*** EDITED TO ADD *** BEWARE I was attacked by Russian Ransomware and lost all of my data. I was running two QNAP drives, one backing up the other. My two NAS drives were backups for each other. My password was 11 characters in length, consisting of numerals, symbols, upper case, and lower case letters. It wasn't enough.
They were hacked and all files were encrypted. The MalWare APP caught the infection, but only after all data was lost. The app told me to contact QNAP for help. I did, and they accused me of having a weak password and told me there was nothing more I could do. They said I should have backed up mt data. I had. This machine and its backup WERE my backup. I had tried several cloud backup services, but all are setup for business and were very expensive. So instead, all of my files are gone- everything that I created since I last backed up to DVD ROM in 2016. So three years of tax paperwork, legal documents, and photos. Do an Internet search for "National Security Agency warns Russian military is hacking computer systems" and see the story for yourself. **** END OF EDIT ****
First, the short version: The QNAP 251 is a great NAS. It was easy to install, and easy to setup as a mapped network drive. The operating system was a bit of a challenge to learn, and I am still exploring the features and applications that this drive brings to the table.
So far, I am using it as a network drive, with file sharing between the two of us who live here. We are also sharing pictures, movies, and music on the drive. I also have some Web cameras mounted around the house that are connected to the NAS acting as security cameras.
The only downside is that this machine needs more than the 1 GB ram that it comes with, but do not spend the extra $400 buying the model with the 4GB of memory installed. The memory can be bought right here on Amazon for $50, and it takes 5 minutes to install it yourself.
There are hundreds of Applications that you can choose from that allow this NAS to do a large number of tasks. I am still investigating them.
Configuration:
I installed two 4 TB Seagate NAS rated hard drives, and set them up as a RAID 1, so that I have redundant storage in the event of a drive failure.
I power this machine with an APC BE550 UPS that I bought here on Amazon for $50, and it provides this machine, my Cable Modem, and my Router with 90 minutes of battery backup in the event of a power failure. It connects to the NAS with a USB cable, and the NAS allows you to set the machine to shut down after a settable amount of time, should the power fail.
I plugged both of the network cables into the router. I recommend this for faster network speeds.
I am planning to upgrade the RAM to 4 GB. I recommend this, as it is easy to overtax the 1 GB of RAM installed.
| Brand | QNAP |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | QNAP |
| Series | TS-251D-2G-US |
| Item Height | 16.8 centimetres |
| Item Width | 10.5 centimetres |
| Standing screen display size | 1 |
| Processor Count | 2 |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Computer Memory Type | DDR4 SDRAM |
| Hard Drive Size | 1 |
| Hard Disk Description | Non |
| Hard Drive Interface | ATA-4 |
| Hard Disk Rotational Speed | 1 RPM |
| Graphics Card Interface | Integrated |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 3 |
| Optical Drive Type | QNAP |
| OS | QNAP |
| Manufacturer | QNAP |
| Item model number | TS-251D |
| Product Dimensions | 22.6 x 10.5 x 16.8 cm; 2.7 Kilograms |
| ASIN | B0842SB92L |
