Thecus N5550 Network Attached Storage Review
Photos, music, and files, oh my! How much data do you have on your home PC or network? Is it backed up or protected? Do you have the capacity to store all your stuff? These are just a few of the questions I tend to ask folks when we are talking about new PCs or adding storage to their network. Network attached storage, which at one time lived in the corporate environment has become more affordable and fairly easy to manage. No longer do the DIY folks have to build monstrous cases to house hard drives. There are many sizes and styles of NAS devices available for purchase. Not too long ago Thecus released the N5550 NAS and gives the consumers a ton of options on how it can be configured. The Thecus N5550 is aimed at home and SOHO users and houses up to 5 hard drives.
Specifications
1. Hardware Platform
| Item | Spec |
| Processor | Intel® Atom™ Processor D2550 (1.86GHz Dual Core) |
| System Memory | 2GB DDR3 |
| LAN Interface | RJ-45×2: 10/100/1000 BASE-TX Auto MDI/MDI-X WOL supported |
| USB Interface | USB 2.0 host port x4 (back x4) USB 3.0 host port x1 (front x1) |
| LCM Module | LCM display 4 buttons (ENTER, ESC, UP, DOWN) |
| SATA DOM | 1GB |
| HDMI Output | HDMI port (back x1) |
| VGA Output | VGA port (back x1) |
| Audio | MIC input, Line input, Audio output |
| Disk Interface | 5 x SATA for internal 1 x eSATA for external |
| Power Supply | 200W Power Supply |
| USB UPS | Supported |
| Thermal/Fan control | Thermal sensor on processor temperature System FAN speed controlled by temperature |
| System Clock | Battery-backed up system clock |
| Power Management | Auto power on after shutdown due to power loss |
| Buzzer | Adjustable frequency alarm |
| Buttons | Power button LCM button |
| Environment | Temperature: 5°C to 40°C Humidity: 0 ~ 80 % R.H. (Non-condensing) |
| Chassis | Tower Metal Chassis |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 230 x 190 x 240 (mm)/ 9.06 x7.48 x 9.45 (in) |
| Weight | 4.38(Kgs)/9.66(lb)(NAS only) |
| Certificates | CE/FCC/C-Tick/VCCI/BSMI RoHS WEEE VMware, Citrix |
2. Software Functions
| RAID | |
| RAID Modes | RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10 and JBOD |
| Auto-rebuild | Supported |
| Hot-swap | Supported |
| Hot Spare | Supported |
| Online RAID Migration | Supported |
| Online RAID Expansion | Supported |
| RAID Volume Encryption | AES256bit |
| Disk | |
| Power Management | Available spin-down on idle setting |
| Bad Block Scanning | Supported |
| SMART Info | Supported |
| SMART Test | Supported |
| Disk Roaming | Supports volume-based roaming to other Thecus NAS |
| Network | |
| Configuration | Fixed IP address, dynamic IP address |
| Transport Protocols | TCP/IP/AppleTalk |
| File Protocols | SMB/CIFS, HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, NFS v4, AFP |
| Link Aggregation | Load balance, Failover, 802.3ad, Balance-XOR, Balance-TLB, Balance-ALB |
| TCP/IP | IPV6 & IPV4 |
| DDNS | Supported |
| SSH | Supported |
| UPnP | Supported |
| UPnP Port forwarding | Supported |
| System status | |
| System Monitor | Monitoring CPU, memory, temperature, fan, network utilization and protocols access user count |
| Syslog Management | Send syslog to assigned location Act as syslog server to receive log info from other systems |
| Data Access | |
| Client OS Support | Windows XP and after Windows Server 2003 and after UNIX/Linux Mac OS X |
| FTP | Built-in FTP server with bandwidth control |
| Secure FTP | Built-in secure FTP server with bandwidth control |
| TFTP | Users can download and upload files with TFTP programs |
| Download Manager | BT download (via Transmission module) NZB download (via NZB module) |
| Printer Server (IPP) | Supports USB printers Supports a wide range of IPP printers Client can manage print tasks (list/delete) via web user interface |
| Data Backup | |
| Client Incremental Data Backup | Acronis True Image (OEM version) |
| Client System Disaster Recovery | Acronis True Image (OEM version) |
| Client Side Backup Software | Thecus Backup Utility (Windows/Mac OS X) |
| Data Burn | Create files to ISO image and burn to optical disc Create files to ISO image Read ISO image from optical disc and write to NAS |
| Mac OS X Time Machine | Supported |
| Data Guard | Remote Backup/Local Backup |
| Block Level Access | |
| iSCSI Target/Initiator | Supports Microsoft/Mac OS X/Linux initiators and Thecus NAS targets |
| iSCSI Thin Provisioning | Supported |
| MPIO | Supported |
| MCS | Supported |
| Clustering | Supported |
| SCSI3 Persistent Group Reservation | Supported |
| Power Management | |
| Scheduled Power On/Off | Supported |
| Volume Management | |
| Multiple RAID | Supported |
| Multiple File System Selectable | EXT3/EXT4/XFS |
| Multimedia Support | |
| iTunes Server | Supports AAC, MP3 w/ID3 tag and WAV |
| Piczza!™ Photo Server (via module) | Supports GIF, JPG (JPEG), BMP and PNG Supports EXIF display Supports slide shows |
| Media Server | Supports uPnP AV streaming protocol |
| User Authentication | |
| Local User | Supports built-in user accounts |
| Local Group | Supports built-in user groups |
| Windows ADS | Supported |
| LDAP | Supported |
| Access Guard | Supports Black & White list/IP Filter |
| Cloud Backup | |
| DropBox | Supported (via module) |
| ElephantDriver | Supported (via module) |
| Amazon S3 | Supported |
| File System | |
| Type | Journaling File System |
| Language Support | Unicode Support |
| Authorization (ACL) | “Read”, “write”, or “deny” privileges to individual users or groups in folders and sub-folders |
| User Quota | Supported |
| Administration | |
| User Interface | Web-based user interface supports English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, Turkish and Czech. |
| Utility Program | MS Windows Setup Wizard Supports Windows 8/7/Vista/2003/XP/2000 Mac OS X Setup Wizard |
| Email Notifications | Sends system messages via email to the system administrator |
| SNMP Trap | System information trap out |
| Mobile Applications (iOS/Android) | |
| T- Dashboard | Mobile monitoring and administration (via module) |
| T-OnTheGo™ | Upload, download and stream multimedia |
| Data Security | |
| Virus Scan | Supports McAfee® (via module) |
| Capacity Expansion | |
| Stackable | Can extend for 5 additional iSCSI volumes from other Thecus NAS |
| Others | |
| Recycle Bin | Supported |
| Web Disk | Supported (via module) |
| Web Server | Supported (via module) |
| ISO Mount | Supported |
| IP Cam Surveillance | Supports up to 5 IP cameras (via module) |
| Auto Module Installation | Thecus’ module server automatically provides the latest modules and updates through the user interface. |
| Local Display | X-Window via HDMI output |
Features
Data Guard
Data Guard backup solution is the ultimate software as it provides both local and remote parts. Currently, data is backed up across RAID volumes, external USB drives, and eSATA. In addition, Data Guard uses innovative technology to sync data across the network to other NAS and servers. More importantly, Thecus® Data Guard is the total backup solution which makes managing NAS user-friendly and convenient.
Data Burn
NAS data can now be burned directly to CD, DVD, and Blu-ray discs with Data Burn, this hassle-free module makes burning data to a disk effortless. In addition, burning ISO image file is also supported. Whether you’re managing audio, media or essential files; Data Burn copies information fast while significantly reducing waiting time. The process of burning file to disk is now easy and smooth with Data Burn module.
Antivirus
Thecus’ innovative hardware helps prevent failures. But sometimes you have to protect the NAS against itself. Adding an antivirus to the already comprehensive software bundle will provide the necessary software protection by scanning the files on your NAS and defending it against possible threats. McAfee is the world’s largest dedicated security technology company and shares Thecus’ spirit of dedication and quality. By establishing a strong partnership with them, Thecus will allow users the benefit of McAfee’s powerful software on their NAS entirely for free.
Cloud Backup
The private and public clouds meet with Thecus’ new DropBox, Amazon S3 and ElephantDrive cloud backup functionality! Guard your data with RAID at home and an additional level of protection in the Cloud. Just drag and drop files into the folder on your NAS and access them on any computer or mobile device with DropBox, Amazon S3 or ElephantDrive.
HDMI Output
Make your NAS into the ultimate multimedia hub! The N5550’s HDMI output allows you to connect your NAS directly to your TV for device management, web browsing with Flash support, and even HD video playback. Don’t force yourself to watch movies on that tiny little computer screen anymore, take it to the living room!
USB 3.0 Connectivity
The next generation of connectivity is here with speeds 10x faster than USB 2.0. Whether connecting digital cameras and smart phones, backing up large external hard drives, or extending the capacity of your NAS, USB 3.0 will make sure it’s done in no time at up to 5 Gbit/s. Backwards compatibility adds the connectivity of a world full of USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 devices to get the best combination of speed and universal access.
Acronis True Image
Thecus brings the best to the table with Acronis’s advanced backup software. Back up all your data with One-click Protection or pick and choose only your most important files. Acronis sports a slick interface, user-friendly design, and comprehensive features to keep your data safe.
Multiple RAID
When it comes to data management, Thecus NAS truly let you have it your way. Create multiple RAID volumes each supporting different RAID modes including RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10 and JBOD for your own balance of performance and data protection. Should a hard drive malfunction occur, changing one is simple thanks to online RAID migration and expansion, hot spare, and auto rebuild.
Multiple File Systems
Support for multiple file systems including EXT3, EXT4, and XFS, gives Thecus NAS flexibility to handle many different types of environments. Users can simultaneously use different file systems across multiple RAID volumes to get the best of each one.
iSCSI Thin-Provisioning
Get the most out of your storage space with the extreme speed of iSCSI and the efficiency of iSCSI thin provisioning. Connect through iSCSI for the fastest data transfer speeds available and make wasted disk space a thing of the past with thin provisioning’s flexible storage functionality.
iOS/Android Connectivity
In the modern world, nothing is as important as reaching your data from anywhere. With T-OnTheGo and the T-Dashboard, you can manage your NAS, and upload to and download/stream from your NAS using an iOS or Android device on the go.
Rsync
Backing up your data is very necessary, and everyone has specific needs when it comes to storage. Thecus’s Rsync functionality gives users great flexibility with remote backup capability, a flexible scheduler, and the stability of Linux-based transfer.
User Quotas
Divide the massive storage of a Thecus NAS among multiple users. Whether there are two users or 100, user quotas make it easy to divvy up and manage disk space.
Specifications and features provided by Thecus. Specifications may change without notice. For more information go to http://www.thecus.com/product.php?PROD_ID=76.
