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Today we’re having a look at a feature packed little NAS device from QNAP Systems, the TS-101 NAS Server.
NAS stands for Network Attached Storage, which in basic terms means a hard drive (or other storage device) that can be accessed from anywhere in the network. The functionality of a NAS appliance is similar to having a hard drive on a file server or a network share on another computer. The drive or individual folders can be mapped on your local computer and used in the same way as a local hard drive. It is this simplicity, coupled with falling hardware prices that have led to the increasing popularity of these devices in the last couple of years.
The QNAP TS-101
The TS-101 from QNAP Systems is an extremely feature packed little device, it not only includes a NAS File Server, but also:
· USB Print Server
· Multimedia Station – a User Friendly web interface for you to manage personal albums of photos and multimedia files.
· Download Station – Incorporates a torrent client to download files via Peer-2-Peer without the need for a PC
· Mirror Station – Provides ‘Q-Raid-1’, which enables you to mirror the data on the TS-101 to an attached USB or eSATA Hard Drive, and restore the data in case the internal drive fails.
· Disaster Recovery – Allows you to mirror your local hard drive or certain files to a folder on the TS-101 via the network. If your PC HDD crashes, your data can all be restored.
· Web Server – A basic web server, supporting PHP4 and SQLite, so you can upload your pages and manage your website easily.
· FTP Server – A time loved, powerful file transfer method.
· Backup Server – Backup software for Windows to allow users to configure automatic backups to a folder on the TS-101.
So, we can see the TS-101 is certainly feature packed, but you may fear that it will be too complicated to use in your home or small office. Well, it’s not, it’s extremely easy to assemble and setup with the included software, and if you do happen to somehow get lost along the way, the instructions are very easy to follow and will get you back on track.
TS-101 Open, Waiting for HDD
HDD Installed
When installing the software it will even map the network drive for you so it can be accessed in My Computer. Other network users can either install the software also, or browse to the TS-101 through ‘My Network Places’ in Windows and map the drive through there. You don’t NEED to install anything at all to use it.
The TS-101 includes Gigabit Ethernet for its network interface, so speed is certainly not a problem, even with multiple, simultaneous users, and the internal hard drive uses the Serial-ATA-II interface, further decreasing any possible bottlenecks. There is only 1 internal HDD though, so if multiple users are all accessing large amounts of data at once, performance will of course suffer as a result.
Networking:
The TS-101 is set by default to accept a DHCP IP address, with the ability to set a fixed IP address through either the web interface or the setup software. The web interface and is of course password protected, so your kids or the new office intern can’t come in and screw everything up.
If provided with a gateway and internet access, the TS-101 is then able to function as a standalone torrent client. You simply download the .torrent file to your computer, and in the TS-101’s web interface, go to the download station, and browse to the torrent file on your computer and it will start downloading straight away. Whilst it is a very basic client compared to what can run on your PC, it is still a very cool inclusion. Upload and download speeds can be limited, and it will seed your files until you tell it to stop – useful if you’re on a torrent site that requires a good up/down ratio. All downloads are saved in a folder on the TS-101, so a PC doesn’t even have to be connected to it for it to work.
MAC Compatibility is another of the TS-101’s features, whilst no MAC software is provided to manage the TS-101, instructions are included to get your MAC connected to the web interface and configure and manage the device from there. I don’t have a MAC here to test with, but nonetheless this is an important feature to include with the rising popularity of MAC PCs.
Storage:
The TS-101’s main storage device is an internal 3.5” Serial ATA II Hard Disk Drive, supporting sizes up to and above 750GB, but additional, external storage can also be added. A hard drive or flash drive can be connected to one of the three available USB ports, or an eSATA external hard drive to the eSATA Port. These additional drives can either be used to mirror the data on the internal drive for data security, or simply added as another share folder for network clients to use. So if you run out of space, there’s no need to upgrade the internal drive, simply buy a cheap USB2.0 HDD case, and plus it in. You will be pre-warned about running out of internal drive space, the TS-101 will flash an alert light when free space is below 3GB (this value can be changed). You can even configure the TS-101 to send you an email if anything goes wrong with any part of the system.
You can also schedule to remotely replicate your data FROM the TS-101 to another share on the network. There’s just so many ways to ensure your data doesn’t get lost it’s not funny.
Downfalls:
Honestly, I can’t really find anything that I don’t like with this device. It’s easy to setup, easy to use, and packed to the brim with useful features. It is not the cheapest product on the market, selling online for about AU$370 (plus the cost of a suitable HDD). The Netgear Storage Central SC101 is certainly cheaper at about AU$150, but that doesn’t include half the features of the TS-101, and is also not a NAS device, it’s a SAN (Storage Area Network) device, which requires every PC in the network to have software installed to enable them to access the drive, and as such is nowhere near as easy to use, so price is relative to how much use you will get from the features included, I personally think the QNAP TS-101 is good value for money and wish I didn’t have to send it back so soon.
Conclusion:
A feature packed, easy to use NAS device, which represents good value for money if you can make use of its features.
Rating: 9/10
This product can be purchased online at www.techbuy.com.au
