2-bay NAS | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 30 Mar 2023 18:34:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png 2-bay NAS | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Asustor AS5202T Nimbustor 2 2-bay NAS Review https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/asustor-as5202t-nimbustor-2-2-bay-nas-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/asustor-as5202t-nimbustor-2-2-bay-nas-review/#respond Wed, 04 Sep 2019 07:53:55 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=421974 It's a well-priced 2-bay NAS that's first to market with 2.5GbE

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The 2-bay AS5202T NAS is one of the first members of a new product line from Asustor called Nimbustor, alongside a 4-bay AS5304T model – the AS5304T is the Nimbustor 4, while the AS5202T is the Nimbustor 2. The new model line sees a world's first, with the introduction of 2.5-Gigabit Ethernet ports to the Asustor range and both Nimbustor models come with a pair of 2.5GbE ports.

At the heart of the AS5202T is an Intel Celeron J4005 Dual-Core CPU. The 14nm J4005 is clocked at 2.0 GHz, with a boost speed of up to 2.7GHz, and supports DDR4/LPDDR4 memory up to 2400MHz. Our review sample came with a single 2GB DDR4-2400 module installed in one of the two SO-DIMM slots but the motherboard supports a maximum of 8GB (2 x 4GB).

Headline Sequential speeds quoted by Asustor are reads of 563MB/s with writes at 561MB/s. However, the devil is in the detail as these figures were obtained using both 2.5GbE connections set up in a Link Aggregation mode. With a single 2.5GbE connection the official figures is 283 MB/s for both reads and writes. The AS5202T also has a dedicated hardware AES 256-bit encryption engine.

Asustor back the NAS with a 3-year warranty.

Physical Specifications

  • Processor: Intel Celeron J4005 Dual-Core 2.0 GHz (burst up 2.7GHz).
  • Memory: 2GB DDR4-2400.
  • Gigabit Ethernet Ports: 2 x 2.5.
  • Rear panel connectors: 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x HDMI 2.0a.
  • Front panel connectors: 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1.
  • RAID support: JBOD, RAID 0, 1.
  • Cooling: Active, 1 x 70mm.
  • Drive Bays Supported: 2.
  • Maximum hard drive size supported: 16TB.
  • Maximum Capacity: 32TB.
  • Internal File System support: Default EXT4 but also supports Btrfs.
  • Dimensions (D x W x H): 230 x 114 x 170mm.
  • Weight: 1.6kg.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

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QNAP TS-251B-2G 2-bay NAS Review https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-ts-251b-2g-2-bay-nas-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-ts-251b-2g-2-bay-nas-review/#respond Fri, 11 Jan 2019 12:12:51 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=397341 It's a 2-bay NAS with a x2 PCIe slot - but is it worth £300?

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The 2-bay TS-251B sits in QNAP's Home & SOHO product line and is the company's first home/SOHO NAS to feature a PCIe expansion slot supporting 10GbE networking, WiFi or USB 3.1 Gen 2 add-in cards. At just over £300, is this worth buying?

At the heart of the TS-251B is an Intel Celeron J3355 dual-core processor clocked at 2.0GHz, with a max boost frequency of up to 2.5 GHz. It is available in two memory options, the TS-251B-2G (our review model) with 2GB of DDR3L memory or the TS-251B-4G with 4GB of DDR3L. The maximum amount of memory supported by the motherboard is 8GB (1866MHz) via the two SODIMM slots which support dual-channel memory.

The TS-251B supports hard drives up to and including 14TB capacities giving an overall storage capacity of 28TB. QNAP quotes Sequential Read/Write performance figures for the TS-251B at 112MB/s for both.

Physical Specifications

  • Processor: Intel Celeron J3355 dual-core 2.0 GHz (burst up to 2.5 GHz).
  • Memory: 2GB DDR3L-1866MHz.
  • Gigabit Ethernet Ports: 1.
  • Rear panel connectors: 3 x USB 2.0 Type-A, 2 x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1 x HDMI v1.4b, 1 x speaker, 2 x mic input, 1 x RJ45 Ethernet.
  • Front panel connectors: USB 3.0 Type-A Quick Copy.
  • PCIe slot: 1 x Gen.2.0 x2.
  • RAID support: JBOD, RAID 0, 1.
  • Cooling: Active – 1 x 70mm.
  • Drive Bays Supported: 2.
  • Maximum hard drive size supported: 14TB.
  • Maximum Capacity: 28TB.
  • Internal File System support:  EXT4.
  • Dimensions (D x W x H): 226 x 105 x 168mm.
  • Weight: 1.53kg.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

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QNAP TS-228A 2-bay NAS Review https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-ts-228a-2-bay-nas-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-ts-228a-2-bay-nas-review/#respond Wed, 04 Jul 2018 09:06:24 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=375670 Looking at buying your first NAS? The 2-bay QNAP TS-228A could be just the thing

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Recently we've looked at a number of QNAP NAS units aimed primarily at the SMB end of the market. This time we take a look at a unit at the other end of the spectrum – the entry-level, two bay TS-228A aimed at home users.

The TS-228A is an update to the previous TS-228 with a faster & more capable processor and more modern memory. The TS-288 used a 32-bit 1.1GHz dual cored Realtek RTD1195PN CPU with 1GB of DDR3 memory, whereas the TS-228A uses a Realtek RTD1295 which is a 64-bit quad core CPU clocked at 1.4GHz. The amount of memory in the TS-228A is the same as the previous drive, 1GB, but is now DDR4-2133.

Physical Specifications

  • Processor: Realtek RTD1295 1.4GHz
  • Memory: 1GB DDR4 2133MHz
  • Gigabit Ethernet Ports: 1
  • Rear panel connectors: 2 x USB 2.0
  • Front panel connectors: 1 x USB 3.1 Gen1
  • RAID support: 0 & 1
  • Cooling: Active 1 x 60mm blower fan
  • Drive Bays Supported: 2
  • Maximum hard drive size supported: 12TB
  • Maximum Capacity: 24TB
  • Internal File System support: EXT4
  • Dimensions (D x W x H): 125 x 90 x 188mm.
  • Weight: 1.88kg.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

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ioSafe 216 2-Bay NAS Review https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/iosafe-216-2-bay-nas-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/iosafe-216-2-bay-nas-review/#comments Tue, 16 May 2017 10:42:43 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=326454 This is no ordinary NAS, it is Fireproof and waterproof and built like a tank.

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ioSafe may be a new name to you but the company from Auburn, California have been in the business of physical data protection since 2005 producing fireproof and waterproof storage devices for home and business users alike. The company cover all forms of storage from servers to portable external drives. The ioSafe 216 is a 2-Bay NAS for the home and small business.

So you might be thinking just how fireproof and waterproof are these devices? Using ioSafe's DataCast and HydroSafe protection technologies, the company states that the 216 can protect data from fire damage up to 843° C (1550°F) for 30 minutes and survive being under 10ft of water for up to three, yes three days.

The ioSafe 216 is powered by a Synology motherboard, uses the Synology DSM O/S and is a 2-Bay NAS so it's pretty safe to assume it's based around a DiskStation DS216, but a DS216 that has been injecting steroids. If you compare the weights of the drives, you may get an inkling of what the ioSafe is all about. A standard DS216 weighs in at svelte 1.3kg, the ioSafe 216 crashes the scales at an eye watering, arm numbing 12.7kg!

Specifications

  • Armada 385 1.3GHz CPU
  • Gigabit LAN
  • 512MB DDR3
  • 1-year Warranty
  • 1-year Data Recovery Service

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

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Buffalo TeraStation TS3210DN 2-Bay NAS Review https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/buffalo-terastation-ts3210dn-2-bay-nas-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/buffalo-terastation-ts3210dn-2-bay-nas-review/#respond Fri, 10 Feb 2017 09:31:03 +0000 http://dev.kitguru.net/?p=319833 The TS3210DN is an entry level 2 bay model and is aimed at small business and SOHO users.

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Buffalo's TeraStation range of NAS units are the company's business orientated models with a large number of product lines with designs ranging from desktop towers to full rackmount's. The TS3210DN is the entry level 2 bay model of the TeraStation 3010 product line and is aimed at small business and SOHO users.

The desktop tower TS3210DN is available in three pre-installed capacities; the basic 2TB model (TS3210DN0202-EU) which is the model Buffalo submitted for review, 4TB (TS3210DN0402-EU) and 8TB (TS3210DN0802-EU).

All models in the three format TS3010 product line; 2-bay, 4-bay tower and 4-bay rackmount are powered by an AnnapurnaLabs Alpine AL-212 1.4GHz processor backed by 1GB of DDR3 memory which is soldered to the board, so there are no upgrades in the memory department.

Specifications

  • AnnapurnaLabs Alpine AL-212 CPU
  • Dual LAN ports
  • 1GB DDR3 memory
  • 3-year warranty.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

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QNAP TS-231P 2-Bay NAS Review https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-ts-231p-2-bay-nas-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-ts-231p-2-bay-nas-review/#respond Tue, 10 Jan 2017 11:32:06 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=314981 Designed as an affordable and powerful NAS, the 2-bay TS-231P is the mid-range model of QNAP's latest family of NAS drives aimed at SOHO/Home use, the TS-x31P series. It's sandwiched between the single bay TS-131P and the flagship 4-bay TS-431P. All three models in the range are powered by an AnnapurnaLabs Alpine AL-212, 1.7GHz dual cored …

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Designed as an affordable and powerful NAS, the 2-bay TS-231P is the mid-range model of QNAP's latest family of NAS drives aimed at SOHO/Home use, the TS-x31P series. It's sandwiched between the single bay TS-131P and the flagship 4-bay TS-431P.

qnap-ts-231p-review-on-kitguru-featured-650

All three models in the range are powered by an AnnapurnaLabs Alpine AL-212, 1.7GHz dual cored CPU backed by 1GHz of DDR3 memory which is soldered to the motherboard so can't be upgraded.

QNAP quote throughput figures for the TS-231P of 224MB/s for reads and 176MB/s for writes but, this was achieved with both LAN ports in link aggregation mode.

Specifications
AnnapurnaLabs Alpine AL-212 CPU
Dual LAN ports
1GB DDR3 memory
2-year warranty.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

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Synology DS215j NAS Review https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/nas/leo-waldock/synology-ds215j-nas-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/nas/leo-waldock/synology-ds215j-nas-review/#comments Tue, 02 Dec 2014 09:43:59 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=224249 Synology's latest two-bay NAS is the DS215j. This model looks very similar to the DS214 and shares almost all of the features, except for the loss of one USB 3.0 port (you get one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0) and a reduction in processor speed. The DS214 uses a dual core 1.066GHz Marvell while …

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Synology's latest two-bay NAS is the DS215j. This model looks very similar to the DS214 and shares almost all of the features, except for the loss of one USB 3.0 port (you get one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0) and a reduction in processor speed. The DS214 uses a dual core 1.066GHz Marvell while the new DS215j has a dual core Marvell running at 800MHz.

You may recall the J suffix on the model code stands for ‘lower performance', although Synology might claim it means better value, in which case they have a point as the DS214 sells for £215 while the DS215j is significantly cheaper at £160.

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Highlighted features

  • CPU Marvell Armada 375 dual core 800MHz with floating point.
  • Memory 512MB DDR3.
  • Hard drives 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch in two drive bays.
  • Capacity Up to 12TB (depending on drives).
  • External ports One USB 3.0, one USB 2.0.
  • LAN Gigabit.
  • Claimed Max Read speed over 111.41MBps.
  • Claimed Max Write speed over 87.49 MBps.
  • Synology DSM 5.1 software.

Installing the two WD 6TB Red drives used for testing was simple enough. Pop open the casing, slide in the drives, secure them in place (Synology supplies spare screws), close the case, connect power and Ethernet and you're ready.

Migrate to new NASMigrate to new NAS pic 2
Using the URL find.synology.com starts the installation wizard and as the two hard drives had previously been used in another NAS we were offered migration choices you would not otherwise see.

Install DSM
Installing the latest DSM 5.1 software is a simple matter of clicking and waiting for a few minutes.

Synology not found
Curiously, once DSM was installed, the NAS appeared to vanish from the network. This wasn't something we had seen before and had to download and install the Synology Assistant utility which worked as described.

Synology Assistant finds NAS

Install packagesDSM 5.1
Once the NAS had been found again we were able to download and install packages from Synology and could take a look at DSM 5.1 which looks similar to DSM 5.0 as it is a fairly minor point release.

Testing

The DS215j performed as expected when we downloaded movie files and saw a transfer speed of 90.4MBps. On the other hand when you download multiple files the Synology zips them together in a single archive and this slows the speed dramatically to 34.1MBps.

Uploading files is a different process as the files flow in a stream one after the other and here we saw consistent speeds in the range 40MBps to 44MBps, regardless of file size.

It is hard to see how this variance in speed can be due to a small decrease in processor speed so your reviewer's instinct is that this is a quirk of the DSM 5.1 software.

Synology USB device
Copying a video file from a USB 3.0 flash drive to the NAS runs at 45-49MBps. The same file over USB 2.0 transfers at 25-28MBps. Copying a file within the array on the NAS runs at 40-65MBps.

Noise
Noise levels were very low as the WD Red drives are whisper-quiet and the 92mm fan on the Synology is barely audible.

Closing thoughts

Synology has delivered a very cheap two bay NAS in the DS215j. The slower processor (compared to the DS214) has little obvious impact on performance and the inclusion of USB 3.0 is welcome. On the other hand it would be preferable to have both USB ports to the 3.0 standard, rather than one of each. You can pick up the Synology DS215j for around £160 inc vat online, without drives.

Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.

Pros

  • Low price
  • DSM 5.1 software
  • Synology Package Centre hosts more software
  • Quiet operation

Cons

  • Downloading multiple files slow performance
  • Only one USB 3.0 port

KitGuru says: The DS215j offers a cheapish way of introducing a Synology NAS to your home or small office and the results are impressive.

MUST-HAVE2

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Synology Diskstation DS213 Air NAS Review https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/simon-telford/synology-diskstation-ds213-air-nas-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-news/simon-telford/synology-diskstation-ds213-air-nas-review/#comments Sun, 04 Nov 2012 14:06:30 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=113805 Synology are one of the leading NAS manufacturers, and their software – DiskManager, has earned high acclaim worldwide. Today we are looking at the DS213 Air, a unique NAS device as it features built-in wireless support allowing it to connect to your network wirelessly. It can even be your wireless router. On top of this, …

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Synology are one of the leading NAS manufacturers, and their software – DiskManager, has earned high acclaim worldwide. Today we are looking at the DS213 Air, a unique NAS device as it features built-in wireless support allowing it to connect to your network wirelessly. It can even be your wireless router. On top of this, it features everything you'd expect to see from a high-end NAS device or even from most home/office servers.

Specifications

  • CPU Frequency : 1.6 GHz
  • Hardware Encryption Engine
  • Memory : DDR3 256 MB
  • Internal HDD/SSD : 3.5″ or 2.5″ SATA(II) X 2 (Hard drive not included)
  • Max Internal Capacity : 8 TB (4 TB HDD X 2) (Capacity may vary by RAID types) (See All Supported HDD)
  • External HDD Interface : USB 3.0 Port X 2
  • Size (HxWxD) : 165 x 100 x 225.5 mm
  • Weight : 0.94 kg
  • LAN : Gigabit X 1
  • Wake on LAN/WAN
  • System Fan : 92 x 92 mm X 1
  • Built-in Wireless Support
  • Noise Level : 19.0 dB(A)
  • Power Recovery
  • AC Input Power Voltage : 100V to 240V AC
  • Power Frequency : 50/60 Hz, Single Phase
  • Power Consumption : 22.44W (Access); 5.76W (HDD Hibernation);
  • Operating Temperature : 5°C to 35°C (40°F to 95°F)
  • Storage Temperature : -10°C to 70°C (15°F to 155°F)
  • Relative Humidity : 5% to 95% RH
  • Maximum Operating Altitude : 6,500 feet
  • Certification : FCC Class B, CE Class B, BSMI Class B
  • Warranty : 2 Years
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