ReadyNAS Network Storage For Home or Business
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| Product Snapshot | Review Video |
| Product Application, Pros & Cons | Feature List |
| Bottom Line | Where To Buy |
| Review Detail | Related Products |
Product Snapshot
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Netgear ReadyNAS NVX |
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| Model | RNDX4250 | RNDX4210 | RNDX4410 | RNDX4420 | ||||||||||||||||
| Installed Disks Max: 4 |
2 x 500GB non-enterprise class |
2 x 1TB enterprise class |
4 x 1TB enterprise class |
4 x 2TB enterprise class |
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| Capacity * GB = Gigabyte TB = Terabyte |
(Usable)
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(Usable)
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(Usable)
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(Usable)
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| Expandable | Yes + USB | Yes + USB | USB Only | USB Only |
Also Available Due to Popular Demand: ReadyNAS NVX Diskless (RNDX4000)
Ideal Application:
- Small Business, SOHO (small office or home office) network storage
- Home network storage, entertainment media server
Pros:
- Netgear ReadyNAS – Solid, reliable, feature rich, easy to use
- Intel advanced embedded CPU
- 1 GB DDR2 SODIMM Memory
- Compact, energy efficient
- 2 – High speed gigabit ethernet (10/100/1000) ports with load balancing and failover
- 4 Hot swap drive bays
- External USB support
- Supports Windows, Mac & Linux computers
- iSCSI target with expansion support
- Native SATA II support
- 1TB drives (if used) are enterprise class drives (500gb are not)
- Attach a USB printer to share
- Handles media sharing, streaming well
- Snapshot with scheduling
- Windows AD integration support
- VLAN support
- Internal Power Supply (no brick!)
- 5 year warranty
- Active online support forum
Cons:
- Higher price than some other brands
Bottom Line:
The Netgear ReadyNAS NVX is an exceptional network storage device that is perfectly adequate to base an entire small business network around, yet is so versatile as to be an excellent premium choice for home use also. If you buy a unit prepopulated with 1 TB hard drives you get enterprise class drives that are more reliable than ordinary consumer models.
With RAID1 or RAID5 you have the comfort of knowing that no data is lost if you lose just one drive and get it replaced promptly, but who needs that hassle? A more reliable drive gives you better piece of mind.
This NAS is a solid, versatile and reliable performer. If you like, you can start with just 2 drives and expand as you have need. With the built-in XRAID2 functionality, you can simply add hard drives with no reconfiguration or reinstallation of any kind necessary.
Review Detail:
The Netgear ReadyNAS NVX utilizes some of the most advanced network storage technologies available. Intel embedded CPU, a healthy 1GB of RAM, 2 gigabit network connections and iSCSI capability tell you that this NAS is ready for business – literally.
It supports SATA I & SATA II hard drives, with native support for SATA II. This network storage device performs well.
You can attach external USB hard drives and create shares on those drives as well. Keep in mind that performance will not be as high as the internal drives, nor will there be benefit of RAID technology on those external drives. In a business environment, I would only use those external drives for on-site backup or for offloading seldom used data that is backed up somewhere else but you want to have ready access to.
One of the benefits of buying any ReadyNAS product is the auto-expandable X-RAID technology. The NVX has the newer X-RAID2. While you can configure the drives as a larger, non-redundant data store (RAID0), doing so means that if a hard drive fails you lose data. This is not acceptable to me, but you can decide for yourself.
RAID1, on the other hand, allows 1 hard drive to fail without losing data. The unit can easily be configured to send you an email when this happens allowing you to immediately backup!, then replace the failed drive and restore data redundancy. The downside of this is that the NVX then offers you only half the storage size. But what good is a huge data store if you cannot depend on it?
If you configure with more than 2 drives, you can move up to RAID5, which allows you a larger data store, percentage wise of total disk space installed, than RAID1.
I highly recommend letting the X-RAID2 give you the optimum storage size while maintaining disk redundancy. This is actually the easiest option for you as well.
Uses:
The ReadyNAS NVX makes an excellent home network storage device for storing data on redundant drives, sharing data, photos both within the home and even with secure remote access via the internet. Display photos, movies or other multimedia on your PlayStation or XBox; attach to the NAS for access to music libraries played with iTunes, Squeezebox, etc. Use the built in BitTorrent for downloads.
If you have a small business where you need to either store data on a more reliable platform than just your PC or need to share files with coworkers, the ReadyNAS NVX is an extremely competent network server to build your network around. The ReadyNAS can function as your file server, print server, DHCP (network addressing) server and provide software and storage for individual PC backup.
The ReadyNAS NVX can even replace a Microsoft Windows Server or Small Business Server if you decide you want to simplify and save on maintenance, licensing and consultant costs.
Backup Options:
The Netgear ReadyNAS NVX really shines, as all model in the ReadyNAS family do, when it comes to data backup. Remember, RAID1/RAID5/X-RAID is NOT data backup! It is data reliability and availability. RAID1 (otherwise known as mirroring) means that hopefully you never have to restore a backup due to media (drive) failure. It does not protect you against data corruption (virus, power loss) or accidental deletion by the user.
Let’s face it, network attached storage is all about your data. So to make it available and reliable, we use redundant disk technology (X-RAID2 in the NVX). To make sure we do not lose it to fire, theft, natural disaster or even our own error, we back it up.
Backup with any ReadyNAS network attached storage device can be done using any combination of the following methods:
- Local backup to an attached USB hard drive
- Backup to another ReadyNAS unit, local or in a remote location
- Online backup (in the cloud backup) using the built in support for ReadyNAS vault online backup service based on ElephantDrive technology
Where To Buy:
| Netgear ReadyNAS NVX RNDX4000 (Diskless) | Diskless | Buy at Amazon.com |
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| Netgear ReadyNAS NVX RNDX4250 (2 x 500GB) | 1 Terabyte | Buy at Amazon.com |
| Netgear ReadyNAS NVX RNDX4210 (2 x 1TB) | 2 Terabyte | Buy at Amazon.com |
| Netgear ReadyNAS NVX RNDX4410 (4 x 1TB) | 4 Terabyte | Buy at Amazon.com |
| Netgear ReadyNAS NVX RNDX4420 (4 x 2TB) | 8 Terabyte | Buy at Amazon.com |
Review Video:
Features:
Hardware:
- Intel Embedded CPU Tolapai @ 1.06GHz, 256kb cache (2133.38 bogomips)
- 1 GB Memory (non-ECC), 1 slot 2GB max
- 4 Hot-swappable locking disk trays
- 2 – 10/100/1000 Ethernet port
- 3 – USB 2.0 ports
- SATA I & II drives supported natively
- Kensington latch
- LCD Display (IP Address, Space Available/Total)
- Dimension: 200 H x 132 W x 222 D mm (7.9 H x 5.2 W x 8.7 D in)
RAID:
- Auto-expandable X-RAID2
- RAID levels 0/1/5 (Flex-RAID configuration)
- Multiple volume support (Flex-RAID)
- Hot-swap support
- Background sync and Smart Sync resume
- Life Support mode
Volumes:
- Single volume auto expansion (X-RAID2)
- Journaled file system
- User and group level quotas
- Disk set can be migrated to Pro series ReadyNAS
Network File Services:
- Windows, Mac & Linux client support
- CIFS/SMB for Windows & Mac OS X
- AFP 3.1 for Mac 9 and OS X
- NFS v2/v3 for Linux/UNIX
- HTTP and HTTPS for web browsers
- FTP and FTPS
- Rsync
- WebDAV
- ReadyNAS Remote
- Print Sharing
Media Streaming:
- ReadyDLNA
- SqueezeCenter
- Network DVD player compatible
- Apple iTunes server
- Sony PlayStation® 3
- Microsoft® Xbox 360, MCE
- Sonos Digital Music System
- Netgear EVA Digital Entertainer HD
Network Security:
- Selectable security mode
- Windows ADS/Domain security support
- Windows ACL
- Encrypted network logins
- Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
Network Options:
- DHCP or static IP
- NTP
- WINS Server
- DHCP Server
System Management:
- RAIDar™ discovery and monitoring agent
- Frontview™ Setup Wizard and Advanced Control
- Configurable performance options
- Device health status
- Comprehensive enclosure and disk monitoring
- Email alerts and event logs
- Network UPS monitoring
Backup:
- Integrated Frontview™ Backup Manager
- Programmable backup button
- Backup over CIFS/NFS/FTP/HTTP & Rsync
- Backup to/from USB Disks
- Built-in support for Time Machine
- Syncing between multiple ReadyNAS devices
- Full and incremental backups
- Built-in support for ReadyNAS Vault™
Software Included:
- NTI Shadow for ReadyNAS (Windows/Mac)
- ReadyNAS Photos
- Embedded BitTorrent client
USB Device Support:
- Hard disks and flash drives
- Support for FAT32, Ext2, Ext3, and NTFS
- Cameras
- Printers
- UPS
Power:
- Approximate 62 Watt usage
- Internal Power supply
- Disk spin down option
- Power on scheduling
- Automatic shutdown initiated by UPS low battery
Warranty & Support:
- 5 Year coverage
- Exceptional online support forum
Related Products: