Computing on Demand PC News & Reviews
ADM 2.4, the ASUSTOR Data Master Operating System, is a sleek and robust Linux-based operating system. The interface has been upgraded and navigation is as easy as using an iPhone. The OS is standard across the entire ASUSTOR lineup. Simplicity? Yes. Multitasking? Yes. Looks good? Yes. Bloated? No way. With the advanced web IU, you can rearrange settings, create pages based on your usage preferences, and even change the background image. You can run multiple applications without having to commit to those changes and lose everything; the applications can be minimized, moved, or closed.
The administration, out of the box, is broken up into several different “apps” that reside on the desktop. The apps are logically defined and it is easy to figure out what does what without requiring a manual.
Access Control
Access control is where your users, groups, app privileges, and shared folders reside. Users can be added with just a few clicks and groups can be assigned just as easily to make administrating access to shared folders easy. Shared Folders can be created and added in no time at all and allows for advanced user access permissions.
Activity Monitor
The activity monitor presents everything you need to know about what your NAS is doing in a very slick way. The percentage of each CPU (core) is displayed graphically, as well as memory, network activity, disk usage, and running processes.
Backup & Restore
Backup & Restore is everything the name describes. You can create RSYNC jobs, FTP Backup jobs, configure backup to external devices, configure the One Touch Backup, backup to Cloud (currently only supports Amazon S3), and the ability to export and import your backup settings. In addition to backing up your NAS, you can export or schedule an export of your NAS configuration.
File Explorer
File explorer is as self-descriptive as can be. You can view and manage documents easily. With the cloud services ASUSTOR builds into the NAS, you also have the ability to create a public share for any specific document quickly to allow someone from the outside to download. Beyond that, compression is built-in (zip or 7z!); just right-click on a file and choose.
Settings
Settings is home to the basic configuration of your NAS. You can configure system ports, regional options, enable notifications, restore to factory default, configure networking, modify energy-saving features, and more. The hardware subsection allows you to configure things like LED indicators, buzzers, HDD power down settings, and customize the LCD panel.
General: General Settings are very basic. You can change things like the ports for NAS operation, import an SSL certificate, configure auto logout timers, and change the style of the Sign In Page.
Network: Under Network you can change the Hostname of your NAS, define which Ethernet Port will be configured for the Default Gateway, identify your DNS Server for IPv4 and IPv6, configure Link Aggregation, Set the IP address of your NAS as well as MTU, VLAN, and define your Proxy information if you are using one. If you have a Wi-Fi adapter installed, you can configure the wireless networking.
VPN: VPN allows you to configure your NAS as a VPN client via PPTP or OpenVPN.
Regional Options: Regional Options is your standard Date & Time, Time Zone, and language
Hardware: Hardware allows you to configure thinks like LED brightness, buzzer sounds, disabling or enabling the reset button, Disk Hibernation and Sleep Mode, EuP, Power outage settings, Wake-on-Lan, Power Scheduling, and Fan control.
Notifications: You can send notifications (up to 20 senders) to email or SMS, configure your NAS as a Notifications Recipient, and configure Push Notifications for iOS and Android Devices.
ADM Defender: ADM defender is a very basic firewall that can ban specific IP addresses or ban them based on failed login attempts. Whitelisting, Blacklisting, etc.
ADM Update: ADM update allows you to check for and install any software updates available for your system.
Network Recycle Bin: The Network Recycle bin acts as a supplemental insurance policy. If a file is deleted accidentally from your NAS, you can retrieve it from the network recycle bin. Here, you can enable, or disable it for CIFS/SAMBA, AFP, FTP, and File Explorer.
Energy Saver: Energy saver will allow you to configure your NASs energy efficiency. You can use ASUSTOR’s recommended settings for disk standby (internal and / or external), Fan control, WOL, or customize your own.
Ease of Access: Ease of Access presents you with ASUSTOR’s Cloud Connect service, EZ-Router, and DDNS.
Factory Default: Here you can reset your NAS to NEW
Registration: Registration is required for the App store.
Well Joe I was going to build your “Build a NAS for Affordable Storage – The Complete Guide” until I saw this. I couldn’t build that for this price and with the upgradable RAM it’s perfect for me. Thanks for this review, the NAS and 8 5 Tb hard drives are on the way.
William, I am happy to hear that you will not be following our guide… for this reason alone :). This is a strong NAS at a FANTASTIC price. Please let us know how you make out with it.
For sure Joe. As happy as I am with my Qnap 4 bay, this unit will be faster and with the HDMI I’ve finally found a use for my old Samsung monitor. Thinking about a bluetooth dongle also for a keyboard and mouse setup.
No need for that. If you have a phone (android or iOS) you can use the official KODI remote control app. Personally, I use Constellation on the iPad. Makes for some slick controls. All you have to do is make sure you have the “web server”, a user name and password configured in KODI. Then you are good to go.
The hard drives and the ram are in. Just waiting for the NAS now.
OK, I’ve added the 8Gb’s of ram, added 8 5 Tb drives and now I’m dumping my external HD’s onto the NAS. This is going to take a couple of days it looks like. I’ll post later when everything is done and I’m transferring files over the network and streaming to my WD TV Live
Your next purchase should be a switch capable of delivering 802.3AD link aggregation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_aggregation
I personally use the Netgear GS724T
OK Joe you’re going to have to help me out here. Although I studied electronics in college and I’ve built computers from scratch, this switch is apparently over my head. Why would I need this and what will it do for my system?
802.3ad Link aggregation allows you to take two Ethernet Ports and combine them in to one (faster speeds when there are multiple connections to the NAS)
802.3ad Link aggregation allows you to take two Ethernet Ports and combine them in to one (faster speeds when there are multiple connections to the NAS)
Joe the Android apps from Asustor do everything I need to do remotely.
Time has passed, how are things going with the ASUSTOR NAS?
So,now that I’ve transferred my TV collection from my Qnap NAS I have to say, this is one fast NAS. I’m sure the 8Gb ram upgrade makes a big difference. When I stream to my WD TV Live the buffering is a lot faster than the Qnap. There’s also a noticeable difference when I’m searching through the different folders from the TV Live.
Transferring files through the network from my Mac is faster and I haven’t had any error messages like I do with the Qnap.
I’m not trying to put down Qnap here but these boxes aren’t really comparable. 512 Mb’s of ram vs. 8 Gb’s. Single core processor vs. dual core and so on.
The Qnap has been good for my needs and I honestly never thought that I’d need more than 8 Tb’s of storage, but I am a bit of a digital media hoarder it turns out. It’s also a little more reassuring to be able to use Raid 6 and have that 2 drive fail safety with tons of storage still.
So the Qnap has been relegated to just movie storage and hopefully now that it’s no longer sitting with less than a Tb free it will perform a little better.
Altogether the AS5008T with 8 5Tb drives and the ram upgrade came to just under $3.000 Canadian but I’m very happy and I’m sure this will be the last NAS for years to come. But who knows?
Awesome to hear… I loved this NAS when I got it. For the price… hard to beat.