Review of Thecus N2560 Intelligent NAS

 

 

Specifications and Features

Thecus N2560 Intelligent NAS

Features
5 Minute Complete Installation
The N2560 is designed with ease in mind; it is easy enough for anyone to set up. Overlook the several steps which usually are associated with setting up NAS appliances. Simply plug the power supply, insert the Ethernet cable, boot up the N2560 and set up will be completed within 5 minutes. This breakthrough feature truly makes this a plug-and-play NAS.

Self-RAID Creation
All Thecus NAS include an innovative Self-RAID Creation tool that analyzes installed drives and, once the user has selected their preferred balance of performance and protection, automatically builds their customized RAID volume.

Powerful Client Utility
Thecus developed a unique way to access your NAS without the need to go through web browsers. The client utility is better known as “Intelligent NAS,” it’s a utility that is packaged in the N2560 to offer ease of use. This powerful utility will directly be installed on your computer and auto-Samba your NAS, thus automatically gives you access to designated folders.

DDNS
Have easy access to your NAS via Dynamic DNS (DDNS), this allows users to allocate and access their NAS files via the internet remotely. Since IP digits are often difficult to remember, domain names are utilized to make NAS management much more convenient. When the IP address is changed, the DDNS server will automatically adjust the IP address to make sure that remote access is always available. In short, DDNS provides convenient remote internet access to your Thecus N2560 by utilizing domain names instead of IP digits.

Photo Flashback
A new feature that Thecus has integrated in the N2560 model is the Auto Flashback Photo Gallery. When the user utilizes the client utility, they will be presented with a feature of photos from the past, hence flashback. For example, if the current date is “Feb xx, xxxx,” Auto Flashback Gallery will automatically display photos of the same date but different year. If a photo of that date is absent, other photos will simply take its place.

Data Guard
Data Guard backup solution is the ultimate software as it provides both local and remote parts. Currently, data is backed up across RAID volumes, external USB drives, and eSATA. In addition, Data Guard uses innovative technology to sync data across the network to other NAS and servers. More importantly, Thecus Data Guard is the total backup solution which makes managing NAS user-friendly and convenient.

Data Burn
NAS data can now be burned directly to CD, DVD, and Blu-ray discs with Data Burn, this hassle-free module makes burning data to a disk effortless. In addition, burning ISO image file is also supported. Whether you’re managing audio, media or essential files; Data Burn copies information fast while significantly reducing waiting time. The process of burning file to disk is now easy and smooth with Data Burn module.

Antivirus
Thecus’ innovative hardware helps prevent failures. But sometimes you have to protect the NAS against itself. Adding an antivirus to the already comprehensive software bundle will provide the necessary software protection by scanning the files on your NAS and defending it against possible threats. McAfee is the world’s largest dedicated security technology company and shares Thecus’ spirit of dedication and quality. By establishing a strong partnership with them, Thecus will allow users the benefit of McAfee’s powerful software on their NAS entirely for free.

Cloud Backup
The private and public clouds meet with Thecus’ new DropBox, Amazon S3 and ElephantDrive cloud backup functionality! Guard your data with RAID at home and an additional level of protection in the Cloud. Just drag and drop files into the folder on your NAS and access them on any computer or mobile device with DropBox, Amazon S3 or ElephantDrive.

HDMI Output
Make your NAS into the ultimate multimedia hub! The N2560’s HDMI output allows you to connect your NAS directly to your TV for device management, and even HD video playback. Don’t force yourself to watch movies on that tiny little computer screen anymore, take it to the living room!

USB 3.0 Connectivity
The next generation of connectivity is here with speeds 10x faster than USB 2.0. Whether connecting digital cameras and smart phones, backing up large external hard drives, or extending the capacity of your NAS, USB 3.0 will make sure it’s done in no time at up to 5 Gbit/s. Backwards compatibility adds the connectivity of a world full of USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 devices to get the best combination of speed and universal access.

Acronis True Image
Thecus brings the best to the table with Acronis’s advanced backup software. Back up all your data with One-click Protection or pick and choose only your most important files. Acronis sports a slick interface, user-friendly design, and comprehensive features to keep your data safe.

iOS/Android Connectivity
In the modern world, nothing is as important as reaching your data from anywhere. With T-OnTheGo and the Thecus Dashboard, you can manage your NAS, and upload to and download/stream from your NAS using an iOS or Android device on the go.

User Quota
Divide the massive storage of a Thecus NAS among multiple users. Whether there are two users or 100, user quotas make it easy to divvy up and manage disk space.

Specs:
1. Hardware Platform:
Processor: Intel Atom SoC CE5335 (1.6GHz Dual Core)
System Memory: 2GB DDR3
LAN Interface (PCI-e): RJ-45×1: 10/100/1000 BASE-TX Auto MDI/MDI-X
WOL supported

USB Interface:
USB 2.0 host port: x2 (back x2)
USB 3.0 host port: x1 (front x1)

HDMI Output: HDMI port (back x1)
Audio Output: SPDIF (back x1)
Disk Interface: 2 x SATA for internal
Power Supply: 40W external power adaptor
Power Management: Auto power on after shutdown due to power loss

Buttons:
Power button
USB copy button
Reset button

Chassis:
2bays Tower
Dimensions (HxWxD): 166 x 114 x 210 (mm)
Weight: 2.4(Kgs)/5.29(lb)

2. Software Functions:
RAID:
RAID Modes: RAID 0, 1 and JBOD
Auto-rebuild: Supported
Hot-swap    Supported
RAID Volume Encryption: AES256bit

Disk:
Power Management: *Available spin-down on idle setting
Bad Block Scanning: Supported
SMART Info: Supported
SMART Test: Supported
Disk Roaming: Supports volume-based roaming to other Thecus NAS

Network:
Configuration: Fixed IP address, dynamic IP address
Transport Protocols: TCP/IP, AppleTalk
File Protocols: SMB/CIFS, HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, AFP, NFS
TCP/IP: IPV6 & IPV4
DDNS**:    Supported (How-to)
SSH: Supported
UPnP: Supported
UPnP Port forwarding: Supported

System status:
System Monitor: Monitoring CPU, memory, network utilization and protocols access user count
Syslog Management: Send syslog to assigned location Act as syslog server to receive log info from other systems

Data Access:
Client OS Support: Windows XP and after Windows Server 2003 and after
Mac OS X
FTP: Built-in FTP server with bandwidth control
Secure FTP: Built-in secure FTP server with bandwidth control
Download Manager    BT: Transmission

Printer Server (IPP)    :
Supports USB printers
Supports a wide range of IPP printers
Client can manage print tasks (list/delete) via web user interface

Data Backup:
Client Incremental Data Backup: Acronis True Image (OEM version)
Client System Disaster Recovery: Acronis True Image (OEM version)
Data Burn: Create files to ISO image and burn to optical disc
Create files to ISO image: Read ISO image from optical disc and write to NAS
Mac OS X Time Machine: Supported
Data Guard: Remote Backup/Local Backup (iSCSI not supported for N2560)

Power Management:
Scheduled Power On/Off: Supported

Volume Management:
File System: EXT4

Multimedia Support:
iTunes Server: Supports AAC, MP3 w/ID3 tag and WAV
Piczza! Photo Server (via module)
Supports GIF, JPG (JPEG), BMP and PNG
Supports EXIF display
Supports slide shows
Right click to publish on social network like FB (Intelligent NAS)

Media Server: Supports uPnP AV streaming protocol

User Authentication:
Local User: Supports built-in user accounts
Local Group: Supports built-in user groups

Cloud Backup:
DropBox    Supported
ElephantDriver: Supported
Amazon S3: Supported

File System:
Type: Journaling File System
Language Support:    Unicode Support
Authorization (ACL): “Read”, “write”, or “deny” privileges to individual users or groups in folders and sub-folders
User Quota: Supported

Administration:
User Interface: Web-based user interface supports English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish and Portuguese.
Utility Program (Intelligent NAS)
MS Windows Setup Wizard
Supports Windows XP and after
Windows Server 2003 and after
Mac OS X Setup Wizard

Email Notifications: Sends system messages via email to the system administrator
DDNS: Support one free DDNS registration (ex. xxx.thecuslink.com)
UPnP and Port forwarding: Support auto setting in Intranet environment
5 Minute Installation: Go through defined URL for auto install (Intelligent NAS)

Client Utility (Intelligent NAS):
1. Auto flashback photo gallery
2. BT download
3. File manager
4. Piczza
5. WebDisk

Mobile Applications (iOS/Android):
T-Dashboard: Mobile monitoring and administration (via module)
T-OnTheGo: Upload, download and stream multimedia

Data Security:
Virus Scan: Supports McAfee

Local Display:
HDMI/Audio:Supported
DVB-T: Supported

Others:
Recycle Bin: Supported
Web Disk: Supported
UPS: Supported

Price: $190.28 (from Amazon at time of review)