Terramaster F4-424 Pro NAS – Should You Buy?

Does the Terramaster F4-424 Pro NAS Deserve Your Data?

Today, we’re taking a closer look at the Terramaster F4-424 Pro NAS. This review is also partnered with a YouTube video (HERE) and unlike our full review, this article is focused on helping you understand as quickly as possible whether the F4-424 Pro NAS is the right server for your needs. We have been covering the subject of Terra master NAS for several years and I think it would be fair to say that they are largely considered the ‘cost effective’ option in the NAS market. However in the last generation they made some huge changes to their systems and services. First scaling up the feature set of their TOS NAS platform (currently TOS 5.1, with TOS 6 in very early alpha) to include alot more of the popular requirements of modern Synology NAS users, including BTRFS, Flexible RAID configurations, AI powered photo tools, comprehensive backup tools, etc. Meanwhile, they continued to provide the same level of hardware as alternatives from QNAP and Asustor, such as 2.5GbE, M.2 NVMe Support, HDMI 2.0, newer CPUs, and more. Fast forward to the 2024 generation and we have their latest series, the F4-X24 series. Drawing first blood in terms of hardware over its rivals, its rocking out the gate with the Intel i3-N300 CPU 8 Core Processor and 32GB DDR5 Memory (with a more affordable Intel N95 version and less memory), they were the first to roll out a 2024 generation of devices.

Design Improvements

The Terramaster F4-424 Pro boasts significant design improvements over its predecessors. It features a more modern and streamlined chassis with better ventilation, improved drive trays, and easier access to internal components. Unlike the F4-423, which had a somewhat dated design with minimal ventilation and plastic trays, the F4-424 Pro offers a more robust build. The new design includes flush front-side ventilation, a Terramaster logo panel, and a single rear fan replacing the older model’s clunky dual fans. This redesign not only enhances aesthetics but also improves component accessibility and cooling efficiency.

The ease of accessing the NAS’s internals is a notable enhancement. With just two screws, users can remove the side panel to access the memory slot and M.2 NVMe slots. This feature contrasts sharply with the F4-423, where accessing the motherboard for upgrades was a cumbersome process. The new design clearly borrows successful elements from industry leaders like Synology and QNAP, positioning it as a competitive player in the market.

Impressive CPU and Memory

The heart of the F4-424 Pro is its Intel N300 processor, an 8-core, 8-thread CPU with a base speed of 1.8 GHz, capable of boosting up to 3.8 GHz. This processor sets a high benchmark for mid-range NAS devices, offering integrated graphics superior to many competitors. It also maintains a low 7-watt TDP, striking a balance between performance and energy efficiency.

The NAS comes equipped with 32 GB of DDR5 memory, a notable increase over many similar-priced NAS models in the market. While this exceeds the manufacturer’s stated maximum stable memory, Terramaster assures that their testing validates this configuration. This impressive combination of CPU and memory positions the F4-424 Pro as a strong contender for those seeking a mid-range NAS with high-end hardware capabilities.

Terramaster Operating System (TOS)

TOS, now in version 5.1, has evolved significantly, offering a range of fundamental and mid-level features. While it may not compete directly with the likes of Synology DSM or QNAP QTS in terms of application range, TOS focuses on getting the basics right. It includes multi-site backup options, a flexible RAID storage system, and support for both EXT4 and BTRFS file systems. Click the video below and you will be skipped ahead to the full section on TOS 5.1:

The system also boasts AI-powered photo recognition, a developing surveillance application, and multimedia streaming apps. While the lack of specific apps like a dedicated video station may be a downside for some, Terramaster compensates by providing an all-in-one mobile app and desktop interface that are user-friendly and accessible.

SSD and HDD Support

The F4-424 Pro allows for the installation of NVMe SSDs (Gen 3) in its M.2 slots, offering flexibility in utilizing these as storage pools or intelligent caching. This feature surpasses some competitors who restrict SSD usage or brand compatibility. The NAS supports a broad range of hard drives, up to 22 TB from Seagate and WD, without the restrictive compatibility issues seen in some other brands.

Plex Media Server Performance

The F4-424 Pro excels as a Plex Media Server, handling 4K media transcoding and playback with ease and even supporting early 8K performance. The NAS’s ability to handle high-resolution media without being the bottleneck in the system is a significant plus for users looking to future-proof their media streaming capabilities.

Potential to Upgrade towards TrueNAS Core, Scale and UnRAID

The F4-424 Pro currently drives with arguablely the BEST internal hardware of any 4-Bay Turnkey NAS released in the market so far. However, some users would much rather use the much longer established TrueNAS and UnRAID alternatives in the market. Whether that is because of hefty industry recommendation, or because of previous experience, some users might not want to be locked into using the software that a Turnkey NAS arrives with. So, it will definitely please some users that not only can you VERY EASILY install TrueNAS/UnRAID on the Terrmaster F4-424 Pro (or indeed any Terrmaster that features an x86 CPU). Even more, Terramaster have even made it official online that although they do not encourage users to do this, they will not deny any warranty claims from users who perform this OS change – something a few other brands have been quick to deny. Below is a walkthrough of just how easy it is to install TrueNAS CORE on a Terramaster NAS:

Note – I made a written step-by-step guide to Installing TrueNAS Core HERE. As well as another Video Guide HERE on running UnRAID on any Terramaster x86 NAS, as well as a written guide HERE

There will be users who say that it is cheaper and more flexible to build a server from scratch for TrueNAS or UnRAID, but there are also users who would much rather a ready made hardware solution that has a single warranty to follow, zero build time and already physically designed for 24×7 storage out the gate.

As good as all these sounds though, it is worth keeping in mind that the Terramaster F4-424 Pro is NOT going to be a solution that suits everyone, so let’s go through some of the reasons why you might want to give this NAS a miss.

Reasons to Maybe Skip the Terramaster F4-424 Pro

Nothing is perfect, and much like any other home server system, the F4-424 Pro is not going to be for everybody! To maintain the hardware vs value price point, some compromises were definitely made. Let’s discuss some reasons why the F4-424 Pro might not be ideal for your needs!

Lack of 10GbE Connectivity

One significant drawback is the absence of 10GbE connectivity. Despite its powerful hardware, the F4-424 Pro is limited to 2.5GbE ports. This limitation may hinder its performance in environments where higher network speeds are essential, particularly for users looking to maximize the potential of the NAS’s robust CPU.

Higher Price Point

The F4-424 Pro’s pricing, ranging from $599 to $699, positions it at a higher bracket compared to similar 4-bay NAS models. While it offers a better CPU and more memory, the price difference might not justify the incremental hardware improvements for some users, especially considering the lack of 10GbE.

Limited Range of Client Applications

Terramaster focuses more on hardware than software, resulting in a limited range of client applications for various platforms. This limitation might not suit users looking for a more tailored experience for specific services like video or photo management.

Memory Capacity Concerns

The NAS comes with 32 GB of memory, exceeding the CPU manufacturer’s recommended maximum of 16 GB. While Terramaster assures its functionality, this might raise concerns about long-term stability and performance, especially since this configuration is not standard in the industry.

Past Security Issues

Terramaster was previously impacted by the Deadbolt ransomware attack. While they have since improved security measures, it’s crucial for potential buyers to consider this history when evaluating the long-term security and reliability of the NAS.

Conclusion

The Terramaster F4-424 Pro NAS offers a compelling combination of design, performance, and features, making it an excellent choice for many users. However, its higher price, lack of 10GbE, and other considerations might make it less appealing for some.

Pros and Cons

Aspect Pros Cons
Design Modern chassis, improved ventilation Only available in 4 bay with this configuration (2 Bay used N95 CPU)
Hardware Powerful CPU, ample memory Higher price; lack of 10GbE
Software User-friendly TOS Limited client applications
Storage Versatile SSD/HDD support M.2 NVMe slots limited in speed (i.e x2 or X1)
Plex Performance Excellent for 4K and early 8K Still requires Plex Pass to use H/W transcoding
Security Improved post-Deadbolt Past ransomware impact

TerraMaster F4-424 Pro NAS Review – Quick Conclusion

The TerraMaster F4-424 Pro NAS is a powerful 4-bay system with an Intel i3 N300 CPU, 32GB DDR5 memory, and 2x M.2 NVMe SSD bays, offering impressive performance for tasks like Plex media streaming and transcoding. Its redesigned chassis, resembling Synology and QNAP models, improves cooling and accessibility, marking a significant design upgrade. TOS 5 software enhances GUI clarity, backup tools, storage options, and security. The absence of 10GbE and memory limitations are notable drawbacks. Nevertheless, it offers great value in the 4-bay NAS market, appealing to budget-conscious users seeking capable private server solutions.

SOFTWARE - 7/10
HARDWARE - 8/10
PERFORMANCE - 9/10
PRICE - 10/10
VALUE - 10/10


8.8
PROS
👍🏻Powerful Hardware:** Equipped with an Intel i3 N300 CPU and 32GB DDR5 memory, delivering robust performance.
👍🏻Redesigned Chassis:** Improved design for better cooling, hot-swapping, and internal accessibility.
👍🏻TOS 5 Software:** TerraMaster\'s TOS 5 software offers a clear GUI, enhanced backup tools, expanded storage options, and improved security features.
👍🏻Affordable Price:** Competitive pricing under $699 makes it an attractive option for its hardware and software capabilities.
👍🏻Flexible RAID Support:** Supports various RAID configurations, including TRAID for flexible disk array setup.
👍🏻Multiple Client Sync:** TerraSync tool efficiently synchronizes data across multiple users and devices.
👍🏻CCTV Surveillance:** Surveillance Manager offers video recording and monitoring features for added security.
👍🏻AI Photo Recognition:** Terra Photos uses AI algorithms to classify and manage photos effectively.
CONS
👎🏻No 10GbE Support:** Lacks 10GbE support, potentially limiting network speed for some users.
👎🏻Memory Over-specification:** The inclusion of 32GB memory may raise concerns, given the CPU\'s maximum support of 16GB.
👎🏻Limited Packaging Quality:** Packaging and presentation are basic and may not match the standards of competitors.



 

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      221 thoughts on “Terramaster F4-424 Pro NAS – Should You Buy?

      1. This setup is rather nuts than useful!

        First: Dont install the OS on freaking 4TB, those drives are for your Data. What a huge waste

        second: You can use every port for booting, but its smart to keep the front USB free for Keyboard/Mouse or a USB-Backup drive etc.

        third: Use the USB inside as OS. You have at least 5yrs before a pendrive USB wears off. You can also use a usb-to-sata and use a sata drive. (In the Terramaster-Case use a 99degree Angle USB-Cable as there is tiny space)
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      2. This is really a shitty video. Did exactly what described. Terramaster F2-423. Trunas installed on 32gb bootdisk with rufus. Tried diverse bootmethods.. Booting from nvme. Boot tos disabled in bios. But the system never booted in TNAS. It stucks in de TNAS menu. Reinstalled the original TOS usb disk. After changing de bootdisk to BIOS, the system boots into the shell.
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      3. Terranas boots up in GRUB and not TRUENAS. Removed de usb stick. Changed bootorder to NVMSE2. But keeps booting in Grub and keeps saying Tos boot USB storage not found. This is not as expected. Really disappointing.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      4. Just bought one, spent several hours getting frustrated by it and sent it back. What a horrible experience the Terramaster was. Just the setup experience alone destroyed my trust in the platform. Finding it on the network took quite a long time. Had to reboot it manually after it booted the first time. Eventually it appeared and it is not clear what you actually do. It had an Apipa ip address. I clicked login and then it asked me to change the IP and enter the admin password. What it really meant, was wait 5-10 seconds and we will change the ip to a DHCP obtained – but I spent several rounds of accepting and logging in with the generated IP. The first time you click login and type the password it does not do anything. Nor does the login button above the interface – which actually makes it generate a new DHCP IP address. I had to right-click and only login that way – it was just weird. It could not find the internet so picking autosetup did not work. Manually I setup the name, password etc. and the boxes kept turning red indicating, I guess, I had not entered valid data – 0 feedback in the GUI. It could not send verification email during that setup. It has a code producer you need to type in 4 digits that on a large screen you could not see it. I know I am rambling but I just went through this and it was very mickey mouse. There just isn’t any feedback to anything you do – if it does not like your input it just stares into a corner. Others suggested FreeNAS and that sounds the way to go, but I decided a 423+ is just going to be better as I wanted a pretty simple experience.
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      5. I’ll tell you a story you wont read on Amazon, etc because they would most likely delete my story. It took my 3 days to realize: behind a great hardware for a price for NAS stands full of flaws TOS 6.X and all its embeeded apps. Copying the 3TB to external drive – failed without clear log stating whats going on. Trying to backup my 350GB OneDrive stucks (fails) in the middle with no clear log on whats going on and possibility to restart it. Survivelance does not work while it worked flawlessly on my previous NAS. Flaws, flaws, flaws even on the level of pure copy of the data to external hdd or running things in parallel. Thus, unless you unraid it (but thats additional cost unless you bought (or download) a license for it) this is extremely unrealiable piece of hardware/software. Shame for Terramaster to deliver such product with so many flaws in their software. Risk of getting your data lost is incredible.
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      6. Absolutely loving mine running TrueNAS Scale 24.02.2 and I have a jail where I run my things in docker. It’s a mean machine and handles anything for plex especially now that plex has fixed the single CPU thread transcoding for subtitle burn in!
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      7. The Ventilation looks better on the old Terramaster. TOS 5 becomes problematic after doing basic stuff but magically you can install other OS’s. TerraMaster reckon my F5-221 can only have 8GB mem but I am running 10GB just fine.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      8. I wondered if you could give an update on this video… I bought a Terramaster F4-424 Nas as it looked perfect for my needs, had it for a day, and I come across this video and its got me a little concerned that I have bought something insecure, I noticed this was made a couple of years ago and wondered if these issues have been addressed?
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      9. Just picked up an f4-424 pro, immediately put unraid on it. Its working well, just waiting on my new hard drives to ship and I’m off to the races! Excited to have a standalone plex server, and not have to run it from my main PC.

        This video sold me on it, should be able to handle all my media without issue in home, and while I’m away. I appreciate the work you put into these videos!
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      10. I purchased this machine. I will install 48 terabytes of HDD in the F-424 Pro. With 32 gigabytes of RAM, what is the optimum SSD capacity recommended to enable the best performance from the NAS?
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      11. I own a QNAP device, only benefit of it’s OS over plain linux file server is a cloud service, which should be paid for separately and I don’t need, at the cost of print server.
        There is also GUI, but I don’t really need it for the NAS, most of the time it’s just a mounted network folder/disk.

        If Terramaster allows installation of TrueNAS or just plain old linux distribution it have better software support than ANY other NAS with restricted firmware.
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      12. What it will be with the memory is the “chipset/Memory controller”. While Intel qualifies thing to support “X”. There are always some RAM modules that just work in such a way (timings, chip layout, architecture etc) that hits the “Goldilocks” combo, that they work past the limit. Its been a thing for many years. TerraMaster will be supplying those particular flavour of RAM sticks.
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      13. I am looking to buy my first Nas for Plex. I would like to rip and watch UHD movies with Dolby TrueHD to my home theater i am torn between the F4-424 and the pro version. Could i get some advice on what one to go for? cheers.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      14. Are you going to be doing a review on the non-pro version? Out of the two what would you recommend for just a Plex server. Mainly home theatre use 4K remux 40-100mbs & Transcode down to 1080p for one of my older TVs. Sharing with a few people that will use it sparingly
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      15. Hello dear

        What is the best NAS device that supports plex media server?

        The goal of the purchase is to create a home library of movies, series, and anime only

        Among these devices
        Who is the best in your personal opinion?!

        Synology DiskStation DS423+
        Synology DiskStation DS923+
        QNAP TS-932PX
        Terramaster F4-424 pro
        Terramaster F4-424
        Terramaster F2-424
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      16. Need some help here. Looking to trash my WD My Cloud Home Duo and get a Terramaster F4-424 pro or synology. Mostly used for multimedia and IOS backups. What would you recommend….desperately seeking direction here
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      17. 10:26 I would say it may be a question of pearls before swine. Could a N300 Celeron-class really handle a full 10G with 4 Sata drives & Nvme drives or would it bottleneck long before? If it was at least a Core i3 (or even a Pentium from the same generation) I would be a lot more sanguine.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      18. Hey I have a terramaster F2-212 and I what to switch to a terramaster F4-424 I have a 8TB and a 4TB HDD from the F2-212 that I been using for Plex and want to put it in the F4-424 but don’t know how to proceed any help would be greatly appreciated?
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      19. Привет дорогой друг! Подскажи, он действительно менее шумный, чем другие террамастер? Интересует, заглушает ли он шум дисков?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      20. Thank you for the information!
        I have a question after reviewing it.
        I have:

        1. Synology DS-920+ NAS with four 4TB HDDs (currently in use).
        2. TERRAMASTER F4-424 Pro NAS (new).
        3. Four 8TB HDDs (new).

        And I have an idea:
        To replace one by one all four disks in the Synology DS-920+ NAS with the new 8TB ones.
        After that, take the old four 4TB disks from the Synology DS-920+ NAS and install them in the new TERRAMASTER F4-424 Pro NAS, first disabling the boot from USB in the BIOS and setting it to boot from HDD.

        QUESTION:
        Do you think it’s possible to use DSM 7.2 on the new TERRAMASTER F4-424 Pro in this way?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      21. Hi. I’m using the F4-424 PRO as a NAS and home server for a couple weeks now, and in general super happy with the device. The hardware itself is excellent and with unraid this is, at least for me, the perfect solution.
        I have noticed a few things though. On some 4K streams (particularly 4K UHD discs that I have ripped myself, with files up to 60 gigs in size), the device struggles to stream. A lot! I see my CPU usage jump into the high 90%s in UNRAID, video render load (hardware acceleration enabled) goes into the 90%s as well. But at the same time, the CPU clock frequency never ramps up.

        Do you have a clue where this bottleneck could be coming from?

      22. Power button on the back & no USB on the front FFS!
        At this price point would also expect an LCD display on the front at the very least.
        Apart from that mine’s a BEAST!
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      23. ???? Intel artificially limiting their low power CPUs (on paper) is nothing new, has nothing to do with “stability” and everything to do with predatory market segmentation.
        I’m running a single 48GB DDR5 SODIMM module in my N305 Beelink EQ12 Pro perfectly fine. Just as I, and everyone else that’s used previous Pentium/Celeron based NUCs in their homelabs for the last decade have run >8GB of RAM flawlessly.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      24. DO NOTUSE the recommended USD drive!!!!! The latest Unraid USB creator will not use it, says it’s incompatible sees it as a 0mb drive on Windows and Mac despite the OSs seeing the full size of the drive and are able to use it.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      25. Can you recommend me a NAS or DAS that allow me to host a website and allow me to access the website publicly? Does it have a built in DDNS to access the website or I have to sign up a with a 3rd party Free DDNS?
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      26. there is one think i dont fully understand. Why using that internal usb? When i look up how unraid works i see that you get an boot window that lets you chose from where to boot. Can’t i just stick it in one of the outer usb drives?
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      27. Got the F4-424, dont need the pro version for my needs, stayed with tos 5.1 as im not as clued up with networks and settings, but am awaiting to see what arrives with version 6.0 and if it fixes the issues i have
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      28. The AlderLake-N CPU’s only support a single channel of memory. Intel have a history of listing “maximum” memory limits of just what DIMM sizes were available at release. 32GB is just fine on AlderLake-N, and even new 48GB DIMM’s.
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      29. Was going to but pulled the pin on prebuilt NAS, repurposed my PC, bought a Fractal Design Define 7, power limited my i9 10900k, idling at 15w, plenty of cores and boost clocks if needed.
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      30. I’ve been running 32GB of RAM in my Asustor AS6604T since I bought it in September 2021 with no issues and the chip in it “officially” supports only like 8GB. One of the M.2 drives I installed in it in a RAID1 array was reporting an early fail error so I just replaced it and it quickly rebuilt and everything’s been chugging along nicely now.

        Back in the day I ran 4 VMs on it, a slew of Docker containers, and Plex. Now I’ve backed down to it just being used for Plex and files.
        As long as I can install ZeroTier on something then I have no need for dedicated client or mobile apps. I don’t even run Portainer on my Docker-enabled systems anymore, preferring to use a lower-RAM usage combo of Dockcheck-Web and Dockge as they’re much faster and easier to use.

        As long as this thing can run Plex *and* I can install Docker and ZeroTier on it then I’m happy.

        Why would I get this since I already have a perfectly-functioning Asustor? Simple.
        The CPU TDP in the Terramaster is 7w while the CPU TDP in the Asustor is 10w and the Terramaster’s access to M.2 and RAM is easier/faster to get to than the Asustor.
        Other than the additional cores/threads and better GPU capabilities, that’s the only difference between the two. Well, the Asustor is cheaper now at $549 but I’d pay Terramaster what they’re asking for the access to more cores and a much faster integrated GPU.

        I’m going to save up and get one of these by the end of 2024.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      31. Mine arrived 2 weeks ago and i’m looking forward to watch this video. It’s my first NAS and i’m still getting used to some problems, like the fact that the NAS keeps making noises from time to time, while the HDDs should be idle. One big thing was that the NAS OS was set to Chinese time and my Plex account was set to EU time and the daily database check happened at 7pm every day, so every evening it started to check my database while i was at home at my PC… even unhooking the LAN didnt help, but since i found that option it seems to be quiet.
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      32. I’m planning on replacing my perfectly good Synology DS218+ that has provided outstanding service over the past 7 years. I checked the F4-424 Pro out when Robbie first introduced it to us a while back and, spec-wise, it’s a real beast. It is the front-runner for me right now. In the end, it will all come down to software, though. I’d really like to see a NASCompares series focusing on NAS software; pick the top 6 NAS functions that are common to Synology, QNAP, TerrraMaster and Asustor (In the Synology world that I am familiar with, these would include device management (Package Centre, Storage Manager, etc), HyperBackUp (local & cloud services), FileStation, Photos, Media Server/Video Station, Synology Drive, device security) and have a four-part series that each compares each of the manufacturers offerings on two or so functions, i.e. show us the Synology FileStation and HyperBackUp functions on Synology, QNAP, TerraMaster and Asustor in one Youtube video, then Package Centre and Storage Manager in another, then Photos & Media Server/Video Station in another, Synology Drive and HyperBackUp in another. We need a head-to-head comparison (putting the ‘compares’ back into NASCompares…) of NAS software.
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      33. I assume there is an internal port to plug in a usb stick for booting off unraid? If so how much clearance is there? Would it require one of those micro flash drives like the Samsung fit plus, or a little more space to play with?
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      34. Thanks for this tutorial, it helped me get UNRAID set up on my Terramaster. The USB stick (USB 3.1) showed the same error so I had a similar form factor USB2 stick which was picked up by the UNRAID creation tool. So, if anyone attempts this they might want to factor that in, if they want to use the UNRAID tool. Another point is that Apple Mac Keyboards don’t work so mac users will want to purchase a cheap windows keyboard if they don’t have one already (amazon has them for ten bucks which will do the trick).
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      35. Im curious how is the hdmi out put looks like? Just a command prompt? No gui? I never use nas before but. Can we access the nas like pc anywhere/team viewer? Where u can access the nas from primary computer and orginize the files between nas drives and you can turn off the primary computer and leave the nas to finish copy/moving files between the drives?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      36. They’ve definitely stepped up their design game over the past 12-months, their 9-12 boxes look ???????? unfortunately though, both main contender-brands (TerraMaster and ASUSTOR) have failed to pay attention at the higher end, which is, people want PCIe and other slots..
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      37. Hello !
        Lately I’ve been carefully following your channel and blog about NAS systems.
        At this time, the question arose of choosing between Synology DS423+ or Terramaster F4-423 NAS.
        Before your reviews, I checked a lot of information about Terramaster and just like you, I came to the conclusion that Terramaster is much better in hardware than Synology.
        Until the moment when the need arose to use something more compact and less energy-consuming than a PC with True Nas installed, I did not explore the market for compact NAS systems.
        With Terramaster, new horizons and opportunities have opened up.
        Great video review!
        Still, I discovered one point in the video: it is not necessary to insert the installation/bootable USB flash drive from TrueNAS inside the Terramaster.
        We only need it at the stage of system installation. Upon completion of the installation, it is advisable to remove the USB flash drive and put it aside so as not to occupy the USB ports and not create confusion in the boot devices.
        TrueNAS can install the system on a separate disk or soft raid (if you select 2 identical disks during installation – for example, 2 SSDs)
        Therefore, keeping the TrueNAS installation flash drive in the device simply does not make sense.
        I will also say that if you install the system on a disk, it can no longer be used as part of a RAID array – RAID1 mirror, for example – this is at least what I know from personal experience.
        To avoid such problems and inappropriate use of the disk (of course, you can separate the partition with the system and use the free space, but RAID will still not be available for creation), you need to install TrueNas on a separate physical disk – an SSD, for example, or better yet, 2 disks in software RAID mirror.
        That way, if the system drive fails, our data in the storage pool will not be affected.
        This still makes sense for replacing disks – the system remains the same as it was, but we only change the disks and create an array from them. All settings will be saved.
        Perhaps I missed something or I don’t know from either side the whole TrueNas mechanism, but the general concept is this: the disk is separate for the system and the disks for the data pool are separate.

        Thanks for the review! Good luck!
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      38. I’m torn on waiting for this to become widely available in the UK (Amazon say they sell it but they don’t) or get the regular F4-424. I would like to use it to watch 4K video to a TV and massive backups. Nothing more than that. No other streaming, no surveillance, no web server stuff, etc, maybe some Docker stuff later on but for now just back up and watching videos.

        Should I wait or get the regular version which is available right now? Will the lower CPU and Memory matter?
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      39. Pretty powerful system for everything you showed at the start.

        If people are into 8k media, and have the hardware to watch it, like a gigantic tv or giant monitor, they’d probably be being something overpowered, and top spec. Thankfully there’s not too much of that media around to clog up our underpowered devices at this time. There is diminishing returns after 1080p I believe. Or at least above 2k res. The human eye can only notice so many pixels
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      40. The problem with Plex is not on the server side, but on the player side, and the only player that don’t need transcoding is the nvidia shield, otherwise your server is on a PC with a graphics card and consumes too much for what it is.
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      41. As someone with a Synology DS918+, I’ve been holding out for something like this to come along. I’m basically going to ignore the QNAP 464/664 due to the flaky o/s security. [Bangs fist on table] Synology, are you listening???
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      42. I enjoyed this review. The problem now with this and other NAS drives is the price that HDD’s have reached to put inside them. HDD’s have now become ridiculously expensive. Will they ever come back down in price. Even external desktop expansion drive prices have gone through the roof.
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      43. Is this version quieter than the previous F4-423 model? I have one for almost a year now, using it with TrueNAS, so there is no fan-speed control and I think it is a bit too loud for my taste. Also, the full metal chassis is just resonating with the drives sometimes. I would be happy to switch to one of the newer versions if I knew that it would be quieter than the current one.

        Also, can that one big fan cool down 4 “normal” disks? I mean, the non-Exos/non-datacenter, simple NAS drives like Ironwolf or Red series.

        32GB RAM is not an issue with that chip. Intel has been playing this game for a while now when they handicap these lower-end chips with arbitrary limitations (like the 1 DIMM channel only…), but the supported memory configuration on the Ark site is such a joke sometimes… Even the older N5095/N5105 chips were able to handle 2*16GB RAM, while the Ark page states the max supported memory size is 16GB. I have an i7-1360P mini PC at home, originally the Ark page stated that the max memory config is 32GB, but it later got updated to 96GB (I have a 2*48GB config in it, and it works like a charm…). I also have an N100 machine at home, which handles a 48GB DIMM, and it has the same memory controller as the N300/305. Heck, dmidecode reports that even 64GB is supported, although as far as I know, there are no 64GB DDR5 SODIMM modules available as of now, so we will see some time in the future.

        Also, I found it quite interesting when you said that it would be good to see their solution instead of VirtualBox. While I hate that software, I would love to see a NAS software that leverages popular open-source solutions. Like for example, every brand has its own Docker app. But why? I had a Synology NAS, and that docker interface is horrible IMHO. So they spend a bunch of resources to develop something, that could be entirely replaced by simply pre-installing Portainer with Docker. It is an open-source, well-known solution, that is miles better than anything that I have ever seen on any NAS. But this way, they had to develop it, and now they have to maintain and support it, which uses a bunch of resources instead of simply using something popular with a good reputation. I don’t think that Portainer is the only docker UI that should exist, but even if someone has other preferences, they would still probably agree that it is way better than any one of the “custom” NAS solutions.
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      44. Very nice review of this unit. I picked one up from the Amazon link. I have heard a lot of people say not to use the m.2 for caching but instead to setup one or both of the m.2 slots with drives for running the TOS and applications. If I did that, then what setup would you suggest? One or two m.2 drives? What size drive(s)?
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      45. I been thinking i purchase one to run my home lab, proxmox with truenas, home assistant, and other things.. i think would work fine right? That way i can remove my old qnap and my nuc and replace with just onde device..

        The only downside i can find is number of usb ports, i will need to had a hub, to connect my 3d printer and ZigBee dongle.

        I don’t think i can diy a nas with same hardware for the same money.. Or i am wrong?
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      46. I seriously hate all the bloat and BS that is included and ENFORCED by default with QNAP NAS’s these days, which means it *can* take upwards of 10 minutes to shutdown, reboot and boot back up to a useable system.
        The Terramaster NAS’s I’ve used so far, have been lightening fast in use, but is severely crippled by crap software. Local backup -> USB always fails. There’s no way to have logs emailed. ISCSI backup is flakey.
        I terms of the N300 CPU, it’s only listed as supporting 16GB DDR5 so that particular CPU doesn’t take market share away from Intel’s other low end CPU’s.
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      47. Does it support ECC? I know it officially doesn’t but sometimes they unofficially support it.

        Also just because the CPU doesn’t officially support 32GB, it doesn’t mean it won’t work reliably. Because it could just be a soft limitation.
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      48. i think for the normal nas home user 10gbe isn’t important and the overwhelming majority won’t have 2.5 gbe either. I know nobody I know uses it at the moment. I think for people running some high end network it might be a big deal. I think for most people it’s an after thought. I don’t think most people want to buy all new gear, switches, routers or whatever at like triple the cost to get those speeds.
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      49. Had one delivered last week. Runs unRAID perfectly! 4x12TB spinning rust plus a couple of 512GB NVMe for cache.

        Very happy with this after downsizing from a Fractal R5.

        Gonna see if I can get a couple of heatsink shims on the SSD, as they can get a little toasty at times when downloading saturates the broadband link (1 gigabit).
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      50. 4 HDDs? In 2024. Really??? ????????‍♀️????????‍♀️????????‍♀️. What nonsense. And for those who don’t understand why it is nonsense, please refrain from commenting back. Thanks.
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      51. Great review! Do you think Synology will release a 4 bay NAS with equivalent CPU’s in 2024? I’m looking at getting my first NAS (mainly for Plex) but I’m put off by the old CPU’s Synology rocks at the moment. The F4-424 looks pretty strong for Plex – I’m not sure if it’s potentially overkill for 4k remux etc…
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      52. Hoping that Terramaster release an 8 bay version (F8-424 Pro?) with 64GB of RAM support. Together with the dual NVMe slots – this would be an ideal box for my uses (unRAID).
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      53. I would like Robbie to add a piece in EVERY NAS product review in the future. Immediately before the ‘Review Verdict & Conclusion’ section, what are the close peers to the NAS being reviewed. That is, if you like the specs of this NAS, also look at ‘these models’ from ‘these manufacturers’.
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      54. It would be interesting to know if they still have an internal USB Drive for the NAS Software installation, like the previous models. That can open the door to alternative NAS OS like TrueNAS Scale. The Hardware looks decent. The memory recommendation from Intel does not mean that 32GByte ran unstabilly. I ran my SandyBridge Intel i7 Mac for 7 years with 16GByte, and 8GByte was officially supported by Intel. No problem at all! Just a better performance.
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      55. Great review
        Still don’t get the no hdmi out.
        I disagree on the 32gb ram, I am 100% sure that is going to be fine…
        Yes 730€ here in monkey land Spain is way too much and sadly as soon as qnap or synology releases theirs (because they will have to) it will be double that price.
        Finally 30:31 Holy crap my heart skipped a beat when you bumped your whole NAS pyramid on the desk. ????
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      56. I have to say that I encounter the problem of your reviews beeing to good. I thought about getting this and now that you said that Qnap (that i dont get because of security) would let me start a virtual machine using the HDMI (what i wanted to do with this Terramaster) I’m angry once again, because the system is almost perfect besides this point.
        I just want a NAS that i can hook up to my TV to maybe play some SNES emulator or old games on it. I would like a OS that doesnt tell me that my HDDs are about to fail after 2 years (hello synology), forces me to use their own SDDs (synology again) or is a security risk to get hacked and host my movies on the internet from my IP (QNAP). I mean i could deal with the extra price on the SSD and ignore the HDD warning on a Synology, but they dont have the HDMI port and the slow connection makes SSDs pointles. So i guess i wait a bit longer to see if terramaster rolls out a “HDMI Gui” or hope that synology releases a product that doesnt have limits from the start to indirecly force to be willing to upgrade to the next model?

        But well… i still respect Terramaster for this release and hope that QNAP gets their security done to force Synology out of their comport zone.
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      57. I have a Synology and Qnap nas in service. For security reasons the only way I connect outside of my office to the nas is via my private VPN hosted on my router. In my scenario using a Terramaster is not a big issue.
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      58. I lolled so hard when he said… “I have had it installed the wrong way around in the past” then tries to install it during 25 seconds, realizing it is the wrong way around, puts up a weird face, then does it the right way and then forgets to edit that part out. 🙂
        Superb video though!
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      59. I just purchased a Terramaster F4-423 based on your reviews. I have been watching your setup and discussions. I also appreciate the tone and seriousness of your delivery – calm with no hyping or screaming.
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      60. I own a 4 bay TM device since over 2 years and absolutely happy with it. Never tested on the internet as if I would like to expose my personal junk to the world I would go cloud. But in the local network its perfect. Superb support team. Basic in every aspect and this makes it perfect (Even tho such small devices are not my daily drivers in the job: I’m a storage engineer sincs 20+ years). Absolutely happy that I did not to pay the ransom for as for other manufacturers.
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      61. I’m running this on a F2-423 and I completed the hardware process. When I did the bootup however, I got a message ‘grub_fshelp_find_file_lookup’ not found…any idea what I did wrong?
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      62. I’m putting together a f4-423. Putting in 2x8gb 2666 crucial ram, 4x 8tb wd reds and a 1tb ssd for read only caching. Wanting to go raid 5 or similar. Would you recommend going with another os like truenas?
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      63. Will one of the more powerful noctua high rpm fans fit in here? Is the fan accessible for replacement anyway? I’d love to go with something off the shelf that’s power efficient, but I don’t see how the fan will actually keep up with that many hdds in such a tight space.
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      64. I am looking at getting the F4-423 and x4 16TB in one go and want to run TRUNAS rather than the original OS from the start. What size of nvme would you recommend for the terramaster running for TRUNAS? I am thinking of WD Red SN700 1TB drives or Intel Optane nvme H10 for durability, one for OS and one for cache or would you recommend a different NVME config or brands? Later i think i would like to setup a second identical system as a second tier of backup, but the debit card can only take so much wear at one time after all.
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      65. So based on this, we are to ignore all your other videos on Terra-Master? Painful having watched the other videos and made a purchase, to only now find this video. Incredibly frustrating and confusing. Also doesn’t help that old mate with the mountain backdrop is sitting there laughing at any of us who have made a Terra-Master purchase.
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      66. Hi @
        NASCompares , in your experience do the Terramaster fail after a current blackout (just as Qnap did in my experience) ? or do they overcome the empasse of a blackout or a serie of multiple close blackout (cused by auto rearm after 5 seconds electric current drop caused by a dispersion on the infrastructure main electric linewires) and boot again? i ask this because this is the reason i am not stepping into a NAS , a commercial sold one, but pointing in having a Linux based compures as nas instead. Thank you if you or any experienced could answer , thank you in advance ( i am not interested in suggestions such as you need a backup power supply unit, not my question).
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      67. I got a f4 210 2 years ago and the silly thing won’t boot up. If it showed me anything it showed me how great a NAS is to have. The thing is under powered and im glad it died. Im building my own now!! I still wanna get it going as a backup storage device.
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      68. I disagree about the compromise considering the markup on these devices, terramaster are still making over 100% profit on each unit sold (no hdd’s).

        All the difference is the quality of the software and the skill of the programmers developing the OS.

        Personally I feel if you’re using them for cloud storage away from premises you should employ a IPS software and a decent hardware firewall.

        I personally use nas drives as storage for proxmox and have vms for next cloud and have that exposed to the Internet instead of the NAS.

        Nothing is immune to hackers, just setup a Web server panel and you instantly get people trying to bruitforce on ssh port 22.
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      69. There’s also risk when using 3rd party apps.

        I would also like ssh access to the nas OS to install fail2ban if it’s not already installed and configure the firewall myself.
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      70. TerraMaster stop working on my randomly and it was because 4.2 OS crashed. Contacted Tech support and after a whole month, I was lead to do this task. The instructions here were great but even still my Drive got formatted without warning. It had asked what type of encoding I wanted to use and it formatted the drive right away. I lost decades of information which really hurts. There should be a warning before formatting the drive. I’m not a NAS expert but I have been a GeekSquad Specialist for many years and one can say I am somewhat techy and still I have lost all my media… heart broken today and disappointed at TNas for it. 🙁
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      71. CRITICAL NOTE: This isn’t really viable for all Terramaster units!!!! 2/3 into the video a critical point is made. This should only be done on models that allow for a NVMe drive or if you plan to give up a drive bay for a drive to host the TRUENAS OS.

        I saw these walk-throughs and went out and bought a F5-422. The F5-422 does not have a NVMe slot. And giving up a drive slot means forgoing the NAS configuration I planned on.

        I tried installing TRUENAS on a flash drive (even though it isn’t recommended). The install fails.
        I tried installing TRUENAS on the internal flash drive port (I put the ISO file on a different flash drive plugged into an external USB port). Booting off a flash drive mounted externally worked. In fact the external USB ports are super fast (at least 400MB/s) compared to the internal one (40MB/s). So the installer and OS load goes really quickly (but actual OS launching would be slow if this worked since the internal port is slow). Again though, after the OS install happens it tries to read from the assigned OS drive and fails. The install self terminates when it sees this error.
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      72. I have a F5-422 and am getting the following when I try to install: “mounting from ufs:/dev/md0.uzip failed with error 2”. It loops like this for about 3 minutes and then dies. The only other oddity is that I have to spam Esc on boot-up and select the USB drive as it insists on going to TOS otherwise. Any suggestions?
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      73. just dropping a comment here after diving and and installing unRaid on my F5. Super happy with this BUT heat might be an issue

        5x10TB drives get HOT….and the included fans even on full aren’t pulling enough air through to get trigger frequent warnings for temp in unRaid.

        My solution to this is
        a) add a USB powered fan to the front to help push air in.
        b) up the threshold by a couple degrees C for the warning.

        thanks for the video and inspiration to take this plunge.
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      74. I am curious If you could make a video or have a list of the off the shelf nas’s that you can setup with unraid. Part of me wants to do a big diy build for alot of space . But then worry about hardware picking/cost and the ability for it to be low power. On a side note. Question about WD Green Drives in nas’s as i have been storying my files on these HDD and would want to start a nas that uses them as a cost saving measure while i save and get red drives as cold swaps as the greens die.
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      75. I strongly advice AGAINST that SANDISK USB Drive…you need one with a unique UUID. That drive was a good one a couple of years ago and many sites recommended it…but the actual ones are more miss than hit because they changed the internal chips and have no longer a unique UUID. The size is right, but look somewhere else..or have one lying around from 4+ years ago. Oh…BTW purchase 2 of your working ones…as a backup. They should last a long time because they are only read from or written to during startup. So that probably 2-4 times a year.
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      76. here You see more abaut hackiing teramaster nas: https://youtu.be/Q3XJUgYc2Gw – author that video have on chanel video how hack models without hdmi port but with intel cpu
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      77. I found with a usb 3.1 sandisk that wouldn’t boot. Had to do manual install to the stick and didn’t work. Would not boot.
        Got a usb 2.0 verbatim stick that recognised as compatible.
        Is a t6-423 that I have. Mine came with 8gb though website says 4gb.
        Gone back to TOS 5.0 as all using for is a repository for iTunes library, HDHomeRun in a docker and a plex server for own media (save having Mac on)
        Unraid a bit overkill for what looking for.

        But the newer t6, series does work nicely with unraid providing get appropriate usb stick
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      78. Feel like the install process should have been to replace the internal USB key with a blank, boot TrueNAS a 2nd USB drive off one of the external USB ports and install it to the internal blank, was there a reason you didn’t do it the way you did? Are the external USB ports non-bootable or something? Like nvme/SSD would be quicker, but can’t imagine HDD would be a lot faster than USB.
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      79. Can anybody confirm the Ram capacity on the F4-423? Docs say 32GB, chip seems to handle 16GB? Anybody tested this? Would like to save a few pennies if 16gb is the limit.
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      80. D5-300 DAS (RAID5) connected to Rpi4 to make a “NAS”. It works fine but the speed over the network is 1/3 of the drive speed on the pi. Not sure why, but the driver isn’t uas.
        It’s been running without a hitch for almost a year (5 x WD Red Plus)
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      81. If I don’t already have a TerraMaster NAS and the intent is to use TrueNAS would there be better alternatives retailing NAS chassis with integrated motherboard/cpu to buy or is it that buying a TerraMaster NAS just for its chassis/mb/cpu is a bargain?
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      82. To your knowledge, does this work with the Terramaster new T series NAS as well or only the F series NAS? Or do you even suggest not using the T series? Thank you in advance!
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      83. Hello and welcome to my comment. And that is right. I have a quick question. 🙂

        I was just wondering why you got a USB drive specifically to fit inside when it didn’t need to stay there. I assumed that the software would be installed on the internal stick and it would remain inside but clearly not.

        To save pulling it apart twice (once to swap the drive, and again to remove it), wouldn’t it be easier to remove it the first time and then use an external USB port with any old stick we find kicking about the place? I assume there’s a specific reason why the internal USB port is the best (or only) choice here but I may have missed it. I was just thinking about missing a step and halving the potential for damage by only ripping the thing to bits one time.

        Also, a second question if I may: I was under the impression that TrueNAS required (or advised) the use of ECC memory. I’m not sure that Terramaster supports it, and the memory you selected didn’t appear to be ECC. I haven’t looked into either yet, by the way. Any thoughts on that?

        That’s all from me. I didn’t realise that was even possible, and I may consider getting a Terramaster NAS for use as a low-powered home Linux server on the back of your presentation. Thanks a lot for the video.
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      84. Isn’t Terramaster one of the companies that has been hit with ransomware attacks relatively recently? Does installing TruNAS, instead of using the factory-installed OS, help to mitigate these attacks?
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      85. Quick question: it’s a bit off topic to the video but it’s regarding replacing a wifi card in a laptop (I was watching a video from 2 months ago on this topic):

        Question: what would I do if the wifi card I’m replacing is the exact same model as the one I had? What would I do in terms of installing drivers?

        I have an Acer Nitro 5 AN517-51 with an Intel Ax200 wifi 6 card in my system. Recently I was doing a fan replacement and repaste of the heat sink, and I accidentally pulled the aux cable and the aux connector attached to my wifi card came off while trying to reattach the wire.

        I wasn’t sure if I should upgrade to AX210 (cause I’m scared of it not working, then I have no working laptop at all), so I was wondering whether I could just do a straight swap of AX200 for AX200 and would that require any driver installation beforehand, if the card is the same model as the old…?

        Or would upgrading to AX210 be better all round as a solution. I just want the least painful and quickest experience, which is why I thought AX200 for AX200 may be as I may not need to fiddle with driver updates
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      86. Ahh of course, when you don’t really know:

        You do not need a display output!
        Simply install on a PC and then move to this device, boot and simply find the IP address.

        Do not install on a regular USB drive as it will fail sooner or later. Spend a little more for an USB SSD, NVMe or a high endurance USB drive.

        Just make sure your device has an Intel CPU and NOT an ARM CPU!
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      87. I have a TerraMaster F2-220 running constantly for two years without any issues just for media streaming, BUT my unit is running XPEnology DSM with all the latest updates, on top of that I am using geolocation blocking that allows traffic only from my country, all of my sensitive backups are stored in two separate offline external hard drives
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      88. *I was hit, so unplugged, shutdown, external USB backs fine. Plex user, was watching at the time no issues, went to update saver denied, then found the splash screen, no on reboot, water gapped on an independent switch no WiFi etc, it instantly goes to initialization. So save to assume the service themselves have been affected. Did safe shutdown. After some time I turn on everything then I found out I’ve been truly hit by deadbolt I did as many research as I could and I found out that scott can actually decrypt the encrypted files. So I paid some money not upto what deadbolt team are asking, then he decrypted my files*
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      89. Wish I bought a synolgy . It’s real strong point is so boring it gets used as nas and nothing else. I don’t know if it’s because I’m Canadian but the software is nonexistent I get like 15 apps???? I don’t use it online, and after the QNAS incident I made a calendar time to update and back it up it online ounce a month. It does what I want so no real regrets. I’ve made a few on my own and they break quick.
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      90. A nas as backup is a terrible idea. I have heard of a lot more cases of nas solutions from the big 2, failing to rebuild after a drive or system board failure. Totally agree it’s much better to save $ and put it towards a secondary backup and external professional grade firewall. Security is far too critical to leave to a free app on a pc or nas box. It’s a very small expense compared to the value of the information. For home use, just use inexpensive usb drives for long term storage, and a nas for daily access. You cannot beat a nas with 10gb networking for fast storage, or lightning for personal storage, but it should never be your only backup
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      91. Yeah, it’s not just the little guys either – QNAP devices were targeted in January. In response it looked like QNAP forced updates causing unexpected reboots. Also, the CC is translating Tearramaster as Terror Master – LOL
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      92. I got the F4-210 with, extra surprise with the extra SATA port, making it a F5-210.
        CPU power is lacking for 1080p with subtitles.
        I have a ROCK Pi X as the brains for plex transcoder.
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      93. Over time, I’ve used many different NAS solutions and settled on Synology, but if you can’t find value in “value-added” software and only need file I/O, focus on getting the throughput you want! A LOT of NAS drives provide realworld throughput like a CASSETTE!
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