Computing on Demand PC News & Reviews
Unless you have been living under a small stone in a field behind Bilbo Baggins’ home, you may have heard the term NAS (Network Attached Storage). NAS are becoming more prevalent in the home, the small office, and the Enterprise. These flexible, inexpensive, devices can nearly do it all, which is what makes them so attractive. Well, it seems like everyone and their cousin is producing a NAS of some sort, but only a few have really got their act together. Among that small few, those that have more in R&D than they do in sales, is a company by the name of ASUSTOR. Today, ASUSTOR is no longer just a startup company. Instead, they have been producing some of the best, low-cost, NAS that money can buy. We had the chance to review their AS-302T, as well as the AS-608T and absolutely loved it. Let’s see if their AS-204T can live up to our lofty expectations.
ASUSTOR has set out with two variations of the AS-204, one T and one TE. The difference between the two? The TS-204TE has an additional 512MB of DDR3 RAM for a total of 1GB and HDMI 1.4a. They both feature the same Intel Atom 1.2GHz Dual-Core processor, they both sport a single USB 3.0 Port, two USB 2.0 Ports, and a single Gigabit Ethernet Port. Both units measure in at 185.5(H) x 170(W) x 230(D) mm and weigh just 3.4 kg / 7.5 lb. The AS2-204T/TE can support Single disk, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, and RAID 10 configurations and 6TB drives.
Hardware Specifications
- CPU: Intel® ATOM™ 1.2GHz Dual-Core Processor
- Memory: 1GB Memory DDR3
- HDD: 2.5″ / 3.5″ SATA II/ III or SSD x 4¹ Compatibility
- Expansion: USB 3.0 x 2, USB 2.0 x 2
- Network: Gigabit Ethernet x 1
- Output: HDMI 1.4a x1
- System Fan: 120mm x 1
- Infrared Receiver
- 3.5mm Audio Jack
- Input Power Voltage: 100V to 240V AC*
- Certification: FCC, CE, VCCI, BSMI, C-TICK
Operation
- Power Consumption: 36W (Operation); 22.6W (Disk Hibernation); 0.8W (Sleep Mode)²
- Noise Level: 19.4dB
- Operation Temperature: 5°C~35°C (40°F~95°F)
- Humidity: 5% to 95% RH
Eco-Friendly Design
- System Sleep Mode (S3)
- Auto-Standby for Both Internal and External Disks
- Auto Fan Control
- LED Night Mode
- Power Schedule: On, Off, Restart, and Sleep
Having the HDMI port and expanded memory allows you to run the ASUSTOR Portal app from the App Center in administration. ASUSTOR Portal allows you to connect your NAS to any HDMI ready display and run an application like XBMC on your NAS instead of adding an additional piece of equipment to your home theater like an HTPC or Raspberry Pi. Having an Infrared Receiver built-in means you can use the optional AS-RC10 remote control for easy navigation. Personally, I prefer the iOS XBMC app or XBMC constellation for control, but your mileage may vary.
