Conclusion:
Thecus has focused their business on network attached storage devices, and they definitely know what they are doing. The N4100PRO is well built, attractively styled, fairly easy to configure, and installing drives is simple. Testing shows that it is capable of respectable data transfer rates that easily outshine a less powerful NAS device.
The N4100PRO handles data storage quite well with the flexibility to allow a variety of drive configurations, a few means of accessing the data, and a couple bundled methods of getting data to the device with ease. Thecus takes things beyond local area network data sharing though, as they have incorporated a bunch of extras such as a print server, webcam server, iTunes server, and the ability to share data on the Internet with minimal effort.
My main complaint with the device was that the initial configuration has it locked to a static IP address. DHCP is supported, but you must access the device at 192.169.1.100 before you can enable it and reboot. Other negatives included the fact that the documentation could definitely use some more detail, and that I could not find a way to enable a "sleep" mode to conserve energy when the drives were not in use. You can schedule it to turn on/off when you want, but that isn't quite the same.
Searching the Internet finds Thecus products at many popular online retailers, but not all of them carry the N4100PRO. I was able to find it at places like Buy.com, Mwave.com, and Provantage where the price ranges from about $390 to $420. That may seem like alot of money, especially since you still have to buy the drives to go inside, but it is inline with other NAS devices that may not be as feature rich. Compared to the Thecus N3200 once again, you are only paying $70 or so more for a NAS that offers greater performance, more storage capacity, and refinements in several areas. Do-it-yourselfers may be able to build a new system (or recycle some old parts) for less, but the N4100PRO offers a good deal of value by just making data storage easy.
Given the high quality, versatility, and performance, the Thecus N4100PRO 4-Bay network attached storage system earns the Bigbruin.com award of "Highly Recommended".
Pros:
» Improved / refined features when compared to Thecus N3200
» Compact, attractively styled enclosure
» Well designed and well made
» Front panel display provides a variety of useful information
» Extensive list of capabilities and configuration options
» Capable of RAID 0, 1, 5, and JBOD
» Connect extra storage devices via USB
» Dual Gigabit LAN connections
» Extra features such as built-in print server, iTunes server, and webcam server
» Optional wireless (802.11b/g) connectivity using certain USB dongles
» Much more energy efficient than a dedicated server for storage, printing, etc...
Cons:
» Initial configuration seems like it could be easier
» Not completely tool-less
» Documentation is a bit weak
» Can be scheduled to turn off, but does not have inactivity "sleep" mode
» About $400, and you still have to buy the drives to put inside it
Special thanks to Thecus for providing the Thecus N4100PRO 4-Bay Network Attached Storage System to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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