider when buying a Nas.
•
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Synology DS413j NAS Review
Madshrimps.be recently posted a review of the Synology DS413j NAS, a budget-oriented 4 bay NAS intended for home or small office use.
Overall, Madshrimps seem to like the DS413j most for its value, not necessarily any overwhelming technical merits that it might have in the speed department:
The DS413j is a more budget-oriented NAS solution from Synology and can be had for about 150 Euros less than the DS413 which means 300 Euros. Synology is one of the top builders for this kind of
Overall, Madshrimps seem to like the DS413j most for its value, not necessarily any overwhelming technical merits that it might have in the speed department:
The DS413j is a more budget-oriented NAS solution from Synology and can be had for about 150 Euros less than the DS413 which means 300 Euros. Synology is one of the top builders for this kind of
Asustor AS-602T Review
TestFreaks recently released a review of the Asustor AS-602T, a two-bay NAS device. Don't worry if you've never heard of Asustor before now - neither had I until last November. They've actually only been around since 2011, and the 602T is one of four products available from them according to their website.
So is the 602T a juvenile product released by amateurs? Not according to the TestFreaks review. They've got a lot of compelling evidence up including a lot of pictures and speed
So is the 602T a juvenile product released by amateurs? Not according to the TestFreaks review. They've got a lot of compelling evidence up including a lot of pictures and speed
Monday, January 14, 2013
Netgear ReadyNAS Duo v2 Review
TechGage has recently released a review of the Netgear ReadyNAS Duo v2, a two bay NAS device produced by Netgear. The Duo v2 is available in several configurations, including driveless, two 1-Terabyte drives, or with two 2-Terabyte drives.
Overall the TechGage review is favorable, and provides speed tests for the NAS though no easy comparison graphs are available to check against similar devices. Though the speed tests aren't necessarily the best around, TechGage's final analysis is
Overall the TechGage review is favorable, and provides speed tests for the NAS though no easy comparison graphs are available to check against similar devices. Though the speed tests aren't necessarily the best around, TechGage's final analysis is
Synology RackStation RS3412xs Review
StorageReview recently posted a review of the Synology RackStation RS3412xs. The RS3412xs is a ten bay NAS solution provided by Synology.
The RS3312xs is intended for use by larger businesses, the RS3412xs comes in with a hefty price tag of $3140 at Amazon.com as of the time of this posting. This product definitely isn't intended for the average consumer.
The full StorageReview review provides dozens of performance tests using both a standard hard drive and a solid-state hard drive,
The RS3312xs is intended for use by larger businesses, the RS3412xs comes in with a hefty price tag of $3140 at Amazon.com as of the time of this posting. This product definitely isn't intended for the average consumer.
The full StorageReview review provides dozens of performance tests using both a standard hard drive and a solid-state hard drive,
Thursday, January 3, 2013
FlexRAID Forum Threads
It seems like there are a lot of DIY raid software solutions coming out lately, such as UnRAID and SnapRAID. Trying to pick the right one can be difficult sometimes, so it helps to get a general sounding from the community, especially those who have tried a lot of different options.
With that in mind, a couple of FlexRAID threads recently came to my attention. The first comes from the AVS Forums, a site focused on home theater management. Unsurprisingly the thread focuses on media
With that in mind, a couple of FlexRAID threads recently came to my attention. The first comes from the AVS Forums, a site focused on home theater management. Unsurprisingly the thread focuses on media
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