Putting an emphasis on reliability
Augmenting the connectivity options at the rear are dual Gigabit Ethernet connectors (WAN and LAN; can be set to link aggregation), and a single PCIe x1 slot that could be used to easily add wireless networking capabilities.
Beneath the PCIe slot, Thecus has made room for the optional installation of a bundled lithium-ion Battery Backup Module (BBM).
Targeting users who demand stability, the battery is used as a backup power source should your mains be interrupted. It won't keep you powered for long, but it should provide enough juice for any unsaved data to be migrated to the unit's drives.
It's a useful feature to have, and the N4200's email notification system can also let you know whenever there has been a mains power failure.
Complimenting the dual-power design, the N4200 also makes use of Thecus's OS redundant dual-DOM (disk-on-module) technology - a feature usually reserved for enterprise-class models. Using two modules to store duplicate copies of the operating system, the server has an automatic backup and can continue to operate should the first module fail.
Reliability is clearly high on the N4200's priority list, but it's likely to be followed closely by performance. To that end, Thecus provides the unit with a 1.66GHz Intel Atom D510 processor - a dual-core model from Intel's recent Pineview line. Equipped with a 1MB L2 cache and a maximum TDP of 13W, the chip's well-suited to the task of processing transactions for a four-bay NAS, and it's backed up by 1GB of DDR2 system memory.
An impressive-looking combination, but we'd like to see Thecus show a little more flair with its bundle and packaging.
The included manual's provide reasonable detail, but as is often the case with Taiwanese brands, they aren't without the occasional blooper or two. The battery installation instructions, for example, provide what should be four simple steps - trouble is, the first, second and fourth steps are described in English, whilst the third is in Spanish.
We might be nitpicking, but a little extra attention to detail goes a long way, and Thecus could easily spruce up the overall feel of its products. The poor-quality manual looks as if it's been recovered from the '80s, and it would have been nice to include a matching black ethernet cable, as opposed to the dull grey.
On the plus side, Thecus throws in DriveClone5 Pro v1.1 software that provides simple cloning and backup, and the N4200 is backed by a two-year warranty when purchased from an authorised reseller. That cover doesn't extend to any malfunctioning drives, of course, and Thecus has a list of warranty-related provisos that are fairly standard for the industry.
