Review: Qnap TS-251+

Conclusion

Network-attached storage servers have become increasingly accessible to a wider range of users, and given the proliferation of our personal computing devices, a home NAS can play an important role in today's connected home.

But as with most modern gadgets, there's a case to be made for balancing cost and need. If your NAS reasoning doesn't extend much beyond centralised storage and frequent backups, there are plenty of capable solutions available for an agreeable fee.

On the other hand, for prosumers and gadget enthusiasts, there are NAS units that proffer more tricks than Paul Daniels. Aiming for this particular segment, Qnap's TS-251+, priced from around £235, is one of the more comprehensive two-bay solutions on the market. Outfitted with a quad-core Intel CPU and up to 8GB of memory, this compact box can make available a 16TB storage pool to users seeking a feature set that includes everything from simple file sharing to full-blown virtualisation.

The one obvious caveat is the inflated price tag for the 8GB model. It would be cheaper to buy a 2GB variant and upgrade it in-house, but that's a minor inconvenience on an otherwise well-rounded box. Need a feature-packed, dual-bay NAS with genuine multimedia credentials? Qnap's svelte HS-251+ is a nice idea, but the traditional TS-251+ with active cooling remains the more sensible choice.

Qnap TS-251+

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The Qnap TS-251+ NAS is available to purchase from Scan Computers.

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