The QNAP TS-409 Pro NAS packs a lot of professional features into a compact little unit. White it may seem rather expensive at first, you must consider that It consolodates several different network appliances into one, thereby saving you money. Not only do you get a file server with tons of RAID configurations, you get a web server, FTP server, print server, backup server, download manager, database server, and flexible media server. The TS-409 Pro is also highly compatible with any network, as it supports AppleTalk, Microsoft domains, and NFS.
This sounds like a no-brainer until you actually compare the performance of a NAS appliance to a computer. The appliance has a Linux kernel and a relatively fast 500Mhz processor and DDR2 memory, but the fact remains that its processing power is similar to that of the first generation of Pentium processors over 10 years ago. Everything is run in software, so running a RAID array steals away processing power from the other services.
The RAID migration features of the TS-409 Pro sound like a dream come true, as well, until you run into its limitations. The array is controlled completely by software, meaning that RAID migration can take betwen 15 to 24 hours, depending on the size of the array. All parity calculations are handled in software, too, so read and write performance can vary depending on your selected RAID type.
This unit touts features that tempt you to store terabytes of media, but even at best it takes a long time to transfer lots of data. The inclusion of TwonkyMedia and iTunes servers means that the TS-409 is intended as a full-blown Media Server, but the device’s limited performance speaks contrary to this claim. Once you actually get terabytes of media installed, the server can easily stream MP3s and even high-definition movies to several clients without any problem… it’s GETTING the data on the server that takes forever.
Compared to other NAS appliances, the QNAP TS-409 Pro has better than average network and server performance. NAS appliances are really only suited to small office files with low-bandwidth, light-duty traffic, which is perfect for a small or home office (SOHO).
I know I beat up on the TS-409 Pro in this review, but that is based on performance comparisons with a full-blown server. If you’re in the market for an NAS appliance, then the QNAP TS-409 Pro is one of the better ones you can get. It has a ton of features and RAID migration capability, sips electricity, and is relatively maintenance-free once configured.
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