Thecus N1200 Review
Those who follow my reviews will surely remember the recent QNAP boxing review. Then some wondered - " Hey, where is ethernet and raid ?". Friends, let's not all at once - I propose to stretch the fun! Now Thecus's modelka with ethernet (and not only!) And very soon - a review of a pair of devices with a RAID (0-5)! ;)
So, Thecus N1200 - as always, a detailed review. Traffic.
Rather, you were right, saying then that a single disk does not solve the problems of lack of free space. But since the class of such devices is and is constantly being updated, it means that there is a need for this.
')
As always, I'll start with a small introductory part about the manufacturer. Taiwanese company Thecus (more precisely, Thecus Technology ) was founded in 2004 and it was from this year that it began to fight for a place in the sun in the niche of inexpensive NAS devices, providing devices of various levels of complexity to more than 40 countries (including Russia). There are options from 1 to 16 disks - something a home user or a company of a rather large scale can look after themselves.
Today, on my desk is not just a box with space for a disk inside, but an independent and highly functional server, albeit a small one. It is an entry level and designed for home use or for small businesses. I open the box.
The box is quite small, with a plastic handle for easy carrying. Inside it were:
- Thecus N1200 server ;
- Stand for vertical installation;
- Adapter for power and power cord to it;
- Ethernet cable;
- A metal cover support for a disk;
- Instructions and driver disk;
- A set of screws;
- Silica gel.
Honestly, for the first time I see silica gel in a box not from under the shoe - but, it seems, not from one factory :). The server itself is located in the geometric center of the package - it is surrounded by a protective “skin” of foam material on all sides.
I saw a lot of NAS ( Network Attached Storage ) and just external storage — somewhere the controller was located along the disk (this made the device thick), somewhere behind the disk (which made the device long). In this case, all the electronics is located on the board, which is located on the side of the disk, but this does not make it very thick or long. The edges are rounded, no sharp edges. Yes, the dimensions (in mm) are 45 × 181x160.
The black metal surface is almost unmarked, slightly rough.
The front side is made of black glossy plastic, at the very top of which is a gray device power button, and below it are operation indicators: power, status, wan, lan, hdd and usb. Power is always lit in bright blue. Under the indicators there is an instant copy button (from the usb-port located below), information from a flash drive, fotik or other external device.
There are 61 ventilation holes on the top of the device, a small cooler with automatically controlled rotation speed of the blades is on the bottom. After all, the network device is supposed to work permanently and the cool climate inside will only contribute to this.
The most necessary - behind. From the top down: an anti-theft lock hole, another USB 2.0 port, one eSATA (External SATA) connector, 4 100-megabit RJ-45 ports for connecting devices over a network, a gigabit WAN connector (also RJ-45), a hole reset button and power connector. The only thing that I did not find information about is a small hole at the very top of the device - apparently, it is intended to install an external Wi-Fi adapter.
As I have already said, the kit includes a stand for vertical installation of the device - it is metal in itself, but outside it is covered with soft, finely porous material. Such a move will not allow to scratch the surface of the server, crawl into the next room, as well as additionally quench the vibrations from the disk.
In order to get started, you need to install a hard disk inside the device. To do this, unscrew the two screws that are located on the end sides of the server. After that, the cover with buttons is quietly removed.
On the company's website they praise the fact that this is the first device in which you can install both a 3.5-inch hard disk and a 2.5-format disk. Apparently, the aluminum cover from the kit was designed just for this ... but since I didn’t have a small disk, I used a regular 3.5 Seagate 500GB. To install a disk, you need to remove the metal frame inside the device, then fix the disk in it (in the frame) and then return everything to its place. If desired, on top of the additional disk can be fastened with a cover from the kit. “I tighten the nuts”, connect the power - everything is ready.
Connecting the power and connecting the device with the router through the cable out of the box, press the power button. Indication of the process begins immediately (+ peak-to-peak from the built-in speaker), hard hum, cooler operation. But in general, all these processes are fairly quiet - no louder than the work of the disk itself.
The next step was the installation of software for working with the device. This is done from the included disk.
By running the Thecus Setup Wizard , it instantly finds a connected Thecus.
The second step I specify the standard password for the admin account to be able to steer the device further. After a successful initial authorization, I set a new login and password, I select the disk initialization (in case you have already done this, you need to select the disk setting). After that, you should specify the network settings of the server - I decided not to use DHCP services and set a fixed free address:
Upon completion of the formatting process, a browser opens, where I am prompted to log in to the admin. Done
Before me is a simple interface where I can:
1. Work the contents of the disk.
After formatting a disk, several folders are created on it. In the folders MusiS and Videos are stored respectively music and uh)) Vidic. The eSATAHDD folder is responsible for the contents of the external SATA disk, USBHDD is for the contents of the inserted USB devices. It looks like this:
It is somewhat inconvenient that all files are not displayed in one large list, but are divided into several pages.
After clicking the Copy button on the front panel of the Copy button, files are dropped from USB drives into the USBCopy folder.
You can create, delete, rename folders, upload files.
For photos there is a separate place and the ability to download them through the context menu of the explorer. " Publish xxx on the web " - funny :)
I go to the holy of holies - in the admin panel. I tried to fit all its elements on 1 screen:
After I did it, I noticed that everything is in English (for me, in principle, this is very familiar) - there is no Russian. But it is available on the official website - I load, switch to Russian. I will not do the screen again :) Besides Russian, 9 more languages ​​remained available.
In the status of the system, I was surprised by the fact that the rotation speed of 8000+ revolutions per minute is displayed on the cooler built into the server — it translated involuntarily — no, it does not fly around the room. Apparently, just a mistake.
I do not see much point in showing screenshots of all admin pages. In short - you can look at some information about all media (internal disk and external):
You can create folders and configure access rights for different users (and groups) to them. FTP server is activated in a couple of clicks:
There is a chance to be an iTunes server as well as a media server. I really liked the ability to upload files - schedulers are available using three protocols - http, ftp and bt. Add the files there for download (for example, movies) and they will immediately appear on an external disk. In this case, you will kill several birds with one stone - less power consumption, no CPU usage and no time wasted transferring files from computer to disk.
You can set up a network printer, sound alerts, as well as email notifications. There is time synchronization with servers from the Internet, a simple event log is kept - it shows who, when, where and from where went.
In general, the admin is very functional (if you are interested, here is a complete archive of images from it). It may not be as beautiful as we would like, but you are not going to spend all your free time in it? :)
Also on the disk there is a program for backing up data - the N1200 Windows Backup Utility , but it is very simple - all of its actions can be fully performed by a standard Windows scheduler, and even more so by any specialized program.
Operating speed of the device:
If you need to make a couple of hundreds of gigs working for several computers (even at home, even at work), you don’t have to take a separate computer or a huge full-fledged server for these purposes. Indeed, in our time, you have learned to do something useful hard drives without a computer. In this case, a hard disk can do a lot - from data storage, copying information from external media with one touch, and ending up with offline downloading of files using HTTP / FTP / BT protocols.
pros
- Non-marking surface; robust construction, careful assembly;
- Ability to install a disk format 3.5 "and 2.5"; active cooling :) Connecting USB devices and eSATA; 4 port switch;
- Easy connection, web interface;
- Functionality; possibility of flashing.
Minuses
- The web interface requires improvements. I am glad that the firmware comes out with enviable periodicity.
- Price (5700r) - Is it a lot for a server?
At the time of this writing, the price of the device (without a disk) on the official website was 5,740 rubles, which in principle is comparable to the price of drives from well-known manufacturers. Only TAM is a disk, skin and often nothing more, and here is a fairly functional device that can be useful at home to any active network figure. As such, there are no special defects, which is very nice. Yes, as long as the management interface is not the strongest side of the device, it is already possible to download torrents with it, raise FTP servers, drop data from a flash drive with one click of a button and differentiate user rights for all of this. If we add to this the ability to work on the gaining momentum of DLNA technology, the built-in switch for 4 ports, the opportunity to expand space via eSATA, then it becomes quite pleasant.
If you simply use the device as a network drive, it’s hardly enough for one drive for a long time - it may be worthwhile to look at dual-drive (and more) options, which Thecus doesn’t offer more than one piece. In this case, it will be possible to make a JBOD or RAID array, which is also very interesting, even at home.
See you soon, take care of the bytes!
- New : Orsio b731 eBook Review
So, Thecus N1200 - as always, a detailed review. Traffic.
Rather, you were right, saying then that a single disk does not solve the problems of lack of free space. But since the class of such devices is and is constantly being updated, it means that there is a need for this.
')
As always, I'll start with a small introductory part about the manufacturer. Taiwanese company Thecus (more precisely, Thecus Technology ) was founded in 2004 and it was from this year that it began to fight for a place in the sun in the niche of inexpensive NAS devices, providing devices of various levels of complexity to more than 40 countries (including Russia). There are options from 1 to 16 disks - something a home user or a company of a rather large scale can look after themselves.
Today, on my desk is not just a box with space for a disk inside, but an independent and highly functional server, albeit a small one. It is an entry level and designed for home use or for small businesses. I open the box.
Equipment
The box is quite small, with a plastic handle for easy carrying. Inside it were:
- Thecus N1200 server ;
- Stand for vertical installation;
- Adapter for power and power cord to it;
- Ethernet cable;
- A metal cover support for a disk;
- Instructions and driver disk;
- A set of screws;
- Silica gel.
Honestly, for the first time I see silica gel in a box not from under the shoe - but, it seems, not from one factory :). The server itself is located in the geometric center of the package - it is surrounded by a protective “skin” of foam material on all sides.
Appearance
I saw a lot of NAS ( Network Attached Storage ) and just external storage — somewhere the controller was located along the disk (this made the device thick), somewhere behind the disk (which made the device long). In this case, all the electronics is located on the board, which is located on the side of the disk, but this does not make it very thick or long. The edges are rounded, no sharp edges. Yes, the dimensions (in mm) are 45 × 181x160.
The black metal surface is almost unmarked, slightly rough.
The front side is made of black glossy plastic, at the very top of which is a gray device power button, and below it are operation indicators: power, status, wan, lan, hdd and usb. Power is always lit in bright blue. Under the indicators there is an instant copy button (from the usb-port located below), information from a flash drive, fotik or other external device.
There are 61 ventilation holes on the top of the device, a small cooler with automatically controlled rotation speed of the blades is on the bottom. After all, the network device is supposed to work permanently and the cool climate inside will only contribute to this.
The most necessary - behind. From the top down: an anti-theft lock hole, another USB 2.0 port, one eSATA (External SATA) connector, 4 100-megabit RJ-45 ports for connecting devices over a network, a gigabit WAN connector (also RJ-45), a hole reset button and power connector. The only thing that I did not find information about is a small hole at the very top of the device - apparently, it is intended to install an external Wi-Fi adapter.
As I have already said, the kit includes a stand for vertical installation of the device - it is metal in itself, but outside it is covered with soft, finely porous material. Such a move will not allow to scratch the surface of the server, crawl into the next room, as well as additionally quench the vibrations from the disk.
Preparatory work
In order to get started, you need to install a hard disk inside the device. To do this, unscrew the two screws that are located on the end sides of the server. After that, the cover with buttons is quietly removed.
On the company's website they praise the fact that this is the first device in which you can install both a 3.5-inch hard disk and a 2.5-format disk. Apparently, the aluminum cover from the kit was designed just for this ... but since I didn’t have a small disk, I used a regular 3.5 Seagate 500GB. To install a disk, you need to remove the metal frame inside the device, then fix the disk in it (in the frame) and then return everything to its place. If desired, on top of the additional disk can be fastened with a cover from the kit. “I tighten the nuts”, connect the power - everything is ready.
Turning on
Connecting the power and connecting the device with the router through the cable out of the box, press the power button. Indication of the process begins immediately (+ peak-to-peak from the built-in speaker), hard hum, cooler operation. But in general, all these processes are fairly quiet - no louder than the work of the disk itself.
The next step was the installation of software for working with the device. This is done from the included disk.
By running the Thecus Setup Wizard , it instantly finds a connected Thecus.
The second step I specify the standard password for the admin account to be able to steer the device further. After a successful initial authorization, I set a new login and password, I select the disk initialization (in case you have already done this, you need to select the disk setting). After that, you should specify the network settings of the server - I decided not to use DHCP services and set a fixed free address:
Upon completion of the formatting process, a browser opens, where I am prompted to log in to the admin. Done
Before me is a simple interface where I can:
1. Work the contents of the disk.
After formatting a disk, several folders are created on it. In the folders MusiS and Videos are stored respectively music and uh)) Vidic. The eSATAHDD folder is responsible for the contents of the external SATA disk, USBHDD is for the contents of the inserted USB devices. It looks like this:
It is somewhat inconvenient that all files are not displayed in one large list, but are divided into several pages.
After clicking the Copy button on the front panel of the Copy button, files are dropped from USB drives into the USBCopy folder.
You can create, delete, rename folders, upload files.
For photos there is a separate place and the ability to download them through the context menu of the explorer. " Publish xxx on the web " - funny :)
I go to the holy of holies - in the admin panel. I tried to fit all its elements on 1 screen:
After I did it, I noticed that everything is in English (for me, in principle, this is very familiar) - there is no Russian. But it is available on the official website - I load, switch to Russian. I will not do the screen again :) Besides Russian, 9 more languages ​​remained available.
In the status of the system, I was surprised by the fact that the rotation speed of 8000+ revolutions per minute is displayed on the cooler built into the server — it translated involuntarily — no, it does not fly around the room. Apparently, just a mistake.
I do not see much point in showing screenshots of all admin pages. In short - you can look at some information about all media (internal disk and external):
You can create folders and configure access rights for different users (and groups) to them. FTP server is activated in a couple of clicks:
There is a chance to be an iTunes server as well as a media server. I really liked the ability to upload files - schedulers are available using three protocols - http, ftp and bt. Add the files there for download (for example, movies) and they will immediately appear on an external disk. In this case, you will kill several birds with one stone - less power consumption, no CPU usage and no time wasted transferring files from computer to disk.
You can set up a network printer, sound alerts, as well as email notifications. There is time synchronization with servers from the Internet, a simple event log is kept - it shows who, when, where and from where went.
In general, the admin is very functional (if you are interested, here is a complete archive of images from it). It may not be as beautiful as we would like, but you are not going to spend all your free time in it? :)
Also on the disk there is a program for backing up data - the N1200 Windows Backup Utility , but it is very simple - all of its actions can be fully performed by a standard Windows scheduler, and even more so by any specialized program.
Operating speed of the device:
Summary
If you need to make a couple of hundreds of gigs working for several computers (even at home, even at work), you don’t have to take a separate computer or a huge full-fledged server for these purposes. Indeed, in our time, you have learned to do something useful hard drives without a computer. In this case, a hard disk can do a lot - from data storage, copying information from external media with one touch, and ending up with offline downloading of files using HTTP / FTP / BT protocols.
Check weighing
pros
- Non-marking surface; robust construction, careful assembly;
- Ability to install a disk format 3.5 "and 2.5"; active cooling :) Connecting USB devices and eSATA; 4 port switch;
- Easy connection, web interface;
- Functionality; possibility of flashing.
Minuses
- The web interface requires improvements. I am glad that the firmware comes out with enviable periodicity.
- Price (5700r) - Is it a lot for a server?
Total
At the time of this writing, the price of the device (without a disk) on the official website was 5,740 rubles, which in principle is comparable to the price of drives from well-known manufacturers. Only TAM is a disk, skin and often nothing more, and here is a fairly functional device that can be useful at home to any active network figure. As such, there are no special defects, which is very nice. Yes, as long as the management interface is not the strongest side of the device, it is already possible to download torrents with it, raise FTP servers, drop data from a flash drive with one click of a button and differentiate user rights for all of this. If we add to this the ability to work on the gaining momentum of DLNA technology, the built-in switch for 4 ports, the opportunity to expand space via eSATA, then it becomes quite pleasant.
If you simply use the device as a network drive, it’s hardly enough for one drive for a long time - it may be worthwhile to look at dual-drive (and more) options, which Thecus doesn’t offer more than one piece. In this case, it will be possible to make a JBOD or RAID array, which is also very interesting, even at home.
See you soon, take care of the bytes!
- New : Orsio b731 eBook Review
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/55402/
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