NETGEAR ReadyNAS Ultra 4 (4-bay, diskless) Network Attached Storage, latest generation RNDU4000 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It has been a while since I've gotten a new NAS system, and I am totally impressed with this unit. It has been almost totally painless. Now all the computers at my house can have plenty of backup storage, and easily share all the data, video, photo, and music files you are likely to have.

MY ENVIRONMENT

I am a Computer Engineer - been in the field for 35 years, so I'm fussy about my hardware. I have a house hardwired with CAT5 plus a WiFi router. The main machines are Macs, but there are some Windows computers too. This unit supports Time Machine - and the support works perfectly and painlessly. I also have a couple of DLNA media devices, so that is an important feature. The ReadyNAS also lets you plugin USB drives and they instantly become available on the network as well - so all my old external USB drives are not useless with this upgrade.

THE GOOD (Great, actually)

* This device is as close to plug and play as I've seen in a long time. There is a somewhat lengthy setup - but we're dealing with Terabytes of disk space that has to get organized and set up properly for the X-RAID striping.

* You can plug in new drives to expand capacity as needed.

* Works seamlessly on a mixed Mac/Windows/DLNA media environment

* Redundant storage keeps going even after a single disk failure. I feel all my photos and videos are now safe (although I still keep an extra off-site backup, just in case.)

* Fast - almost as fast as a directly connected USB, but now available to all the computers in the house.

* Can install extra software to securely access your data from the web anywhere.

THE LESS THAN GOOD

* There is a setting on the Network Interfaces called MTU. The default setting didn't work quite right for Macs - changing it to 1492 fixed things. But a call to NETGEAR's support actually solved the issue, so I'd rate their support very good.

* Not cheap - but I've spent years generating all my video, photos, and music - and I think the easy interface to this all is worth the price.

* The concept of 'Shares' is not really explained as well as I would have liked.
WHICH UNIT TO GET?

I decided I would spend a bit more for this unit - it is the latest technology - over the older NETGEAR units. I decided the 4 disk unit and single core unit would probably have the best cost/benefit ration. With this unit, using Western Digital 2 TB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD20EARS (they seem to work flawlessly so far - even though the aren't yet on the compatibility list for this unit), you can get up to 6TB of redundant storage (recovers from a single drive failure). I'd guess they will eventually support 3 to 4 TB drives.

Click Here to see more reviews about: NETGEAR ReadyNAS Ultra 4 (4-bay, diskless) Network Attached Storage, latest generation RNDU4000

Product Description:
The NETGEAR ReadyNAS Ultra series deliver the power you need to run bleeding-edge applications and the flexibility you want to store, share and protect your prized multimedia collections. Two Gigabit Ethernet Ports deliver ultra-fast connections, while three USB ports offer the flexibility for users to connect other devices with a USB connection (e.g., printer servers, external USB storage devices or digital cameras). These multimedia desktop storages are ideal for media enthusiasts with large digital media libraries who want to take their media files wherever they go. X-RAID2 - Manage volume expansion automatically as you add new hard drives or replace existing drives with larger capacity drives. ReadyNAS Remote - Get secure drag-and-drop remote access without complicated network setups. ReadyNAS Vault - Backup critical files off-site for added security and peace of mind, then access and restore them remotely online. Rsync - Replicate and synchronize files between two ReadyNAS devices. TiVo compatible - Archive your favorite television programs and play them back to any TiVo DVR in your home. Media shifting with Skifta - Access multimedia content from your ReadyNAS while you're away from home on connected DLNA devices. Transcoding with Orb - Convert multimedia content for optimal streaming on mobile devices. Automatic backups - Back up three computers (PC or Mac) continuously using Memeo Premium Backup and restore any previous version of a file with a simple right-click.

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QNAP Pro II 4-Bay Desktop Network Attached Server TS-439 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have owned my TS-439 ProII for a couple months now and have been very happy with it.The build quality is high, the unit is quiet, it has been reliable, and has met or exceeded most of my expectations.I have witnessed a few quirks with the software which is to be expected on a device this feature rich and new (No show stoppers). The good thing is that QNAP does very regular firmware updates, constantly improving the features and fixing known bugs.QNAPs forums are also a great resource to learn about the NAS and get assistance from fellow users when needed.Over the course of my ownership there was one human error induced issue I had and QNAP's support was quick to respond and get my NAS squared away.It will take more time and use for a full review, but after two months I am still very happy with my purchase and would purchase another without a second thought if the need arose.

Click Here to see more reviews about: QNAP Pro II 4-Bay Desktop Network Attached Server TS-439

Product Description:
QNAP TS-439 Pro is the new generation 4-bay model of the worldwide award-winning Turbo NAS Series, providing superior performance for massive data sharing, powerful all-in-one business server features, advanced RAID data protection, built-in iSCSI target service, AES 256-bit volume-based encryption, and rock-solid hot-swappable hard drive design for business. Powered by Intel 1.6 GHz CPU, 1GB DDRII memory, the TS-439 Pro delivers superior performance for multiple business applications. Advanced RAID configurations, including RAID 0/ 1/ 5/ 6/ 5+Spare, JBOD, Online RAID Capacity Expansion, and Online RAID Level Migration are all supported.

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QNAP TS-210 2-Bay Desktop Network Attached Storage Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have tried a few of these boxes, and settled for QNAP. To make long story short, this box has very low operating and standby power (not counting drive power), it is quiet with smart fan (3 speeds auto/manual adjusted based on drive or system temp), transfer speed for >4GB files from my Dell XPS thru gigabit switching hub is around 10MByte/s write, 25MB/s read. USB drive plugs directly into the box, write/read is about 12MB/s (not fully tested)

I use this to stream 1080p and other media to my Brite-View BV-5005HD streamer box Brite-View BV-5005HD "CinemaTube" 3-in-1 1080p Full HD Multimedia Player/Streamer/Torrent Downloader, Black, cpu loading is only around 10-13% during super smooth playback. Box is not heating up much, keeping at 40 some Deg C. Even if the box is 100% running file transfer, media streaming seems to take precedence over file operations.

Its BT/ftp download manager is a snap to use and performance is comparable to PC utorrent.

The most obvious difference is the speed of its web user interface, it is super fast when compared with other brands, it is also independent of it cpu loads.

SSH is easily accessed using clients such as putty. Neat little Linux box.

The only down side are being its bright LEDs in front, must be covered if you are watching movies with lights out.

Enjoy, this box will not quit on you!

Click Here to see more reviews about: QNAP TS-210 2-Bay Desktop Network Attached Storage

Product Description:
The QNAP TS-210 Turbo NAS is the most economic two-drive storage solution for Prosumers and SOHO users who want a NAS with compelling features, solid performance, low power consumption and high reliability. Incorporating a Marvell 800 MHz CPU and 256MB DDRII RAM, the power consumption of the TS-210 Turbo NAS in operation is only 14W which is much less than that of a PC. The TS-210 offers features more often found in much higher end NAS servers, including built-in iSCSI target service, policy-based unauthorized IP blocking, SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), remote replication, a Gigabit LAN port, and 3 USB ports (the front USB port includes an auto-copy feature). The TS-210 Turbo NAS is not only an ideal storage server but also a multimedia station to enhance your home entertainment experience. The built-in UPnP/ DLNA media server (with TwonkyMedia enabled) of the Turbo NAS supports gaming consoles for media playing and the NAS works well with NFS-supported High-Definition (HD) digital media players. Also, the TS-210's AJAX-based NAS management software utilizes a web interface that allows intuitive management of all the Turbo NAS features.The Turbo NAS supports RAID 1 Mirroring for non-stop service and easy maintenance. When data crash occurs, the administrator can be alerted by e-mail alarm and LED indication. The hard disk drive can be replaced by hot swapping without turning off the server. The intelligent data rebuilding capability allows users to replace a failed drive by hot-swap. This enables automatic data rebuilding to the new drive without suffering from any system downtime.

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ASUS TS Mini SOHO Server (500GB Storage) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In searching for a server, I wanted something easy on the electricity in order to keep it on all day. If this does indeed use only 27 watts when at max operating, it's perfect.

I use it for file storage, having WinAmp running at all times to be able to remotely (via Ipod Touch) turn on to stream to an Airport Express with Airfoil (iTunes gave me problems, read below), run uTorrent all the time, and stream to a WD TV Live.

It's doing all these things for me perfectly. The only thing I don't run on it that I had planned on is PlayOn to stream Hulu to the WD TV Live. The CPU is lacking for this, so I do run PlayOn from my laptop when needed.

In installing iTunes to WHS via instructions found on the net, I got it to install, but had the "stuttering/pausing" problem with iTunes. I have this happen once in a long while on my laptop, but with the Server, it was pausing every 3 seconds or so, continuously. I found if I had QuickTime player running, this got rid of the stutter for some reason, but QuickTime then consumed 50-60% CPU constantly. I didn't want to subject the CPU to this, so I switched to WinAmp and Airfoil, and the combination is working fine for my purposes. I'm still able to remotely control WinAmp with my Ipod Touch with a iAmpRemote, although with less capabilities that the Apple Remote and iTunes gives you (sort by artist, song, etc).

My server sits in my family room, so I also installed a USB sound card with XP drivers to the server, and can route sound directly from the server to my stereo via the USB Sound card.

So far, I've been very pleased with it. The Atom Processor is capable for what I use it for (and more so if you don't intend to run things like Winamp/iTunes, etc on it). Anything that takes a CPU power, like PlayOn to process video, will run slowly and not so well on it. So consider the trade offs of the small lower power consuming CPU, versus CPU power needed.

Click Here to see more reviews about: ASUS TS Mini SOHO Server (500GB Storage)

Product Description:
The new ASUS Small Office Home Office (SOHO) Server TS mini helps you centralize your files to improve data management, enhance media streaming, and better utilize home networks.

Designed to simplify a user's digital life, the TS mini centralizes files such as photos, music, and videos from multiple home computers-to enable easy storing, sharing and securing of the files within a home or remotely through the Internet.
Equipped with Intel Atom processor N280, the TS mini delivers efficient, 24/7 performance. Operating on the Microsoft Windows Home Server Platform, TS Mini simplifies the management and protection of digital content.

The TS mini features up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM memory, Gigabit Ethernet support, supports up to 4TB of internal storage, exclusive 500GB of ASUS WebStorage online storage*, six USB ports, and two eSATA ports to meet future growth requirements. The 500GB version offers 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 500GB of internal storage, 500GB of ASUS WebStorage and much more.

Key Features

Easy data backup and restoration - choose from automated or manual backup
Quick and convenient file sharing with easy remote access via Internet and LAN
Large data capacity with ASUS exclusive WebStorage (500GB HDD + 500GB WebStorage)*
Enhanced data access and file management with 2x eSATA ports, 6x USB 2.0 ports and gigabit ethernet port
Uses less than 30 Watts when fully operational
Windows Home Server with ASUS System Web-based Management Software for maximum compatibility and convenience

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Enhanced Data Access and File Management

The TS mini functions as a data management center, automatically backing up data from up to 10 computers daily.

With six USB and two eSATA ports, the TS mini lets you directly back up, synchronize, and manage your files across various USB and eSATA devices and the internal hard disk drive.

In a recovery scenario, you will be able to easily restore files or bring computers back online by loading the latest information saved on the TS mini. With the TS Mini, it is easy to have peace of mind.

Convenient Content Sharing at Home and Easy Remote Access

The TS mini makes it easy for users to stream photos, music, video and other digital content to various devices including HD media players, TVs, computers, Media PCs, and gaming consoles in their around home-for all-around home entertainment access.

With the Remote Access feature, while away from home, you can access the TS mini and its content using your personal Windows Live account.

While connected, you can also stream music and multimedia content through the online connection.

Large Data Capacity with ASUS' Exclusive WebStorage*

On top of the 500GB of hard drive storage, the ASUS TS mini comes with a full year of free 500GB ASUS WebStorage* that allows you to store, share, and access your files over the Web.

With ASUS WebStorage, you can boost your storage limit and synchronize backups online for improved data security.

Additionally, you can save large files on the Web, and upload it to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter anywhere there is internet access.

ASUS WebStorage allows you to create multiple logins for sharing your favorite files securely.

With this free cloud storage, you will have the redundancy and safety of online backup to make sure that your most precious data is never lost.*

Enhanced Data Access and File Management

You can use the TS mini as a user-friendly management console to consolidate data from various sources.

With six USB and two eSATA ports-the most I/O interface for a home server-the TS mini lets home users directly back up, synchronize, and manage their files across various USB and eSATA devices and the internal hard disk drive.

With the eSATA ports, you can quickly access and store your data up to 3Gb/s. That is like transferring 2 movies in just 15 seconds!

Less Power Consumption than a Light Bulb**

In line with global energy-saving initiatives, the TS mini was developed to use minimal power-consuming 24.5W of power in idle mode and 27.9W when activated.

Such energy-saving capabilities make the TS mini the ideal choice for 24-by-7, non-stop data center operations. That is less power consumption than a typical 60W light bulb!

And because the TS mini consumes so little power, it is able to run at a much quieter sound level. At only 28 Decibels during full operation, the TS mini is quieter than a whisper.

Warranty

ASUS 1 Year Limited Warranty

ASUS SOHO Server TS Mini comes with 1 year limited warranty.
Please visit Support.ASUS.com for more details on warranty policy.

What's in the Box

TS Mini (500GB version)
Quick start guide
User manual
AC adapter
Power cord
RJ45 LAN cable
HDD screws package
Software installation CD
Recovery CD
Restore CD
Warranty card

Specifications

CPU: Intel Atom Processor N280 1.66GHz
Memory: 1GB DDR2-800
Hard Drive Storage: 500GB @ 7200rpm (1x 500GB)
Cloud Storage: 500GB ASUS WebStorage*
Networking: 1x 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) RJ45 LAN
Interfaces: 6x USB 2.0, 2x eSATA, 1x Kensington Lock
Buttons: Power on/off button, Recovery button
LED Indicators: System, HDD1, HDD2, Network status indicators
AC Power Adapter (Watt): Output: 19V, 90W,Input: 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz universal
Dimensions: 9.6 (H) x 3.8 (W) x 8 (D) inches
Approximate Weight: 7.26 lbs.
Operation Noise: 28 dBa (near silent)
Operating System: Powered by Microsoft Windows Home Server
Color: Piano Black

All specifications are subject to change without notice.
Color and bundled software versions are subject to change without notice.
Product may not be exactly as shown in photos.
*ASUS WebStorage service is complimentary for the first 12 months.
**Compared to a typical incandescent 60W light bulb


Check out other ASUS products that makes a great pairing with the TS Mini

ASUS O!Play HD Media Player
Stream and watch HD videos from your TS Mini on this ASUS O!Play HD media player paired with your HDTV. Ethernet enabled, O!Play plays H.264, Divx, RMVB, MP3 and much more right from your home network.
ASUS Thin and Light UL30A-X5 Laptop
Looking for great battery life and mobile processing power?Check out the Amazon exclusive thin and light UL30A-X5 Laptop.
Eee PC Touch T91 Tablet Netbook
The Eee PC T91 delivers ultimate portability and simplicity with an easy-to-use touchscreen that enables user to effortlessly navigate applications and the Web at a press of a finger.
ASUS VH242H 24-inch LCD Monitor with HDMI
Check out this 24-inch large Full HD LCD monitor. With built-in speakers and HDMI input, it is easy and affordable to get the ultimate entertainment right on your desk.

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