Hoping for some information on NAS models

[Metal Mick]

Hi all,

I'm Michael Pless, I'm new to the group, and living in Melbourne Australia, with my lovely wife and two beautiful daughters.

I found this group thorough researching NAS drives. I'm looking to get one for my home. Basically, I want something I can store all my data on, remotely to the PCs in my house and act as a backup location for other PCs we have. Since getting a notebook, I've become fond of sitting in front of the fire, surfing the web and editing my writing, as well as attending to emails. This means I need to keep my files in one central location - currently my nmt - that I can access from anywhere in the house. My daughters are both getting in the habit of accessing the nmt for their media. With 2 using it it starts to struggle. In any case, I'd hardly see this as the epitome of security or reliability.

My priorities are reliable storage and speedy movement of files - both large and small. It must also work with Windows as well as Linux. Backups are critically important too.

I hope to get some assistance on a choice between:

Qnap 409 (around AUD$750 locally) and, I'm also considering an Intel SS4200 (for about $550)

Firstly, the Intel device seems to have been removed from the charts. It was, at the time of review one of the faster units, though flawed in its software. Why is this?

Tom's Hardware also indicated it was quite a speedy unit. I have reservations about this nas, but its results regarding speed keep it on my radar.

Can anyone give me their experiences on this unit - its flaws and good features. I know one member here has hacked into it quite a bit. I don't think I'll be that keen.) Things to be wary of? I know its OS is a bit simplistic and limited.

What of the GPL components on the Intel and EMC websites - are these of any use?

The Qnap has many fine features, not the least of which is a strong user group and support. While it is more expensive, I feel its feature set and apparent quality makes it far better value for money that the Intel. At this stage, it seems a bit like overkill for my needs. (But I was strongly against a notebook until I got one.)

My sole concern is its relatively low status on the performance charts. THG also indicated it had issues moving files quickly.

I hope I've been clear (if not, I'm happy to rephrase), and look forward to receiving your experiences with these machines.

Regards,

Michael P

 

[thiggins]

Hi Michael,

The SS4200-E is still in the charts. Check the RAID 1 and 5 charts.

Intel really isn't in the NAS business. So don't expect much in the way of new features and/or firmware updates.

Please note that I tested the QNAP TS-409 Pro. The 409 will have lower performance. Both are previous generation NASes, using the Marvell Orion
chipset.

There are many NASes that can meet your needs for less $ than the QNAP or Intel.

Read through How To Choose the Right NAS for You if you already haven't.

Note to take full advantage of the file transfer speeds of current-generation NASes, you need a gigabit Ethernet connection. If you are connecting wirelessly, transfer speeds will be limited to around 3 MB/s with 802.11g and 8 - 10 MB/s with draft 11n, best case.

 

[Metal Mick]

HI Tim,

Hi Michael,

The SS4200-E is still in the charts. Check the RAID 1 and 5 charts.

Oops!

Intel really isn't in the NAS business. So don't expect much in the way of new features and/or firmware updates.

This is a significant concern, and one that causes me to approach the device with caution.

Please note that I tested the QNAP TS-409 Pro. The 409 will have lower performance. Both are previous generation NASes, using the Marvell Orion
chipset.

There are many NASes that can meet your needs for less $ than the QNAP or Intel.

Noted, re the Qnaps. Can you enlighten me on the other NASs?

Read through URL="http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/content/view/30107/230/"]How To Choose the Right NAS for You[/URL] if you already haven't.

Have done. I found the article Smart SOHOs Don't Do RAID very interesting too.

Note to take full advantage of the file transfer speeds of current-generation NASes, you need a gigabit Ethernet connection. If you are connecting wirelessly, transfer speeds will be limited to around 3 MB/s with 802.11g and 8 - 10 MB/s with draft 11n, best case.

Yes, I am aware of the wireless limitations, but if I'm using my laptop, I'll be predominantly working with relatively small files. The other machines are wired.

Many thanks for the reply, and the help.

Michael P

 

[thiggins]

Noted, re the Qnaps. Can you enlighten me on the other NASs?

Try using the Price vs. Performance NAS Charts and using the filters to narrow the selection.

The main tradeoff will be between price and performance. All will work with Windows, MacOS, Linux...since all support SMB/CIFS.

I tend toward recommending a pair of single drive NASes, one for primary storage, the other for backup. If you can live with 1TB, that's the way to go.

Don't rule out Windows Home Server based solutions like the HP MediaSmart EX485/487.

Buffalo TeraStation III is also a good value.

 

[Metal Mick]

Hi Tim,

thanks again for your help.

Things are getting clearer now. Thanks for the suggestions on actual devices.

Being in Australia though, some units are just not available.

1 terrabyte will not suffice for the storage, but will be more than enough for backup.

I'll chew on things for a little bit and then make a decision. I'm not in a tearing hurry.

Regards,

Michael P

Try using the Price vs. Performance NAS Charts and using the filters to narrow the selection.

The main tradeoff will be between price and performance. All will work with Windows, MacOS, Linux...since all support SMB/CIFS.

I tend toward recommending a pair of single drive NASes, one for primary storage, the other for backup. If you can live with 1TB, that's the way to go.

Don't rule out Windows Home Server based solutions like the HP MediaSmart EX485/487.

Buffalo TeraStation III is also a good value.

 

[Metal Mick]

Decision made

Hi Tim, at al,

I reread the documents I refer to in earlier postings and gave things a lot of thought.

I can also recount a dreadful experience that supports any premise that setting up a RAID array sees the job done to completion: my eldest daughter had all her schoolwork (3D modeling/animation) trusted to a striped array on her computer (and did not back her work up to a second drive I gave her).

The motherboard failed and a replacement was not available - the distributor decided it had to be repaired. This took 3 months.

I realized that what I was initially intending to do was repeat the process with a NAS drive. That is, trust my data to a RAID device without backup.

So, I've taken a hard look at just how valuable my data is and how much of it I have.

I've lobbed for a 2-bay Qnap drive and a separate drive for backup. (I dearly wanted a 4-bay, but it was an expense and degree of complexity I did not look forward to. Wants and needs are often different.)

Many thanks for your help Tim

Cheers,

Michael P

 

[thiggins]

Thanks for posting the update. I'm glad that you are considering backup as part of your storage strategy.

Don't forget to check and occasionally test the backups!