The QNAP TS-453E NAS Drive Review Why would you consider the QNAP TS-453E? Arriving in an oddly efficient and affordable, yet very capable form with its Intel Quad Core, 2.5GbE and 8GB memory architecture – this device stands out from the rest of the band’s value tier. For most users looking at buying their first […]

Recommended Files to Test Your Plex Media Server NAS

If you are considering buying/building your own Plex Media server (or even want to test the capabilities of your existing Plex server), then you may have discovered that it is actually a lot harder to bench-test your multimedia system than it should be. Notwithstanding the fact that very, VERY few people are running the exact same server setup (even two people buying the same NAS drive might have different HDDs, SSDs, memory, caching, directories, network traffic and more), but then you need to factor in that the depth, frequency and volume of everyone’s media collection will differ wildly. One user might have a simple Nvidia Shield + external USB drive setup and mostly 1080P, another running a Synology DS920+ NAS and a tonne of 4K, meanwhile, user number 3 is a highly audio-focused user that wants to use pristine, flawless raw audio to their smart home speakers from their Plex library – These are just three setups and each is INCREDIBLY different in it’s hardware requirements! So, when you are in the market for a new server for your Plex system, or simply want to check your current setup does the job), it is recommended to run a benchmark by playing some ranged media that will stress test different areas of multimedia playback on your Plex server. I have been running Plex Media Server tests on NAS drives for a  number of years (a FULL PLEX TEST PLAYLIST can be found HERE on the NASCompares YouTube) and although I include fairly standard multimedia testing using familiar movies and TV shows, I have also used a tremendously thorough range of files known as the ‘JellyFish Files‘. This is an incredible range of files that cover everything from a 2MB sized 480p, low bitrate, H.264, all the way upto an insanely high end 1.4 GIGABYTE 400Mbps 4K UHD HEVC HDR file – ALL of which are the same 30 second media file. These files can be added to your Plex Media Server and playing them, whilst monitoring your system’s hardware and resource utilization will help you understand the limitations of your system and what the system can/cannot play natively, as well as what impact files that need on-the-fly conversion (known predominantly as ‘transcoding’ and we will cover that later). The original source website and author location of the JellyFish files has become vague over the years (with the original repository that I originally found them and credit, being a dead website now in 2022), however, I am often asked if I still have access to the Jellyfish archive and if I can share them. The answer to that first question is YES, but the 2nd question takes a little longer to answer. I tried to backlink/direct users to the repository for a long time, as well as locate the original author (feeling that it is not my work to feely distribute) but hit something of a wall and after my bazillion’th requests, I have decided to create a shared drive for ALL these files. Below are the links to the FULL range of JellyFish files for testing your Plex NAS, but before you proceed, there are a few things you need t keep in mind before you proceed:

Understanding the Jellyfish Files and the File Formats, Quality and Density on a Plex NAS Benchmark Test

Before you start testing your Plex Media Sever and its multimedia capabilities, it is worth taking a moment to understand the terminology and variations of media files. You could have two copies of ‘Marvel’s Avengers Endgame’, both in 4K, but due to variations in their bitrate, their compression technique and their file format/codec and one will play much, MUCH better than another on your system. Although there are many kinds of ways you can clarify your multimedia files, the FOUR most important variables/standards to check are Bitrate, Resolution, Codec and Video Compression Standard. Take a moment to learn about what these are and their impact using the glossary below:

• Bitrate – Bitrate is the number of bits per second. The symbol is bit/s. It generally determines the size and quality of video and audio files: the higher the bitrate, the better the quality, and the larger the file size because of File size = bitrate (kilobits per second) x duration. In most cases, 1 byte per second (1 B/s) corresponds to 8 bit/s. Video bitrate affects video quality in several ways. First, it is the key measure of any video file size. Secondly, high video bitrate results in high video quality and low bitrates result in poor video quality. However, using an extremely high bitrate is just a waste of bandwidth. In general, a higher bitrate will accommodate higher image quality in the video output, only when comparing the same video with the same resolution. Bitrates should be expected to go up whenever the resolution goes up, as more data is being processed. Therefore, high video bitrate may provide excellent quality, but it can also place a major strain on your hardware which can result in stutters.
• Resolution – Video resolution determines the amount of detail in your video or how realistic and clear the video appears. It’s measured by the number of pixels contained in the standard aspect ratio of 16:9, the most common aspect ratio for television and computer monitors. A higher number of pixels indicates a higher resolution and a lower number of pixels makes for a low-resolution video. For the common resolutions of 720 and 1080, the naming convention is based on the total number of pixels running in a vertical line down the display area. For 2K, 4K or 8K video, the resolution is named for the number of pixels running in a horizontal line across the frame. Previously, the resolution has been divided between standard definition (SD video) and high definition (HD video). Anything below 720 is considered standard definition. However, as screen resolutions on computer monitors and televisions continue to improve, it’s less likely for anything to be shot in SD.
• The difference between video resolution and frame rate – Digital videos are made up of thousands of still images played in sequence. While resolution refers to the amount of data in the frame, frame rate refers to how quickly those frames are cycled through, or how many stills are packed into each second. As with video resolution, choose your video’s frame rate based on the type of motion you’re trying to capture and the type of video formats you expect to release to your audience.
• Codec – Codecs are the oxygen of the streaming media market; no codecs, no streaming media. From shooting video to editing to encoding our streaming media files for delivery, codecs are involved every step of the way. Many video producers also touch the DVD-ROM and Blu-ray markets, as well as broadcast, and codecs play a role there as well. Codecs are compression technologies and have two components, an encoder to compress the files, and a decoder to decompress. There are codecs for data (PKZIP), still images (JPEG, GIF, PNG), audio (MP3, AAC) and video (Cinepak, MPEG-2, H.264, VP8). It’s important to distinguish codecs from container formats, though sometimes they share the same name. Briefly, container formats, or wrappers, are file formats that can contain specific types of data, including audio, video, closed captioning text, and associated metadata. Though there are some general-purpose container formats, like QuickTime, most container formats target one aspect of the production and distribution pipeline, like MXF for file-based capture on a camcorder, and FLV and WebM for streaming Flash and WebM content.
• HEVC, H.264 and H.265 – H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC) are both standards for video compression used in recording and distributing digital video. Why would you choose one over the other? The main difference between H.264 and H.265 is how each processes information and the resulting video file size and bandwidth consumption used with each standard. H.264 processes frames of video using macroblocks, while H.265 processes information using coding tree units (CTUs). CTUs process information more efficiently, which results in a smaller file size and less bandwidth used for your streaming video. H.264 (also called AVC, or Advanced Video Coding) is an industry-standard for video compression that allows for the recording, compression, and distribution of digital video content. H.265 is newer and more advanced than H.264 in several ways. H.265 (also called HEVC, or High-Efficiency Video Coding) allows for further reduced file size, and therefore reduced required bandwidth, of your live video streams.

There are several other terms that are more appropriate to Plex that it might be worth getting school’d up on, but these are optional and you can learn about them below in my video on Plex NAS servers for Dummies:

Where to Download the Files to Test Your Plex Media Server NAS

As mentioned, the Jellyfish files comprise a wide range of files that, although all the same 30 secs of jellyfish playing around in the sea, comprise around 56 files of varying degrees of quality and size. You can use the links below to head over to google drive for each specific file (each link opens in a new tab). Then you can use the download option at the top right corner to  download the file to your local machine:

For those looking to bulk-download, I am afraid that due to reasons of bandwidth hogging (when I shared these files with people in the past) and the sheer weight of these files, I have opted to keep these on a Google Drive shared drive. You should be able to add these files and bulk download them from inside your own Google Drive account, or you can message me directly for the full download link by contacting me directly using the contact section at the bottom of the page. Otherwise, here is the full range of Jellyfish files to download and test your Plex Media server NAS server or DIY/ByO system:

Filename (Click to Download)	Bitrate (Overall)	Resolution	Codec	File Size
jellyfish-3-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	3 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	11 MB
jellyfish-3-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	3 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	11 MB
jellyfish-3-mbps-hd-hevc-10bit.mkv	3 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	11 MB
jellyfish-5-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	5 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	18 MB
jellyfish-5-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	5 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	18 MB
jellyfish-10-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	10 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	36 MB
jellyfish-10-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	10 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	36 MB
jellyfish-10-mbps-hd-hevc-10bit.mkv	10 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	36 MB
jellyfish-15-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	15 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	53 MB
jellyfish-15-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	15 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	53 MB
jellyfish-20-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	20 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	71 MB
jellyfish-20-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	20 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	75 MB
jellyfish-20-mbps-hd-hevc-10bit.mkv	20 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	75 MB
jellyfish-25-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	25 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	89 MB
jellyfish-25-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	25 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	93 MB
jellyfish-30-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	30 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	106 MB
jellyfish-30-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	30 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	110 MB
jellyfish-35-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	35 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	126 MB
jellyfish-35-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	35 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	129 MB
jellyfish-40-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	40 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	142 MB
jellyfish-40-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	40 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	146 MB
jellyfish-40-mbps-hd-hevc-10bit.mkv	40 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	146 MB
jellyfish-45-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	45 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	160 MB
jellyfish-45-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	45 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	166 MB
jellyfish-50-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	50 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	180 MB
jellyfish-50-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	50 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	182 MB
jellyfish-55-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	55 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	208 MB
jellyfish-55-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	55 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	199 MB
jellyfish-60-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	60 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	213 MB
jellyfish-60-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	60 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	220 MB
jellyfish-60-mbps-hd-hevc-10bit.mkv	60 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	218 MB
jellyfish-70-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	70 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	251 MB
jellyfish-70-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	70 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	256 MB
jellyfish-80-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	80 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	286 MB
jellyfish-80-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	80 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	290 MB
jellyfish-90-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	90 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	322 MB
jellyfish-90-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	90 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	329 MB
jellyfish-90-mbps-hd-hevc-10bit.mkv	90 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	330 MB
jellyfish-100-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	100 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	358 MB
jellyfish-100-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	100 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	365 MB
jellyfish-110-mbps-hd-h264.mkv	110 Mbps	1920×1080	H.264	394 MB
jellyfish-110-mbps-hd-hevc.mkv	110 Mbps	1920×1080	HEVC	401 MB
jellyfish-120-mbps-4k-uhd-h264.mkv	120 Mbps	3840×2160	H.264	431 MB
jellyfish-120-mbps-4k-uhd-hevc-10bit.mkv	120 Mbps	3840×2160	HEVC	438 MB
jellyfish-140-mbps-4k-uhd-h264.mkv	140 Mbps	3840×2160	H.264	502 MB
jellyfish-140-mbps-4k-uhd-hevc-10bit.mkv	140 Mbps	3840×2160	HEVC	525 MB
jellyfish-160-mbps-4k-uhd-h264.mkv	160 Mbps	3840×2160	H.264	573 MB
jellyfish-160-mbps-4k-uhd-hevc-10bit.mkv	160 Mbps	3840×2160	HEVC	586 MB
jellyfish-180-mbps-4k-uhd-h264.mkv	180 Mbps	3840×2160	H.264	647 MB
jellyfish-180-mbps-4k-uhd-hevc-10bit.mkv	180 Mbps	3840×2160	HEVC	658 MB
jellyfish-200-mbps-4k-uhd-h264.mkv	200 Mbps	3840×2160	H.264	718 MB
jellyfish-200-mbps-4k-uhd-hevc-10bit.mkv	200 Mbps	3840×2160	HEVC	731 MB
jellyfish-250-mbps-4k-uhd-h264.mkv	250 Mbps	3840×2160	H.264	897 MB
jellyfish-250-mbps-4k-uhd-hevc-10bit.mkv	250 Mbps	3840×2160	HEVC	914 MB
jellyfish-300-mbps-4k-uhd-hevc-10bit.mkv	300 Mbps	3840×2160	HEVC	1.0 GB
jellyfish-400-mbps-4k-uhd-hevc-10bit.mkv	400 Mbps	3840×2160	HEVC	1.4 GB

There you have it, those are the Jellyfish files for testing your Plex server. If you are still on the fence about the best plex media server NAS drive you should consider buying, you can use my article below that highlights the drives I would personally recommend and why:

(Click Below to view this article)

 

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Cette semaine, les utilisateurs de la solution Plex ont reçu un e-mail pour les informer d'une potentielle fuite de données, et que par précaution, il était préférable de procéder à un changement de mot de passe. Que s'est-il passé ?

Pour rappel, Plex est une plateforme de streaming qui donne accès à des films et de la musique, mais qui sert aussi à gérer sa propre médiathèque personnelle. En effet, Plex peut s'installer sur un ordinateur ou sur la majorité des NAS pour vous permettre de créer votre propre mediacenter. Personnellement, je l'utilise sur un NAS !

Ce mercredi 24 août 2022, j'ai reçu un e-mail de la part de Plex où il est précisé en guise d'introduction : "Nous tenons à vous informer qu'un incident impliquant les informations de votre compte Plex a eu lieu hier. Même si nous pensons que l'impact réel de cet incident est limité, nous voulons nous assurer que vous disposez des bonnes informations et des bons outils pour assurer la sécurité de votre compte."

En s'intéressant plus en détail au contenu de ce communiqué, on apprend qu'une activité suspecte sur une base de données a été découverte. D'après Plex : "il semble qu'un tiers ait pu accéder à un sous-ensemble limité de données comprenant des e-mails, des noms d'utilisateur et des mots de passe chiffrés". En prenant en considération le fait qu'il pourrait y avoir une fuite des identifiants et mots de passe, Plex recommande à tous les utilisateurs de procéder à la réinitialisation du mot de passe de leur compte.

Au-delà des identifiants, on peut s'interroger sur les données de paiement, car Plex propose des fonctionnalités payantes accessibles au travers d'un Plex Pass qui permet de devenir un membre premium. À ce sujet, Plex tient à rassurer ses clients : "Les cartes de crédit et autres données de paiement ne sont pas stockées sur nos serveurs, elles n'étaient pas vulnérables dans cet incident."

Même si l'impact est limité, pour reprendre les termes utilisés dans le communiqué de Plex, il est difficile de mesurer clairement l'impact de cette potentielle fuite de données : combien d'utilisateurs sont impactés ? Quoi qu'il en soit, pensez à changer votre mot de passe dès maintenant et à activer l'authentification multifacteurs sur votre compte.

• Réinitialiser son mot de passe Plex
• Activer le MFA sur son compte Plex

The post Fuite de données : Plex demande à ses utilisateurs de changer leur mot de passe ! first appeared on IT-Connect.

How Well Does the Terramaster F4-423 NAS Perform as a Plex Media Server? Of all the brands that I discuss here on NASCompares, very few have evolved with the speed that Terramaster has. Although coming up on a decade in the commercial network attached storage industry, they have managed to carve an impressively sized portion […]

How Well Does the Synology DS3622xs+ NAS Perform as a Plex Media Server? Many users who are taking their first tentative steps into purchasing their own private server for multimedia use will have heard that when it comes to NAS brands, that Synology is pretty much the top dog. The Synology NAS software DSM, which […]

QNAP TS-464 or the TS-453D NAS Drive – Which Should You Buy?

Are you considering the QNAP TS-464 now it has been released? Or thinking of saving some money and opting for the predecessor TS-453D that is currently on sale? It’s a tough decision for some that want to ensure value for money, yet remain future-proof. It is no secret that QNAP, much like many other NAS brands, refreshes their range of available hardware every few years. We are all quite used to tech makers producing a new version of their ‘thing’ that makes big and bold promises to be bigger, better and faster than what came before! In the case of Network Attached Storage though, one big contributing factor that often necessitates the release of new versions of their products and series is the CPU. CPU manufacturers such as Intel and AMD tend to perform refreshes of their own to their portfolios (retooling manufacturing plants for the newer processors and ceasing production of the previous chip) and this leads to NAS brands having to change their CPU in line with the chip manufacturers new revisions shortly afterwards. This new CPU revision will often open the door to further improvements in the rest of the hardware too and that is eventually what governs the shape and abilities of a new NAS release. This all too often though leads to a period of around a year when retailers that provide these solutions (everything from Amazon to specialized retailers) will feature both the older and newer NAS systems in stock at the same time and that leads to many, MANY buyers wondering whether it is worth saving some money and purchasing the previous NAS release on ‘sale’ or spending more and getting the newest release to be more future-proof. Given that both the TS-464 and TS-453D run IDENTICAL versions of the QNAP QTS 5 system software and services, the temptation to save a few quid and/or spend that saving on network improvements or more storage is pretty high. Also, the TS-453D released back in 2020 arrived on the market at $630 and is now available to buy for $549 (or even as low as $438 during seasonal sales such as Prime Day and Black Friday), see below:

Now, if you compare that against the newly released QNAP TS-664, which has seemed to hit the eShops at around $600-650, that is quite a big difference in price tag. So, today I want to compare the QNAP TS-464 released now in spring 2022 against the 2020 released TS-453D, just to see where that extra goes. On the face of it, we have two very, VERY similar NAS drives that simply arrive in different colours but have all the same ports. However, even the smallest dig into their respective specifications reveals a huge difference in the bandwidth and capacity in how these ports have changed. Let’s begin

QNAP TS-464 or the TS-453D NAS – Design

The design of the TS-464 and TS-453D are INCREDIBLY similar. The chassis that both NAS systems use a black, plastic and matt textured enclosure, with a coloured front side panel and a removable glass effect front cover that reveals the main SATA bays. This external plastic casing covers the internal metal structure completely and passive airflow via ventilation is quite discreet around the box, facilitated by a larger single 120mm rear fan on both NAS. This design has been their main choice for their flagship series since the release of the TS-x53B and TS-53Be devices in 2017/2018 and is quite understated. Of the two I SLIGHTLY prefer the copper effect side panel of the TS-464 over the TS-453D, but this is a purely personal preference.

QNAP TS-464 NAS NASCompares Review HERE 168mm × 170mm × 226 mm	QNAP TS-453D NAS NASCompares Review HERE 168mm × 170mm × 226 mm

Ventilation and notice on both the QNAP TS-464 and TS-453D are largely identical, however, there is the tiniest potential increase possibility in fan operation in the TS-464, due to the increased hardware inside the enclosure that I will touch on and the system needing to maintain an efficient system temperature. However, ventilation on both of these NAS systems is a limit more understated than alternatives from the likes of Synology, as the side vents on both these NAS are quite small (with a larger base vent panel under the SATA media bays) and I have always wondered how much impact the lockable front panel of this chassis design impacts airflow from that rear active cooling fan (negatively, positively or no different). But nevertheless, the chassis has little or no difference in the two years between the TS-453D and TS-464 being released.

QNAP TS-464 NAS	QNAP TS-453D NAS

The rear of each of these NAS systems are largely the same, however, the rearrangement of the ports of the newer TS-464 (likely to make room for additional internal M.2 NVMe SSD slots that we will discuss later) has led to them being a little between distributed across the internal board. The vents in the metal rear panel of the older TS-453D are wider than those found on the TS-464, though I am not entirely sure of the reasoning behind this decision (dust control, creating increased velocity for the air via compressed channels? I have no idea), but it does not seem to affect system temperature either way when we checked the system diagnostics after 24 hours power-on. The fan is completely automated to increase/decrease as the system temperature monitor dictates but can be adjusted higher or lower in RPM manually if needed for reasons of preemptive high system activity or noise adjustment. Personally, I would ALWAYS leave this on automatic.

QNAP TS-464 NAS	QNAP TS-453D NAS

Overall, the design of the QNAP TS-464 and TS-453D has changed so very little, that there is little or no difference between them of note. Both are particularly compact 4 bays that can be deployed pretty easily. Let’s dig down into the internal hardware of these two NAS, as it is there that we really really start to see how much has changed in two years and gives us a clearer picture of which one will be better value for money.

QNAP TS-464 or the TS-453D NAS – Internal Hardware

Right, so HERE is where we start to see some big differences between the TS-464 and TS-453D, as QNAP are able to take advantage of a better CPU to spread their hardware and bandwidth a great deal more. Once again though, on the face of it, the specifications are incredibly similar. Both use quad-core Intel Celerons, both arriving at 2.0Ghz with embedded graphics and both using 4GB DDR4 memory, yet more than a $/£/€100-150 difference! This is down to the maximum capacities afforded to this hardware in the TS-464 and its scalability down the line. For example, the default memory inside the TS-453D (ADATA 2400Mhz DDR4 non-ECC SODIMM) is also accompanied by an additional empty memory slot to allow an additional 4GB more memory. As the older TS-453D has a CPU that has a maximum 8GB of memory, this is perfectly fine. However, the TS-464 NAS’ newer gen CPU allows up to 16GB of memory (4GB of 2666Mhz memory in the default model) across two upgradable slots. Likewise, the newer system features those M.2 NVMe slots that can be used for SSD storage upgrades. Although both the TS-453D and TS-464 support SSD caching (when a pool of SSDs is used to speed up data write/read in conjunction with the larger HDD RAID array), Qtier and as standalone storage pools, the TS-464 is the only one that provides this as immediately without any upgrade cards. This is the first of several key differences between the QNAP TS-464 and TS-453D NAS that stem from the CPU choice. Here is how they scale up specifically though:

Model	TS-464	TS-453D
Price	£559               $650              €675	£429               $530              €549
Storage Media Support	4x SATA, 2x m.2 NVMe 3×1	4x SATA
CPU Model	Intel N5105/N5095	Intel J4125
CPU Frequency & Cores	Quad-Core 2.0-2.9Ghz	Quad-Core 2.0-2.7Ghz
CPU Benchmark Score	CPU benchmark 4161	CPU benchmark 3006
Memory Default/Max	4-16GB SODIMM DDR4	4-8GB SODIMM DDR4
PSU Power & Design	90W External PSU	90W External PSU
Physical Fans	1x 120m FAN	1x 120m FAN

Now, that CPU is the big game-changer here. When Intel made the switch to the newer N5105/N5095 processor, this opened the door to a bunch more ways to extend the efficiency and bandwidth of those existing physical services. NAS systems are designed to be operational for days, weeks, months and even years at a time. Therefore, in order to maintain optimal performance, as well as lower power consumption and lessen the damage that long term operation can inflict on a processor, the CPUs used in NAS are a great deal more modest. In the case of the TS-453D and TS-464 NAS, they feature Intel Celeron processors, each featuring an embedded graphics component (allowing graphical operations, multimedia handling and visual data to be handled by a specialized area of the processor), quad-core architecture and a base level clock speed of 2.0Ghz that can be burst (turbo/increased when needed). However, the newer generation N5105/N5095 CPU in the TS-464 is able to reach a higher overall clock speed and also is more efficient (i.e uses a little less hardware resources to get a task done than it would take on the J4125 typically, so, therefore, can do more tasks overall when the full CPU power is utilized). Indeed, CPUBenchmark rated the newer CPU 30%+ higher in its scoring than the J4125 (again, as you would expect for a CPU released more than a year later by Intel), so this processor means that more can be done on the TS-464 (in like for like tasks) and also this CPU allows a greater range of hardware to be built into the system. CPUs are one of the largest quantifying factors of how a NAS is built and this is because they can only handle a certain amount of connected hardware (storage bays, ports, expansion slots, etc) when connected to a larger controller/motherboard. This is commonly referred to as the # of PCI lanes and the chipset used in the build of the system. Because this newer Intel N5105 / N5095 CPU has more lanes to use at once than the J4125, it allows the newer NAS drive to have more hardware.

QNAP TS-464 NAS – Intel N5105/N5095 CPU

QNAP TS-453D NAS – Intel J4125 CPU

These additional CPU resources, as well as the increased maximum memory and flexibility the TS-464 providing M.2 NVMe SSD slots can be used ultimately means that in terms of internal hardware, the newer released QNAP TS-464 wins over the TS-453D NAS. It is worth remembering that the M.2 NVMe SSD slots on the QNAP TS-464 are PCIe Gen 3 x1 (down to the Celeron CPU still not having anywhere near the scope in its flexibility that the likes of an Intel Core, Ryzen or Xeon might have) and will bottleneck at 1,000MB/s, but this is still better than nothing and as these slots are not an option on the TS-453D without the installation of an M.2 NVMe SSD upgrade card over PCIe.

QNAP TS-464 or the TS-453D NAS – Ports & Connections

Once again, the ports and connections available on the QNAP TS-453D and TS-464 seem near enough identical at a glance, but even a casual dig into those spec sheets real some big differences. Both systems provide two 2.5GbE network ports that, along with up to 260-270MB/s throughput, also allow port-trunking (otherwise known as link aggregation) and with the use of a smart switch can provide 500-550MB/s performance to your connected network. Alongside this, both systems support the QNAP USB 3.2 to 5GbE adapter to add further network ports to the system too. Likewise, both system provide an HDMI 2.0 4K 60FPS port and USB 2.0 ports for a KVM (keyboard, video, Mouse) setup to be used in conjunction with the included parallel HD Station application and its tools. The HDMI and direct interface of the QNAP is still pretty niche as a service on this system, but it has a number of useful multimedia, surveillance and VM utilities that can be quite impressive. Finally, Expansions on the TS-464 and TS-453D are largely the same, with QNAP offering 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12-Bay expansion chassis (arriving in JBOD or hardware RAID enabled) that connect over USB or an inclusive PCIe card. However, after this, things become a great deal more future proof and scalable on the TS-464 NAS.

Model	TS-464	TS-453D
Network Ports	2x 2.5GbE	2x 2.5GbE
USB 3.2 Ports	2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gb)	2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gb)
USB 2.0 Ports	2x USB 2.0	3x USB 2.0
HDMI Ports	1x HDMI 2.0 4K 60FPS	1x HDMI 2.0 4K 60FPS
PCIe Upgrade Slots	PCIe Gen 3×2 Slot (2Gb/s)	PCIe Gen 2×2 Slot (1Gb/s)

The first difference worth highlighting is regarding those USB ports. The older TS-453D features USB 3.2 Gen 1 (AKA USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 Gen 1) ports that provide up to 5Gb/s (500MB/s+) bandwidth with connected external storage media (i.e you would need a RAID enabled HDD USB enclosure or SSD drive in order to hit this performance cap). The TS-464 on the other hand features USB 3.2 Gen 2 (AKA USB 3.1 Gen 2 – THANKS for the name nonsense ‘USB.org’!) which can provide 10Gb/s performance (i.e 1,000MB/s). As SSDs become increasingly affordable and even external m.2 NVMe SSD enclosures arriving at a bargain, this option to have a significantly faster backup drive option available is quite attractive. Especially for those that plan on having a USB tier to their multi-stage NAS Backup strategy and choose to have dated/versioned backups, rather than differential backups just ‘topping things up’ over time. Another big difference of note is in that PCIe upgrade slot. Both the TS-453D and TS-464 feature the option to install a PCIe upgrade card that can include options to add better network interfaces (2.5/5/10G or WiFi 6 / AX wireless options) with multi-port card, storage upgrade cards (adding multiple M.2 NVMe and SATA bays) or even combo cards that feature both on a single card. The difference between the TS-464 and TS-453D though stems from the bandwidth afforded these slots, with the TS-453D arriving with a PCIe Gen 2×2 slot and the TS-464 having a PCIe Gen 3 x2 slot. This results in the newer NAS providing DOUBLE the potential bandwidth of the TS-453D when installing an upgrade card. So this will be particularly useful when installing multiport network upgrade cards and SSD cards that exceed 1,000MB/s, as well as combo cards that need to spread the bandwidth a bit. Overall, the hardware in the TS-464 is certainly better and broader than the TS-453D, but it is worth remembering that the bulk of these advantages and improvements made in the 2 years later hardware release can be viewed in terms of optional scalability and expandability – so you are going to need more hardware to take advantage and almost certainly not advantages that most users will take advantage of on day 1.

QNAP TS-464 or the TS-453D NAS – Software

This is pretty much the smallest difference that can be measured between the QNAP TS-464 and QNAP TS-453D NAS. Both these NAS systems run the QTS 5 operating system, services and applications available for the platform and numerous client hardware devices (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, etc). The only REAL difference between these two NAS systems is the fact that the improved hardware inside the newer TS-464 (more efficient and higher clock speed CPU, after memory and large maximum RAM threshold) allows a larger number of actions and clients to be managed at a single time than the TS-453D NAS. However, in smaller or single operations, you are not going to feel/see the difference, unless you are particularly pushing the CPU or Memory utilization in a single client interaction (i.e surveillance camera feeds, Virtual Machine deployment, transcoding natively and/or Plex, etc). Likewise, the inclusion of the default M.2 NVMe slots on the TS-464 means that you have a few extra SSDD services available on day 1, but these are still available to the TS-453D via either the installation of a PCIe upgrade card OR using SATA SSDs internally. Below is a breakdown of the applications and services that are included in QTS available on both NAS systems.

	TS-464	TS-453D
Browser Support	Supports all Browsers	Supports all Browsers
	Browser File Management	Browser File Management
	Photo/Music/Video Tools	Photo/Music/Video Tools
	Multimedia Console	Multimedia Console
	AI Photo Recognition	AI Photo Recognition
	Edge m.2 Coral TPU Support
Storage Services
	SED Drive Support	SED Drive Support
	QTier	QTier
	Hybrid Mount	Hybrid Mount
	ISCSI Target/LUN	ISCSI Target/LUN
	vJBOD	vJBOD
	Snapshots	Snapshots
	SSD Cache (Read/Write/Both)	SSD Cache (Read/Write/Both)
	Cloud Sync / QSync	Cloud Sync / QSync
	Ex-FAT is Free	Ex-FAT is Free
	RAID Resync control	RAID Resync control
	Secure Erase	Secure Erase
	Lots of Expansions (TR/TL)	Lots of Expansions (TR/TL)
	HBS 3	HBS 3
	Qfiling and Qsirch	Qfiling and Qsirch
Business Applications
	QVR Pro – 8 Camera Licenses	QVR Pro – 8 Camera Licenses
	Virtualization Station	Virtualization Station
	Ubuntu Linux Station 18/20	Ubuntu Linux Station 18/20
	Container Station	Container Station
	Hypervisor Protector	Hypervisor Protector
	QMailAgent	QMailAgent
	HD Station	HD Station
	BoXafe	BoXafe
Security
	Security Councillor	Security Councillor
	Malware Remover	Malware Remover
	McAfee Anti-Virus Scanning	McAfee Anti-Virus Scanning
	QVPN	QVPN
	Log and Notification Center	Log and Notification Center
	Auto Blocking on SSH, Telnet etc	Auto Blocking on SSH, Telnet etc
	256 bit Encryption	256 bit Encryption
	2 Step Authentication	2 Step Authentication
	Firewall App	Firewall App
	Access Protection and Allow/Deny list	Access Protection and Allow/Deny list

Although you are going to be able to do more of these things above simultaneously on the TS-464 than the TS-453D NAS, it is not a huge win for the newer box and once again, this win comes largely down to futureproofing than anything you will feel on Day 1. You can learn more about the QNAP QTS Platform in my review below in both video and blog form:

QNAP QTS 5 Review Video	QNAP QTS 5 Review on the Blog

QNAP TS-464 or the TS-453D NAS – Conclusion

It will come as no shock that the newer QNAP TS-464 NAS is the better choice in the long run compared with the QNAP TS-453D, thanks largely down to a larger degree of upgrades, storage scaling in the future and resource expandability. If you KNOW you are not going to be scaling up your storage hardware in the next 4-5 years, then perhaps the TS0453D is a better choice for you, using that saved $/£/€100-150 difference towards more storage, network interface upgrades or improving your in-house network environment generally with 2.5GbE or 10GbE. The software provided on both systems is still very good value for money and QNAP is still one of the few brands that provide this level of hardware (plus inclusive software and services) at this price point. Equally, you are almost certainly going to see the QNAP TS-453D at ever more attractive price points at retailers and it is still a great little NAS (check out my 2020 review of the TS-453D HERE). But you simply cannot ignore the number of ways that the base level TS-464 NAS can be upgraded and improved in its lifespan and for those that want a ‘blank canvas’ NAS solution that they can then change alongside their own network client hardware in the home/office, the TS-464 NAS is the more mature and long-term choice easily.

QNAP TS-464 NAS – Spring/Summer 2022		QNAP TS-453D NAS – Spring/Summer 2020
Reasons to Buy it? Better Hardware inside and out More Expansion/Upgrade Options Able to run more simultaneous apps/clients at once Faster USB Ports (10Gb/s) Larger bandwidth PCIe upgrade slot (PCIe 3×2 vs 2×2) Higher CPU Frequency, Efficiency & Proficiency		Reasons to Buy it? Lower Current Price Point Overall lower power consumption Better ventilation internally and on fan panel design More USB Ports overall More likely on Sale over Black Friday/Seasonal Sales
Buy on Amazon	Where to Buy	Buy on Amazon	Where to Buy

 

 

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New Synology FS3410 Flashstation NAS Revealed

Synology has really been on a roll recently with revealing their 2022/2023 solutions, with 7-8 different solutions being unveiled and (for the most part) released in the last 3 months or so. The Synology RS3410 NAS that today’s article covers is the latest addition to the brand’s quiet but steadily growing Flashstation server series. Started more than four years ago, Synology has gradually added several desktop and rackmount solutions to this area of their portfolio and the FS3410 is the SECOND entry into this product family this year (the other being the FS2500 affordable 1U rackmount released much earlier in 2022). Although very similar to the rest of the enterprise solutions from Synology in terms of software (all arriving with DSM 7.1 and supporting the full range of features and services), the flashstation series is specifically aimed at SSD populate, flash storage practical applications and has a few NAND durability considerations thrown in for this more high performing but endurance aware media. This new flashstation server is designed to sit in the middle of the existing pack of FS systems (so, FS2500 > FS3410 > FS3600 > FS6400 Flashstation, scaling upwards) and arrives with support of SATA SSD media in the Synology SAT5200 and SAT5210 media range. Let’s discuss the hardware, compatibility, availability and pricing we will expect from the new Synology FS3410 Flash Rackmount server.

What are the Hardware Specifications of the Synology FS3410 Rackmount NAS

The specifications of the Synology FS3410 Flashstation NAS are (somewhat unsurprisingly) quite beefy, arriving with an EIGHT CORE Xeon processor, 16-128GB of DDR4 ECC RDIMM memory, dual 10GbE onboard and the option to add two high-performance PCIe cards (that can be scaled up to dual-port 25GbE fiber cards). Flash media servers NEED to have high-end surrounding components as the media inside (particularly when you factor RAID) can reach some truly astonishing performance levels – so it is imperative that you remove any potential bottlenecks that may impede that tremendous throughout. The CPU inside IS rated at over 10K on CPUBenchmark, can hit 2.7Ghz per core when needed in burst and is a 16-thread processor – meaning plenty of vCPUs in virtualization when needed. It is highlighting however that this processor isn’t the newest and was first launched back in 2016. This is not too unusual, as server processors do tend to be revealed and released to distribution a long time before they are fully utilized in mainstream server systems. Still, that is still quite an older CPU than some of the embedded Ryzen or Intel Xeon Silvers that Synology has been using lately. Nevertheless, this CPU will be highly proficient at pushing those 24 bays of SATA SSD storage to their high-performance potential.

In terms of the connectivity and scalability of the Synology FS3410 NAS, the rest of the specifications are quite solid. Those PCIe upgrade options (both PCIe Gen 3 x8), the two copper 10GbE ports (10GBASE-T) and four ethernet ports provide a great range of connectivity available on this device and mean that, when fully populated, it allows you to hit a reported 356,500/129,400 iSCSI 4K random read/write IOPS and 6,970/3,536 Sequential Read/Write (RAID F1, Synology SAT5200-960G SATA SSD installed in all bays).

Click to view slideshow.

Here is how the rest of the specifications of the Synology FS3410 pan out. It’s quite a solid build, 2U in height, Redundant PSU equipped and full depth.

processor	Processor model	Intel Xeon D-1541
	Number of CPUs	1
	processor architecture	64-bit
	processor clock	8-core 2.1 (base frequency) / 2.7 (max overclock) GHz
	Hardware Encryption Engine (AES-NI)	YES
Memory	system memory	16 GB DDR4 ECC RDIMMs
	Pre-installed memory modules	16 GB (16 GB x 1)
	Total number of memory slots	4
	Maximum memory capacity	128GB (32GB x 4)
storage device	number of disk slots	twenty four
	Compatible Disk Types* (See All Supported Disks)	2.5″ SATA SSD
	Disk hot-plug support	YES
	Remark	Synology only guarantees the full functionality, reliability, and performance of Synology hard drives listed in the compatibility list . The use of unauthenticated components may limit certain functions and result in data loss and system instability. Compatible disk type refers to the type of hard disk that is confirmed to be compatible with the product after actual measurement, not the maximum speed limit of the hard disk slot.
External port	RJ-45 1GbE port*	4 (Support Link Aggregation / Failover)
	RJ-45 10GbE port	2 (Support Link Aggregation / Failover)
	management port	1
	Maximum number of LAN ports	15
	USB 3.2 Gen 1 port*	2
PCIe	PCIe expansion	2 x Gen3 x8 slots (x8 link)
file system	internal disk	btrfs EXT4
	external disk	btrfs EXT4 EXT3 FAT NTFS HFS+ exFAT
	Remark	You can install the exFAT Access package for free from DSM 7.0’s Package Center. If you use DSM 6.2 or earlier, you need to purchase exFAT Access in Package Center.
Exterior	Dimensions (rack unit)	2U
	Size (HXWXD)	88mm x 482mm x 724mm
	weight	15.0 kg
	Rack Mount Support*	Four Post 19″ (Synology Rack Kit – RKS-02 )
	Remark	Rack kit sold separately
other projects	system fan	80mm x 80mm x 4pcs
	fan mode	full speed mode low temperature mode silent mode
	Replaceable system fan	YES
	Power auto-recovery	YES
	Noise value*	46.1 dB(A)
	Timer switch	YES
	wake on lan	YES
	Power Supply / Transformer	550W
	Dual power supply	YES

One last thing to note about the FS3410 Flashstation is that, much like many of the recent Synology enterprise and hyper-scale solutions released/planned by the brand in 2022/2023, the compatibility of drive SSD media is listed on the official pages as Synology SAT5200/SAT5210 SSDs only. That means that using non-Synology branded media in this system will place you in a position where the brand might not be able/willing to assist you with support. The Synology SAT5200/5210 series of SSDs ARE high in durability, though their performance is a little under alternatives from WD, Western Digital Ultrastar and Seagate – so some users might be less keen on this.

HOWEVER! It is also worth noting that solutions like the Synology FS3410 are intended for a very high-end class of business user and typically those users prefer a single provider/all-in-one solution and THOSE users are going to be more than happy with Synology providing a range of their own storage media in conjunction with this device, as well as prefer it all to be an in-house solution (warranty, support, replacement, on-site tech help, etc). Therefore the stricter compatibility on this server is less of a barrier than normal. Let’s discuss where this system sits in the Synology Flashstation portfolio.

How Does the Synology FS3410 NAS Compare with the FS2500, FS3600 and FS6400 Flashstation?

As mentioned, the Synology FS3410 Rackmount is the latest addition to the Flashstation portfolio. Over the years, we have seen some hugely impressive servers join this product family and having a much more fleshed-out range of solutions so that businesses can cater their budgets towards the area that they need it most, is always going to be appreciated. The FS3410 sits between the FS2500 and FS3600 solution in terms of power, features, hardware and pricing (and quite far behind the FS6400 MONSTER Flashstation server).

Here is how the four Flashstation servers compare in terms of their hardware. The hardware scales i na numebr of different directions (capacity, CPU power, eternal connecctivity, scalabilty and more) and therefore allows the end user to pour their budget towards the areas of flash storage that their business solution is needed for.

	FS2500	FS3410	FS3600	FS6400
Hardware
processor
Processor model	AMD Ryzen V1780B	Intel Xeon D-1541	Intel Xeon D-1567	Intel Xeon Silver 4110
Number of CPUs	1	1	1	2
processor architecture	64-bit	64-bit	64-bit	64-bit
processor clock	4-core 3.35 (base frequency) / 3.6 (max overclock) GHz	8-core 2.1 (base frequency) / 2.7 (max overclock) GHz	12-core 2.1 (base frequency) / 2.7 (max overclock) GHz	8-core 2.1 (base frequency) / 3.0 (max overclock) GHz
Hardware Encryption Engine (AES-NI)
Memory
system memory	8 GB DDR4 ECC UDIMMs	16 GB DDR4 ECC RDIMMs	16 GB DDR4 ECC RDIMMs	32GB DDR4 ECC RDIMMs
Pre-installed memory modules	8 GB (8 GB x 1)	16 GB (16 GB x 1)	16 GB (16 GB x 1)	32GB (16GB x 2)
Total number of memory slots	2	4	4	16
Maximum memory capacity	32GB (16GB x 2)	128GB (32GB x 4)	128GB (32GB x 4)	512GB (32GB x 16)
number of disk slots	12	twenty four	twenty four	twenty four
Maximum number of disk slots to install expansion units			48 (RX1217sas x 2) / 72 (FX2421* x 2)	48 (RX1217sas x 2) / 72 (FX2421* x 2)
Compatible Disk Types* (See All Supported Disks)	2.5″ SATA SSD	2.5″ SATA SSD	2.5″ SAS HDD* 2.5″ SAS SSD* 2.5″ SATA SSD	2.5″ SAS HDDs 2.5″ SAS SSD 2.5″ SATA SSD
RJ-45 1GbE port			4 (Support Link Aggregation / Failover)	2 (Support Link Aggregation / Failover)
RJ-45 1GbE port*	2 (Support Link Aggregation / Failover)	4 (Support Link Aggregation / Failover)
RJ-45 10GbE port	2 (Support Link Aggregation / Failover)	2 (Support Link Aggregation / Failover)	2 (Support Link Aggregation / Failover)	2 (Support Link Aggregation / Failover)
management port		1
Maximum number of LAN ports		15
USB 3.2 Gen 1 port*	2	2	2	2
expansion port			1	1
Remark	This product’s 1GbE port MTU value is limited to 1500. In 2019, USB-IF rebranded the standard formerly known as USB 3.0 to USB 3.2 Gen 1.	This product’s 1GbE port MTU value is limited to 1500. In 2019, USB-IF rebranded the standard formerly known as USB 3.0 to USB 3.2 Gen 1.	In 2019, USB-IF rebranded the standard formerly known as USB 3.0 to USB 3.2 Gen 1.	In 2019, USB-IF rebranded the standard formerly known as USB 3.0 to USB 3.2 Gen 1.
PCIe
PCIe expansion	1 x Gen3 x8 slot (x4 link)	2 x Gen3 x8 slots (x8 link)	1 x Gen3 x8 slot (x8 link)	2 x Gen3 x8 slots (x8 link)
Dimensions (rack unit)	1U	2U	2U	2U
Size (HXWXD)	44mm x 481.9mm x 555.9mm	88mm x 482mm x 724mm	88mm x 482mm x 724mm	88mm x 482mm x 724mm
weight	8.3 kg	15.0 kg	14.9 kg	17.26 kg
Rack Mount Support*	Four Post 19″ (Synology Rack Kit – RKS-01 )	Four Post 19″ (Synology Rack Kit – RKS-02 )	Four Post 19″ (Synology Rack Kit – RKS-02 )	Four Post 19″ (Synology Rack Kit – RKS-02 )
Remark	Rack kit sold separately	Rack kit sold separately	Rack kit sold separately	Rack kit sold separately
Power Supply / Transformer	350W	550W	500W	800W
Recommended number of virtual machines	8 (see more)	16 (see more)	24 (see more)	32 (see more)
Recommended number of Virtual DSMs (license required)	8 (including 1 set of free licenses)	16 (including 1 free license)	24 (including 1 free license)	32 (with 1 set of free licenses)

When will the Synology FS3410 Flashstation NAS Be Released and How much will it cost?

The Synology FS3410 Flashstation NAS is already appearing on the official Synology Taiwan pages and will likely appear on the global (i.e U.S, Europe, etc) within the next few weeks. Regarding pricing, this IS an enterprise product and will be priced as such. The flashstation series has always had a price tag that is considerably HIGHER than the rest of the Synology portfolio, but considerably LOWER than most other flash server solutions in the enterprise sector (HP, EMC, Netapp, blah, blah). Given the Synology FS2500 has a $3500 price tag, the FS3600 has a $6500 price tag and the top dog FS6400 has a $12000 price tag, I think we can see the Synology FS3410 Flashstation arriving around the $4500-5000 mark (tax and your local region making all the difference). I look forward to sharing more on the FS3410 Flashstation and other units in this product series later in 2022/2023.

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NAS Brands in 2022 – Get it Right, FIRST TIME!

If you have been looking to purchase your first NAS drive, or are looking at upgrading the system that you have been using in your home/office for the last few years, then it is understandable that it is ALOT of get to grips with. Network Attached Storage has evolved incredibly over the last few years and has gone from a rather niche area of the I.T industry into something that pretty much all users can benefit from in their daily lives. With the monthly/annual subscription costs of cloud storage providers (such as Google Cloud, AWS, DropBox and Microsoft OneDrive) getting higher, as well as the size of our daily data skyrocketing, making the switch from rented 3rd party cloud space to your very own NAS server in-house makes ALOT of sense. It becomes even more compelling when you add in the full range of software, services and features that modern NAS includes (Plex, AI Photo Recognition, Surveillance, VMs, Hybrid backup-n-sync and more), but like any area of technology – NAS can become a complicated and confusing subject. Every year for the last 5 years I have produced a guide on modern NAS brands, the best solutions you can get right now, who the brands have improved/declined and ultimately created an idiots guide to choosing the right NAS solution for your needs right FIRST TIME. In this, the 2022/2023 edition, we have seen a huge increase in 2.5GbE network solutions, improvements in M.2 NVMe technology and all of the popular NAS brands introducing improvements in their server software. So, what are you waiting for? Here is my guide to Network Attached Storage in 2022. Use the chapters below to skip ahead and I hope this helps you choose the right solution for your needs.

Want to Skip Ahead to a Specific NAS Brand or Subject? Click Below:

• What is a NAS Drive?
• What can ALL NAS Drives do?
• Why Choose NAS over Google, DropBox or Microsoft Cloud?
• Why Choose Synology NAS?
• Why Choose QNAP NAS?
• Why Choose Asustor NAS?
• Why Choose WD NAS?
• Why Choose Terramaster NAS?
• Why Choose Buffalo NAS?
• What About Zyxel or D-Link NAS?

Is a NAS and a Server the Same Thing?

You will often hear people use the word NAS and the word Server differently. Both are exceedingly similar and often interchanged, but there are some teeny tiny historical differences between them. The word server can sometimes bring out a cold sweat in the less technically minded or IT experienced, but in reality, it is a pretty harmless term. A server is a piece of hardware (like a computer) or software (so a program that runs on a computer) that manages, shares and controls data (pictures, videos, word documents, PDFs etc) to a number of people who wish to access them (these are called ‘clients’). That is it. Sure, there are much more complex and expensive servers that are designed to communicate with other servers or computers without human intervention – but in essence, they are all the same thing. Now where a regular server will give access to your users/clients via your internal network (router or switch) a NAS Server is the same, but it opens up a whole area of accessing it over the internet too. Different NAS servers provide different results and speeds and typically are designed with individual purposes in mind (i.e some are designed with media playing in mind, some with faster backing up and others with Surveillance recordings with CCTV IP Cameras). So first and foremost you have to make sure that the NAS you buy is designed for the tasks you have in mind. A fork and a Spoon are both cutlery, but you wouldn’t eat soup with a fork (maybe a spork). Traditional bare-metal servers have the option of remote internet access, but nowhere near as intuitively and with a focus on user-friendliness that NAS systems provide.

What is NAS Drive?

Network Attached Storage, with the exception of casual 3rd party cloud use, is currently the most popular means to store, access, share and distribute data across your home, your city and the rest of the world. It provides you with the means to:

• Access your Multimedia on Network devices over DLNA
• Backup all your devices easily and at a time of your choosing, wire-free
• Stream Media over the internet, anywhere in the world
• Share files securely and with full control of how and when they are accessible
• Centralize the storage of your data in one location
• Create Bespoke tiered backup solutions that fit your own needs

Choosing between Synology, QNAP, WD, Drobo, Netgear, Thecus and Asustor NAS

Let’s get our hands dirty and start working out what is the best NAS for you. All the brands have a different target audience in mind and each has its own Pros and Cons. However, all of them support a number of similar abilities, software and network basic functionality. So before we talk about what is better or worse about each NAS brand, let’s look at what they all have in common:

Applicable to all

• All are compatible with Mac, Windows, Android and Linux
• All arrive with a selection of included applications and services for tailored data access
• All can be purchased Worldwide and feature regular security updates and firmware improvements regularly
• All can be accessed via Mobile apps available via Google Play and iTunes, though there are more on some other brands than others
• All can be accessed via your web browser – like Chrome, Opera, Safari, and…sigh… Windows Explorer
• All use SATA HDD and SSD, with some having SAS enterprise options too
• All work via the network and can be accessed worldwide over the internet
• 3^rd Party applications like PLEX, KODI and APPLE TIME MACHINE are supported
• All arrive DLNA certified, so they will be accessed by your PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Smart TV or Sonos system to play media
• All are either WiFi-enabled or can have a WiFi dongle attached – though your speeds will suffer
• All when purchased NEW arrive with a warranty of at least 2 years and in many cases more

Why Not Use Cloud Services like Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox instead of a NAS?

Do not think that 3rd party cloud services are bad, they really aren’t! In fact, you should always consider adding a 2nd or 3rd tier into your backup strategy at home/work, and synchronization of files/folders on your NAS with the cloud is a good means to ensure you have another backup in place. Additionally, most NAS feature a variety of 256bit encryption options, password protection, 2 step verification and more to allow secure access is ensured to the NAS and the content, even via the cloud. Additionally, bg NAS brands like Synology and QNAP have been supporting Hybrid Cloud services that not only allow cloud storage to be bolted onto your NAS storage for shared usage and access, but also both brand support backup and synchronization with cloud collaborate services, such as Google’s G Suite and Microsoft’s Office 365. So there is DEFINITELY still a valid and useful place for 3rd party cloud services in 2022, however, I rarely advocate the use of these cloud services as a PRIMARY storage location. They ARE convenient and you can get a limited amount of space included for free, but I generally have three core reasons that I do not recommend cloud as a first-tier storage.

COST – The cost of most 2 year subscriptions costs about the same as if you just purchased even a small scale NAS on day 1. It might seem like just 5 or 10 bucks a month, but over 2 or 3 years, it all adds up and moreover, after that time you either need to keep on paying every month or still buy a NAS or DAS system for the data to live on. Might as well buy the NAS sooner rather than later as it will be inevitable eventually.

ACCESS – NAS provides more apps, file-level tailored use and can be better adapted into popular 3^rd Party applications like PLEX, KODI, APPLE TIME MACHINE and DLNA supported devices. A cloud provider severely limits the kind of access you have on a regular basis.

PRIVACY – NAS provides full individual user control and access, as well as admin controls. Plus the NAS can be fully disconnected from the Internet/Network at your discretion. A cloud provider has a relative pre-set safety protocol that, when cracked on one or two occasions, opens up mass hacking

This is not to say that data on your NAS is completely inaccessible. Any NAS brand can only really stay 1 step ahead of the hackers, patching exploits as they are found (no different than any online service really), but a NAS is a means to create a secure, customizable and ultimately bespoke data storage solution.

Why Choose Synology NAS? Advantages and Disadvantages

Likely one of the two NAS brands you have heard of, Synology NAS is the company that invests HEAVILY in its software – and it shows. It may seem one of the most expensive, but with it, you get some genuine boundary-breaking software with your purchase.  You still get a great level of hardware in the majority of Synology NAS solutions, but the real draw of Synology is that software. Not only does it support your own hardware environment of PCs, Macs, entertainment devices and mobiles in their own respective software, but DSM also includes MANY applications designed around keeping all your data IN-HOUSE. So, replace Skype/Whatsapp with Synology Chat, Replace Google Docs and Office365 with Synology Office. Use Synology Drive to make your storage visible and accessible the way YOU want it, and export your entire cloud/data network over to a Synology NAS and remove all the external access as and when you need! They aren’t the cheapest and they want you to do it ‘there way’, but it’s a pretty decent way. Additionally, their recent DSM 7.0 software has left many users impressed, with enhanced support of those 3rd party cloud storage and business services, AI photo recognition, their surveillance platform continuing to win awards and even an in-house cloud service in Synology C2. Stylizing themselves very much as the ‘Apple’ of this industry, they really do focus on keeping things straightforward and intuitive.

PROS of Synology NAS

• Easily the most intuitive and Usage browser-based GUI (award-winning DSM 6.2/7.0/7.1) – FULL Review HERE
• One of the best Surveillance NAS software solutions
• Most popular vendor for Mac users for it’s UI
• Incredibly feature-rich NVR software included, in Surveillance Station
• Includes Active Backup Suite – Enterprise level and fully featured Backup Co-ordination software
• Lowest Power Consumption vs other brands
• A large # of their systems arrive with m.2 NVMe SSD caching upgrade bays
• Quiet chassis compared with other brands
• Task specialised Ranges like ‘PLAY’, ‘PLUS’ and ‘J’ make buying easier
• The best range of first-party software, with Synology Office, Chat, Mail, Drive and more
• SHR and SHR-2 – also BTRFS available in most solutions
• Cloud Services available in Synology C2
• Desktop and Rack-mount options are available
• Best software for Home and SMB

CONS of Synology NAS

• Often the most expensive
• Recent Enterprise NAS Hardware has changed Compatibility in favour of Synology HDDs and SSDs
• Generally, Synology NAS has the lowest hardware power in their systems
• NVMe SSD Bays are for caching ONLY, they cannot be used for super-fast storage pools
• More technically minded folk will need to dig a little to get to the nitty-gritty
• SHR is not available on Enterprise NAS Systems
• Network ONLY – no HDMI, Audio in/out, Thunderbolt, etc

Synology DS220J NAS – $180 4-Core ARM 64bit CPU – 512MB Memory – 1GbE – 2-Bay	RECOMMENDED – Synology DS920+ – $535 4-Core Intel 64bit CPU – 4/8GB Memory – 1GbE – 4-Bay –  NVMe	Synology DS1621XS+ NAS – $1899 4-Core Intel Xeon 64bit CPU – 8/16GB Memory – 10GbE – 6-Bay –  NVMe
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Why Choose QNAP NAS? Advantages and Disadvantages

Often considered the choice for the more hardware-aware buyer, if you are looking for a much more traditionally computer associated hardware – QNAP NAS is certainly the one that springs to mind. Generally considered the ‘innovators’ of the NAS industry, they have the largest range of solutions available Notwithstanding the fact that their hardware is by FAR the most evolved platform in NAS (thunderbolt 3, multiple HDMI, 10Gbe standard solutions, Silent NAS, AI solutions and advanced SSD caching), the platform is fantastically diverse, providing great NAS options alongside network switches, network adapters and generally reshaping your hardware environment for the better. The software has also evolved dramatically into its own beast, moving away from trying to imitate and carving its own path. It is a little more technically (and I really do mean a little) but it is far more rewarding for it. They do not feature some popular items on their portfolio, such as BTRFS or a fluid RAID system like SHR/BeyondRAID, but make up for this with their own range of alternatives and in most cases succeed. Get your reading glasses on though, as their range is quite vast and might overwhelm you a tad. In recent years the brand has shifted focus a great deal more towards software in efforts to meet the gap with their rival Synology to pretty good success. This is often achieved by releasing software that does the previously impossible before anyone else, but lacking a little of the polish of their biggest rival. Recent achievements with HybridMount, vJBOD, HyperVisor Protector, QuMagie and Multimedia Console have been received remarkably well, arriving onto the scene 1-2 years before anyone else. Alongside this, QNAP still has easily the best virtual machine and backup software for home and SMB in Virtualization Station and Hybrid Backup Sync.

PROS of QNAP NAS

• Best Solutions for Plex Media Server in NAS
• Enterprise/Business Solutions feature ZFS
• 2.5Gbe, 5Gbe and 10Gbe Options
• Best Virtual Machine and Container Solutions in NAS
• NVMe SSD Bays can be used for Caching, Storage Pools or Tiered Storage Configurations
• Almost all range is metal in design, or a plastic but unique chassis
• HDMI and remote control included in most Media NAS devices
• Thunderbolt NAS options covering TB2, TB3 and even TB4 (TS-464)
• Two Surveillance Solutions (with 4/8 Camera Licenses included)
• The Best Backup/Synchronization solution in ‘Hybrid Backup Sync 3’
• Technical information far more readily available
• Lower price compared with Synology in terms of hardware
• Regularly updated software and Detailed GUI/APPs – FULL Review HERE
• Desktop and Rackmount options are available
• Much better business options and definitely the best for virtual machines

CONS of QNAP NAS

• A more android feel towards apps and stability means some users will be put off
• Lacking the BTRFS and SHR support of Synology
• Higher typical Power consumption
• Often a fraction noisier due to chiefly metal chassis
• Much larger range of devices can lead to confusion
• Most units arrive with 2-3 Years warranty, but longer will cost you more
• Have been targetted by Ransomware attacks in the last 2 years

QNAP TS-233 NAS – $205 4-Core ARM 64bit CPU – 2GB Memory – 1GbE – 2-Bay	RECOMMENDED – QNAP TS-464 – $599 4-Core Intel 64bit CPU – 4/16GB Memory – 1GbE – 4-Bay	QNAP TVS-872XT NAS – $2200 4/6-Core Intel Core 64bit CPU – 8/64GB Memory – 10GbE – 8-Bay
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Why Choose Asustor NAS? Advantages and Disadvantages

Another brand that was once a little on the fringe until around 2018, Asustor NAS has really upped their game in recent years, arriving with some impressively affordable 10Gbe solutions with the AS40 series, followed with the very well received Nimbustor 2 & 4 devices, and is now absolutely killing it with the Lockstor series. Certainly, a brand that wants to carve its place in the industry, the ASUS connected brand currently offers software features and functionality of Synology (BTRFS and Realtek integrated Processors) along with QNAP challenging hardware in HDMI 2.0a and 2.5Gbe default network ports (which they introduced first). This combined with a much cleaner and significantly improved software GUI in ADM, they have moved much beyond the slightly scrappy outsider vibe they had years ago. Recent additions to the range, such as the LockerStor have even included NVMe SSD bays and Xeon powered hardware, so the evolution clearly continues. The software does feel like a good middle ground between Synology and QNAP, even if missing the killer apps and hardware that gave them their market share (Thunderbolt3, SHR, Collaboration Suite, etc) and with a number of their newer releases arriving at a good chunk of $£ lower in price than comparative NAS from others (often more than 10-15% lower in fact).

PROS of Asustor NAS

• Great Price vs Hardware – Often one of the lowest Prices Hardware solutions available
• Recent Lockerstor Gen 2 Releases are Incredible Value for the Hardware
• BTRFS Support
• First Brand to Adopt 2.5Gbe Commercially
• Nice software and still supports Kodi (unofficially), something slowly being pulled from other NAS Software stores – FULL REVIEW HERE
• Good selection of Home and Business NAS devices
• Early Adopter of HDMI 2.0a – so 4K at 60FPS and have their own HDMI GUI in Asustor Portal
• VM deployment and Container Support not dissimilar from QNAP, only not quite as flash
• Noise is pretty low on most home devices like the Nimbustor 2/4
• More Apps are available on the NAS app store, more than QNAP and Synology
• Product Naming is easier to follow than most brands

CONS of Asustor NAS

• Mobile Apps are very functional but appear a little sparse
• Many HDMI apps seem to be simplified web portals, rather than standalone applications
• Browser-based GUI does not feel quite as smooth as Synology DSM, but on par with others
• The Surveillance Center application feels very dated and less intuitive than most
• Have been targetted by Ransomware attacks in the last 2 years

Asustor Drivestor 2 NAS – $165 4-Core ARM 64bit CPU – 1GB Memory – 2.5GbE – 2-Bay	RECOMMENDED – Asustor LockerStor4 G.2 – $550 4-Core Intel 64bit CPU – 4/16GB Memory – 2.5GbE – NVMe – 4-Bay	Asustor LockerStor 10 Pro NAS – $1299 4-Core Intel 64bit CPU – 8/32GB Memory – 10G+2.5G – NVMe -10-Bay
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Why Choose WD NAS? Advantages and Disadvantages

Although they have been a little quiet in terms of their hardware output recently, WD NAS is a brand that has been around for years (though most know them as a hard drive brand) and Western Digital NAS drives are a firm favourite among students and low-level storage solutions. They have a number of solutions in their WD My Cloud range that supports lite home users all the way to industry-level business users who want robust storage. The software may seem a little sparse and a far cry from Synology and QNAP, but they provide straight forward and clear setup. They WILL seem limited to anyone familiar with Synology/QNAP, but they certainly have a place in the industry. With user-friendly support of Apple Time Machine, Plex and DLNA – They are a great starter NAS with pre-populated options to make them extra affordable.

PROS of WD NAS

• Popular HDD Vendor too, with expertise on their side
• Often pre-populated so all warranty is covering Drives+NAS
• Pre-populated NAS options result in better price for storage overall
• Very fast set-up and can be deployed to deploy within 30 mins
• Small+compact – featuring some of the lowest noise and power consumption of all
• 3-year warranty on most units
• Some units have 2 x PSU ports for Redundancy

CONS of WD NAS

• EXT4 only
• Have been VERY Quiet in NAS hardware in the last 12-18 Months
• barely any mobile apps and relies on 3^rd party mobile apps to connect over IP/Network settings
• Smaller App selection in-app store
• Limited User Interface
• No HDMI, 10GBe, only USB 3.0 and 1GBe RJ45
• Often much lower specs than Synology and QNAP
• VERY small range
• Desktop Only – No rackmount or Larger options

WD MyCloud EX2 NAS – $159 2-Core ARM 32bit CPU – 512MB Memory – 1GbE – 2-Bay – Inc Drives	RECOMMENDED – WD MyCloud Pro – $450 4-Core Pentium CPU – 4/8GB Memory – 1GbE – 4-Bay – Inc Drives	WD MyCloud EX4100 NAS – $349 4-Core ARM 32bit CPU – 2GB Memory – 1GbE – 4-Bay – Inc Drives
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Why Choose TerraMaster NAS? Advantages and Disadvantages

One brand that I have always had a personal love for is TerraMaster. This is purely subjective and should be taken with a pinch of salt, but for a brand that no one really knows about, they give ALOT of the key features that other bigger brand advertise alot. BTRFS support is available on pretty much ALL the Intel-based devices, they feature one of the ONLY 4 LAN 2-Bay NAS’, along with an Intel N5105 based 10Gbe 2, 4 5 and 8-Bay solution and a particularly unique 2 HDD 10GbE system. Arriving with a thunderbolt DAS range too, Terramaster is a NAS brand that has evolved comparatively quickly and although for the most part, they are only available via Amazon, this has still allowed them to be a recognizable brand. Typically in a like for like hardware comparison with them and companies like Synology/QNAP, you will find them better value for money, and the software (though less diverse or slick than those two big brands) is still pretty smooth and intuative. The chassis design is a little underwhelming, but even that has improved in recent revisions. All in all, they are the best budget NAS solution out there in 2022 and a good entry point into NAS.

PROS of TerraMaster NAS

• Great Price vs Hardware
• VERY Fast Brand Evolution
• TOS 5 Software introducing Surveillance, FluidRAID, AI-Powered photo Recognition and Isolation Mode
• Added a LARGE 2.5GbE selection of NAS in their portfolio
• Hugely Improved GUI and Client apps
• BTRFS available as file system choice
• Desktop and Rackmount options
• Similar Hardware to QNAP and Asustor, but at a Lower Price
• Straight forward range and classification
• Very Straight Fordwared Setup

CONS of TerraMaster NAS

• Very Few Mobile Apps
• Not quite as polished or fully featured as Synology/QNAP
• Despite Business targeting, very poor support of 10GBe till recently in the F2-423
• A little dated design
• Arrives with Warranty, but the turnaround is slower than many
• Have been targetted by Ransomware attacks in the last 2 years

Terramaster F2-423 NAS – $289 4-Core Intel 64bit CPU – 4/32GB Memory – 2.5GbE – 2-Bay	RECOMMENDED – Terramaster F5-422 – $599 4-Core Intel 64bit CPU – 4/16GB Memory – 10GbE – 5-Bay	Terramaster T12-423 12-Bay NAS – $1399 4-Core Intel 64bit CPU – 4/32GB Memory – 2.5GbE – NVMe – 12-Bay
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Why Choose Buffalo NAS? Advantages and Disadvantages

One brand that has danced with the home NAS industry, but pretty much now exclusively business in Buffalo. This brand is one that provides a number of key elements that businesses love. Robust and Rugged hardware design, Empty or Pre-Populated NAS solutions, Customizable Warranty options, Windows Server Pre-Installed Solutions, 10Gbe at an affordable Price and just generally being an enterprise/Business solution through and through. They lack the sexy/indie vibe of other brands, but that is not their target demographic – they want the user who wants storage that is simple, reliable and ‘setup and forget’. This means that on the face of it, they will seem quite pricey, but that is because you have to factor in the inclusion of hard drives, the service+support and the industrial level construction.

PROS of Buffalo NAS

• Great Price vs Hardware for Business Users
• Fantastically Rugged Construction
• Lowest Priced 10Gbe Solutions
• Can be purchased pre-populated, so warranties are all covering
• Desktop and Rackmount options
• Similar Hardware to Netgear, but at a Lower Price
• Straight forward range and classification
• EXCELLENT Windows Storage Server NAS devices, with inbuilt Windows Server 2016 for FAST deployment
• Better Standard Warranty Length and more bespoke Recovery/Destroy options available
• Easier and more customizable Warranty Extension options

CONS of Buffalo NAS

• Very Few Mobile Apps
• Availability outside of U.S and Japan is low
• More focused on Business Users
• Poor power consumption and dated design
• Weak CPU choices on the whole
• Lacks some more modern NAS innovations introduced by QNAP, Synology and more

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Why Choose Netgear NAS? Advantages and Disadvantages

One brand that has probably the longest history in network solutions is Netgear – pretty much ANYONE has heard of them, whether it was because your first switch/router came from them, or because they have such a squeaky clean reputation. The NAS solutions, much like Buffalo, are very industry-focused, but arriving with a few more features in the GUI department than them. Also arriving with pre-populated options and a diverse warranty structure, they do give alot to business users. They may seem a little ‘blah’, but what they lack in sizzle, they make up for in sausage.

PROS of Netgear NAS

• Huge Mac and Windows Support
• Fantastic Network configuration options
• rugged and sturdy metal design
• Often longer warranties than other brands like-for-like
• Can be purchased pre-populated, so warranties are all covering
• Supports usual RAID levels, as well as X-RAID and X-RAID 2 – Expandable RAID volumes not unlike SHR
• Desktop and Rackmount options

CONS of Netgear NAS

• High price Tag
• Releases are very few and far between
• Despite Business targeting, very poor support of 10GBe
• Small App selection
• Limited User Interface
• REALLY confusing range
• Not designed for a newbie – and larger units may need a dedicated IT guy
• High power consumption and not the quietest

Should you buy Budget NAS brands like D-Link or Zyxel?

It should be highlighted that there are more NAS brands available than the ones discussed today. with each passing year more and more brands release their own NAS server for home and business use. However, in many cases, they are either too unreliable, too low on support and features, too technical for anyone with below-bill-gates depth of knowledge and most importantly most all, arrive from a brand without an established reputation. When it comes to buying the right network-attached storage device, you need to know what your buying works, as well as knowing that the manufacturer will be there in the event of a problem. likewise, you are trusting you’re are most likely trusting this brand with your most precious data (some photos and videos are irreplaceable) and from data loss to data theft, choosing the right NAS brand is essential.

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Synology DS2422+ NAS Review – Go Big or Go Home?

I think it would be safe to say that Synology sells quite a lot of NAS. The brand has always had a strong focus on software and providing ‘solutions’, as opposed to ‘flogging hardware’, but ultimately the outcome is that Synology continues to be the top brand in network-attached storage worldwide. One of the biggest reasons for this of course is Diskstation Manager (DSM, currently in version 7.1), the fully-featured network software that is easily comparable in design, utility and quality to many top tier operating systems. DSM 7 is included with all Synology NAS systems to largely the same degree, but when it comes to hardware, their portfolio has tended to spread itself a little more in order to cater for those looking for value, power, features or scale – giving the end-user an opportunity to spend their budget on the areas of NAS that matter most to their network environment. The 2021/2022 released Synology DS2422+ NAS in today’s review is an interesting example of these lines being blurred by the brand and in doing so, trying to provide a little bit of everything. Arriving as the follow up to the DS2419+, this new massive 12-Bay SMB (small/medium business) solution has tweaked a few things it’s architecture, as well as including some of the opinion dividing changes to DSM 7 that have been rolled out in the last 12 months. The DS2422+ arrives with the now well established Ryzen embedded processor series, the opportunity for lots of memory, huge storage scalability, network upgradability and arrives as a solution that hopes to be the center of your home/business storage for many years (evolving over time). So today I want to review the Synology DS2422+ NAS and help you decide if it deserves your data.

Review Chapters – Skip Ahead

• Unboxing & Accessories
• Design
• Ports & Connections
• Internal Hardware
• Software & Services
• Verdict & Conclusion

Synology DS2422+ NAS Review – Quick Conclusion

When Synology launched the DS2422+ and DS3622xs+ NAS at the same time, despite them both being upgradable 12-Bays, the DS2422+ was a little in the shade of the bright, shiny and powerful DS3622xs+. It is understandable, while the DS2422+ arrives with a familiar embedded Ryzen CPU and supersized version of the architecture already present in the DS1621+ and DS1821+, the DS3622xs+ was a Xeon and 10GbE monster! But people tend to forget the price difference of well over $1000 between them and for may – THAT is going to be a HUGE dealbreaker. If you are already convinced by the Synology software eco-system and are concerned with how much capacity you are going to need in future, the DS2422+ is easily the best value for money that the brand provides right now. Aside from the upgradability of the system’s network connectivity down the line, memory upgrades when the time comes and storage expansions that effectively double your storage potential waiting for you – there is the simple advantage that the DS2422+ does NOT need to be fully populated on day 1. Thanks to Synology’s continuing support of SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) on this NAS, it means that you can leverage your budget on this box to partially populate the NAS with storage media and then the rest of your budget on the rest of your network hardware or scaling the power of the device up considerable (as opposed to the ‘upfront’ nature of purchasing the DS3622xs+ hardware). Synology continued stance on 1st party HDD and SSD media is still continuing to ruffle feathers and the inclusion of this policy DS2422+ seems a pinch overkill, but now DSM 7.1 is being a touch less OTT about 3rd party media, this is less of a barrier that it once was. Once again, it comes down to how much you want to engage with the Synology ecosystem, its services, its business focus and ultimately how much the DS2422+ will be doing in your own network hardware environment. In conclusion, the DS2422+ IS a good NAS and if CAPACITY is more important to you than POWER, then the DS2422+ is by far the best Synology NAS for you in 2022.

Synology DS2422+ NAS Review – Packaging

The retail packaging for the Synology DS2422+ is fairly standard stuff. This is hardly a solution that you are going to pick up on the shelf of your local I.T shop, so priorities in the packaging are going to be massively in favour of protection in transit more than looking nice. The NAS arrives in 2 layers of cardboard box packaging and the NAS itself is held in a hard foam framework.

Synology has never really cut corners on protecting its solutions in transit and the DS2422+ NAS is no exception. The NAS arrives unpopulated, but even if it was fully populated with HDDs, this system will be well insulated from shock/motion damage (both of which can be silent killers of this kind of tech down the line.

Laying out the contents of the DS2422+ package shows us a small batch of accessories. These include details on the first time setup, information on the included 3yr warranty (can be extended to 5yr), RJ45 LAN cables (Cat 5e), screws for 2.5/3.5″ media, keys for the bays and an external mains power cable. All fairly standard stuff and you don’t even really need the 3.5″ screws in most setups as the bays are click-n-load.

Occasionally, I might have a moan about a NAS brand including Cat 5e RJ45 cables with a solution instead of Cat 6/7, however as the DS2422+ arrives with 1GbE, this is by no means an issue. Equally, I would highlight that the setup manual/paperwork is pretty redundant and SIGNIFICANTLY better setup guides are available online, but it’s better to include this than not at all.

The retail packaging of this business-focused NAS is unsurprisingly rather plain. This is hardly a crime and the Synology DS2422+ puts more stock in its design and deployment than it does in looking good in its box! Let’s take a close look at the design of the DS2422+ NAS

Synology DS2422+ NAS Review – Design

The design of the DS2422+ NAS Chassis is very familiar and is one that (although tweaked in small places over time) has remained largely the same over years throughout other releases in the 12-bay Diskstation NAS series. It has always provided a good balance of storage, versus efficient airflow and heat dissipation.

The DS2422+ chassis is almost entirely metal, with the only notable exception being the front panel of the desktop casing and the trays. This larger metal chassis, in conjunction with the 12 bays of SATA storage and twin rear fans results in a NAS that is most certainly going to make some noise. Although not reaching the “aeroplane take-off’ levels of noise that a rackmount like the RS1221+ reaches, the DS2422+ is still a NAS that you do not want to be in close proximity with when in full operation. the official Synology pages highlight that the noise level is a reported 25 dB(A), however, this is based on the use of 2TB Seagate Ironwolf HDDs (which do not feature on the compatibility list I might add) and not the enterprise build HAT5300 Hard drives that this system is designed to be used with, which are a noticeable degree noisier due to their high performance, workload and durability design. Below is a quick vid on their noise level:

The front of the Synology DS2422+ has no LCD/Display panel, but rather it has numerous LEDs for displaying system, activity and access. These can all be adjusted in brightness and activity in the DSM 7 control panel, with eat pertaining to different areas of the system hardware – Hard drives, network status, network connectivity and system health.

The 12 bays of storage featured on the DS2422+ are all well ventilated around the front oF the chassis and between each bay to allow passive airflow to flow as heat is dissipated inside. As mentioned earlier, the DS2422+ can run fully or partially populated, as well as be run on a single SATA HDD/SSD if need be (which would be rather daft). The system utilizes traditional RAID configurations to allow the end-user(s) to create a good balance of performance and redundancy in their storage over multiple drives. Additionally, the storage can be increased by adding further drives in available bays, an expansion chassis (the DX1222) the DS2422+ or via the popular Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) configuration. Now, this is not a new thing and the PLUS series of Synology NAS has always allowed this configuration in a way that the larger and more powerful DS3622xs+ did not (for reasons of overall performance dip compared with traditional RAID levels i.e. RAID 1,5,6,10, etc). The benefits of SHR in terms of scalability and adding larger capacity drives to your storage array years down the line (as larger capacities HDDs arrive and/or prices decrease per TB) have always been a compelling part of buyers who purchased the PLUS series and always a bit of a puzzler why it is not available here on an XS series solution. SHR on the DS3622xs+ is not impossible if you are migrating from an older NAS as shown here in this video, but it is still a shame it remains absent on the DS3622xs+ as a day 1 choice. For many, this might be a deciding factor when choosing between the DS2422+ and DS3622xs+.

Each bay utilized a spring-loaded tray design that ensures that a drive will not be installed unless in full alignment with the internal SATA port inside. Additionally, each bay of the DS2422+ features a locking mechanism (with 2 keys included with your accessories pack) that ensures that accidental removal of an HDD/SSD in your NAS is not possible – this is especially useful as the DS2422+ does not support re-silvering and accidental removal of a drive for even just a single second can lead to hours upon hours or degraded RAID rebuilding.

The trays themselves are plastic in design, but the days of this being a negative are largely gone now and although early versions of NAS servers have cheaper and less robust plastic trays, this new generation Synology NAS has exceptionally well made plastic trays that are sturdy enough for even excessing storage use. Each tray also takes advantage of a click n load design that allows 3.5″ media to be installed without screws/screwdriver. Alternatively, there are screws and screw-holes for the installation of 2.5″ SATA SSD media for faster storage pools and/or caching storage. However, on the subject of storage media on the DS2422+, we should probably address the hard drive shaped elephant in the room.

The DS2422+ NAS is another release in the Synology High-end/enterprise series that has opted for a much more streamlined compatibility list. This results in this NAS only being fully 100% supported and compatible for use with Synology hard drives and SSDs. These include the HAT5300 and SAT5200 (along with a few others with upgrade options). Although there are a few exceptions to this, the compatibility list over on Synology.com is pretty clear on this:

Synology’s decision to only fully allow the storage capabilities of their systems with their own branded storage media on enterprise-level solutions was met with a mixed reception when it was rolled out in late 2021. On the one hand, the HAT5300 series of drives ARE good drives, arriving at a price point similar to the likes of Seagate Ironwolf Pro and WD Red Pro Pro-class Drives BUT featuring the architecture, performance and durability of Enterprise-class drives (such as Seagate EXOs and WD Gold) – it is a pretty good deal. Likewise, those looking for a full ‘one party’ solution will be pleased as it allows simple installation, deployment and management (with firmware updates and drive warranties being considerably easier to manage). However, with only four capacities of HAT5300 (4TB, 8, 12 and 16TB) at the moment, as well as a relatively sudden pull on the support of other hard drive brands on this system, it has left quite a few users unhappy. It is worth highlighting that using 3rd party hard drives on the DS2422+ in the latest release of DSM 7.1 is not blocked. You can go ahead and install and use the likes of WD Red, Ultrastar and Seagate Ironwolf HDDs in the DS2422+ for Storage Pools, volumes etc, as well as using drive health management tools such as S.M.A.R.T. However their use will lead to the system displaying an amber Warning message (formally showing ‘critical’, till Synology changed their position a little upon feedback from users) and drives will be listed as not on the official compatibility list. Not the end of the world, but for users who are installing the DS2422+ NAS solution professionally for 3rd parties, this might be jarring for the intended end-users.

Nevertheless, the HAT5300 and SAT5200 series are still very good drives for this system and its AMD embedded Ryzen CPU and 4GB memory to sink its teeth into and when fully populated and equipped with 2x10GbE connections banded together (via the installation of the network expansion card 10GBASE-T on the E10G18-G2) has been reported to reach 2,202MB/s Sequential Read and over a quarter of a 128,000+ 4K random Read IOPS.

Removing all the trays shows that all 12x SATA connectors are all combined data/power as you would expect. I did wonder, given the launch of Synology HAS5300 SAS Hard drives two months or so ago, that the next generation of this enterprise 12-Bay would factor in combined SATA/SAS connectors, but I guess then it would tread on the toes of the DS3622xs+ and rackmount solutions somewhat.

The DS2422+ NAS also features the neat and well-branded Synology ventilated/mesh logos on either side. Speaking as someone who has deployed a few Synology NAS solutions personally and professionally over the years, I can say these vents capture a lot more dust than you might expect and definitely help to assist passive airflow internally and assist dissipation. it is one of those slick design points that Synology are fond of,

The physical design of the DS2422+ is largely unchanged since the DS2415+ and DS2419+ that came before it, but that is no bad thing. It manages to balance large storage potential vs compact deployment, as well as maintaining that Synology branded modern design. The lack of a front-mounted USB is a bit odd, given the numerous convenient advantage this would provide, but it’s a minor gripe and given that this NAS is designed with remote/out-of-office deployment in mind, it’s not a big loss. Let’s talk about the connectivity and accessibility of the DS2422+ NAS and how it will provide physical access to your data.

Synology DS2422+ NAS Review – Ports and Connections

The connectivity that is featured on the DS2422+ NAS has changed very little since the DS2419+ that came before it, but still arrives with plenty of network connections, storage options and the previously mentioned PCIe upgradability. When Synology first revealed the DS2422+ 12-Bay, many were quick to highlight that Synology still continues to resist the change from gigabit ethernet towards 2.5GbE on this system. This and the fact that DS3622xs+ arrives with 2x 10GbE is another example of how the DS2422+ at launch was a little in the shade comparatively in its contents. The rear of the chassis is largely dominated by the twin fans.

These two fans are 120mm in size each and are held in a large cooling module that can be removed as needed for cleaning and general maintenance. The sheer scale of the DS2422+ in storage and the amount of heat that is going to be generated by the system in operation means that active cooling and the effectiveness of these efficient components are going to be quite a high priority. By default, these fans will be set to automatic (adjusting their RPM as the system’s internal NAS temp dictates) and can be set to manual – but I definitely would not recommend it! The only real reason a user would want to manually control the operation of fans on a NAS would be for reasons of ambient noise and, to be frank, with this system fully populated with 12x HAT5300 NAS HDDs – the noise of the fans is going to be the leat of your ear troubles!

The DS2422+ features an internal 550W PSU which is surprisingly beefy for this NAS. Yes, those 12-bays of storage are going to need a decent amount of power to keep going, but aside from the PCIe slot needing power, there is no support for graphics cards or even the PSU featuring an additional power 4/6/8 connector for a grander PCIe card (there ARE ports for cable available in the PSU block, but no signs of Synology opening access to this for a PCIe upgrade). To put it into perspective, the DS1621+ and DS1821+ both arrive with a 250W PSU (so, less than half) and those two systems also features M.2 NVMe SSD slots (something not present on the DS2422+).

As mentioned, the Synology DS2422+ is another entry into the Diskstation Plus series that arrives with 4x 1 Gigabit Ethernet ports and that is somewhat underwhelming in 2022 – especially when most other NAS providers have immediately skipped to 10GbE at this tier or swapped 1GbE out in favour of 2.5GbE at the same price as 1G. The system DOES have four of these ports (supporting LAG/Trunking and therefore hitting 4Gbe with a smart switch setup) which is going to be tremendously useful.

As discussed several times here at NASCompares, 2.5GbE might not be dominating the marketplace compared with existing 1GbE utilization and not have the 1,000MB/s+ bandwidth possible in 10GbE, BUT it does seem strange that Synology has still not engaged with 2.5GbE on their NAS solutions (though admittedly featuring it on their RT6600ax Router). Although the argument against its inclusion is compelling (i.e still hardly mainstream), users looking at the DS2422+ will be hoping to get at least 3-5yrs of service out of this 24×7 hardware (likely more) and who’s to say where 1G/2.5G/10G will be at in that time with client hardware in your network environment. With many brands offering 2.5G solutions at the same price as 1G – this results in Synology’s steadfast refusal to include 2.5GbE in 2022 rather stubborn.

Nevertheless, if you already have a 1GbE network, or were going to opt for a 2x Port 10GbE upgrade card for around $200-250 for this system (rather than spend $1000+ more on the DS3622xs+) then you are not going to be hugely concerned one way or the other over the appearance of 1GGbE on the DS2422+. Much like other Synology NAS systems, the DS2422+ also arrives with USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gb/s) Type-A ports that allow you to connect a small range of hardware. The hardware that is supported has been pared back somewhat in recent years (devices such as Printers, scanners, Bluetooth and WiFi dongles were removed from the compatibility/supported lists in DSM 7 – possibly down to the way DSM 7 is built. Additionally, the USB on Synology NAS drives CAN NOT be used to interface with the NAS, as the NAS is the ‘host’ in this connection, not the PC/Mac etc. The USB ports CAN be used for external storage though and there is a wide range of applications in DSM that support connectivity of storage to these ports (USB Copy, Hyper Backup, File Station, Virtual Machine Manager and more).

There is an external mini SAS shaped port on the DS2422+ NAS that allows you to connect one of the DX1222 expansion chassis’ and add an additional 12 storage media drives to your available storage. If you are running an SHR setup, it is very easy to expand your existing Storage Pool and Volumes (if provisioned correctly) to spread across both the DS2422+ and expansion – though Synology does not recommend this (risk of accidental disconnection).

The PCIe slot that the DS2422+ features is a PCIe Gen 3×8 slot that allows you to install one of several Synology branded PCIe upgrade cards. Synology does support a few 3rd party PCIe cards from Intel (among others) but I have yet to test if cards not listed on the compatibility list display a similar warning to when you install 3rd party storage media or memory upgrades. Card installation is quite straight forward and although it will require the removal of the top plate of the system’s external casing, it is a simple click and load installation – no power cables needed.

Synology’s available range of PCIe cards has grown little by little in the last couple of years and now supports 10G and 25GbE, across multiple ports and in fiber and copper forms. In most desktop NAS systems in the Diskstaiton portfolio, I would call the E25G21-F2 with its two 25G ports a little overkill – but in the case of the 12-Bay DS2422+ and potential for another 12 bays in the DX1222 – That card might be just the thing to make the most of this systems throughput potential! Additionally, despite the DS2422+ not featuring the 2x m.2 NVMe slots of the other 2/4/6/8-Bay diskstation NAS, you can add this with the E10M20T1 Cobo card of M2D20 dedicated caching card (at an additional cost – grumble, grumble).

Overall, the default network connectivity is one of the weaker areas of the Synology DS2422+ NAS and although there is clearly a few areas of upgradability available to those that want them, what you have here is not a massive leap up from the previous 2 generations of SMB 12-Bay. Let’s get the external panels removed on the DS2422+ and discuss its internal hardware.

Synology DS2422+ NAS Review – Internal Hardware

Accessing the internal hardware of the Synology DS2422+ NAS is considerably more convenient than smaller and more compact diskstation devices, with the external chassis of the server arriving in three individual panels that are secured by 2 screws each. Two of these panels are necessary for removal to allow access to ways in which you can upgrade the NAS hardware in its lifespan. Removing the panels shows us that the compact chassis design of the DS2422+ results in 50% of that internal space being given to the main storage backplane/board. This board has 12 SATA data+power connectors and is connected to the main system board via a PCIe slot at an angle.

That main storage board is remarkably clear internally, features vent holes above each drive bay and even the power cabling being fed into the board is discreet and understated at the base. The result is a huge area of clear space for ventilation running through both the media bays AND over the large CPU heatsink. Unlike the top and left side panel of the DS2422+, this side of the chassis will not really need to be accessed for any reason other than troubleshooting, but it’s reassuring to see that the internal components are very well spaced out, despite the compact nature of this 12-bay chassis.

The right-hand panel of the DS2422+ covers the two SODIMM memory slots featured on this NAS. Now I was very pleasantly surprised to not that the memory included with the DS2422+ is rated at 3200Mhz frequency. Now, the memory featured on the SMB/Center-Business solutions from Synology in the last few years have all featured an ECC (Error Code Correction / Error Correcting Code) component, to ensure that micro errors and inconsistencies in data as they are passed through the system memory are spotted and corrected. Indeed, this has always been a big hardware factor in the buying decision of IT Admins that like to dig deep into the specs sheets. But till this 2022 series, Synology has always opted for 2400Mhz memory ECC (whilst providing fractionally faster 2666Mhz non-ECC in their Home/Prosumer devices) – so this is a nice upgrade that (correct me if I am wrong) Synology has not raised anywhere online. I respect that.

The fact this system has 4GB of memory is a little underwhelming for businesses and most businesses are going to need to upgrade that memory quite early into it’s deployment. However, it is worth remembering that much like Synology and their position on drive media or PCIe upgrades, they have a very strict officially supported compatibility list and using non-Synology branded memory. As this is largely a business targetted solution, many of those buyers will be happy to purchase first-party accessories with a solution to guarantee that they stay within the warranty, ensure the system works to the standard and heights promised by the manufacturer, etc. However, not everyone feels that way and even if you factor in that the branded memory in the DS2422+ is ECC and 3200Mhz, the cost of Synology memory modules online is noticeably higher than the likes of Kingston, Crucial or Transcend. Once again, it is only going to be a barrier if you do not want to commit to the Synology eco-system completely.

The CPU featured inside the DS2422+ NAS is the AMD embedded Ryzen V1500B and this is now the 2nd generation of devices to arrive with this efficient but very capable processor. Arriving in a 4 Core, 8 Thread architecture, it features a 2.2Ghz clock speed per core. Synology has largely ignored embedded graphics CPUs in their business/enterprise systems (the last 12-Bay example was the DS3612xs+ with an Intel Core i3 a decade ago) and the V1500B is continuing that position. As proficient as this processor is for large file transfers, running all those first-party Synology applications and dynamically shifting it’s resources to where they are needed nice and quick, this processor still lives a little in the shadow again of the CPU in the DS3622xs+ (a quad-core Xeon) and once again is a clear cut example of how the DS2422+ chooses ‘Storage Capacity’ over ‘Power in it’s design. The Processor still does a fantastic job of running the full Synology collaboration suite, Surveillance Station, Multi-client backups and Cloud synchronization tools, all at the same time though, which ultimately means that you have a solid hardware base to wrap your business data around. The Synology DS2422+ is clearly trying to be a local desktop PaaS and SaaS solution in one, with the kind of storage capacity options that most cloud providers are simply never going to be able to offer at the same price.

When it comes to running Virtual Machine environments on the DS2422+ NAS, things are a little more mixed. The NAS arrives with the Synology Virtual Machine Manager, so you can create multiple brand new virtual machines quickly, as well as insert virtual installation/boot media and run very bespoke VM setups (licence free). There are also many ways to import existing ISO VM, Virtual Hard drive or 3rd party VM images (Hyper X, VMware, etc) onto the Synology VMM tool, as well as significant cross over with other Synology applications such as Active Backup Suite to host VMs in a failover routine. All this is managed by the CPU very well, despite not having embedded graphics, and the processor’s multiple threads also mean that VM deployment is a little more flexible with the use of dynamic resource sharing and vCPUs supported. However, I would not really pursue VMs on the DS2422+ NAS without upgrading that memory on day 1.

External performance of this 12-Bay and that CPU in the default setup is immediately going to saturate those 4x 1GbEs with ease. Aside from the general starting internal architecture being more than enough anyway, we are talking about up to a 12 HDDs and/or SSDs – that can easily it the 1000’s of megabytes of throughput anyway. So, it’s only by more enterprising setups involving SSDs and 10GbE that we can get a more realistic picture of what this system can output. Below is the sequential R/W performance and 4K Ransom IOPs of the DS2422+ with SSDs in a RAID 5, 2x 10GbE (Link Aggregated) and how it compares with three other Plus series 12/16-Bay’s in Synology’s portfolio (RS2821RP+, RS2421+ and the DS2419+ Predecessor). The DS2422+ hit 2,202MB/s Seq Read and 1,457MB/s Seq Write throughput externally – a big jump on the DS2419+ predecessor, but the tiniest fraction behind the rackstation solutions (hardly noticeable in fact). However, in 4K random IOPS, it was the leader of the pack, at 128,406 Read IOPS and 65,098 Write IOPS. Again, exceedingly close to the similarly built rackmounts, but a big jump up on the older 2019 gen 12-Bay plus series model.

Overall, the hardware that the DS2422+ features internally is very competent, more than proficient but will not exactly blow your socks off. You have a great base of hardware to handle standard business data management and with several options to scale up the hardware on offer, is a decent upgrade on its predecessor and what you have by default is more than enough to handle those 12 bays of storage. The lack of onboard NVMe SSD slots is still rather surprising, given Synology’s big push on this feature in the majority of their NAS systems and the default 4GB of memory seems a little small when you factor in what this system will be purchased for, but overall I think this is still a good balance of hardware for this scale of storage and cost when put into perspective with the rest of Synologys portfolio. Let’s discuss Synology NAS software, DSM, and how it makes up the lion’s share of the DS2422+’ price tag.

Synology DS2422+ NAS Review – Software and Services

Now, to cover the WHOLE Synology software and services that are included with the DS2422+ NAS would result in a review that is twice as long as this review so far! Synology’s Diskstation Manager software that comes with this device (either DSM 7, DSM 7.1 or DSM 6.2 depending on your preference) provides a massive arrangement of services, applications (first and third party supported) and a huge number of client applications for desktop, mobile, windows, Mac and Linux (as well as a bunch of other more home-based tools). These allow management and access to the data on the DS2422+ in very tailored ways, as well as the web browser-based access that has the appearance, intuitive design and responsiveness of a local operating system. The DSM interface can be accessed by hundreds of users at the same time (with each user having tailored access, rights and privileges). DSM is available with ALL Synology NAS and the depth and abilities of DSM on any NAS are dependent on the hardware architecture of the NAS itself. In the case of the Synology DS2422+, it supports practically EVERYTHING (with the exception of SHR, as previously mentioned). If you want to learn about the latest version of DSM 7 and the software and services that are included with the DS2422+ NAS, watch my FULL review below (alternatively, you can read the DSM 7 Full Review HERE):

As mentioned, the DS2422+ supports pretty much the entirety of the DSM 7 and DSM 6.2 applications and services. If you are an existing user of SaaS and PaaS (Software as a service and Platform as a service) from the likes of Google Workspace and Office 365, knowing that you can synchronize these systems or choose to export away from them onto the Synology services is going to be very appealing. Key business applications that are included with your NAS are:

Synology DS2422+ NAS Review – Conclusion & Verdict

When Synology launched the DS2422+ and DS3622xs+ NAS at the same time, despite them both being upgradable 12-Bays, the DS2422+ was a little in the shade of the bright, shiny and powerful DS3622xs+. It is understandable, while the DS2422+ arrives with a familiar embedded Ryzen CPU and supersized version of the architecture already present in the DS1621+ and DS1821+, the DS3622xs+ was a Xeon and 10GbE monster! But people tend to forget the price difference of well over $1000 between them and for may – THAT is going to be a HUGE dealbreaker. If you are already convinced by the Synology software eco-system and are concerned with how much capacity you are going to need in future, the DS2422+ is easily the best value for money that the brand provides right now. Aside from the upgradability of the system’s network connectivity down the line, memory upgrades when the time comes and storage expansions that effectively double your storage potential waiting for you – there is the simple advantage that the DS2422+ does NOT need to be fully populated on day 1.

Thanks to Synology’s continuing support of SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) on this NAS, it means that you can leverage your budget on this box to partially populate the NAS with storage media and then the rest of your budget on the rest of your network hardware or scaling the power of the device up considerable (as opposed to the ‘upfront’ nature of purchasing the DS3622xs+ hardware). Synology continued stance on 1st party HDD and SSD media is still continuing to ruffle feathers and the inclusion of this policy DS2422+ seems a pinch overkill, but now DSM 7.1 is being a touch less OTT about 3rd party media, this is less of a barrier that it once was. Once again, it comes down to how much you want to engage with the Synology ecosystem, its services, its business focus and ultimately how much the DS2422+ will be doing in your own network hardware environment. In conclusion, the DS2422+ IS a good NAS and if CAPACITY is more important to you than POWER, then the DS2422+ is by far the best Synology NAS for you in 2022.

 

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Terramaster TOS 5 Software Update RELEASED!

According to Terramaster the new TOS 5 release has been in development for one and half years, includes more than 50 new features, 600 enhancements, comprises 300,000 lines of new code and now, the long-awaited TOS 5.0 is officially released today! Although there are a huge number of improvements under the bonnet, there is also a whole bunch of improvements on the surface too, ranging from improvements in the GUI and responsiveness to new fully featured applications. Here is what you need to know.

TOS 5 Now has a Secure HyperLock-WORM file system Option

Data is a precious asset of the vast majority of users, and data security is very important! Some data storage and custody are even regulated by law, such as court cases, medical cases, financial securities, company financial data, etc. These important data can only be read but not written within a specified time period according to the law. Therefore, such data needs to be protected against tampering. The WORM (Write Once Read Many) features provide a write-once-read-many technology, which is a commonly used method for data security access and archiving in the storage industry. The WORM feature means that after the file is written, it can enter the read-only state by removing the write permission of the file. In this state, the file can only be read and cannot be deleted, modified, or renamed. By configuring the WORM feature to protect the stored data, it can be prevented from accidental manipulation.

TerraMaster HyperLock-WORM file system is a storage system with WORM characteristics. Through the write-once-read-many technology, the integrity, confidentiality, and accessibility of the original data in the storage medium are guaranteed to satisfy the sensitive requirements of enterprises. Data security storage and legal supervision needs. The characteristic of the TerraMaster HyperLock-WORM file system is that its WORM feature is developed based on the file system and is not limited by the file service type. It is suitable for most common file services, but can only be set by the administrator. Administrators can flexibly assign read and write permissions to users and set a protection period. During the protection period, the data uploaded to the device can only be read and cannot be deleted, modified, or renamed. The protection period can be set up to 70 years! In order to improve security, once the protection period is set, it can only be extended but not shortened.

Compared with other storage solutions with WORM features, the TerraMaster HyperLock-WORM file system has higher security. Once the TerraMaster HyperLock-WORM file system is created, even the administrator cannot delete or modify the storage partition from the menu page or the system background. As long as the storage device is safely placed in an isolated environment, anyone without access to the NAS hardware devices, even employees with administrator privileges or hackers, cannot pose a threat to the data. TerraMaster HyperLock-WORM file system is an innovation in data security management, which can provide more secure protection for customers’ important digital assets, and is suitable for industries with important data such as government, public health, law, finance, and enterprises.

New Storage Utilities in TOS 5

The core function of a TNAS is data storage and backup. TOS 5 has fully optimized storage management and added more utilities to facilitate users to monitor the health status of storage space and increase storage space utilization.

• Hard disk Benchmark
  Through the hard disk benchmark test, you can better understand your hard disk’s read/write, latency, and throughput performance. The hard disk benchmark can also reflect the health of the hard disks
• Hard Disk Secure Erase
  Secure Erase can completely erase the data on the disk by randomly writing 0 or 1 to the disk. Securely erased hard drive data can no longer be recovered, suitable for users who store sensitive data.
• SMART Long Test
  SMART is an important indicator of hard drive reliability. SMART Quick Test and SMART Long Test options have been added to TOS 5. You can get more accurate hard drive health indicators with the SMART long test, but the advanced long will take more time.
• Hard Disk Bad Block Warning
  Enable monitoring of the bad blocks of the hard disk. Once the number of bad blocks increases, a notification and warning will be sent to the administrator.
• SSD TRIM
  By periodically TRIMing the SSD, the storage sectors are pre-initialized to maintain the excellent read and write performance of the SSD.
• Hard disk Operation Log
  Record all operations of the system or the user to the hard disk.
• Array Synchronization Settings
  Device performance is affected during array synchronization. The new system allows users to customize the synchronization speed of the array according to their needs.
• Data Scrubbing
  Data scrubbing is the process of modifying or removing incomplete, incorrect, inaccurately formatted, or duplicated data in a database. Data scrubbing improves data consistency, accuracy,and reliability.
• File System Defragmentation
  File system defragmentation can reorder, optimize and organize scattered data fragments, thereby improving the efficiency of disk data reading and writing.
• File System Compression
  Once file system compression is enabled, data stored to TNAS will be automatically compressed to save storage space. Users can customize the compression level. The higher the compression level, the higher the compression rate and the more space saved, but the slower the writing speed.
• SSD Cache Array
  Failure of an SSD serving as a cache will risk data loss. Users of TOS 5 can set up an array for multiple SSD caches, such as RAID 1 for 2 SSDs, even if one SSD fails, it will not affect the normal operation of the cache, thereby reducing the risk of data loss.

• 

New Photo Management Tool with AI-Powered Cataloging and Identification – (Still in Beta at time of writing)

Terra Photos is a smart photo management application. Through the AI ​​algorithm, Terra Photos can recognize and classify the faces, pets, things, and scenes of the photos in the specified directory, which is convenient for you to sort, classify and share the photos through the graphical interface. Terra Photos is the ideal photo management tool for home users, photographers, and creative agencies.

• AI face recognition
  Terra Photos has a built-in AI algorithm that can automatically recognize and classify faces with an accuracy rate of up to 80%. For wrongly recognized faces, Terra Photos also provides manual correction methods to provide greater convenience for photo management.
• Broader AI applications
  Not only face recognition, Terra Photos can also automatically identify dozens of categories such as pets, objects, landscapes, sports, vehicles, and flowers by enhancing AI operations. Terra Photos provides users with smarter management tools, greatly increasing the usefulness of photo management.
• Geographical Classification
  By integrating the GPS location information of photos through map resources, Terra Photos can also automatically categorize your photos by geographic location, making it easier for you to quickly query your photos.
• Take into account personal privacy and sharing
  Terra Photos adopts a separate storage strategy for personal photos and shared photos of family members. The two kinds of photos are stored in directories with different access rights, which helps to protect personal privacy and facilitates the sharing of photos between family members or business customers. share with each other.
• Flat UI
  Terra Photos uses a flat user interface to flatly display the user’s commonly used categories in the first-level directory, such as photos, albums, videos, people, pets, objects, locations, recently added, and favorites, which is more conducive to users to quickly browse and find target photo.
• More flexible management strategies
  Terra Photos’ flexible query filtering strategy can begin to help you filter out the photos you want by combining the name and time of the photo, with the combination of the year, month, day, and ascending and descending order.
• Share happiness and creativity
  Terra Photos provides users with sharing tools, you can choose to create photos or share albums and flexibly formulate sharing strategies, sub-defining sharing titles, sharing links, effective time, access passwords, download permissions, etc. Terra Photos provides an easier way for home-sharing or business client sharing.

Surveillance Manager for Adding and Monitoring Multiple IP Cameras on a Live feed on Your  Terramaster NAS

Surveillance Manager is a video surveillance management tool. Through Surveillance Manager, you can build a video surveillance system with multiple IP cameras and TNAS, connect your cameras through ONVIF protocol, manage cameras, view real-time recordings, view historical recordings, and store the recordings of network cameras directly in TNAS to specify storage location.

• Simple to Use
  Surveillance Manager uses web browsers for configuration and management. The recording device does not need to be connected to a monitor, and any computer in the network can log in to the system to view the recording.
• Good Compatibility
  The surveillance Manager adopts the general ONVIF protocol and can adapt to most general-purpose cameras. It supports the automatic camera search, which simplifies the connection configuration of the cameras
• Suitable for Medium-sized Users
  The surveillance Manager can connect dozens of cameras at the same time and support multi-channel recording. Suitable for families and small and medium-sized business users.
• Multi-channel Real-time Monitoring
  The surveillance Manager supports multi-channel real-time monitoring. The screen display layout of monitoring can be customized, and the screens can be switched with one click.
• Timeline Rollback
  Roll back the recorded video by dragging the timeline or customizing the time period, making it easier to view historical events.
• Recording Schedule
  The surveillance Manager supports custom recording schedules and activity-triggered recordings to increase storage space utilization.
• Form Recording Storage
  The recorded video is classified and stored according to the camera and time, which is convenient for quick query and download

• 

New iSCSI Manager Application to Manager Larger Storage on your Terramaster NAS

Terramaser NAS is widely used as a storage device for virtualized computing. With TerraMaster iSCSI Manager, you can create multiple iSCSI targets and LUNs on your TNAS, and customize the capacity, permissions, and connections through a graphical interface to meet your storage space requirements in different virtualization environments.

• Custom ISCSI Target IQN
  Using iSCSI Manager, create multiple iSCSI targets on your TNAS and customize IQNs to help you easily identify. You can also choose to enable authentication or mutual authentication for the iSCSI Target to increase access security.
• Customize network management policies
  To improve network utilization efficiency, you can designate a dedicated network interface and channel for the iSCSI Target to separate the iSCSI Target’s network from the networks of other services. To optimize the transfer efficiency of the iSCSI Target, you can also limit the maximum fragment size in bytes transmitted and received.
• Multiple session connections
  In order to adapt to complex virtualization application scenarios, iSCSI Manager allows users to enable multiple session connections from one or more initiators for iSCSI Target. Note: Multiple session connections provide flexible connection methods for initiators, but improper settings may put your data at risk! Make sure you use multiple session connections in a cluster-aware file system.
• Balance performance and flexibility
  You can create multiple LUNs and mount them to the iSCSI Target you specify. iSCSI Manager provides Thick provisioning and Thin provisioning configuration strategies for LUN storage space. Thick provisioning can provide better storage performance, in contrast, thin provisioning can provide more flexible storage space utilization.
• Safer protection
  Combined with the Snapshot technology, you can take snapshots of LUNs to prevent data loss caused by misoperations or accidents. Note: Snapshots are not supported for LUNs under the Thick provisioning configuration.
• Initiator access control
  By default, all connected initiators in iSCSI Manager have read and write permissions to LUNs. You can also customize access permissions for each initiator to meet the needs of various occasions.
• Low-capacity write protection
  When the storage space of the LUN is about to be exhausted, if the initiator continues to write data to the LUN, the LUN may be destroyed. For this reason, iSCSI Manager has specially designed the low-capacity write protection function. When the LUN is in low capacity, it will prevent the initiator from continuing to write data for protection.

New CloudSync Tool for connecting your 3rd Party Cloud Services and Remote Servers in TOS 5

CloudSync is a cloud drive synchronization application for fast and secure data synchronization between your TNAS and cloud drives. It is a very practical and efficient one-stop cloud drive disaster recovery solution. Different from previous versions, in TOS 5, we have integrated the synchronization of various cloud drives into one application, which is more convenient for users to use. At the same time, we have also redesigned the application layout, added some features, and optimized the user experience.

• Support multiple cloud drives
  CloudSync integrates a variety of mainstream cloud drive synchronization functions in one application, including Google Drive, OneDrive, Amazon S3, Dropbox, Baidu, Alibaba Cloud, etc. It only needs to manage one application to meet different cloud drive synchronization management.
• Multiple synchronization strategies
  CloudSync provides users with two-way and one-way synchronization strategies. Two-way synchronization can meet the flexible needs of data utilization, and one-way synchronization can meet the focus of data protection and increase data security.
• Data leakage prevention strategy
  In order to improve the protection of sensitive data, CloudSync supports data encryption. You can encrypt the data before synchronizing it to the cloud drive, and then decrypt the data after synchronizing it back to TNAS to prevent data leakage on the cloud drive.
• Scheduled Tasks
  According to usage scenarios and business requirements, users can set the execution time of synchronization tasks by themselves to avoid the busy time of business operation.
• more flexible configuration
  In order to meet more customer needs, CloudSync also supports various flexible configurations such as synchronization bandwidth limit, file size limit, synchronization file type limit, synchronization frequency, etc.
• In full control
  CloudSync not only provides users with a detailed synchronization task configuration history, but also provides a list of millions of file backups and transfers, allowing you to monitor the backup progress and various exceptions throughout the process.

Terramaster Duple Backup Deduplication Management Tool in TOS 5

Duple Backup has not been released an official version before TOS 5 and has been developing and testing it. In TOS 5, we have redesigned Duple Backup. The new Duple Backup has optimized the user interface, added some features, and improved the user experience. Duple Backup has powerful backup and restore functions, and is a disaster recovery tool designed to strengthen the data security of TNAS devices. To prevent data loss due to TNAS device hardware failure or system failure, through Duple Backup’s intuitive user menu, you can back up important folders or iSCSI LUNs in TNAS to multiple destinations (such as remote TNAS devices, file servers, or cloud disks) ), and supports multiple backup strategies of incremental backup and multi-version backup. The backup and restore process is very simple and intuitive, and can quickly restore lost data in the event of a device failure.

• Various backup objects
  The backup object of Duple Backup can be the shared folder in TNAS or the specified file directory. Not only that, it can also back up the iSCSI LUN and the configuration of the iSCSI LUN in the TNAS device to meet the needs of backing up the data in the TNAS.
• Multiple destinations
  According to business needs, you can choose up to 4 different backup destinations for the data in TNAS, such as: another TNAS device, file server, WebDAV server, various mainstream cloud disks. With the Duple Backup Vault client, using two TNAS devices for mutual backup can greatly simplify the backup configuration process.
• Multiple backup strategies
  According to business requirements and storage resource configuration, you can select incremental backup or multi-version backup strategies for backup tasks to improve storage space utilization.
• Secure data transfer
  Taking data security into full consideration, Duple Backup uses SSL certificate encryption throughout the backup task to ensure the security of data transmission.
• Efficient transmission
  In order to improve backup efficiency, before performing backup tasks, data is compressed and then transmitted, and the maximum compression rate can be as high as 30%, which not only reduces the user’s network bandwidth usage, but also saves storage space and reduces customers’ IT investment costs
• Restoration is easy
  Through an intuitive graphical interface, Duple Backup provides suitable restoration methods for different destinations. When an accident occurs, users can use Duple Backup’s restoration tool to restore data in a very short period of time to reduce losses caused by disasters.
• 3-2-1 Backup Strategy
  In order to prevent data loss in the event of an accident, the 3-2-1 backup strategy is widely adopted by many users, that is, to keep at least 3 backups of data, 2 of which are stored on different devices, and at least 1 is stored in a different place. Duple Backup, as a backup tool specially designed for TNAS, is ideal for a 3-2-1 backup strategy.
• In full control
  Duple Backup not only provides users with a detailed backup and restore task configuration history, but also provides a list of millions of file backups and transfers, allowing you to monitor the backup progress and various exceptions throughout the process.
• Suitable for a variety of applications
  Duple Backup is not only suitable for home users, but also for business users with multiple offices or branch offices. With local backup and off-site backup of branch offices, it can provide reliable security for data.

• 

Improved Snapshot Management and Services Added in TOS 5

TerraMaster Snapshot is a disaster recovery tool developed based on the BTRFS file system. Take snapshots of shared folders or iSCSI LUNs and quickly restore data after a disaster by taking advantage of file system features. In TOS 5, Snapshot has been redesigned to add more features and improve the user experience.

• Filesystem level snapshots
  TerraMaster Snapshot is a snapshot tool based on the BTRFS file system. The Btrfs file system introduces advanced storage technology and snapshot technology to provide flexible and efficient data protection and recovery tools while improving high data integrity.
• Save your time and space
  The TerraMaster Snapshot snapshot function is based on COW (copy-on-write), so snapshots can be created almost instantaneously, and they take up almost no space when they are first created, greatly increasing the utilization of space and time. It can be said to be a perfect snapshot solution.
• Virtualization disaster recovery
  TerraMaster Snapshot can provide a good disaster recovery solution for virtualized storage space by taking snapshots of shared folders or iSCSI LUNs, whether it is virtualized storage through NFS or iSCSI.
• Higher snapshot performance
  TerraMaster Snapshot can create up to 1,024 snapshots for each shared folder and up to 65,536 snapshots for the entire system, providing you with adjustable, storage-saving data protection capabilities to meet stringent snapshot performance requirements.
• Efficient snapshot rollback
  The snapshot file resides in the same storage space as the subvolume, and you can browse it like a normal directory and restore a copy of the file as it was when the snapshot was taken. TerraMaster Snapshot arranges snapshots through a timeline, combined with an intuitive graphical interface, when you need to restore a snapshot file, you only need a few mouse clicks to roll back the snapshot to the version you need.
• Remote incremental backup
  Generating snapshots on the same storage space as the snapshot subvolume is not an ideal backup strategy, and if the hard disk fails, the snapshot will be lost. TerraMaster Snapshot can send snapshot copies as incremental backups to an external hard drive or to a remote storage system via SSH (the backup destination also needs to use the BTRFS file system) for increased data security

Complete Remote System Access Tool in TOS 5 – Security Isolation Mode

For users who pay great attention to data security but do not need to use external network resources, TerraMaster has added a new security tool in TOS 5 — Security Isolation Mode. At present, hackers and ransomware are raging around the world, and a large number of customers’ precious digital assets are under unprecedented threat. TOS 5’s unique Security Isolation Mode can provide users with a safe and reliable operating environment, isolate external risks, and protect digital assets from infringement.

• Kernel security level
  Through the digital signature based on the kernel level, once the security isolation mode is enabled, any programs that have not been signed by the system will be blocked from running, effectively preventing viruses or malicious code from running.
• Self-isolation
  The Security Isolation Mode can effectively prevent illegal in-stack and out-stack access to the external network through the self-established isolation barrier, only allow legal access in the local network, and protect the system from external malicious attacks.
• Secondary advanced protection
  In order to prevent security barriers and system protection measures from being attacked and tampered with, the Security Isolation Mode adopts secondary password verification protection. Deleting or modifying all configuration information related to security protection measures requires password verification again, effectively preventing hackers from damaging the barrier.
• Strong blocking
  Any code based on Java, php, or Python will be blocked from execution, effectively preventing the system from being injected with malicious code to threaten data security.
• Scenes to be used
  . Enterprises or organizations that are extremely sensitive to data security;
  . External network services that need to be closed and isolated, do not need to access the external network or provide remote access;
  . Only use TNAS to provide file storage, no need to run web pages, databases, mail services, virtual machines, and other applications;
  . Applicable industries: military, judicial, electric power, scientific research, medicine, and other industries

New Terramaster Flexible RAID System – TRAID

TRAID is the abbreviation of TerraMaster RAID. TRAID is a flexible disk array management tool developed by TerraMaster. It has features such as the automatic combination of disk space, hard disk failure redundancy protection, and automatic capacity expansion. All these features do not require manual configuration by the user, and the system will automatically complete the configuration according to the properties of the hard disk. TRAID provides users with an optimized, flexible and elastic disk array management solution, especially suitable for new users who are not proficient in how to configure a disk array. Once you have selected TRAID as your array type, you cannot convert TRAID to a traditional array type unless you delete and recreate the array. If you want to manage the array type manually, it is recommended that you use the traditional type when building your array, such as Single, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10, etc. Below is our description of how TRAID works and a demonstration of me mixing a bunch of drives in a single RAID, one by one.

Improved Backup Management Tool in TOS 5 – Centralized Backup

Centralized Backup has not released an official version before TOS 5, and has been developing and testing it. In TOS 5, we have redesigned the Centralized Backup. The new Centralized Backup has re-optimized the user interface, added some functions, and improved the user experience. Centralized Backup is a professional disaster recovery tool specially developed for business users. By using Centralized Backup, company IT managers can use TNAS as the central backup server, without having to configure each host separately, and use TNAS as the initiator to centrally back up the storage space of internal employee computers, workstations, servers, virtual machines, or even is the system partition.

• Developed for business users
  For business users, data security is extremely important, and for IT administrators, it is a huge challenge to make timely backups of various servers and be able to manage the personal computer data of multiple employees. Centralized Backup combines the needs of business users to provide a centralized active-backup solution.
• Multi-purpose machine
  By running Centralized Backup on a TNAS device, only one TNAS device can be used to meet the backup requirements of the enterprise for employees’ computers, servers, file servers, virtual machines, and workstations, greatly reducing the enterprise’s IT investment costs.
• Employee computer backup
  Different from general backup tools, Centralized Backup does not require employees to participate in the backup process. IT administrators can initiate backup requests from the server through Centralized Backup’s PC backup module, and can actively back up folders on hundreds of employees’ computers. , disk partition, or system partition. Centralized Backup can greatly protect digital assets scattered on employees’ computers, and can greatly reduce the workload of IT administrators.
• Server backup
  The server is the central nervous system of an enterprise’s digital information. The server not only runs a variety of application environments such as OA, CRM, and ERP that support business operations, but also stores important business data. Through the server backup function of Centralized Backup, IT administrators can simultaneously backup systems and data of multiple servers to TNAS. When an accident occurs, the abnormal host can be quickly restored, greatly reducing the impact of equipment failure on the business.
• File server backup
  The file server is the storage center of enterprise digital assets. Disasters such as unexpected power outages, equipment failures, and system failures may lead to the loss of precious digital assets. Through the file server backup function of Centralized Backup, IT administrators can back up the file directories of multiple file servers to TNAS, reducing the risk of data loss in the event of a disaster.
• Virtual machine storage backup
  Centralized Backup supports storage backup of VMware Vshpere and Windows Hyper-V virtual machines. Through the virtual machine backup function of Centralized Backup, the backup of multiple virtual machine clients can be initiated from TNAS.
• Multi-version restore
  Centralized Backup provides the backup target multi-version management function. When a disaster occurs, IT administrators can roll back the time of the repository to find the correct backup version to restore to the specified destination host.
• In full control
  Centralized Backup not only provides users with detailed backup and restore task configuration history, but also provides millions of logs, allowing you to monitor the backup progress and various exceptions throughout the process. By enabling the notification function, administrators can keep track of the progress status of backup and restoration in a timely manner.

TFM Backup for Internal Backup and Folder Synchronization

TFM Backup is the abbreviation of TerraMaster Folder Mirror backup. TFM Backup is a dedicated backup tool for TNAS shared folders developed by TerraMaster. Through TFM Backup, you can easily backup the shared folders in TNAS to other local folders. Storage location or a remotely mounted folder. TFM Backup has mirror backup and differential backup to choose from, and users can realize automatic scheduled backup by configuring backup schedule tasks. TFM Backup provides users with a simple and flexible backup solution for backing up data in TNAS.

• Improve disk space utilization
  Traditional RAID 1 disk arrays use redundancy to mirror the data of one disk to another disk, which can effectively avoid the risk of data loss due to disk failure. But a RAID 1 disk array requires at least 2 disks, that is, in a RAID 1 disk array, at most 50% of the effective disk storage space is available. For some users, not all data is important data, and it may not be necessary to mirror the entire disk data. Before TerraMaster launched TFM Backup, RAID 1 array seemed to be the only choice when users made mirror backups of data on disks. Now, users can choose to use TFM Backup to selectively do mirror backup, which can increase the utilization of disk space while ensuring data security.
• Flexible backup strategy
  TFM Backup has two backup strategies: mirror backup and differential backup. In the mirror backup mode, the backup source data is always consistent with the destination data, which can reduce the work of data management; in the differential backup mode, the newly added or modified data is backed up, even if the source data is deleted, the destination The data always retains the last backup version, which can effectively avoid the loss caused by misoperation.
• Custom backup plan
  TFM Backup provides a customizable backup plan, and you can customize the backup time, period, and frequency. You can perform backups during less busy periods according to business needs to avoid disruption to normal business.
• Multiple backup tasks
  TFM Backup supports multiple backup tasks. You can use TFM Backup to create multiple backup tasks for multiple folders with different backup policies and destinations, and configure different task schedules for each task to meet the backup needs of different file types in various application scenarios.
• Flexible backup destination
  The backup destination of TFM Backup can be in a different storage pool, a different volume, or a different device (using a remotely mounted folder). To avoid data loss caused by disk hardware failure, it is recommended to set the backup destination to a volume in a different storage pool.

Improved System Storage Searches with Terra Search

For some medium or large institutions, finding the required information from the vast amount of stored literature can be a big challenge. Terra Search’s file content search capabilities can help you overcome this challenge. Terra Search can quickly find all kinds of mainstream documents containing search keywords by establishing a database and search engine, which greatly improves the work efficiency of employees.

• Customized for industry applications
  Terra Search is specially developed and customized for business users, and has the characteristics of flexibility, speed, practicability and wide application. Terra Search is suitable for institutions and enterprises that need to manage a large number of documents, such as libraries, judiciary, hospitals, scientific research, military, government, etc.
• Powerful search engine
  Terra Search has a built-in powerful search engine, combined with a large database, it can easily handle millions of document management and content search, and can search hundreds of target files per second (related to the hardware performance of the TNAS device).
• Applicable to a variety of documents
  It is widely compatible with documents in various mainstream formats, such as office documents, text files, pdf, photos, music, e-books, web files, program codes, etc., to meet more than 90% of business users’ common file search needs.
• Image text content recognition
  Terra Search has a built-in automatic recognition function of image text content, which can quickly identify text in multiple languages ​​in images. The supported image formats include jpg, gif, jpeg, png, tiff, tif, etc.
• Custom search criteria
  In order to increase search efficiency, Terra Search also provides user-defined search conditions. Users can add search conditions such as file name, extension, title, owner, creation time, etc. according to their needs.
• Custom search directory
  By setting specific search directories and file types, users can limit the scope of the search, and improve search flexibility and search efficiency.
• Search result preview
  Terra Search provides a preview function of search results. Even for pictures, you can view the search results of pictures and texts through the preview window, and quickly screen accurate search results.
• Category display
  Through the flattened category display of the search page, users can screen documents, pictures, applications, and videos from the search results, making the search results clear at a glance.

Improved VPN Service Support with VPN Server in TOS 5

VPN Server provides you with an easy-to-use VPN solution, which can set up a TNAS device as a VPN server to allow other devices to remotely connect to TNAS through a private channel to ensure data communication security. Multiple devices connected to the VPN Server can form an interconnected network through private channels.

• Supports multiple VPN protocols – TerraMaster VPN Server supports PPTP, OpneVPN and L2TP/IPSec protocols, which can adapt to different network environments and meet your different business needs.
• Multiple authentication methods – VPN Server supports PAM and LDAP authentication, can connect with local users and domain users, and supports PAP, MS-CHAP, MD5, SHA, RSA and other authentication methods to ensure the privacy of private channel connections.
• Real-time network I/O monitoring – VPN Server uses graphs to monitor the network I/O of each VPN connection in real-time, allowing you to know the status of online devices and the I/O load of the network in time.
• Simple operation interface – VPN Server uses a flat menu, each VPN connection is managed separately, and the advanced setting items use the default options to avoid troubles for users due to complicated configuration options. It is simple, intuitive, and very suitable for home users and small and medium-sized buisness users.
• Log tracking – VPN Server provides a complete operation log and execution log, which is convenient for you to understand the operation history and the connection status of the VPN service, which can help you to quickly troubleshoot the fault.

How to Upgrade to Terramaster TOS 5 from TOS 4 – What You Need To Know?

Upgrading to TOS 5 is not as straightforward as other firmware updates and there is an element of complexity that, if done wrong, might result in re-initialising your system and formatting your storage/data, so follow the steps below VERY carefully! Please follow the guide below to install the new TOS 5.0 system

Must read before installation!

1.Since the root file system, storage path, application installation location, and startup method of TOS 5.0 are different from those of the previous version, you cannot directly update to TOS 5.0 from the current version, but need to reinstall the system.

Reinstalling the system will theoretically not delete the data on your hard drive, but for safety consideration, please back up your data in advance.

1. The new TOS 5.0 system is only applicable to the x.86 series of TNAS models (220 series, 221 series, 420 series, 421 series, 422 series, 423 series);

2. Your current TOS version need to be 4.2.32 or above;

3. TNAS PC needs to be 5.0.19 or above, otherwise, it may not work properly;

4. TNAS Mobile needs to be 5.0.1 or above, otherwise, it may not work properly. Note: Currently, TNAS Mobile is only available for iOS, and the Android version will be released soon, please pay attention to our update news.

How to install TOS 5.0?  

1. Download the TOS 5.0 installation package;

2. Log in to your TOS, go to Control Panel > General Settings > Factory Default, tick “Reset to Factory default” and click “Apply” to clear your system;

3. Your TNAS will automatically restart and enter the initialization guide page; if you cannot enter the initialization page, please use the TNAS PC to search for your TNAS again, and enter the IP address of your TNAS in the browser address bar;

4. Select the “Custom” mode during the initialization process, upload the TOS 5.0 installation package, and wait for the installation to complete;

5. After the system installation is completed, the system will automatically restart; Then, follow the instructions on the page to complete the administrator settings;

6. After the system is installed, you need to clear the browser cache, otherwise some system pages may not be displayed correctly.

Installation packages download link:

1. TOS 5.0：https://download2.terra-master.com/TOS_X642.0_5.0.120_00154_2206121730.ins

2. TNAS PC for Windows OS：https://download2.terra-master.com/TerraMaster_TNASPC_for_win_V5.0.22.zip

3. TNAS PC for macOS：https://download2.terra-master.com/TerraMaster_TNASPC_for_mac_V5.0.22.dmg

4. TNAS Mobile for iOS：It will be published later.

 

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