We never get to test Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices before, probably because most people don’t know what they are. Well, simply put, they are external hard disk enclosures that are connected to PCs via the Ethernet network rather than the USB port. Why would that be useful? Well, any PC on the network can access it, including devices like Sony’s Playstation 3. This eliminates the need to move shared data around and with multi-bay NAS devices like the N3200PRO; users can add additional hard disks or use RAID 5 for data redundancy.
Unlike external USB storage drives which are mainly ‘dumb’ devices that use the PC’s processor to transfer data, a good NAS needs a reasonably good processor to keep data moving efficiently. Most devices use some form of an IA (Intel Architecture) chip and the N3200PRO is no different; Thecus has chosen AMD’s low-power Geode CPU. Also to eliminate any bottlenecks, there is a Gigabit Ethernet port. According to the website, users can slot in up to three 3.5” SATA hard disk drives for a maximum of 3 Terabytes of storage. However, we managed to use a 2TB drives without any problems, so you can have up to 6TB of storage. The drive bays are easily accessible via a removable front panel; maybe I should say a little too accessible, as the panel easily falls off when you lift it up. Users have to attach a pair of rails to the sides of the hard disk before they can slot the drive in.
Configuration of the N3200PRO is done via web interface. Users only need to point their browsers to the unit’s default IP to begin configuring the device. All the menus are rather simple and quite intuitive, although the number of items on each menu can see overwhelming at first. That’s because the N3200PRO is feature-packed, including an e-SATA port, USB printer (and webcam) support, amongst other things. The front panel LED panel is also really useful. Users can quickly see their NAS system status without having to power up their PCs.
In term of services, the N3200PRO has quite a list – iTunes, FTP and media (movies, audio and pictures) server. It also has a P2P (Bittorent) client but we found the interface to be too simplistic compared to even the most basic of clients. The e-SATA port is handy but with its three bays, most users won’t need that anytime soon.
Overall, I like the unit’s simple design and solid construction (with the exception of the front bay cover). Having RAID 5 capability is also a plus, particularly for those who value their data above all else. If you are looking for a feature-rich, multi-bay NAS with data redundancy, the N3200PRO will probably fit your bill.
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