Final Words & Conclusion

Conclusion

This was my first time with a NAS from Asustor. I can already say that it was a pleasant adventure. From the performance and features perspective, the AS1104T did very well. The software feature set and extensive support for various Windows, Mac, and Linux protocols are great. As for the used parts - the 1 GB of memory and Realtek RTD1296 Quad-Core 1.4 GHz CPU performed just enough, I didn't spot any major hiccups in the operation. It’s a good solution mainly for home use; most probably, the power user would make it struggle during heavy usage. This NAS is pretty energy efficient (the maximum power consumption was 10 Watts with one SSD), the performance is right, and the noise level from the unit leaves nothing to be desired (the auto setting is doing it right, and the 120 mm fan is a good solution for cooling). It could be an FTP server; you can use it to upload images and music, make slideshows out of it, display it on the device’s web server, or use it to watch photos and videos.

Performance

The transfer speeds that we reached were more or less in line with the manufacturer’s declarations (well, not always when using the 2.5 Gbps connection, especially under longer/heavier load). With large files and a fast-enough HDD over a 2.5 Gigabit connection, you can expect up to 200 MB/sec on reads and writes. So, it can hardly go much faster with this type of Ethernet connection. You get the 2.5 GigE here (in this budget it's not a standard), for which is the best to have the SSD drive to utilize the bandwidth.

Pricing

At the time of writing, this NAS unit is listed with an MSRP of 259.99 USD. From the consumer’s point of view, that is rather affordable for a NAS device. It’s also an energy-friendly NAS server, and this should allow you to save you on your power bill because these devices often run 365/24/7. As more people are starting to use the faster Ethernet these days, it’s good that you get the 2.5 GigE connection.

Final Words

It’s a good offer for the price, and that’s why we’re granting the “Recommended” award here. Four bays and an energy-efficient solution with 1 GB of ram and a 4-cores CPU (but it’s an ARM type, so slower) at 259.99 USD with 2.5 GigE is attractive. Keep in mind that you can install up to 72 TB of drives in this NAS. While this may be one of the more affordable options from ASUSTOR, it is a 2.5Gb local area network and everything you need to build a home file server. At just over 16 x 16 centimeters and a depth of 8.5 inches, this NAS ranks among the most compact in its class. Given the number of devices that we use nowadays that can connect to a network and provide streaming services (TVs, phones, laptops, PCs, tablets, and so on), it only makes sense to have something like this lying around. Of course, you can also use it as an FTP server, back up your data, upload images/music, and run other applications. It’s nice to have a NAS to handle all these features, but you have to keep in mind that buying the unit is not the final cost here, as you also need to buy some drives to populate it with. 

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