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Netgear ReadyNAS NV+ RND4000 4 Bay Gigabit NAS $199 (Free Shipping)

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Netgear ReadyNAS NV+ RND4000 4 Bay Gigabit NAS $199 (Free Shipping)
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Store RepComputer Alliance on 09/07/2012 - 11:42 computeralliance.com.au (5856 clicks)
Last edited 10/07/2012 - 12:38

Netgear ReadyNAS NV+ RND4000 4 Bay Gigabit NAS $199 (Free Shipping)

BONUS $30 VISA card by redemption from Netgear. Valid until the 31st July 2012.

Will also do the free shipping on any HDDs bought with the NAS.

Sells for $400-$550 at most retailers.

Network Attached Storage with 4 Bays. Excellent as a high capacity SME or home file server, media streaming server, or backup device. See http://www.readynas.com/?cat=4

Supports X-Raid with drive redundancy and automatic expansion. For example add 4 x 2TB HDDs to provide 5.5TB of usable capacity with protection against a single drive failure (if one drive fails, no data is lost). Start with any number of drives, for example add just one 2TB drive to start and add more over time as needed with automatic volume expansion via X-Raid.

Available in shop or with free shipping to most locations Australia wide when mentioning this advertisement (please refer to ozbargains in comments field if ordering on the web and we will manually remove the delivery charge before processing).

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closed Comments

  • Steptoe on 09/07/2012 - 11:48

    Can run bit torrent client.

    • Torell on 09/07/2012 - 12:41

      Be careful. 90% of torrent sites i use now have incompatible links when copying a torrent hyperlink to paste into the remote bittorrent client on the NAS. Adding a file works fine tho, just i presonally never use that option.

      • OzBLover on 09/07/2012 - 12:50

        I have a Synology DS212J and it works perfectly fine with all the torrent link

        • Torell on 09/07/2012 - 13:01

          Ok. Im using ready nas duo which i presume uses the same torrent client as the mentioned netgear, which i believe is differant software to your synology? Problem only started a couple of months ago which is when i believe torrent sites started changing the way the links worked or something.

        • m0nkeycheese on 09/07/2012 - 14:29

          Magnet links

          http://thepiratebay.se/blog/197

        • Torell on 09/07/2012 - 14:45

          Did u find a fix? Netgear didnt release an update for their client so im stuck,

        • malarky on 10/07/2012 - 19:58
          +2

          I use magnet links on a ReadyNAS duo.
          1) Install the Transmission plug-in on the duo.
          2) Install Transmission GUI on your laptop (http://code.google.com/p/transmisson-remote-gui/).
          3) Use Mozilla and associate magnet file types with Transmission GUI (use google to find out how). I haven't worked out how to open magnets with Chrome yet, but that might be out there.

        • Torell on 10/07/2012 - 20:31

          Legend

    • liveish on 09/07/2012 - 13:32

      Yes i have one.

      But i use Usenet now

      Opps sorry i have the V2

      • bragains on 09/07/2012 - 22:57

        Does this do Usenet (secure)?

  • aussieaubs on 09/07/2012 - 11:52
    +1

    very nice and quiet unit… occasionally has probs with unlocking drives. But a very solid unit and great web interface…. really worth $199 and FREE SHIPPING!!!!!

    I hope its legit…

  • Peekay on 09/07/2012 - 11:56
    +2

    Gargh, I've been considering buying a NAS for a while and this price is too good to refuse!

    • Mikinoz on 09/07/2012 - 11:59

      Just make sure when buying drives they are suitable/compatible for this nas

      • Peekay on 09/07/2012 - 12:06
        +2

        Snapped one up.
        Found the HD compatability list here http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/20641

        I have a WD Caviar Green 2TB I want to throw into it, within the 2TB Caviar Green's is there differing model numbers? (They have one listed, so I'm hopeful it will be fine).

        • Mikinoz on 09/07/2012 - 12:18

          which one the earx or the ears, think the difference is 3gbs(ears) vs 6gbs(earx)

        • peter05 on 09/07/2012 - 12:35

          i think also the cache size differs between the models, ie 16mb (and later 32mb) vs 64mb

        • liveish on 09/07/2012 - 13:33

          the 3tb WD ext that JB sell works well :) just take them out and put them in

          Opps sorry i have the V2

      • Store RepComputer Alliance @ Computer Alliance on 09/07/2012 - 12:17
        +4

        Most common SATA drives work fine with them. There is a compatibility list on the readynas site if you want to check particular models but note that list is very incomplete. We have had some issues with particular models, but thats quite rare now with current NAS firmware.

        I am told they can handle 3TB drives with the latest firmware, but I have not tested those myself and I don't recommend using >2TB drives. I note none are listed on the compatibility list yet and we don't support 3TB drives in these units

        We normally use the 2TB Seagates as good value compatible/reliable drives. See: http://www.computeralliance.com.au/parts.aspx?qryPart=13485 Some people use the 24/7 rated drives but I think thats overkill and a waste of $ for most use.

        I have some 100s of these NAS boxes in SMEs sites running 24/7 where we manage the infrastructure, mainly as backup devices. Many of these boxes have been running for years and very few issues with drive failures and from memory just two failures of the NAS itself, and one of which was a power surge.

        There is a option to automatically power down the drives after X mins of no use, worth turning on in most environments so save power and drive life.

        • Steptoe on 09/07/2012 - 12:48
          +1

          Mine runs 3TB Hitachi drives just fine, but it's the V2 which may explain the difference.

        • MrFunSocks on 09/07/2012 - 13:42
          +1

          the NV+ V1 does not support 3TB drives and never will, Netgear have said as much. The latest firmware even said this in the release notes.

          http://www.readynas.com/?p=6480

          "Limitations
          1. IE 6 no longer supported.
          2. Drives greater than 2TB are not supported."

          the V2 might be able to handle 3tb drives, but its 100% fact that the V1 cannot unfortunately.

          I have a NV+ V1 and its fantastic as a DLNA server. streams to the 360/PS3/iPad/WinPhone perfectly, and supports most common video formats.

        • darth_static on 09/07/2012 - 16:39

          "Not supported" != "possible".
          Has anyone actually tried sticking a 3TB drive into a V1 to see if it works?

        • MrFunSocks on 09/07/2012 - 17:17

          true, its not impossible - its just very very very very very very very unlikely to ever get it.

          from the Netgear support forums: GPT is not supported for sparc processors as Linux development for sparc stopped prior to the development of GPT support. As GPT is essential for >2TB support, Netgear would have to develop this - it is very unlikely to happen.

          yes, many people have tried sticking a 3TB in a V1, and it does not work. heres one: http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=62994

          some more reading about GPT (which is necessary for >2tb drives) support coming to this version of the NV+: http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=53744

        • onecentless on 09/07/2012 - 21:36

          from past research V1 goes as far as 2TB SATA HDD for sure.
          (same for V2 I think).

        • Store RepComputer Alliance @ Computer Alliance on 10/07/2012 - 12:41

          The 3TBs I was told were working was in fact in a Ultra bussiness unit, different model to the NV+. Assume these will not take 3TB HDDs.

  • tonyjzx on 09/07/2012 - 11:57
    +2

    good value now that microservers are dear as sin

    • StewBalls on 09/07/2012 - 11:59
      +3

      I was checking Proliant prices the other day, sin is actually cheaper now! :)

    • RedHab on 10/07/2012 - 08:43

      An HP microserver costs about the same and is far more flexible.

      • StewBalls on 10/07/2012 - 08:47
        +1

        I wouldn't mind a link to a $199 microserver with free shipping! ;)

  • Mikinoz on 09/07/2012 - 11:58
    +1

    its legit these guys are a pretty good shop, and thanks to ozb they are doing an increased turnover lol

  • Vladdo on 09/07/2012 - 12:06

    Anyone know what read/write speeds are like.. can't seem to find anything obvious on google..

    • Store RepComputer Alliance @ Computer Alliance on 09/07/2012 - 12:29
      +6

      With Raid 5, you usually get around 21-25MB/s transfer rates read or write, obviously on Gigabit lan. On a 10/100 network, whcih most people will have if plugged into your 4 port router, you will be saturating the 100Mb bus at about 10MB/s but even that is fine for most use. If not, buy yourself a gigabit switch, plug PCs into that instead of the router.

      The transfer rates are limited by the processor speed rather than the drives.

      Ballpark, about the same as a USB2 HDD.

      Speed is fine for multiple media streams, backups etc but its not a unit built to be hammered by many users at the same time. Suggested for SME and Home environments.

      I personally have had one at home bought back not long after they were released, I would add cost about $2000 with 4TB of capacity back them. Its my media storage device + I backup all PCs to it with acronis. Thats the use I would expect wodul be most common for Ozbargain buyers, and its ideal for that. Much easier than having to backup with ext HDDs (though you can never have too many backups).

      If you need faster unit, look at the ultra versions, faster processor and more RAM but otherwise pretty much the same. They can get up toward 80MB/s

      • Vladdo on 09/07/2012 - 13:09
        +1

        thanks for your honesty… I have a thecus 7700+ and it gets around 35 mb/sec for both read & write on RAID5 on ZFS.. it uses a crappy 1.8ghz celeron m cpu.. Was hoping this would be that little bit faster..

        • Store RepComputer Alliance @ Computer Alliance on 09/07/2012 - 13:38
          +2

          Maybe ironically, we rolled these out originally to replace N4000 thecus boxes we had in use on many sites. They were rock solid NAS boxes but appalling slow, around 2MB/s. 20M+ for backups is tons for most SBS servers, 2, not so good!

          The ultras are more like 80MB/s if you want to look at something faster.

        • masuta on 09/07/2012 - 19:32

          The problem with the ultras is that a 6 bay unit is about $1000. For that sort of money I would start to look at a build centered about a norco 4224 case. I'm able to get about 100-120MB/s on mine (mainly throttled by the single NIC on the PC end).

        • Store RepComputer Alliance @ Computer Alliance on 10/07/2012 - 12:45

          http://www.computeralliance.com.au/parts.aspx?qryPart=12880

          $695 for the 6 Bay Netgear RNDP600U ReadyNas ULTRA Plus Gigabit NAS Unit

          We got these at a rather good price, but its probably overkill for most home users. For most of our corporate environments, this is the next model up we use from the NV+, the faster 4 bays don't tend to offer enough to justify the $ but the 6 Bay is nice, up to 14+TB and very fast access speed.

      • [Deactivated] on 14/07/2012 - 14:59

        http://www.anandtech.com/show/5071/netgears-marvell-based-re…

        Networking is a funny thing, your switch, cabling, host computer can play huge parts, anandtech is amazingly reliable and they benched a lot higher than 20MB/s

      • Utopian on 21/07/2012 - 21:02

        I've never read SO many comments here so hard & fast! I think I'm in love with this deal.

        Instead of buying a NAS, I went the DIY route, and it's been nothing but limitations/compromise anyway. I regret not buying a NAS, so seeing this is sweeeet.

        HOWEVER (yes, caps). I've read SO much on this device, yet no-one covers a massive design flaw, a deal-killer for me. It'll take 8TB, but won't let me have it?! ie: Best storage I can get is ~5.5TB?! I have to use RAID?? Won't do JBOD. I don't want/need RAID. Too many people use it, for the wrong reasons (misconceptions).

        I thought this was awesome, a $170 8TB NAS… But it's not. And the limitations keep groing.

        Damn you gadgets, the tease is ALWAYS better than the reality :(

        • Teddo on 22/07/2012 - 16:02

          ahh, Numbnuts. But a good deal. Initializing disks 3 and 4 this aft. And there was the diskless ReadyNas at the markets for $399 today.

          Sure, 8tb I'd like. But looks it can't be. Will still use usb for some backups. And this ReadyNas streams BD isos and images without a miss unlike usb drives…into the PCH A300.

  • orange123 on 09/07/2012 - 12:06

    New to NAS. What speeds should I expect when writing and reading files ?

    What's the typical wireless speed and the typical Ethernet speed?

    Thanks

  • sphere on 09/07/2012 - 12:09

    Comes up with $25 shipping for me

    • antkappa on 09/07/2012 - 12:11
      +2

      (please refer to ozbargains in comments field if ordering on the web and we will manually remove the delivery charge before processing)

      • Store RepComputer Alliance @ Computer Alliance on 09/07/2012 - 12:33
        +4

        Very close to making public our new web site which apart from a much cleaner interface allows us to set free shipping etc.

        For now, yes, freight will appear but it will be manually removed before processing. You won't be charged freight unless you are in a expensive area to ship to and then we will confirm freight with you before processing the order

  • kei on 09/07/2012 - 12:11
    +3

    This seems to be the old version of the nv+ not nv+ v2.

  • livid2 on 09/07/2012 - 12:12

    Is this the V2? The link on the CA website is to the V2. I thought the V2 has a blue LCD.

  • WasabiPeas on 09/07/2012 - 12:12

    Is this an old model (v1)?

    Netgear website for model RND4000 looks different.

    http://www.netgear.com.au/home/products/storage/prosumer/RND…

  • izzeho on 09/07/2012 - 12:14

    Anyone have any comment on how these fair for media streaming? I don't suppose it can handle transcoding 1080p on the fly?

    • peter05 on 09/07/2012 - 12:47

      you'll be able to stream to a device that then plays it, ie computer/xbox/ps3 etc, the speed is more than capable of holding up the HD stream, multiple ones in fact

    • atlas on 09/07/2012 - 12:57

      Don't think it would be able to transcode 1080p. Try the Ultra series.

    • bargainy on 09/07/2012 - 16:15
      +1

      Definitely can't handle transcoding.

  • oz-dave on 09/07/2012 - 12:14
    +2

    From the specs given on the Computer Alliance webpage it would appear this is the older V1 of the product…

    That is;
    3 x USB 2.0 (newer V2 has 1 x 2.0 + 2 x 3.0)
    IT3107 Network Storage Processor that appears to run at 240-280MHz (newer v2 has 1600MHz Marvell CPU)
    The older ITU3107 effectively limits data transfer speed to a maximum speed of about 25-40 MB/s

    Is this correct rep?

    The model number for the v2 is RND4000-200xxx (Eg; RND4000-200EUS)
    The older v1 model will look like RND4000-100xxx

    • Store RepComputer Alliance @ Computer Alliance on 09/07/2012 - 12:46
      +2

      Model is RND4000-100AJS which is I believe the NV+. I don't believe we have sold the slightly modified NV+V2. I don't think there is much between them in function.

      The NV+ still a current model, just got the stock in from the Australian disty. Its the entry level of the good build quality units. (never touch the entry level "Stora"!)

      I note there are a number of other models available in this range that do offer a speed boost and in some cases some extra features. We have many in stock. Take a look at the Ultra Series, faster CPU and some support iSCSI etc though the core OS is the same.

      I suspect few people will notice a difference for typical use on a home or SME but if you want to use it as a file server in a business environment, with many users hitting it at same time, I would go with a ultra.

      • oz-dave on 10/07/2012 - 14:12

        Thanks for the confirmation that it is v1 :-)

  • bozter on 09/07/2012 - 12:19

    Is this a dedicated NAS device or can it be made into a media server like xmbc

    • aussieaubs on 09/07/2012 - 12:27

      Im pretty sure it can do both. Most smart tvs will see it as a DLNA device.

    • MrFunSocks on 09/07/2012 - 13:45
      +1

      you cant install XMBC on it, if thats what youre asking.

      its DLNA, so it streams to all your devices very well and very easily.

  • peter05 on 09/07/2012 - 12:29
    +8

    This is the older version 1 readyNAS. don't be confused with the newer model

    The claim that this sells for $400-500 at other retailers is MISLEADING at best, especially when everyone else is selling the v2 for the $400-500 quoted. This is where the confusion is coming from

    These are robust units but don't expect more than around 25MB/s read and around 15MB/s write

    the newer models can read at 80MB/s and write around 25-30MB/s

    both speeds quoted are for files >1GB, on gigabit hardware and in XRAID/XRAID2 mode

    This is still an extremely good and robust unit, but it has been replaced by the newer v2.

    the V2 has recently received MANY updates that bring it in line with v1, v1 has "corporate" features which can now be found in v2 (domain controls, rsync etc, they weren't available on the v2 on release)

    • peter05 on 09/07/2012 - 12:31

      also the psu on version 1 is integrated into the unit, v2 has a ball/chain configuration :P

    • Rakddon on 09/07/2012 - 12:36

      can CA please confirm what version they are selling?

  • IVI on 09/07/2012 - 12:30

    At this price, I presume this is version 1, not the improved version 2, right?

  • bbcw1980 on 09/07/2012 - 12:30

    thansfer speed is not really fast but cheap for what it is. I am getting around 15mb/s to 20mb/s tops.

    • googolplex on 09/07/2012 - 12:43

      Hmmmm…
      I'm getting better speeds on my home made Linux raid file server

      I won't be getting one after all

      • bbcw1980 on 09/07/2012 - 13:05
        +1

        ur home made linux have much better cpu.

  • slvrln89 on 09/07/2012 - 12:37

    would anyone know if the "Samsung MyStory 2TB HDD" can be ripped out and used on this NAS?

    • samfisher5986 on 09/07/2012 - 12:41

      Yes I have personally done this.

    • peter05 on 09/07/2012 - 12:42

      any drive up to 2TB (haven't tried larger ones) will work in the NAS, however your performance may be affected or there may be unexplained issues.

      For example WD used to have a spin down timer that was insanely short for USB drives. People ripping them out of the USB drives and plonking them in the NAS caused the counter for the number of times the spindle spins up to go extremely high in a short period of time.

      It's best to stick with the compatibility list as they are the officially tested ones by the readynas team, but that's not to say you can't use other drives that aren't on the list, i've had 750GB hitachis in mine for around 3-4 years and they're still going strong as day 1 (the hitachis aren't on the compatibility list)

      • samfisher5986 on 09/07/2012 - 14:11

        The samsung story has the same spin down timer.

        I don't use NAS's personally but find the hard drive only spins up when there is a good reason such as watching a TV Show or copying something.

        I guess it depends if the NAS wants to use the HDD for its own reasons and makes it spin up all the time.

    • Store RepComputer Alliance @ Computer Alliance on 09/07/2012 - 12:49

      We have used samsung dives in them with no issues, I would be surprised it it didn't work fine — do understand it would wipe any data off that drive when setting up.

  • googolplex on 09/07/2012 - 12:40

    The comments above are making me a little bit hesitant on buying one of these units.

    According to the Netgear link above the later v2 units seem to support 3tb drives.
    As 3tb drives are becoming more commonplace this is important for me.

    Not sure how RAID is implemented on these NAS units but generally software RAID benefits from a faster processor as seen on the v2 specs above.

    • peter05 on 09/07/2012 - 12:45

      It's still a very good unit and will suit most home user's needs.

      You'll only notice the slow speed when you initially fill up the device. After you've filled it up or you synchronise/transfer your large files etc to it incrementally you won't even notice it's that "slow"

      it's a matter of transfering a 1GB file in 30s vs around 2 minutes. It's not a huge deal as you can leave it running in background anyway :)

    • Mikinoz on 09/07/2012 - 12:46

      Could be an $800.00 mistake ;) thats if you buy drives for it, then find if you waited the 3tbs would be cheaper anyway.

      The question is do you need it? without the hassle of raid a usb plugged into router works well, obviously not as fast.

      • bargainy on 09/07/2012 - 13:20

        RAID is not a hassle, it is data protection. Even a twin drive USB unit is a disaster waiting to happen if you have data you'd rather not lose. The RAID config on the NV+ is a no brainer, just plugin the drive and it will automatically expand the array.

  • Black Hole on 09/07/2012 - 12:43
    +1

    I have two proliant microservers and a few months ago I have bought the Netgear NV+ V2 which I have enjoyed very much. It is solid as a rock but has fewer addons than the Netgear NV+. This microserver will beats Proliant and Freenas any day in term of stability and ease of use. Thanks goodness I have got ride of Freenas :). Proliant Microserver went well with Microsoft server OS though.

    • lonewolf on 09/07/2012 - 12:48

      hmm I have 2 proliant microservers that i havent set up yet, I was going to use Freenas as thats what seemed mostly recommended, I havent really had much experience with linux etc. So i was a bit worried about the issues i might come across, you reckon its not worth the hassles? Better to just put on windows server?

      Actually how would you install a MS Server anyway? Doesnt that mean you forfeit one of the 4 hdd slots for a OS hdd?

      • izzeho on 09/07/2012 - 13:30

        Just a correction. Freenas is FreeBSD based, not Linux. Means it has some rather odd quirks and a less ideal kernel (IMO), but means it comes with better functionality for ZFS and other file system optimisations. I've never had any major issues with FreeNAS, and configuration isn't any more difficult than a quick google search when you get stuck.

        In my opinion it produced far less headaches than windows server (and is a lot more efficient).

      • Black Hole on 09/07/2012 - 14:01

        I would not bother with Freenas as I have been disappointed after 6 months of usage and continued to wait for the next update to improve the speed and glitches. Readynas has no such issues.

        As with MS server, I just have a spare DVD reader and 250G HDD around so i just hooked it up to the dvd bay and the 250G HDD to one of the tray. Installed the OS and unhook the DVD as I no longer needed it. I relocated the 250G to the DVD bay and now I have 4 trays for storage.

        BTW I have 1x 1GB, 1x 2GB ECC memory stick if any one care to offer to buy from me.

    • netsurfer on 09/07/2012 - 13:39

      DK… I am getting a bit confused with your comment. Are you saying ReadyNAS NV+ V2 is better than Proliant Microserver?

      Just interested to know which one you would recommend out of the two.

      • Black Hole on 09/07/2012 - 14:03
        +1

        Proliant is better than the Readynas when running MS Server in term of options and speed. When come to the ease of setting up and running, Readynas is a better choice.

        I was just referring that if you were to get the Proliant to run Freenas, think again.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/07/2012 - 12:43
    +2

    This is so cheap. I paid over 5x this price a couple of years ago for the business version. I sold it at a massive loss a year later and moved onto a real expandable home server using unraid.

    My biggest annoyance of the readynas is the noise generated from the fan. The fan runs 24/7 and you can't control the rpm (and if you could/did you'd break warranty). It was at an annoying rpm, a little slower = quieter. a little faster = quieter. You can spin down the drives, but this isn't the same as a computer being in standby mode because of the fan.

    The performance was okay on my gigabit network with no tweaking. In the range of 20-30MB/s writes and 50-70MB/s reads.

    I'd consider one of these for document/photo backups. No good if you want to store heaps of HD media, it'll quickly fill up. That being said it worked flawlessly when streaming media to my TV and computers.

    As for the software addons available, they're more of a gimmick. They're really quite crap and doubt you'd get any serious use from them. With maybe torrents the exception (which I don't use).

    • bargainy on 09/07/2012 - 13:22
      -1

      Fans run at around 2000 rpm and there is auto calibrate in the setup. I find mine very low noise with green power drives.

    • jimbo jones on 09/07/2012 - 17:07

      I have one. I paid $400, so at $199 it's a good deal.

      PRO:
      Auto-expand RAID if you add disks is good.

      Con:
      If you fill up the system, you have to swap out all disks one by one with larger disks. Extra capacity is not available until all larger disks have been sync'ed.
      The fan is really noisy. There are hacks available to replace the fan and change the speed (voiding warranty).

      I ended up getting a Microserver and running an O/S ontop.

  • Rakddon on 09/07/2012 - 12:44
    +2

    I just called CA and was told this is Version 1

  • lonewolf on 09/07/2012 - 12:46

    Sadly looks like the power of it is very low compared to what else is out there these days. The Buffalo Pro Quad deals that have floated around are probably better just due to much more powerful hardware?

    • Store RepComputer Alliance @ Computer Alliance on 09/07/2012 - 13:12
      +14

      A general comment on this, since I am a little surprised by comments on speed and I suspect it comes from people who are not sure what the speed numbers mean as they relate to their use.

      If you need something faster then great, go for it and note we sell hardware you might want to look at….. but I am thinking for many users wanting more speed is following similar thoughts like upgrading your PC from say 8 to 16GB of RAM. Sounds cool, but what effect will it have? None for average users, lots for people running multiple VMs etc. Depends on your use.

      I would hope experienced users will be asking, is this a reliable unit with speed and other features at a level appropriate to my needs at a good price?

      I note hardware wise this is an older unit, but its also one of the most polished and reliable NAS boxes available. Old is not bad in IT when the service it provides is what you need — it means bugs and issues have been ironed out.

      If you stream a high def movie from it to your media centre, it will work just as fast as the fastest NAS you coudl buy, as the bandwidth needed is a fraction of its capacity. If you have 10 people hammering it uploading and downloading large files at the same time, a more high end NAS or server would be more appropriate.

      Another example, if you are copying say a 4GB HD movie to this unit from your PC, it will take about 3 mins. With a ultra it might be a little over 1 min. Does this matter to you? You can also see on those numbers how it handles streaming easily back to multiple media players at the same time, 3 min upload you typically play back over say 90 mins? ie streaming back at say 3% of its bandwidth capacity. I would add I have often run heavy backups to the unit at its maximum capacity while streaming a video to a media center and had no issues.

      So to summarise, yes you can buy faster hardware, for a price. This quality of unit at $199 is still brilliant and just as good in function for most home users and SMEs.

      • samfisher5986 on 09/07/2012 - 14:24
        +3

        I'll give you some examples, though I still do agree that most people only use it for basic needs. I want everyone to be well informed on their purchases so they don't regret it like many serious users like myself do when they find the device isn't good enough to their needs.

        Multi tasking, can this NAS allow someone to watch a 1080p movie while copying a big file at the same time? If so can it also do it while Bittorrent/usenet etc runs as well? Most NAS's can only do one thing at a time properly, keep in mind I have not used this NAS.

        with 15GB movie files, 50+ GB TV Show seasons, getting 15-20mb/s takes way too long, my file server does 60-100 mb/s between hard drives and does gigabit transfers very well where most NAS's seem to suffer.

        (unsure of this NAS supports it but an example) Slow NAS's are not very good for SABNZBD/Usenet, sometimes can't download fast enough (those with fast internet connections), they verify and repair files too slowly as it requires a fast CPU, you can end up waiting an hour for a it to process the file you downloaded.

        I guess my point is to think about possible scenarios you'll be in before deciding what to buy, its better to not notice the bottleneck of the device you buy, it also means it has room for working harder in the future.

        • netsurfer on 09/07/2012 - 15:11

          Agree with samfisher. It might be fine for most people. True, a low end NAS with RAID support can be handy for some people. However, wanting more speed is perfectly normal. It is actually not 8GB RAM vs 16GB RAM, it is more like USB2 vs USB3. 15-20MB/sec is slower than USB 2.0.

          Multi-tasking is also a big issue for low end NAS devices. BT/SABNZBD client on these is like running that on a 486 with 256MB of RAM. Fine in sunny day situation. When something gone a bit pear shaped during the download, it is generally a painful long wait for large file verficiation and repair as samfisher pointed out. When that's happening, your NAS will be busy doing that so file transfer in/out of the NAS will also suffer greatly.

      • morini on 10/07/2012 - 08:00
        +1

        I upvoted because it's a good deal and if I could, I'd upvote again for the very, very useful posts from the vendor. Well done and setting an excellent example to other vendors!

  • samfisher5986 on 09/07/2012 - 12:46

    This is a great deal, just thought I'd mention that if you know how to build a computer yourself and don't mind paying extra its worth building a computer for this task instead.

    My NAS computer has 8 hdd spaces/slots and was built very cheap.

    NAS's just don't have the hdd slots, transfer speeds, CPU speeds or multi tasking ability to make it worth it for a serious user.

    • Store RepComputer Alliance @ Computer Alliance on 09/07/2012 - 13:19
      +4

      If you have other uses for the PC as a light server and enjoy building your own machines, then I agree.

      As a NAS only though, yes 5 years ago, but not now. A cheap PC won't be as reliable at a given price as a decent dedicated NAS. And I do know, we have many 10s of 1000s of PCs out there still under warranty, and 1000s of NAS boxes.

      PS, if you do have use for a cheap file server, take a look at mini-ATX board/CPU combos. I have some corporates using those as thin clients, and home users building them as media centre + File server solutions. Quite useful as quiet/low power consumption PCs for services that don't need much processing power.

  • nickbose on 09/07/2012 - 12:49
    +1

    What do you guys use this for? I won't find enough porn to fill this up, it's just too much storage?

    • Mikinoz on 09/07/2012 - 13:09

      Movies, you know the kind that doesnt have naked people on the covers :)

    • Russ on 09/07/2012 - 14:10

      Maybe hook ut up to a PC with multiple DTV receiver cards, and record every program on every channel. Have a rolling delete that removes the oldest recordings when it is full.

      Never miss a TV program again, as long as you watch the program before it is deleted, or at least mark it as "not to be deleted".

      I am pretty sure MythTV has these features.

  • peter05 on 09/07/2012 - 12:52
    +1

    i don't think there's a better 4bay NAS out there for only $169 shipped

    once you get into the realms of "it's too slow", you're changing the value proposition and that's different for everyone

    i have 3 computers continuously using files off it and upload/download to it during this time and performance is still pretty good. the 3 computers set their document folders to the NAS so each time they open things in their "my documents" it's actually accessing the NAS.

    overnight backups are incremental and run weekly to the USB ports

    the one situation when you would notice the poor speeds is when your mates come over to transfer some of your documents and folders that may exceed many GB and that will take hours :), so don't use it for that

    • warwick108 on 09/07/2012 - 13:04
      +1

      i believe the word your looking for is hot swap

    • Store RepComputer Alliance @ Computer Alliance on 09/07/2012 - 13:26

      Pretty much the point I have tried to make above.

      Let me add something. Redundancy is good, but not the same as a backup. If you do use any NAS as a primary file server, still back it up! You can do so with a external HDD plugged direct into the NAS (there is an ability to schedule backup jobs built into the NAS) or one plugged into your PC and backup across the network. Netgear also have a online service that lets you backup into the "cloud" direct from the NAS but this is not useful for large media files (well, not unless you are lucky enough to have fibre/NBN).

  • rokkz on 09/07/2012 - 12:55
    +1

    Has nothing on the N40L, but a good deal

    • Teddo on 09/07/2012 - 13:11
      +1

      this ok for the likes of Popcorn Hour A300?

      • rokkz on 09/07/2012 - 13:21
        +1

        Yep….runs perfect with win7 cp or or Winserver and remote desktop control

        I have popcorn A210 and c200, streams to 3 popcorn no studder at the same time.

        • bradenpd on 09/07/2012 - 14:11

          How does this compare against the N40L? What would be the main advantage of the N40L..?

        • siuol on 09/07/2012 - 14:40
          +2

          N40L would be the best bang for the bucks if you:
          1. want a HTPC (just add a decent ati vga card with HDMI output and upgrade the ram as well, get windows 7 installed) and a "file server" to share media files within the house at the same time.
          2. Not worrying much about the backup of the files
          3. Easier for resale (at the moment, because you have potential buyers from both NAS and HTPC sides).
          4. maximum of 6 drives (if you are going to add a HDD into the optical drive bay and firmware updated is needed, plus adding a drive from the e-sata port), not including the usb drives you might be able to added…

          From what I have seen, N40L is equivalent, if not higher power consumption comparing to this NAS.

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