A brand almost unheard of in the Malaysian market, Thecus offers a wide range of NAS solutions, including models such as the N2310 for SOHO and HOME use.
The N2310 is a simple unit with 2 drive bays to run RAID storage, the build quality of the unit is decent though entirely plastic. I’ll skip the writing and let the pictures do the talking.
More details at the official product page.
User Experience
When it comes to NAS, the hardware setup is always the easy part. It’s just a matter of inserting the drives (I used 2x WD Red 6TB drive here) and powering up the system.
The process of actually setting up the system is where things get interesting – after all it’s a NAS and you want it to work well.
To install the NAS, you’ll first need to visit their website. Now I think this is the most critical flaw of the product – it’s a NAS, the term NETWORK is there for a reason. I shouldn’t require to setup a NAS without having to rely on the Internet.
With the software installed, the software scans the network for the storage unit and from then on, it’s a matter of letting it initialize the system.
It took about 15 minutes to get from 0 to completion, not a long wait.
Once the initialization is complete, you’re required to create an account. At this point, you’ll realize that this NAS’ admin panel is not-usable at all should you lack an Internet connection to create an account.
Once you’re all set, the web interface is all yours.
What’s neat about the Thecus N2310 is that the control panel is rich with tools and utilities for your disposal.
It took me a while to figure out how to access the drive. 😛
Transfer rate was good, considering the test machine is on WiFi (strong signal).
It also comes with Dynamic DNS support but unfortunately calling the DDNS lead me to the router page instead of the NAS. Looks like some configuration has to be done. 🙂
The Verdict
The Thecus N2310 SOHO / HOME NAS Server retails at around 120 USD (it does not come with any drive).
The build quality is decent but very unlike the NAS from WD. I think the strength of the Thecus N2310 is that it’s affordable and feature rich.
