NAS

NAS are evolving faster than many segments of the computing world. Today, there are more NAS makers than you can shake a stick at, and all of them are on a mission to produce a product that will find its home in yours. asustor is no stranger to the market, and they have been quietly making some of the best NAS available today. While doing so, they have been keeping the costs down, the features rich, and the evolution moving forward. Recently, ASUSTOR launched their AS3102T 2-bay NAS with 4K capabilities and a Celeron processor, but will it be enough to capture our attention and deliver results that you, the consumer, are looking for?

QNAP has shed their Intel only t-shirts and has partnered with AMD to introduce their new TVS-X63+ Golden Cloud Turbo vNAS lineup. These NAS are powered by AMD 64-bit G-Series Quad-Core CPUs, tons of RAM, they are outfitted with 10GbE, powered by AMD Radeon graphics, and feature a brand new Gold exterior. The question is, is this NAS enough to be considered when looking to purchase a storage platform, or will it be marketing propaganda overload?

It seems like there is a new kid on the block each and every week. Whenever I think that the dust is settling, someone comes running through like the road runner kicking up a new cloud trail. To be fair, Seagate not exactly a new kid on the block and is most definitely not new to storage. With Seagate's expansion through acquisitions (including LaCie in August of 2012), they took all the best features of LaCie and their knowledge of storage and put together what might be the next middleweight contender.

ASUSTOR has become one of my go to manufacturers for NAS. They have made some great NAS at some very affordable prices. Naturally, as time goes on, components are less expensive for consumers and for manufacturers. This allows NAS makers to pack more power into their storage appliances without increasing costs. In some cases, we are finding more powerful NAS at lower costs. To compliment this decrease in costs, production ramps up, R&D ramps up, and product enhancements increase. Ok, the point of all that? ASUSTOR has released a new 8-bay NAS, gave it more power, slapped a new name on it, and... lowered the cost. Enter the AS5008T.

Just when I thought it was safe to open a box again, Thecus drops one at my door and tells me that they have produced the First Ever Windows Storage Server 2012 R2 Essentials NAS. After coming hot off the heals of the Buffalo WSS 5400 NAS review, I thought I would have a break to get back to some good ole fashioned Linux based NAS reviews, I guess not. Having liked the Buffalo NAS, I can't wait to see what Thecus is able to accomplish with their W5000 5-Bay premium NAS.

When I think about a NAS I think Linux and I think web based administration. Well, when I think about Buffalo, I think I love the hardware and I just use the administration. Buffalo, a solid hardware platform, starts to really look dated and unimpressive when comparing their administration to the likes of QNAP, Synology, and ASUSTOR. To address this, Buffalo has released another 5400 NAS appliance and slapped a WSS on the end of its name. If you don't know what that means... it means that Buffalo has outfitted their WS5400DR2 with Windows Storage Server 2012 R2 and is working at bringing their NAS back under the big lights.

Windows Storage Server is an exciting development in the storage platform. It can run on nearly any spec'd hardware and allows for simple management of storage appliances across a wide variety of manufacturers. Unlike customized NAS OS from other platforms, you get similar features and functions across an array of manufacturers. It is offered in two flavors, provides simple management, and runs like a champ. Additionally, having familiarity with Windows Server operating systems allows administrators to dive right in.

If you are QNAP, what can you do next? You have already released some of the best NAS with some of the best features on the market, how do you top that? Well, QNAP thinks they have a good shot at targeting the home enthusiast with their latest lineup of NAS in the TS-x51 series. The TS-451 is the 4 bay variant in the product family and offers a powerful CPU, upgradeable RAM, transcoding capabilities, and some new looks.

Can you think of a NAS worth buying that costs less than $150.00 USD? I bet you would have a hard time answering that question. I have reviewed a slew of NAS and can't answer that question, until now. Thecus has done what many have considered as the impossible. They may have just set a new standard for affordability, slapped the Thecus badge on it, and dubbed it the N2310.

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.