NAS Explained
Asustor FS6712X
Asustor boosts NAS performance with the Flashtor 6 and Flashtor 12 Pro, both powered by Intel's advanced Celeron N5105 (Jasper Lake) processor. Utilizing a 10nm architecture, this processor features four Tremont cores running at a 2 GHz base clock and a 2.9 GHz boost clock. While Hyper-Threading is not present, the 10W power consumption ensures efficient cooling, making it a favored choice for NAS manufacturers. Asustor outfits the Flashtor devices with a 4 GB SO-DIMM DDR4-2933 memory module, complementing the Celeron N5105. Both models in the Flashtor series offer two SO-DIMM DDR4 memory slots, allowing for a maximum capacity of 16 GB (2 x 8 GB), which the Celeron N5105 fully supports. Additionally, Asustor's NAS comes with 8 GB of built-in eMMC storage. The Flashtor 6 and Flashtor 12 Pro vary in storage capacity and connectivity options. The Flashtor 6 accommodates six PCIe 3.0 M.2 slots for M.2 2280 drives, while the Flashtor 12 Pro boasts a staggering twelve slots. Both NAS devices support RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10 arrays for data redundancy and protection. Asustor incorporates specialized air ducts and an 80 mm cooling fan, along with M.2 heatsinks, for effective heat dissipation. In terms of connectivity, the Flashtor 6 offers two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports, achieving impressive read and write speeds of up to 590 MB/s and 583 MB/s, respectively, in an SMB multichannel (RAID 5) environment. Conversely, the Flashtor 12 Pro features a single 10 Gigabit Ethernet port, with read and write speeds reaching up to 1.1 GB/s , respectively.
The Flashtor series includes two USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 ports and two USB 2.0 ports for convenient external device connectivity. For multimedia capabilities, these NAS devices offer one HDMI 2.0b port for video output and one S/PDIF output for lossless audio. Asustor provides a 65 W power adapter for the Flashtor 6 and a 90 W unit for the Flashtor 12 Pro. During operation, the Flashtor 6 consumes approximately 18 W.
Image credit: mouser
The Intel N5105 CPU has become a common choice for Asustor NAS devices, including the Lockerstor Gen 2 series and other high-end desktop systems designed for enthusiasts and professionals. While this CPU offers power-efficiency and affordability, it poses a performance bottleneck for M.2 NVMe drives. In both the 6-Bay and 12-Bay models, the M.2 NVMe drives are limited to Gen 3 ×1 connections, resulting in a throughput of roughly 1,000MB/s per bay. This falls short of the potential performance even with average Gen 3 NVMe drives, which could achieve three times higher speeds. Then again with that 10 GigE you're good to go on maximum throughput.
Some argue that a more powerful CPU could address this limitation. However, such a change would increase costs, require additional CPU cooling, and exceed the intended target audience. The 6-Bay FS6706T model comes with a reasonable 4GB of expandable memory, also in the Flashstor 12 Pro FS6712T. Considering the memory requirements typically associated with NAND flash-based servers, it would have been preferable to see a minimum of 8GB in the 12-Bay model. The decision to stick with 4GB is unclear, possibly driven by the need to maintain an affordable price point or ongoing memory shortages leading to price increases. You could also debate lacking support of ECC memory, particularly for enterprise demands. However, as an entry-level flash system with a compact profile, the internal hardware architecture of this Asustor NAS offers undeniable advantages in terms of pricing, base throughput, and media usage.
When you have your SSDs installed and the device connected through your PC, you'll need to start up a software suite to bind and set up your configuration. Please look at the install CD for that. If you have a smartphone, use a smartphone app like FING and scan the network; Asustor will show up with a corresponding IP. Type the IP into your browser, and you can start setting up the unit.
Example screenshot: Fing is convenient to use the smartphone app FING to see what IP the NAS got assigned at the setup stage. Type in the corresponding HTTP://IP:8000, and you can start the setup process. Don't forget to add the :8000
Intel 64-bit, x86 Microprocessors based on the Jasper Lake platform. The Celeron N5105 is even targeted at desktop PCs, offering a clock speed of up to 2.9GHz (single-core boost). In addition to the quad-core CPU, the SoC has a 450-800 MHz, 24 EU Intel UHD Graphics GPU, and an LPDDR4(x) dual-channel memory controller (up to 16 GB and 2933 MHz).
- Memory: 4GB DDR4
- Memory Expandable up to 8GB (two channels)
- NVMe SSD: 12 x M.2 PCIe Gen 3 / M.2 80mm
- Expansion: USB 3.2 Gen-1 x2
- Network: 10 Gigabit Ethernet x 1
- Output: HDMI 2.0b
- System Fan: 120mm x 1
- Power Supply Unit / Adapter: 90W x1
- Input Power Voltage: 100V to 240V AC
- Certification: FCC, CE, VCCI, BSMI, C-TICK
Operating system compatibility wise the NAS supports file sharing across Linux, UNIX, Mac, and Windows platforms. We will be testing with Windows 110. Also, for the more advanced among you, Windows AD (Active Directory) is supported to help create an easy-to-access environment. SSH login and web page SSL login enable users to securely transfer, store, and share data. Since this product acts as a server, ALL PCs within your network can connect to it, with or without access rights. Times have changed, and our storage requirements have moved from Kilobytes to Megabytes, to Gigabytes, and now even Terabytes of storage. And sure, it won't be long until we reach Petabytes either. Oh, and after that, there are Exabytes and then Zettabytes.
| Unit | Shortened | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Bit | b | 1 or 0 (on or off) |
| Byte | B | 8 bits |
| Kilobyte | KB | 1024 bytes |
| Megabyte | MB | 1024 kilobytes |
| Gigabyte | GB | 1024 megabytes |
| Terabyte | TB | 1024 gigabytes |
| Petabyte | PB | 1024 terabytes |
| Exabyte | EB | 1024 petabytes |
| Zettabyte | ZB | 1024 exabytes |
| Yottabyte | YB | 1024 zettabytes |
Bits are the basic building blocks of not only data storage but all computers. Computers work in binary digits, combining 0’s and 1’s in countless patterns. These binary digits are known as bits and are the smallest possible unit for data storage. So we passed the Terabyte marker years ago. With our hefty demand in storage capabilities, the industry constantly had to adapt and introduce new hardware features. Storage units increased in volume over the year; 18 TB HDDs have just been introduced onto the market with ~25 TB already in the pipeline. There is one product series growing fast in that line of storage solutions and now reaching SOHO and consumer-based markets. They are called NAS units, Network Attached Storage. And there has been a lot of development in these nifty little boxes. Pretty much, they are little servers that can hook onto your network and then function as file servers. The NAS units are often small and do not use a lot of power compared to, say, your PC, but they are highly configurable and offer redundancy as some models can even handle RAID internally. Network Attachable Storage units are among the most advanced home servers available today. Products feature multiple HDD setups, partitions, RAID, USER and user group-based access, FTP, web server, MySQL, and hot-swappable drives; these are just some of a NAS's features unit can handle. And though expensive, a product like this is just too darn handy regarding file storage and management over your network.
