ReadyNAS Ultra 2 Plus Performance Home NAS
| Page Highlights: | |
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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
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| Model | RNDP200U |
| Installed Disks Max: 2 |
Diskless |
| Capacity * GB = Gigabyte TB = Terabyte |
n/a |
| Expandable | Yes + USB |
Ideal Application:
- PERFORMANCE Home network storage, home music server, entertainment media server
- Multiple users
- Video streaming
- Very Small Business, SOHO (small office or home office) network storage
Pros:
- Probably FASTEST 2 Drive NAS available
- Netgear ReadyNAS – Solid, reliable, feature rich, easy to use
- Intel 1.8 Ghz Atom Dual Core CPU (ReadyNAS Ultra 2 is Single Core)
- 1 GB DDR2 SODIMM Memory
- Compact, energy efficient
- 2 – High speed gigabit ethernet (10/100/1000) ports
- 2 Hot swap drive bays
- 1 – USB 3.0 port
- 2 – USB 2.0 ports
- External USB support for printers, drives
- Supports Windows, Mac & Linux computers
- iSCSI target with expansion support
- ReadyNAS Remote
- TiVo Compatible
- Media Shifting with Skifta (DLNA)
- Transcoding with Orb for streaming on mobile devices
- Native SATA II support
- Attach a USB printer to share
- Handles media sharing, streaming well
- Front drive and activity indicator lights
- Snapshot with scheduling
- VLAN support
- 3 year warranty
- Active online support forum
Cons:
- Fairly pricey, you pay for performance & features
- No front display like the Ultra 4 and Ultra 6
- No Windows AD integration support (affects business use only)
Bottom Line:
The Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra 2 Plus is being promoted by Netgear for home network storage, with a BIG emphasis on entertainment media streaming. The “Plus” means this performance home NAS has a DUAL core processor instead of a SINGLE core processor on the regular Ultra 2.
This is just a VERY nice upgrade from the still popular ReadyNAS Duo. The performance of the Ultra 2 PLUS is going to blow away a Duo.
What you read here is going to be about identical to the ReadyNAS Ultra 2 Review. Sorry about that, but the fact is that these two units are IDENTICAL except for the processor.
If you want to save some money, buy the Ultra 2. If you want maximum performance either for multiple users or for media streaming, buy the Ultra 2 Plus.
But this is an exceptional home network storage device that is perfectly adequate to base an entire small business network around also, just happens to be so versatile as to be an excellent premium choice for home use also. These NAS devices deliver the power you need to run bleeding-edge applications and the flexibility you want to store, share and protect your prized multimedia collections.
X-RAID2 (running in essentially RAID1) is the only recommended configuration, in my opinion. You need to have the comfort of knowing that no data is lost if you lose just one drive and get it replaced promptly. Even if you don’t think the data on the drive is important, wait until you lose the drive and see if you feel that way. Not only might there be just 1 file that is important, but how to you value hassle and inconvenience?
This NAS is a solid, versatile and reliable performer. If you like, you can start with a diskless unit and add your own hard drives.With the built-in XRAID2 functionality, you can simply add hard drives with no reconfiguration or reinstallation of any kind necessary should you start with just 1 hard drive in the unit.
If you currently do media streaming or think that would be in your future (hint: it should be), then this is high powered choice sure to make you happy.
Review Detail:
The Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra 2 Plus improves upon the Duo model in many ways and utilizes some of the most advanced network storage technologies available. Intel Atom DUAL core CPU running at 1.8 Ghz, a healthy 1 GB of RAM, 2 gigabit network connections and iSCSI capability tell you that this NAS is ready for a small business application if you choose, and much faster than the Duo.
The main improvements over the Duo are faster processor, more RAM, Native SATA II support, the addition of a USB 3.0 port, the improved X-RAID2 data protection system and volume management.
There are no lines to draw between home network storage and business network storage with this unit. If multimedia storage and access is your thing, you can even get access to your files when you are on the road with your mobile device. Yet, dual gigabit network connections and RSync capability make it obvious that Netgear sees the Ultra being used in the office as well.
Certain business features, though, like Windows AD integration and Dual NIC teaming are not supported on the prosumer lineup from ReadyNAS which includes the Ultra models.
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 Ultra 2 Plus 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.
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 Ultra 2 Plus 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.
Multimedia, though really makes these Ultra’s shine:
- First TiVo® compatible DVR network archiving and
storage device - First storage with transcoding capabilities from Orb™
- First storage with media shifting capabilities from Skifta™
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 Ultra 2 Plus 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 Ultra 2 Plus, like other ReadyNAS devices, 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 Ultra 2 Plus really shines, as all model in the ReadyNAS family do, when it comes to data backup. Remember, RAID1/X-RAID2 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 Ultra). 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 using RSync
- 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 Ultra 2 RNDP200U (Diskless) | Diskless | Shop Best Price on RNDP200U |
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Review Video:
Features:
Hardware:
- Intel Atom DUAL Core CPU @ 1.8 GHz
- 1 GB DDR2 SODIMM Memory (non-ECC), 1 slot 2GB max
- 2 Hot-swappable locking disk trays
- 2 – 10/100/1000 Ethernet port
- 1 – USB 3.0 port
- 2 – USB 2.0 ports
- SATA I & II drives supported natively
- Front Drive Indicator / Activity lights
- Dimension: 142 H x 101 W x 220 D mm (5.59 H x 3.98 W x 8.66 D in)
RAID:
- Auto-expandable X-RAID2
- RAID levels 0/1 (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
- TiVo Compatible
- Orb Transcoding for mobile
- Skifta
- 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 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:
- Mimeo Premium Backup (3 users 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 32 Watt usage
- External 60w AC Power supply
- Disk spin down option
- Power on scheduling
- Automatic shutdown initiated by UPS low battery
Warranty & Support:
- 3 Year coverage (This is a Pro-sumer Unit)
- Exceptional online support forum
Related Products:
Looking for hard drives for the ReadyNAS Ultra 2 Plus? This post mentions the ReadyNAS Duo, but are really the same options for the Ultra 2 Plus.
This post on 3TB hard drives for ReadyNAS Ultra is still current even though some of the hard drives listed aren’t.