It's nice to be able to take stuff our data with us wherever we go in the form of USB drives or portable hard drives, but there are times when it just isn't feasible to take these things with us. In the world we live in now it's quite possible that while traveling you could have your laptop and data seized at the border, for everyone that's just not something we want to happen. The laws are just amazing now, we live in basically a police state where not even our personal data is safe, it's bad enough to lose personal stuff but even worse when it's our business and work related data. Sure there are things you can do to secure your data, but what does it matter when your entire laptop is confiscated? You've lost everything basically, the state of things right now is something to discuss elsewhere, but there are things you can do to minimize your potential losses such as a NAS box, or Network Attached Storage system that allows you to access your information from anywhere you go via the web. Some NAS boxes are more than just for accessing data from afar, they can offer many other features as well..

Today for review I've got an excellent product from Thecus, it's the N3200 NAS box and it is a truly feature rich product that can add a new dimension to your storage capabilities of your home network. The N3200 is essentially a home storage server and it's billed as a 'Home NAS' but it's much more than that, it offers features that even a small business can utilize. With the N3200 you can have up to 3 Terabytes of storage capacity added to your network, the N3200 also offers various RAID solutions including RAID 5 which offers excellent security and performance for your data. On top of the security features theN3200 offers the ability to stream your media to other devices, a built in surveillance system with compatible webcams, HTTP, FTP and Bittorrent file transfer protocols, a print server, and even the ability to be wirelessly networked. The N3200 in physical size is small as well, but don't let it's size fool you, it's a fully featured NAS box that anyone can utilize for their storage needs.

So enough chit-chat, let's just get into this review, I've got lots of pictures and tons of screen shots as well, so sit back, relax and enjoy...

Thecus N3200 NAS Box Review

Author: Kristofer Brozio

Sponsor: Thecus

Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:

Thecus N3200 NAS Box

RAID 5 security and performance finally comes home

Feature:

N3200, SMB, SOHO, 3 Bay, Storage, NAS, Network attached storage, Network-attached-Storage, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5

Home NAS with RAID5 Protection

Our most advanced home NAS yet. The N3200 is the first of its kind that offers RAID 5, offering a perfect combination of data security and performance. Enjoy the speed of a striped array with the security of complete data redundancy. What could be better?

Home Application Oriented Features

The N3200 is perfect for the home. Its Media Server allows easy connections to DLNA-compatible devices. The iTunes® Server offers music streaming throughout the entire home, while the Photo Web Server enables users to share their precious photos anywhere on the network. With the N3200, the digital lifestyle can be fully realized.

Stylish Design

Featuring clean lines and sophisticated styling, the N3200 is equally suited for the study or the living room. It’s distinct design makes it an appliance that users will want to show off.

Easy Disk Management

Thecus is known for making things simple, and the N3200 is no exception. With its uniquely-designed disk management system, installing and removing disks is a snap, which means that users can spend more time enjoying their digital media and less time setting things up.

LCD Display

The handy LCD panel makes managing the N3200 easy, even in dimly-lit environments like a living room during a movie screening.

Wireless Ready

Optional wireless connectivity via compatible USB dongle allows users to access their media files all without the need for cumbersome wires.

The digital age has arrived, and users from around the world are looking for ways to store, share, and secure their movies, videos, photos, and music. The need for digital storage solutions in the home is higher than ever, and with this in mind, Thecus Technology has created its most advanced home NAS device yet – the N3200. Featuring three SATA hard disk bays, an array of friendly features, and stylish design, the N3200 brings the security and performance of RAID 5 to a unit perfect for the home.

Small yet powerful, this 160 x 170 x 215 mm unit comes with some of Thecus’ most advanced features. Headlining is its three SATA drive bays, which not only give the N3200 up to 3TB of storage capacity, but also gives users the option of RAID 5. With RAID 5, home users can enjoy the speed of a striped array with the security of complete data redundancy, ensuring that their precious memories will stand the rest of time. The N3200 has also been designed for total ease-of-use. With a completely tool-less design, installing and removing disks is a snap, which means that users can spend more time enjoying their digital media and less time setting things up. A handy LCD display informs users of system status, and enables easy system management in dimly-lit environments. Thecus’ web-based management system makes a return to the N3200, allowing users to configure and manage the unit through any browser connected to the network, and with USB wireless dongle compatibility, users can even connect to the N3200 without being tangled up with wires.

As a NAS for the home, the N3200 also comes with a selection of friendly features that enable the digital lifestyle. A built-in iTunes® Server makes it easy to stream an entire music library over the network, while a Photo Web Server enables users to share and enjoy photos with friends and relatives. A DLNA-compatible Media Server is also included, making the N3200 an ideal device to stream digital content to DLNA-compatible devices. The N3200 can also keep an eye on things at home with its Web Surveillance Server. Just plug in a compatible USB webcam and the N3200 can take scheduled snapshots – all without having a PC turned on!

"Home users are going to love what we’ve included in the N3200," says Thecus General Manager Florence Shih." the N3200. I invite users around the world to experience the benefits of RAID5 at home."

Hardware Specifications

Network Interfaces:

WAN: 1 x 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet Port

LAN: 1 x 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet Port

Wireless (optional)

-IEEE 802.11b/g (using approved USB Dongles)**

Storage

HDD Bay: 3 x 3.5" SATA HDD

HDD Capacity: 80/120/160/200/250/300/400/500/750/1000

IO Interfaces

PCI Interface: For proprietary Thecus application

eSATA Interface: 1 x eSATA port (Back)

USB: 2 x USB 2.0 ports (Front x1, Back x1)

IR receiver: For future options

System Information

LED Indicators:

1 x Power LED

2 x Network link + activity LED

3 x Hard drive power + activity LED

LCD Module

For basic configurations and status display

Power Supply

External Adapter:AC 100 ~ 240 Volt, 50/60 Hz, auto detection

Environment

Safety and Environment: CE, FCC, BSMI, C-Tick, VCCI, RoHS Compliant

Temperature: 5? to 40?

Humidity :0 ~ 80% R.H. non-condensing

Software Specifications

Network

Configuration

-Fixed IP address, Dynamic IP address, PPPOE, DDNS

Network File Protocols

-Microsoft Networks (CIFS/SMB)

-Apple Filing Protocol (AFP 3)

-File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

-WebDisk through Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or Secure Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTPs)

Network Client Type

-Microsoft Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista

-Unix/Linux/BSD

-MAC OS X, OS 9, OS 8.6

DHCP Server

-Assigning IP address on LAN/WLAN ports

Disk management

RAID

-RAID 0, 1, 5, and JBOD

-Auto Rebuild

-Hot Swappable

-Hot Spare

-Disk Roaming

Power Management

-Disk idle spin-down

External USB

-HDD/Flash disk support

Multimedia Support

Media Server

-Works with DLNA-certified players.

-Supported File Types: MPEG, RMP, WPL, PLS, M3U, ASX, WAV, PNG, BMP, AVI, WMV, WMA, MP3, LPCM, JPEG

iTunes Server

-Supported File Types: AAC, MP3, WAV

Photo Web Server

-Supported File Types: GIF, JPG (JPEG), BMP, PNG

-Support EXIF display

-Support slide show

Web cam

-Support Capture, preview, schedule

-Support image size : 160 x 120, 320 x 240, 640 x 480

Share Management

User Authentication

-Microsoft NT Domain Controller (PDC)*

-Microsoft Active Directory Authentication (AD)*

-Supports built-in user accounts

-Supports built-in user groups

Folder Management

-Share Folder Level Permission

-Public Folder

File System

File System Type

-Journaling File System

Language Support

-Unicode Support

Authorization

-Read, Write or Deny options on individual users or groups

Administration

Multi-Lingual Web-based Administration

-Web-based server management Interface Supports English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Italian, Spanish

Setup Wizard

-MS Windows, MAC OS X device discovery and setup utility program

E-mail notification

-Send system message via e-mail to specified e-mail accounts

NTP support

-Network Time Protocol support

Backup

Thecus Backup Program

-Thecus Backup Utility (Client backup utility; supports Microsoft Windows XP/2000 /MAC OS X)

USB copy

-Copy USB Mass storage device contents to specified location to NAS

Misc.

Print Server

-Network printing through Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) using USB printer

Download Manager

-Support BT, FTP, HTTP schedule download

Schedule on/off

-Schedule on/off form power saving

Price: $399.99 from NewEgg at time of Review