Conclusion:
The
Synology DiskStation DS411 4-Bay NAS server is a great storage device for anyone looking for a complete package. With 3TB hard drives available, the DS411 has currently has a maximum capacity of 12TB. For a home user that would probably take years or maybe even decades to fill, but a small business would have a good amount of storage and plenty of room for Time Backup snapshots. Also for a small business, they would have a tough time finding a better deal with a standard server (especially after you start adding up licensing costs).
As always, I love the products Synology comes out with. I don't know many other NAS manufacturers that can compete with Synology in regards to their firmware and official packages. I also like the style of their products - they are good looking and are very functional at the same time. Last year I had 8 items on my DSM wishlist, and with the release of DSM 3.2 I have crossed off 4 of them (LDAP for user management/authentication, View open/active files, Mount ISO file support, and Transcoding for Audio Station).
The price of the Synology DiskStation DS411 NAS without any drives is about $440 at
Amazon.com. If you want a unit pre-configured with 4x 1TB drives the Amazon.com price grows by an exorbitant amount all the way to $900!! Considering that this works out to $115 per drive, you are better off buying an empty DS411 and filling it yourself. Instead of 1TB drives, you could double up to 2TB drives for just around $80 each! The price for the empty enclosure is a bit hefty, but Synology releases a major firmware update once a year at no cost, plus their selection of interesting and useful packages continue to expand.
For the performance, silent operation, and feature rich firmware, the Synology DiskStation DS411 4-bay NAS server earns the the BigBruin.com "Highly Recommended" and "Whisper Quiet" awards.
Pros:
» Silent Operation with dual 80mm fans
» Awesome firmware with free updates
» Official Packages add lots of value for free
» Mobile Interface and Apps are still growing
» Massive potential storage capacity of 12TB
» Great performance
Cons:
» Price: $440+ without drives
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comments or questions.
