| QNAP TS-419P II NAS Network Storage Server |  |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Network | |
| Written by Bruce Normann | |
| Tuesday, 01 November 2011 | |
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QNAP TS-419P II ConclusionAlthough the rating and final score mentioned in this conclusion are made to be as objective as possible, please be advised that every author perceives these factors differently at various points in time. While we each do our best to ensure that all aspects of the product are considered, there are often times unforeseen market conditions and manufacturer changes which occur after publication that could render our rating obsolete. Please do not base any purchase solely on our conclusion, as it represents our product rating for the sample received which may differ from retail versions. The performance of the QNAP TS-419P II Turbo NAS server was very solid. The beefed up Marvell 88F6282 processor, which houses an ARM®v5TE Single Core CPU running at 2.0 GHz with a 256KB L2 Cache, made a measurable difference in performance compared to the 1.6 GHz version in the TS-219P+. QNAP stuck with SATA 3Gb/s and USB 2.0 interfaces on this unit; and the former is a non-issue. Those of us, who have experienced the much-needed shot in the arm the latest generation of serial busses provides for interfacing with portable devices, will be left longing for more. The two eSATA ports on the back panel allow external units with that interface to run at full speed, compensating somewhat for the USB performance gap. The best read performance I recorded for the TS-419P II was 97 MB/s, and the best write speed was 89 MB/s, which are both very good, but not outstanding. The additional load encountered with RAID 5 operation was not handled as easily as it was in the Intel-based units I've tested, and the write results in RAID 5 were nowhere near the single disk results, with a maximum transfer rate of 57 MB/s. The larger, four-bay form factor of the QNAP TS-419P II allows for the use of a display on the front of the unit, which was handy for quick adjustments and for out-of-the-box setup before connecting it to the network. The status LEDs for activity on: HDD1-4, LAN, USB and eSATA were helpful to verify what was going on with the unit. Ditto for the flashing indicators and audible status alarms, they were mostly intuitive and I needed just a brief look at the manual to make sure I understood the signals correctly. The exposed portion of the drive trays are nicely finished and blend well with the remainder of the front panel. Three different shades and textures of black can look busy if arranged poorly, but this NAS looks the business. The side and top panel is a one-piece titanium colored section with a fine grained brush finish. The brighter finish adds a bit of elegance to the visual design, plus it doesn't show fingerprints. IMHO, it fits in perfectly with its intended environment, the small office or a sophisticated home office.
The construction quality of the TS-419P II exceeds that of many computer-based appliances. The data center crews are all hardware junkies for the most part, and they like their gear to radiate superiority. QNAP takes the level of excellence that is required to win over that finicky community and applies it across the product line. Enjoy the trickle-down effect where you can, even if it's from the data centers on Wall St. and not the banks on Wall St. Every QNAP product I've ever used had the same attention to build quality, even the lower-priced units. The QNAP TS-419P II Turbo NAS network storage server is best suited to a very tech-capable SOHO organization that can take full advantage of all the capabilities and functions it offers. The applications are well designed and documented, to the point where most resident geeks can handle setup and administration of even the most advanced capabilities. There's a lot of functionality that's important in a business environment, but the availability of more broad-based web applications is also impressive, with support for several consumer focused cloud-based services being a simple example. The QMobile app for handheld devices, to stream music, digital pictures, and videos from a QNAP NAS server directly to your mobile device, is another. Most of these consumer oriented features are easier to configure than the hardcore IT apps, like VMware and iSCSI, plus the documentation provided by QNAP is excellent. The QNAP TS-419P II Turbo NAS server is more suited for the SOHO environment, but its size, performance and features could certainly fill a spot in the corporate enterprise market. The smaller two drive bay devices included in this test only allow for RAID-0 or RAID-1, and that's not enough for many small businesses, even though it may be all you need for the home office. Before we discuss the pricing in detail, remember that these systems are not discretionary items for most businesses, they are a necessary expense. The inevitable costs for not having a robust data management system in place are 10-100 times higher than any of the prices you will see in this paragraph. As of October 2011 the TS-419P II model was listed at Newegg for $549.99. If you need the wealth of features and the higher RAID performance the top TS-x59 Turbo NAS series provides, and roughly the same amount of storage space, the $959.99 is a possible choice at $959.99. Home users will probably feel more comfortable with the Marvell-based QNAP TS-219P+ at $299.99 for basic tasks. Benchmark Reviews has enjoyed testing all of these QNAP network storage solutions, and with the wide range of products on offer from them, anyone in need of a NAS server can find one to fit their current and future needs. The biggest problem is choosing one - Newegg has nine 4-disk units listed in stock currently, just from QNAP. That's why we go into so much detail in our reviews, to help you figure out what level of performance and features is right for you. The TS-419P II Turbo NAS server seems like another strong option for the SOHO market, especially for front-line storage. A few may need something simpler, and others may need more storage space, but the four-bay TS-419P II fills a big spot in the important middle ground. Pros:
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Comments
The TS-419P II is a well designed software solution with a wealth of functionality. The case is well made and looks great but uses yesterday's processing hardware. Why USB V3.0, Dual CPU and SATA6 are missing is a turn off for me. SATA6 is probably of little value but it's the industry trend with disk drives and may prove useful in the future. Intel hardware is a plus for me.
USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s are all available on the more high-end QNAP servers. I don't know of any Dual CPU units made by anyone, but if you mean dual-CORE, then that's also available on the pricier units. Most of the "Pro" models have the Dual-Core Intel® Atom? (1.80 GHz) in them. The really hardcore models have a Quad Core Intel Xeon E3-1225 at 3.1GHz Processor or a Dual Core Intel® Core? i3-2120 Processor at 3.3 GHz.
The software on this unit looks great and has a lot of functionality and great access ability.
For the average home user with a decent amount of tech knowledge, working within a win7 environment at home but an iPhone/iPad on the road what would be better; windows home server or a product like this? And in your opinion would building a box myself with better parts( processor, memory) bet the better option?
Yes, I meant dual core, I know better. I would be happy with an Intel 2120, but never an Atom anything.
Disk drives sure jumped in price due to unfortunate weather!
Keith,
If the sofware was offered separately, the answer would be easy. I'm in much the same position as you. I don't like the processing capability until the price is more than I want to spend.
I totally agree with you. I will probably break down and pay the higher price for improved processing because the software is impressive!
I just now ordered the TS-659 Pro II. Didn't get everything I wanted but got everything I could afford. I will have a toy to play with tomorrow. I should have purchased the TS-659 Pro+ because it's a much better buy, but common sense failed.
What is your intended use(s)?
- Music/movie streaming
- Backup
- Central storage
- Near future hosting my own website
What's the price difference - about $100, right?
Now, the OTHER thing you get as you spend more mony is WRITE speed. Take a look at QNAPs published write speeds:
Write Performance (MB/s) - Dual-Core Atom: 107, Single-Core Atom: 88, Marvell 2.0GHz: 75, Marvell 1.6GHz: 45
This has a direct impact on yur backup speeds, although the laptops may be the limiting factor anyways, if they have the typical 5400 RPM HDDs in them. They use less power, so it's quite common to use them instead of the 7200 RPM models.
The other thing you get for your $$ is USB 3.0. This may not have any impact on your intended usage, but for some, USB 2.0 is a deal-breaker.
Of course, you also know that QNAP released a couple new models at CES, right. I tell you, I can't keep up with them... LOL
Bottom line, like Anna above, I think your expectation for backup performance is the key discriminator here. That's the primary area (of the ones you listed), where spending more will get you more.
Presently I don't need the virtualization features.
Are the new models announced at CES listed in their site? I would assume so, as their site indicates the 459 Pro II as a new model.
And thanks for the link below.
qnap.com/images/products/comparison/Comparison_4BayNAS.html
I first saw it on the box then when I opened and looked at the back of the unit, two of the ports are labeled USB3.0 The quick start guide also says USB3. This is very odd since their website and all reviews say only USB2.0
I do not know if the new units are shipping with USB 3 or is it Canadian versions. I am in Canada. Anyways I am thrilled. This unit offers so much for the price.
Usually when the "Manufacturer reserves the right to update the product specifications" it's to take cost out of the product.