A decent US doesn t have to cost a fortune. QNAP TS-230 - review

qnap ts-230 review

The TS-230 has many shortcomings, oh many. For example, it cannot host virtual machines. It does not support video monitoring systems. But do we really care when we just want to have a home server with photos, documents, music and movies?

Despite the convenience provided by the so-called public cloud, NAS devices still come at a price. After all, such a Google Drive or other OneDrive cease to work when we want to have remote and instant access not to megabytes, but gigabytes of data. That we will not mention comfort or the will to maintain privacy.

The problem is that NAS from well-known manufacturers are expensive. Three manufacturers are leading the market: WD, Qnap and Synology. And almost always, the purchase of one of these devices is associated with an expense of well over a thousand zlotys - and without mass memory, usually sold separately. In return, of course, we get top-class devices that will work both at home and in the company. But do we really need all these advanced features?

The same question had to be asked at QNAP when designing the TS-230. This equipment is only PLN 770. Where's the catch?

QNAP, it seems to me, did not really pay attention to the design of the TS-230. I do not consider it a disadvantage - we usually hide NAS in a less visible place, something like a Wi-Fi router. It's a light blue parallelogram (I don't like the color, it looks like a toy for children, but that's just my subjective opinion. Its dimensions are 18.8 × 9.1 × 15.6 cm.

We will not find any goodies in the form of an LCD display or a touch panel on the housing. The hardware communicates basic information via LEDs on the front of the case, which communicate device status, power availability and memory activity. The brightness of the LEDs can be adjusted in the device settings. However, we are glad to have a USB connector on the front, thanks to which we can quickly transfer data from external memory or use it as additional memory - for example, to create a double backup of data on the NAS.

What was missing? I would not quite call it a catch , as in the title, but the TS-230 does not have an HDMI connector - so you cannot connect the NAS directly and pre-wired to the TV to play video files directly from it. However, sharing video content within the home network works flawlessly, and most modern smart TVs know how to use network resources. There is also no Ethernet connector of 2.5 Gbe class - there is only 1 Gbe.

I also don't like the way the device opens to accommodate memory (two SATA drive bays). I am very picky, but we can handle most QNAPs without a screwdriver. The housing of the TS-230 is guarded by a huge screw with which I have been working for quite a long time. Well, let's agree - replacing drives in the NAS is something that we do rarely or not at all.

The TS-230 is cooled by a single fan. The device is almost completely inaudible.

So far it is not bad, although you can feel savings. Can it feel cheap in the components?

Yeah. Here, for the first time, we have to realize that the TS-230 is forced to make more compromises than just the lack of some connectors. The hardware performance is supported by the 64-bit Realtek RTD1296 1.4 GHz chip with four cores and ARM architecture and 2 GB DDR4 RAM. The processor is usually the most expensive part of a NAS, hence its attractive price. Well, but what does the cheap used by QNAP mean ?

There are fewer of these restrictions than I thought. I was most concerned about Ultra HD video playback and streaming, but the TS-230 had no problem with that. The data download and upload performance is also impeccable - I averaged just over 110 MB / s both ways. So what's not working?

First, hosting virtual machines. Some offices use NAS to create ready-made work environments for employees - this will not be possible on the TS-230. A much more serious problem is the fact that for some reason it doesn't run on this Kodi processor - an extremely popular application for managing and playing video content on home IoT devices.

I know how many friends use Kodi and how popular it is in the world. Unfortunately, not on the TS-230. I suspect that the processor is too weak, because the TS-230 works under the control of the QTS system, which has a dedicated Kodi version. Additionally, the NAS will not support IP camera monitoring systems with QVR Pro - which is usually standard in QNAP equipment.

No, there was also QTS. Fortunately.

qnap ts-251d review

I am far from pointing to QNAP as the best NAS producer. But I am equally sure in saying that QTS is the best operating system for this kind of devices. It's Linux with an incredibly comfortable and functional web interface. It will please both non-technical users - its simple form, legible iconography and extensive hints system will make the configuration of the device easy. And under the top layer, there are many options for advanced users.

qnap ts-251d review

QTS also offers a wide range of applications - both those delivered with the system and available in the app store . An extensive file manager, a great photo and video library with a content recognition system, data synchronization system from our private cloud NAS to the public cloud, automatic backup mechanisms from multiple sources, the ability to remotely commission data downloads - and much more. When it comes to home use, nothing is missing. Well, besides the unfortunate Kodi ...

I understand this cheap. The TS-230 can be recommended without any shame.

PLN 770 (memory sold separately, WD RED drives are recommended) for a NAS with such good software and such sensible (although with some limitations) equipment is an opportunity, currently rather unavailable in the competition's offer. In my opinion, the TS-230 is today a product with a top price-performance ratio. Well, some of the limitations may not be overcome.

I am not talking about the possibility of building virtual machines or using a UHD multimedia transcoding system other than that provided by the manufacturer. The biggest disadvantage of the TS-230 for home use is that it is not compatible with Kodi. Personally and subjectively, I don't care at all because I don't use this app. However, given its popularity, it could be a dealbreaker for many.

If not for the above, the TS-230 would be the perfect NAS for the home. Rather not for professionals who will run out of performance very quickly. For home use, it is difficult to buy something so cheap and so good at the same time. Bravo - and I hope that more and more similar devices will appear.



A decent US doesn't have to cost a fortune. QNAP TS-230 - review

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