The QNAP TS-262 NAS Drive Review
The NAS market at the start of 2023 has really been shaking things up, with moves by all the top tier brands attacking the home and prosumer tier of private server buyers with very different wares on offer! Whilst Synology have been shifting the home/business point of a number of their popular diskstation devices, QNAP has been doubling down on their hardware choices at that same tier and either upgrading what works or swapping out what doesn’t The QNAP TS-262 NAS is designed to be a more affordable Intel-powered alternative to the prosumer ad fully featured TS-264, that still keeps the elements of prosumer hardware that continue to draw the eye of PC-builders and more tech versed buyers, who nonetheless still find the appeal of a turnkey pre-built solution convenient. Arriving in a 2-Bay and 4-Bay version, the QNAP TS-x62 series hopes to be a more confident entry point for first-time NAS buyers and SMB’s looking to move away from 3rd party cloud, but is this a notable improvement over the now 3 years old TS-251D that it serves to replace? It’s price tag of $439 / £399 / €439 (tax and shipping where you are will likely reflect this price in your region) is possibly going to place it outside of the scope of Value/ARM NAS buyers, but here are the Highlights of the QNAP TS-262 NAS
- Intel N4505 Dual-Core Celeron, 2022 Q1 Released Processor
- 4GB DDR4 Memory (Cannot be Upgraded)
- 2.5GbE Network Ready (1x Ports)
- USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gb/s) Equipped
- SATA HDD/SSD Bays and RAID Support
- m.2 NVMe SSD Bays
- PCIe Upgrade Slot for Network/Storage Upgrades
- HDMI 2.1 Output
- 2-Year Warranty (extendable to 5yr)
So, I want to review the new TS-262 2-Bay NAS, analyse the brand’s updated approach to hardware design and work out if this new compact, 2-Bay NAS solution deserves your data in 2023. Let’s dive in!
QNAP TS-262 NAS Review – Quick Conclusion
The QNAP TS-262 NAS is a substantial update on the QNAP TS-251D (even worth considering for those who opted for the TS-251D or TS-251B previously) that features a more modern CPU that allows increased internal performance. This translates in hardware to M.2 NVMe SSD support, a larger bandwidth PCIe Upgrade slot, USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gb/s connectivity and 2.5GbE by default. Some areas of the device are less compelling, such as that fixed 4GB of memory meaning that the price needs to reflect the extra RAM on day 1, but you also cannot scale that extra memory further as your processes grow years from now. The limiting of those M.2 NVMe SSD bays to PCIe Gen 3×1 makes alot of sense, giving the range of this PCIe3 Celeron CPU makes sense, but is nonetheless going to annoy some users. lastly, the hardware gains in the system featuring much, MUCH more powerful and visually appealing HDMI 2.1 is a fraction let down by the HD Station software getting fewer and fewer feature-rich updates (outside of stability and performance fixes). As far as running the QNAP QTS EXT4 software platform on the TS-262, you will have little to no complaints, as it can run the bulk of the 1st/3rd party applications available to the software, just remember that you are running a dual-core and two thread processor – so the glass ceiling in terms of hardware resources is going to be a pinch lower than some of their Pentium, Intel Core or Xeon systems of course. After a bumpy start to 2022, with the brand needing to win alot of users back after being targetted by ransomware groups and missteps in communication, fast forward to the start of 2023 and you have a much more secure, closed and layered QNAP NAS platform here.
Choosing the QNAP TS-262 NAS over the increasing range of 2-Bay’s in the brand’s portfolio is a little less straightforward, with the TS-262 nestled somewhere between the TS-253E, TS-264, HS-264 and TS-364 (with several more 2-Bay options in the TS-x51+, TS-31P3 AND TS-31K still listed on their official site). I also think the TS-262 would do better to have been released alongside the TS-264 (and the rest of the x64 range), when the portfolio was a little less clustered and its status as an affordable alternative to the TS-262 made alot more sense! The QNAP TS-262 is designed for users looking to spend a little less on base hardware, whilst still buying a device that can be scaled in storage, network bandwidth and more down the line. QTS still continues to be fully featured and has a great many new security and access defaults/settings introduced to limit novice users leaving doors open, but still has a fractionally steeper learning curve than many of its competitors, often trying to do too many things at once (or at least not stopping an end user doing too much at times), which can lead to occasionally bumps in the road when using their platform on a more modest system as this. The QNAP TS-262 is a great 2-Bay NAS and a solid refresh/update on the TS-251D, but if you can stretch your budget a fraction more, I recommend opting for the TS-462 or TS-264 ($100-200 more) as much like this device doubles down on it’s predecessor hardware, so do those two NAS ram things up further for your money. A good NAS indeed, that lives a tad in the shadow of it’s own brothers and sisters!
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QNAP TS-262 NAS Review – PACKAGING & ACCESSORIES
The QNAP TS-262 NAS comes in a brown box with a QNAP product label, typical of most NAS systems. As these types of products are primarily purchased online, the packaging is geared towards practicality rather than aesthetics. However, it’s worth noting that the box is slightly smaller than the TS-251D retail box, thanks to the use of more compact material for internal packaging.
When it comes to packaging, the protection of a system during transit is of utmost importance, especially for systems that are often shipped from Taiwan to other parts of the world. The potential for motion and shock during transport can cause silent damage to controller boards and onboard components. That’s why I always appreciate when a system under $1000 arrives well-protected. As a tech reviewer, I’ve seen far too many systems that have arrived in flimsy cardboard packaging, indicating a rough journey during freight. It may seem like a small detail, but it’s crucial to ensure the integrity of the system upon arrival.
The accessories included with the TS-262 NAS are fairly standard, with one exception that left me slightly underwhelmed. The package includes a setup manual, information about the 2-year hardware warranty and the option to extend it to 5 years, screws for 2.5/3.5″ drives, a Cat 5e ethernet cable, and an external PSU. All of these items are well packaged and typical for this type of device. The only downside was the inclusion of a Cat 5e ethernet cable, as this model does not have 10GbE connectivity.
It will likely come as little surprise that the TS-262 arrives with an external PSU (65W). An external PSU is easy to replace, as it’s covered by the warranty and supported by many third-party options. Additionally, an internal PSU would generate a pinch more heat and have to be factored into the chassis design and ventilation when in 24×7 operation. Additionally, having a spare on hand is an added convenience. According to QNAP, power usage is 8.1W in standby mode and 12.4W in active use when the system is fully populated.
The lack of adhesive M.2 heatsink panels, as present in larger QNAP NAS models such as the TS-473A and TVS-h674, is a drawback of the TS-262. The TS-262 features 2 M.2 NVMe SSD slots, which are faster than traditional SATA SSDs and may produce high temperatures during sustained use. Given the expandability and scalability of the TS-262 and the decreasing cost of NVMe SSDs, the absence of these heatsink modules is a disappointment. Although it may be considered a minor issue, it is a notable omission in the overall design of the system.
Overall the accessories that the QNAP TS-262 NAS includes are all fairly standard and certainly enough to get the system up and running (not including your HDD/SSD media of course). Let’s discuss the design of this NAS and what changes have been made on the TS-262 vs the TS-251D from 2.5yrs before.
QNAP TS-262 NAS Review – Design
The QNAP TS-262 NAS features a chassis that is similar to that of the TS-251D and TS-264, with a plastic material that covers an internal aluminum metal framework. The arrangement of ports on the device is largely unchanged, however, the quality and number of ports have been increased. The system uses a removable tray design and also features a lockable and slidable front panel which provides added security. One aspect of the design that I particularly appreciate is the choice of a copper/rose-gold and black colour scheme, which I believe is a significant improvement over the metallic blue of its predecessor. The chassis is compact and appears smaller than other 2-bay NAS on the market, however, this is because the TS-262 uses a longer and deeper chassis, relying more on horizontal airflow, resulting in a more oblong shape. This design choice allows for improved thermal management and better cooling performance, making it a more effective option for those who are looking for a compact yet powerful NAS solution. Additionally, the compact design makes it easier to integrate the NAS into a variety of different environments and setups, whether it be a home or a small business setting.
In terms of cooling, the TS-262 has smaller vent spaces on the sides of the chassis than most other NAS, but it compensates for this by having more of them on the sides and base under each of the storage bays. These vents are designed to allow users to operate the system 24×7 with the front panel on, but still allow the larger rear fan to have enough active airflow through the passive vents. This design choice ensures that the system is able to stay cool even during extended usage. Despite its plastic chassis, the result is that the TS-262 is slightly noisier in operation than the Synology DS723+ 2-bay, despite the latter system having a larger fan that is built into the backplane more visibly, but much larger front and side ventilation by comparison. However, it should be noted that the TS-262 still manages to maintain a relatively low noise level and this is something that should be considered when comparing the cooling performance of different NAS systems. Additionally, It should be noted that the TS-262 is designed to operate in this way, allowing users to use the system in environments where noise levels are a concern. The system also has a built-in noise-reduction feature that helps to reduce the noise level even further.
The TS-262 has a more streamlined design on its front panel, lacking the LCD display found on larger business/enterprise NAS systems in the QNAP portfolio. Instead, it utilizes multiple LEDs to indicate system activity, network status, copy/backup activity, and individual LED indicators for the HDD storage media bays. The internal M.2 SSD bays also have their own LED indicators, however, they are only visible when the chassis is open. This design choice allows for a more minimalistic and streamlined front panel, while still providing users with the necessary information about the system’s status and activity.
The QNAP TS-262 NAS has a front-mounted USB and one-touch-copy button, allowing manual backups to/from a connected USB storage drive without logging into the GUI or relying on an automated schedule. The USB port is USB 3.2 Gen 2, which supports 10Gb/s, allowing for faster backup speeds of up to 1,000MB/s. This is useful for those who need to backup large amounts of data from the internal system RAID array or for photo/video editors with daily backups on new projects. However, to get the full 10Gb/s speed, it’s important to use USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB drives/enclosures. Affordable M.2 NVMe SSD USB drives from companies such as WD, Seagate, Gtech and LaCie that can hit 1,000MB/s easily are entering the market which makes the inclusion of this port a great benefit.
The TS-262 has a removable front panel that covers the storage bays and can be easily locked and unlocked. The panel is primarily intended to prevent accidental removal, but it would be nice if it had key lock for added security. Additionally, it would be nice if QNAP offered the panel in different colors since many users like to decorate it. When the front panel is removed, you will find two SATA storage bays. The device can be deployed with a single drive, but it’s recommended to use multiple drives in a RAID configuration for redundancy, performance and capacity. The device also features an internal flash storage module that stores the QTS 5 operating system, applications and services, but it is only used to facilitate the installation of QTS onto a primary partition of the main storage bays. Therefore, the better the base level storage on day 1, the better QNAP QTS will run.
The trays inside the TS-262 NAS are designed for easy, screwless installation while also providing screw holes and screws for 2.5″ media. These plastic trays have undergone significant improvements in recent years and are now more robust and able to handle heat, vibration, and pressure without cracking. They also help to reduce noise generated by spinning or accessing drives due to strategically placed rubber washers at the screw points. Additionally, they are also designed to provide an easy and secure way to install the drives and make it easy to swap the drives out if needed. The design of these trays is a significant improvement over older designs and demonstrates QNAP’s commitment to providing a high-quality and user-friendly NAS solution for their customers. The trays are also manufactured using high-quality materials that are designed to withstand the rigors of everyday use and provide a secure and stable platform for your hard drives.
The main SATA storage bays of the TS-262 are the expected dual power/data connectors, ensuring a clean and organized internal framework, with the HDD trays slotting in neatly. The internal framework is also heavily ventilated to provide maximum airflow during 24×7 operation. Inside the storage area, you can access the SODIMM memory fixed modules and M.2 NVMe SSD bays, which will be covered in more detail later. Despite the busy appearance of the interior, it is designed to allow for optimal airflow and cooling.
In general, the TS-262 has a similar design to its predecessor, the TS-251D, but it presents a well-crafted chassis. However, QNAP has made noticeable bandwidth upgrades in terms of ports, connections and internal hardware configuration, particularly with the inclusion of USB 3.2 Gen 2 on the front. These improvements set the TS-262 apart from its predecessor.
QNAP TS-262 NAS Review – Ports & Connections
Much like its predecessor, the TS-262 arrives with a single network port, but this time it is a 2.5GbE port. The implementation of 2.5GbE on client hardware is still not as common as 1GbE, but it has definitely scaled up in 2022/2023 hardware, and often at the same cost as 1GbE (including many ISP routers, docking stations and client hardware devices). The idea of a remote cloud over the internet having the potential to be accessed at greater than 100MB/s on an ISP router means that it would be almost criminal that your local router/switch-connected NAS should arrive with a 1GbE bottleneck in 2023. Additionally, the ports can be link aggregated or load balanced for queued bandwidth using USB-to-2.5G/5GbE adapters and/or PCIe network upgrades, meaning that your 250-270MB/s bandwidth has the potential to be scaled to 500MB/s, 1000MB/s and more. Just remember that you will need fast enough media installed in those SATA and/or M.2 NVMe bays to reach these speeds!
The TS-262 also boasts an HDMI output, which is an HDMI 2.1 port too, which allows you to connect a monitor or TV and access a parallel GUI, as well as a range of first-party and third-party applications through the QNAP HD Station application and QNAPClub.eu. Although the HD Station application is impressive, it has not seen as many updates and improvements as other areas of the QTS/QuTS platform, remaining largely unchanged for a few years. Despite this, it is still a powerful tool that enables you to enjoy multimedia from your couch, deploy graphic-based applications locally, set up a standalone surveillance system, deploy a virtual machine locally, and more. Additionally, the HDMI port also allows you to use the NAS as a media player, streaming content to your TV or monitor without the need for additional devices. The HDMI port also allows you to connect a keyboard and mouse to the NAS, making it easy to navigate and use the system. The HDMI port is also designed to be compatible with a wide range of monitors and TVs, making it easy to connect to your existing setup.
HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 2.1 are the latest versions of the HDMI standard, which is used to transmit audio and video signals between devices. The main difference between the two is the maximum resolution and refresh rate they support. HDMI 2.0 supports up to 4K resolution at 60Hz, while HDMI 2.1 supports up to 8-10K resolution at 120Hz (Theoretically! As there is not much need/use for this kind of bandwidth and at this hardware level, near impossible to play smoothly), making it better suited for high-resolution and high-refresh-rate displays. Additionally, HDMI 2.1 also supports Dynamic HDR, eARC and VRR. Another difference is the bandwidth they support, HDMI 2.0 has a bandwidth of 18 Gbps, while HDMI 2.1 has 48 Gbps, allowing for more data transmission at once. In summary, HDMI 2.1 offers higher resolution, refresh rates, and advanced features for a more immersive audio and visual experience, while HDMI 2.0 is still a great choice for most people and is compatible with most devices.
The applications and services over HDMI can be controlled in various ways, including an optional IR remote control, WiFi remote from your phone using the QNAP QRemote app, and even standard KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) over USB. Additionally, the device supports many other USB peripherals, including speakers, controllers and webcams, making HD Station and HDMI-supported software quite diverse on the TS-262. It would be great to see QNAP do more with this software/service in 2023. Sadly, QNAP is not really pushing forward as much as many would like on this service and this has led to increased ‘homebrew’ and ‘community backed’ support via 3rd party unofficially supported app repositories, such as QNAP Club.eu.
Back in early 2020, we made a guide on HD Station on what it can do on the QNAP NAS platform. We will be revisiting this subject later in 2023, but the general features, services and abilities of HDStation in QTS 5 remain largely the same at the time of writing. To find out more about it and what you can/cannot do with the HDMI port on the TS-262, watch the video below:
In addition to the front-mounted USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, the QNAP TS-262 features additional ports on the rear, including another 10Gb/s USB and two USB 2.0 ports. Usually, having USB 2.0 ports in 2023 would be a disappointment, but in the case of the TS-262, it makes sense given the inclusion of the two 10Gb/s USBs and the HDMI. These USB 2.0 ports can be used for the KVM setup, which is a logical choice. However, it’s worth noting that some users may have preferred more USB 3.2 ports overall, especially given that the TS-262 NAS can be expanded by 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 drives using the QNAP TR and TL series of NAS expansions. Additionally, the inclusion of two USB 2.0 ports makes it possible to connect additional peripherals such as printers, scanners and external hard drives to the NAS, expanding its functionality even further. The USB ports are also designed to be compatible with a wide range of devices and peripherals, making it easy to connect to your existing setup.
The TS-262 also includes a PCIe upgrade slot that allows you to add a variety of upgrades throughout its lifespan, including network bandwidth, SSD storage space, wireless connectivity and more. The TS-251D before this model also featured a PCIe slot, but it was a PCIe Gen 2×2 slot which translated to 1,000MB/s internally. This was a limitation, especially with multi-port network cards, SSD storage cards, and combo cards. The TS-262, on the other hand, with its newer generation Celeron CPU, is able to stretch itself further in some key areas and one of those is the PCIe slot being PCIe 3×2, which translates to 2,000MB/s bandwidth. It still may bottleneck modern-generation NVMe SSD storage and combo cards, but it’s still twice the possible communication between the system and an upgrade card in the TS-262 than there was in the TS-251D. QNAP is still the only brand at this price point for a 2-bay NAS to provide a PCIe upgrade slot and those considering upgrading to 10Gbe over one or two ports will appreciate this feature.
Overall, the ports and connections available on the QNAP TS-262 NAS are quite impressive, particularly when considering that the price has remained relatively unchanged between this model and the TS-251D that was released 3 years prior, and the TS-251B that was released almost 5 years ago. Despite the price remaining in a similar tier, QNAP has effectively doubled down on the connectivity, expandability, and upgradability in this 2-Bay NAS in most areas, making it a very compelling option. The internal hardware of the TS-262 is quite noteworthy as well, and it’s worth discussing how it has changed and evolved in comparison to its predecessors to see if it offers any improvements or drawbacks.
QNAP TS-262 NAS Review – Internal Hardware
Updates to NAS hardware is often motivated by changes in the wider tech industry, with advancements in technology, changes in consumer demands, and improvements in manufacturing techniques often driving these updates. In the case of the TS-262, QNAP typically refreshes this series every 2-3 years, often coinciding with updates to the Celeron series of processors. The TS-262 features the Intel N4505 processor, which is a significant upgrade from the Intel J4025 used in the TS-251D. To access the inside of the TS-262, one must remove the three rear screws and slide off the side panel. Inside, we find the larger SATA HDD storage bay cage and the key components of the TS-262. The Intel N4505 processor is located under a large, black heatsink and does not require an active cooling fan, as is common in desktop NAS systems of this scale. The CPU heatsink is in line with the rear active cooling fan.
The N4505 processor is more powerful in terms of clock speed and features improvements in the embedded graphics power (which is crucial for multimedia encoding/decoding) when compared to the J4025/J4005 processor, but they are otherwise nearly identical in physical architecture. This dual-core, has a 2.0GHz clock speed per core that can be boosted up to 2.9GHz, with those embedded graphics that are comfortably capable of handling/transcoding 4K and 1080p media, and has an onboard 256-bit encryption engine.
CPU benchmarks rate this processor at 2378, which is a significant increase from the J4025 rated at 1708 in the TS-251D. It is a solid choice for this system in terms of managing storage, network ports, and memory over many of the TS-262’s predecessors from QNAP.
The TS-262 features 4GB of DDR4 2666Mhz memory (non-ECC). This is twice the maximum RAM that the TS-251D and TS-251+ arrived with, but the TS-262 memory cannot be upgraded beyond this. If you are going to manage hundreds of file shares at once, a surveillance user looking to use the TS-262 as your primary CCTV and NVR center, or maybe you are a VM/Container user looking to create multiple systems, this fixed quantity of 4GB RAM might be something of a dealbreaker for you. Likewise, if you cannot see yourself using this amount of memory (as this is still a dual-core processor and your needs might well be more modest, e.g. Plex Media Server doesn’t need more than 2GB really), then paying a fraction extra for the 4GB default amount might be a nit annoying. Overall, I would say that it is beneficial to have it and the system will only run smoother for it!
That N4505 CPU inside the TS-262 has also allowed QNAP sufficient available PCIe bandwidth to also include two M.2 NVMe SSD slots on the NAS too. This is something that QNAP has only tended to provide on their rackmount systems and much higher-end desktop solutions, despite their biggest rival Synology providing this for almost 5 years now at the same hardware tier. Now as good as this sounds (i.e to have a PCIe upgrade slot AND the m.2 NVMe SSD slots) there is good and bad news. The good news is that unlike Synology and its inclusion of M.2 NVMe SSD slots, the 2280 slots inside the QNAP can be used for more than just read/write caching. The use of SSD caching to provide performance benefits to a slower, but larger and more affordable Hard Drive RAID away are quite well established in the NAS industry, using the SSD space to either write files to the system faster (acting as the primary write area, before moving the data) or increase the speed of accessing commonly requested files on the NAS (making copies of those files onto the SSDs, though largely tiny files are optimized and do not really affect larger block/sequential data). However, though the QNAP TS-262 supports SSD caching on these bays, it also supports their use in QTier. This is similar to caching but in QTier the available HDD and SSDs are combined into a single storage area and it intelligently moves files periodically to the appropriate storage media as it analyzes their access and requests. Finally, if you wish, you can use the NVMe SSD bays for just a fast accessing and performing storage pool and volumes of it’s own. These two bays, plus the 2 HDD bays, plus adding a PCIe SSD storage card in the available bay mean that the TS-262 has enormous storage potential. These m.2 bays can also be used for system upgrades, but these are still quite few in reality and it is only the google TPU m.2 upgrade that increases AI system processes that is recommended in 2023 so far.
However, as good as all that sounds about the NVMe SSD bays, it is worth also factoring that (much like the PCIe Upgrade slot) in order to provide these bays and still provide the rest of the system hardware from a relatively simple Intel Celeron processor, QNAP has had to narrow down the architecture of these bays for reasons of physical profile and available PCI lanes+chipset. The result is that the m.2 Bays are PCIe 3×1 in architecture, or 1,000MB/s in bandwidth each between the installed m.2 and the system. That means that if you are buying PCIe 3×4 SSDs for your NAS, such as the Seagate Ironwolf 510 or WD Red SN700, they will be somewhat bottlenecked to 1GB throughout each (though they can be RAID’d). It is still better to have these bays in this somewhat streamlined fashion than to not have them at all, but it is worth keeping this in mind when considering the future upgradability of the QNAP TS-262 NAS.
The internal hardware of the TS-262 is by FAR one of the best example of a prosumer/SMB 2-Bay NAS in this price tier from both QNAP and any other brand. Yes, they have had to make a balancing choice between providing a multitude of upgrade and scaling paths in the hardware architecture vs the CPU available, but overall I really cannot challenge them on the range of ports, connections and internal hardware that is available here. I am a little surprised by how much hardware is inside the TS-262 and so close together (leading me to imagine that this system with a fully populated 2-bay storage RAID, 2x NVMe SSD, on-board 4GB memory and a PCIe card would get really hot, i.e. fans going NUTS!) but you cannot really argue with the wide range of options available to the end useR in terms of the day 1 level of hardware on offer, as well as the many ways and means you can change this system in it’s lifespan to best suit your storage and network requirements. Let’s discuss the software included with your TS-262 NAS.
QNAP TS-262 NAS Review – Software & Services
Alongside the hardware of the TS-262 NAS, you also receive the complete software and services package of QNAP QTS (currently in version 5.0). This is a complete operating system. similar in design and presentation to Android OS, it runs hundreds of applications, services and functions, as well as arriving with many mobile and desktop client applications that allow you to interact with the data on your NAS in a much more tailored way. Alongside this, the QNAP QTS software on the TS-262 also includes a few extra SSD tools for anti-wearing on SSDs, better SSD profiling and even options to separate the media into storage, caching or tiered storage where appropriate. The performance and services of QTS have been covered many times on this channel, so reviewing it’s individual performance on the TS-262 NAS is a difficult task, as we have to look at two key things. Is QTS a good software platform and is it safe
On the first score, I can comfortably say that QNAP NAS software and services have truly come into their own and the balancing act of supplying the end-user with the flexibility to use the system ‘their way’, whilst still keeping it user-friendly is the best it has ever been. Is it perfect, no. In its efforts to make itself customizable in every way possible, QTS develops an inadvertent learning curve that may catch some novice users unaware. Likewise, although QTS 5 has done a lot of work on its presentation of information and notifications, there is still the odd moment of ‘TMI’ when switching between services on the fly. QNAP’s NAS software is still easily one of the most adaptable in the market right now and allows users to have a truly unique storage environment if they choose and although not quite as user-friendly as Synology DSM, it counters this by being fantastically flexibly by comparison (from file/folder structure to 3rd party services support and connectivity). That said, 2020-2021 were a bumpy road for the brand and a series of ransomware attacks were targetted at the brand that was caused by a combination of vulnerabilities in Linux (which practically all NAS and Android software is built upon) but also in how applications in the QNAP platform were allowed to have external access. In previous revisions of QTS, customization and guidance for changing settings on the system was made very easy and open but lacked a lot of the gravitas and significance that these changes add to the system being highlighted to less experienced users (such as allowing the QNAP to adapt remote ports on your router over UPnP and how the HBS3 program allowed remote access. These omissions, vulnerabilities and communication issues in QTS have seemingly been resolved and QTS 5 seems to be a much tighter system on the whole (as much as anything can be once you open it to the internet). But many users still feel that the brand needs to do more and therefore until QNAP can remove the lingering stories of ransomware and malware over time, this si always going to be an existing sensitive issue for buyers. In order to see the extent of the latest version of QNAP TS 5.0 use the links below to the written review and video below released in late 2021:
| FULL Written QNAP QTS 5 Review | FULL Video Review of QNAP QTS 5 |
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Although the full review of QNAP QTS is available in the article and video linked above, let’s discuss the highlights of the platform. First off there are the software and services for managing files and folders on the fly. QTS includes several tools for managing files in your web browser (with full copy, paste, archive, extract, sharing, etc options built-in), as well as smart system/file search functionality.
Then security when using your TS-262 NAS (again, a continued area of contention and criticism for QNAP in the past) in customization and alerts have been noticeably improved and upgraded in both their deployment and presentation in QTS. These range from a multi-layered security advisor to control anti-malware scans, anti-virus schedules, firewall monitoring and more. There is also a range of access and security credential tools that are quite far-reaching all built-in. With QNAP having to prove their platform is safe more than most, there is a bit shift positively in this direction in the latest versions of QTS.
Overall storage management, access, mounting and how this factors into backups have also been massively diversified in QTS and along with numerous means to create a very unique storage system (factoring RAID, multi-stage 1-2-3 backups, connecting with cloud drive/objects and how this is presented to the end-users are incredibly deep. It can lead to a situation in which the end-user is a pinch overwhelmed, but you cannot say that QNAP is not providing the tools – they are just almost TOO numerous in their presentation.
The same goes for multimedia handling on the QNAP TS-262, with a wide range of tools for handing photos, music and video in a tailored GUI to each media type. This is made considerably easier with QNAP’s multimedia console tool that provides a single GUI that can be used to handle all the backend setup of all your individual media apps. QNAP also provides AI photo recognition to allow decades of photos to be searched intelligently for people and subjects to quite an impressively deep degree (not needing internet access to do so, with the AI onboard the system). Then you have support for a wide range of 3rd party multimedia tools such as Plex media server, Emby, Twinky and Kodi (unofficially).
Then you have business tools (small, medium or even enterprise) included that can range from the deployment of multiple virtual machines across many platforms and a dedicated 1st party container deployment tool. One very unique feature of QNAP QTS compared with other NAS brands in their deployment of VMs is that they include 2-3 click download options in their respective applications that allow you to download ready to use VM in Windows 7,8 and 10, as well as a VM market place for more enterprise virtual clients and even a Ubuntu 18/19/20 VM deployment tool that allows you to quickly set up a VM and then access remotely OR use the HDMI+KVM set up locally. The container station tool also has its own pre-built tool repository too.
Finally, for surveillance use, the TS-262 arrives with QVR Pro which allows you to have a business class surveillance platform hosted on your NAS. This platform has its very own GUI that supports thousands of IP Camera brands, as well as the software arriving with 8 camera licenses with the TS-262, a multi-camera feed display, intelligent alerts, AI services (hardware appropriate), multiple client tools for mobile/desktop clients, integration of 3rd party system management tools and you can even attach USB cameras to your QNAP NAS and have local cameras fed into the NAS too.
So, software on the QNAP TS-262 is pretty diverse and although the brand has seen its fair share of security complaints in the past, I think that it would be hard for me to ignore the range of NAS hardware configuration, services and tools that are included. Tests of the QNAP TS-262 on how it performs as a Plex Media Server, host for Virtual Machines and more will be conducted shortly over on NASCompares YouTube channel. I recommend visiting there to learn more. Below is the video review for the QNAP TS-262 NAS
QNAP TS-262 NAS Review – Conclusion & Verdict
The QNAP TS-262 NAS is a substantial update on the QNAP TS-251D (even worth considering for those who opted for the TS-251D or TS-251B previously) that features a more modern CPU that allows increased internal performance. This translates in hardware to M.2 NVMe SSD support, a larger bandwidth PCIe Upgrade slot, USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gb/s connectivity and 2.5GbE by default. Some areas of the device are less compelling, such as that fixed 4GB of memory meaning that the price needs to reflect the extra RAM on day 1, but you also cannot scale that extra memory further as your processes grow years from now. The limiting of those M.2 NVMe SSD bays to PCIe Gen 3×1 makes alot of sense, giving the range of this PCIe3 Celeron CPU makes sense, but is nonetheless going to annoy some users. lastly, the hardware gains in the system featuring much, MUCH more powerful and visually appealing HDMI 2.1 is a fraction let down by the HD Station software getting fewer and fewer feature-rich updates (outside of stability and performance fixes). As far as running the QNAP QTS EXT4 software platform on the TS-262, you will have little to no complaints, as it can run the bulk of the 1st/3rd party applications available to the software, just remember that you are running a dual-core and two thread processor – so the glass ceiling in terms of hardware resources is going to be a pinch lower than some of their Pentium, Intel Core or Xeon systems of course. After a bumpy start to 2022, with the brand needing to win alot of users back after being targetted by ransomware groups and missteps in communication, fast forward to the start of 2023 and you have a much more secure, closed and layered QNAP NAS platform here. Choosing the QNAP TS-262 NAS over the increasing range of 2-Bay’s in the brand’s portfolio is a little less straightforward, with the TS-262 nestled somewhere between the TS-253E, TS-264, HS-264 and TS-364 (with several more 2-Bay options in the TS-x51+, TS-31P3 AND TS-31K still listed on their official site). I also think the TS-262 would do better to have been released alongside the TS-264 (and the rest of the x64 range), when the portfolio was a little less clustered and its status as an affordable alternative to the TS-262 made alot more sense! The QNAP TS-262 is designed for users looking to spend a little less on base hardware, whilst still buying a device that can be scaled in storage, network bandwidth and more down the line. QTS still continues to be fully featured and has a great many new security and access defaults/settings introduced to limit novice users leaving doors open, but still has a fractionally steeper learning curve than many of its competitors, often trying to do too many things at once (or at least not stopping an end user doing too much at times), which can lead to occasionally bumps in the road when using their platform on a more modest system as this. The QNAP TS-262 is a great 2-Bay NAS and a solid refresh/update on the TS-251D, but if you can stretch your budget a fraction more, I recommend opting for the TS-462 or TS-264 ($100-200 more) as much like this device doubles down on it’s predecessor hardware, so do those two NAS ram things up further for your money. A good NAS indeed, that lives a tad in the shadow of it’s own brothers and sisters!
| PROs of the QNAP TS-262 NAS | CONs of the QNAP TS-262 NAS |
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