Tag Archives: 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.

There is seldom a time when I get more excited than when someone ships me a case designed specifically for storage. SliverStone told me they would be producing something that would get my fingers twitching in anticipation, and for the last couple of months it sat in a dark corner waiting for the day when I could break it open. Lonely and afraid, the SilverStone DS380 SFF NAS chassis waited, waited for its chance to woo me.

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.

If you are hunting around for your next NAS, you have plenty to pick from. With countless options, NAS makers are hard at work trying to ramp up their products and are jockeying for the number 1 spot on your short list. It seems like only yesterday that QNAP had introduced their X69(L) lineup and already we are being greeted by a more powerful X70 lineup. For the last few months, we have been putting QNAP's TS-470 to work in our office... the real question is, is it worth your dollar?

If you have read our guide to building your own NAS or our more recent Lian Li PC-Q28 Review, you may be ready to get your own personal NAS project started. The cases featured in both of those articles were great enclosures for a NAS Solution, but didn't really make accessing your drives easy. iStarUSA thinks they have the perfect case for the job, the S-915. This compact mini-ITX tower style chassis may not be an enthusiasts first choice in brand name or feature a sleek all aluminum exterior, but it does have a company with 20 years of experience in industrial computers behind it. Is that enough to seat it atop your list for cases in your project?

Thecus is no slouch when it comes to producing affordable NAS solutions. They have been producing some of the best performing NAS at an unbeatable price point for as long as I can remember. With the introduction of their Vision Series, Thecus has put the pressure on. Their N7510 NAS brings some interesting things to the table, 7 bays of storage loving goodness, great looks, and a fantastic price point. Let's see if it delivers more than just an odd number of drive bays.

NAS manufacturers are hitting the home theater enthusiast scene pretty hard. Asustor has joined the charge and thinks they have a NAS that can steal the spotlight. They are packing as much as they can into these powerful little boxes and people are eating it up. Asustor impressed us with their AS-608T; can they keep up the good work with the AS-302T?