QNAP Turbo Station TS-201 NAS Server

Introduction

You may not know this, but there is a fast moving trend among power users which began in the corporate office and will end in your home.  You may not be aware of it yet, but very soon you will be telling others about it.  A few years back, IT directors noticed that it might save their company a lot of money to have a device which did all of the same functions as a file server, but without the cost and overhead of an operating system.  Since licensing costs have soared in the corporate environment, devices known as Network Attached Storage (NAS) servers have started showing up everywhere.  Up until recently, these items were usually somewhat expensive, and very limited in functionality.  With technology evolving at a tremendous rate, it didn't take long for the NAS servers to completely replace the networked file servers and reach prices that even home users could afford.

QNAP Systems, Inc. has developed a very diverse line of products which accommodate all NAS needs.  Bjorn3d.com has recently released a great review of the single drive NAS solution dubbed the TS-101 from QNAP's Turbo Station line of products.  In this review I will dissect the larger and more diverse TS-201.  Among the major benefits found in the QNAP Turbo Station TS-201 is that it functions nearly the same as a network file server with RAID-1, JBOD, and RAID-0 available, but without the associated costs.

Simple enclosure for easy installation and protection
The front panel can be removed simply by unfastening the four thumb screws. There is no need to remove the upper case or deal with complicated wires. Simply lock the hard disk on the disk trays, install them on TS-201 and they are ready to use.

Supports hotswap hard disk
When RAID 1 disk volume is configured, as a hard disk crashes, it can be replaced by a new disk without turning off the server. The system will rebuild immediately and all currently running tasks will not be interrupted. No professionals are needed to tackle disk failure.

Environmental-friendly and power-saving
RoHS standard qualified, adopts SoC system structure to reduce power consumption. Supports hard disk standby mode to save electricity expense.

Highly efficient heat dissipation system
Have passed strict thermal test to accomplish noise-free and efficient heat dissipation. The heat of hard disk and inside the enclosure is effectively dissipated to lengthen hard disk life.

One touch auto copy
Simply connect a USB storage device (e.g. pen drive, digital camera) to front USB port of TS-201 and press the copy button, all USB data can be copied to TS-201 independent of PC.

HDD upgradeable
Supports hard disks of different brands and capacities. External USB disk can be connected to expand disk capacity.

Stylish and compact design
Titanium enclosure with black front panel, illuminant LED indicators, dischargeable front panel and hard disk hotswap design.

About the company: QNAP Systems, Inc.

QNAP Systems, Inc. (QNAP) is a devoted and dominant provider of Internet Appliance (IA) products. QNAP was a previous IA business unit of ICP Electronics, Inc. (ICP). We have more than 4 years’ solid and successful experience in designing and developing innovative and customized IA products. Our extensive expertise and product lines cover networking storage, digital surveillance and message communication.

QNAP has our own R&D, business development, and technical support sections to provide quality customer-oriented services. Until now QNAP has already released more than 20 NAS models for SMB (small and medium business). Our IA products have received ISO 9001 qualification, covering product design, manufacturing and supply. QNAP is dedicated to providing top quality products in the market and offering complete support to our customers.

For more information on QNAP, please visit their website at: http://www.qnap.com.tw/index.asp