LEDs and LCD:

This section is intended to show what the NAS 440 looks like in operation, and for a lack of anything better to call, I chose "LEDs and LCD". The two images below show the bottom of the enclosures front face, where a variety of lights can provide information about the status of the BlackArmor NAS 440. The image below shows the NAS in a normal condition, where the power button is glowing blue, all four green drive LEDs are lit to indicate their presence, and the status LEDs are blue to indicate proper function.



The next image shows the NAS in the midst of a rebuild. One drive had been removed, but was subsequently replaced, so all drive indicators are glowing green. The orange LED now present indicates that the storage array is in a degraded state as it slowly rebuilds.



The two line LCD at the top of the front face can provide a variety of information about the status and health of the device. For example, the below left image shows that the fan status is "OK" and that it is running at 1116RPM, while the below right image shows the internal temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. Knowing that the drives are warmer than the reported temperature of the enclosure, and that the slow spinning fan is replaceable, those who can perhaps tolerate some more noise may want to consider replacing the fan.



The display not only provides basic information regarding the NAS and its components, but it will also make you aware of issues the NAS may be experiencing. For example, the images below alerted me to the fact that hard disk drive one (HDD 1) was missing when I had pulled it to get the orange light to come on above.



Overall the display does provide some useful information, but at least one more button would make navigation a bit easier. I'd prefer to see the two existing buttons used for up/down navigation only, with a third button provided for selecting the option you have navigated to.