Terra Master F4-220 4 bay NAS review

Networking 64 Page 3 of 14 Published by

teaser

I've always liked an unboxing, even if you know exactly what it is you're getting. The product comes in an entirely unremarkable blue box, with not even a photo of the unit on the front, rear, or sides. A simple logo and the motto 'Reliable Data Storage' is all that you'll see on the outside. I must say I was a bit surprised, and purely because this kind of fairly austere packaging with 'no frills' is what I would expect when unboxing something from... say, Cisco. Enterprise level, business orientated, and 'to the point.' Perhaps, however, that is what Terra Master are going for? They certainly sell enterprise-grade storage solutions (for, as mentioned before, well beyond the price range of a normal user). In addition, why spend extra money on something like packaging/marketing when it is very likely the customer who buys this kind of product knows what they want anyway?


Img_0713


There aren't even any product specifications anywhere on the box's exterior, though this was a little less surprising. Exciting specifications and marketing material (e.g. like you might see on a graphics card) aren't exactly setting the world alight when it comes to networking hardware and storage. Somehow 'GIGABIT ETHERNET!!' doesn't quite have the same ring to it as '11GB GDDR5X', (likely on fire, on a burning background, and RGB illuminated). You get my point. I happen to think that this approach is quite neat, almost Apple-like. Very minimalistic, and with very little extra.


Img_0718


Opening the box up, however, we can see that the F4-220 is a very well packaged and cared for product. The simple theme continues on the inside, the 220 itself protected by a thick plastic sleeve and two polyfoam pads. They do their job well, and I can not realistically see this unit getting damaged in transit at all. Indeed, my unit was absolutely pristine. Aside from the NAS itself, there is a plain brown box that contains:

  • Quick start guide.
  • Warranty information.
  • FAQs.
  • Screws for mounting 2.5 and 3.5'' drives.
  • EU, US, and UK power cable.
  • DC 12v power adapter.
  • RJ45 Ethernet cable.
  • 2.5'' and 3.5'' labels for bays.

And that is, essentially, your lot. That is, to be fair, all you actually need, and the inclusion of some 'nice' added bonuses (i.e. the stickers) didn't cost Terra Master anything, but it looks good for this reviewer and the buyer. The unit itself is actually fairly weighty, and the outer shell is a smooth touch metal. I am not entirely sure what metal, but I would hazard a guess at aluminum?


Img_0719

Img_0723

Img_0725

Share this content
Twitter Facebook Reddit WhatsApp Email Print