Why Choose Asustor NAS in 2018?
Of all the NAS brands that we discuss here on NASCompares, one of the ones that everyone has heard of, yet barely anyone can name many of their range. This is not always a bad thing, few users outside of the (rather snobby) apple community can name both the NAS devices that Apple Produced. But Asustor is a brand we have championed on this blog, alongside the oft-mentioned brands of QNAP and Synology, as one of the most innovative and evolved (both in terms of hardware NAD software) in the last 3 years, They may not currently hold the market share that those other two brands hold, but this is more about marketing that product. In the coming days I will be publishing a comparison between Asustor and those brands, but today I wanted to take a moment to highlight what Asustor is still very much a brand you should be considering. With hardware options rivalling QNAP and a User Interface and build that Synology could learn a thing or two from, below I will give you the highlights of the Asustor range of NAS. Lastly, it is worth noting that Asustor has several tricks, applications and abilities that those two other brands do not! So, let’s get down to NAS business.
Asustor NAS Operating System – ADM 3.0
You could have the best hardware in the world, but if you cannot interact well or utilize it effectively, what you have is a rather expensive calculator. All Asustor NAS arrive with the FREE and fully featured NAS user interface and provides access via the network, via HDMI (with keyboard and mouse support if needed), mobile phone or via the internet anywhere in the world. Access is tightly secured with 2-step verification, AES-256bit encryption, login credentials, individual accessibility and permissions that can be adjusted per user and (if that wasn’t enough) you can set up a master locking system that lets you lock down a NAS remotely if you need (if you have the required admin rights).
Outside of security, the functionality and fluidity of the operating system are fantastic. I am not going to say it is better than Synology’s DSM operating system or QNAP’s QTS operating system BUT I will say that it is really, really close. What makes the ADM software so impressive is that it manages to do SO, SO Much at such a lower price point. for example, it supports the follow (as you would find on a QNAP or Synology):
- FIle manager
- Storage Manager
- Backup Manager
- Photo Manager
- Video Manager
- Music Manager
- iTunes Server Support
- Plex Media Server Support
- Apple Time Machine Support
- Surveillance Camera and Control Deck over network/internet/locally
- Cloud Migration and Backup support (Amazon S3, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc)
- DLNA Media server Support
- Anti-Virus Included and Firewall Support
- Email Server and CRM Applications
- VPN Support
- 4K Media Playback and Transcoding of H.264 and H.265 (depends on model)
- Download server support
- RAID Support internally meaning RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50 and 60
- and more
This list could be 5x as full, but I just wanted to focus on those areas that are most important to home and business users alike. It is also worth noting that there are ALOT Of software applications that are ONLY available with Asustor, such as:
- Kodi v16 and Kodi v17
- SNES, NES, SEGA, GBA and MAME Emulation with a keyboard, joypad, mouse support and an HDMI output
- VirtualBox Support, meaning more types of VM (Hackintosh, Windows XP, homebrew ubuntu, etc) than any other NAS platform
- Many HOmebrew Apps supporting Amazon Prime Instant, Netflix, NowTV and more
- YouTube Dedicated Application available via HDMI
- Dedicated Spotify Application available via HDMI and lets you play via your TV and Sound System
- Google Docs
Don’t believe me? Why not try out a demo of the Asustor ADM 3.0 Software below. Just click the banner/image below and log in to a fully featured Asustor NAS for free. The login details are:
Account: demo
Password: asustor
Asustor NAS Hardware – USB-C, HDMI 2.0, Digital Audio and more
When it comes to hardware, Asustor NAS is one of the very few companies that actually gives QNAP a run for its money. In fact, once you put the device side by side, Asustor gives you almost identical hardware options to QNAP, but at a noticeably lower price. They were one of the very first NAS brands to use the Intel Celeron J3455 CPU that is now a mainstay in NAS servers from all the top brands. They were one of the first brands to include free remote control with their NAS (as well as a mobile application too), they were the first company to introduce HDMI 2.0 as their port (rather than the usual HDMI 1.4b found on most other NAS) so you could playback 4K media at the FPS and resolution that was intended. As well as supporting Windows and Mac systems, as well as mobile platforms such as Android and iOs, Asustor NAS was one of the first to support the popular file system, BTRFS externally.
In terms of physical build and hardware externally., Asustor does not disappoint with every available modern NAS hardware option you would imagine (with the exception of Thunderbolt and QuickConnect from QNAP). Depending on which Asustor NAS unit you buy, it will feature most or all of the following:
- Hot Swappable Metal Trays
- Automatic or Manual controlled fans as needed
- USB 3.0 One Touch Copy
- HDMI 2.0
- USB-C Port
- eSATA ports
- S/PDIF Port
- Multiple 1Gbe LAN supporting Link Aggregation (LAG)
- IR Remote Control
- Sonos, Bose and NVidia Shield Support
- Hi-Res Player 11.2 MHz high-resolution audio output
- 3-5 Year Warranty
- AES-NI Encryption as and when you need
Once again, if you really looked, this list would be 3x as long. Asustor is certainly a NAS brand that is overlooked, but no one really knows why. I have tried several and if you are in the market for a NAS that delivered the very best price vs hardware+software, you really will struggle to beat Asustor NAS. Below are a number of the best of the Asustor NAS range and what they are the best at. Take a look.
The Best Asustor NAS for Plex, Kodi, Spotify and YouTube in 2018
Easily one of the most popular NAS purposes in 2018 is to use a NAS as a centralized media server/collection for all of your photos, music and video media. Likewise, with the growing popularity of 3rd party streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube and Amazon INstant, there has been a growth of users wanting a media platform that is both functional and attractive to the eye. The majority of Asustor NAS can do this, but you will need to be selective if you want one that not only can support the excellent PLEX application but can also play multiple media files to different sources at once, transcode them (change media output so it better suits the destination device) and support media as high as 1080p and 4K. The two Asustor NAS servers below are the best Prive VS Hardware available in 2018 for a Plex Media Server, as well as supporting KODI to playback your media locally over HDMI and connect with the streaming services Spotify, YouTube and Netflix with dedicated applications available for free on the NAS. Take a look at both the 2-Bay and the 4-Bay NAS below:
Asustor AS6302T
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A comprehensive 2 bay NAS equipped with an Intel Celeron (Apollo Lake) dual-core processor for powerful 4K output. Economical and perfect for both home and personal use.
Score Based on nascompares.com, Units sold, Review and User Feedback |
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Asustor AS6204T
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Featuring a Quad-Core Processor and Hardware Encryption Engine for Demanding Enterprise Applications
Score Based on nascompares.com, Units sold, Review and User Feedback |
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The Best Budget Asustor NAS for Home in 2018
Investing in a NAS for the first time can be a little daunting and often people want to play it safe when buying (thinking they will get a cheap/budget NAS now and if they turn out to use it loads, buy a better one next time). Luckily Asustor also provide a great selection of cost effective NAS devices that arrive with frankly astounding hardware at a price often more than 60% less than the flagship/premium units – yet still retaining more than 90% of the features! The only main difference between a cost-effective Asustor NAS and the fully featured/flagship NAS is that they can do less at the same time. So where a ‘premium Asustor NAS’ will let you set up 200 download tasks, a cost effect NAS will let you do 30-40x. A top end NAS will let you playback 5 or 6 media files at once, a budget NAS will support 2-3x. So if you are looking for a NAS that will do most or all of the tasks listed above in the guide, but your budget is very tight, definitely look at four NAS servers below in 2-Bay and 4-Bay.
| Hardware Specifications of these fully featured NAS in 2 and 4 Bay | ||||
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| AS1002T | AS1004T | AS3102T | AS3104T | |
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| CPU | Marvell ARMADA-385 1GHz (Dual-Core) Processor | Marvell ARMADA-385 1GHz (Dual-Core) Processor | Intel Celeron 1.6GHz Dual-Core (burst up to 2.08~2.48GHz) Processor | Intel Celeron 1.6GHz Dual-Core (burst up to 2.08~2.48GHz) Processor |
| Hardware Encryption Engine |  |
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| Hardware Acceleration Engine | – | – | H.264 (AVC),H.265(HEVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-2, VC-1 | H.264 (AVC),H.265(HEVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-2, VC-1 |
| Memory | 512MB (not expandable) | 512MB (not expandable) | 2GB DDR3L (not expandable) | 2GB DDR3L (not expandable) |
| HDD | 2 x SATA3 6Gb/s; 3.5″ HDD | 4 x SATA3 6Gb/s; 3.5″ HDD | 2 x SATA3 6Gb/s; 3.5″ HDD | 4 x SATA3 6Gb/s; 3.5″ HDD |
| Maximum Storage | 24 TB (12 TB HDD X 2) | 48 TB (12 TB HDD X 4) | 24 TB (12 TB HDD X 2) | 48 TB (12 TB HDD X 4) |
| Expansion | USB 3.0 x 2 | USB 3.0 x 2 | USB 3.0 x 3 | USB 3.0 x 3 |
| Network | Gigabit Ethernet x 1 | Gigabit Ethernet x 1 | Gigabit Ethernet x 1 | Gigabit Ethernet x 1 |
| Size | 165(H) x 102(W) x 218(D) mm | 165(H) x 164(W) x 218(D) mm | 165(H) x 102(W) x 218(D) mm | 165(H) x 164(W) x 218(D) mm |
| Weight | 0.99 kg / 2.18 lbs | 1.5 kg / 3.31 lbs | 1.17 kg / 2.58 lb | 1.6 kg / 3.53 lb |
| Input Power Voltage | External Power Adaptor: 65W x1 100V to 240V AC |
External Power Adaptor: 90W x1 100V to 240V AC |
External Power Adaptor: 65W x1 100V to 240V AC |
External Power Adaptor: 90W x1 100V to 240V AC |
| Power Consumption | 13.2W (Operation); 6.6W (Disk Hibernation); |
24.4W (Operation); 11.5W (Disk Hibernation); |
13.7W (Operation); 7.47W (Disk Hibernation); 0.69W (Sleep Mode) |
24.5W (Operation); 11.1W (Disk Hibernation); 0.69W (Sleep Mode) |
| Volume Type | Single disk, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 | Single disk, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 | Single disk, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 | Single disk, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 |
| Output | N/A | N/A | HDMI 1.4b x 1 | HDMI 1.4b x 1 |
| Infrared Receiver | – | – | |
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The Best Asustor NAS for Backups, File File Servers and Surveillance in 2018
Another reason that NAS has grown in popularity is that many businesses will introduce on into their work environment as a self-contained and independent network server to hold all their company information and transactions (of both money and data). As NAS can be accessed, yet tightly controlled, internally in a building, as well as accessed externally, it is a perfect item for a business that wants to keep all data accessible, yet under lock and key! The two NAS devices below in 4-Bay and 8-Bay are ideal for all business requirements for up to 50 staff because they support commonly used and required, such as:
- Email Server
- CRM system included
- CMS System Included
- Surveillance server to connect multiple IP Cameras (internet protocol cameras) ad record/view them on a control deck
- Multiple Backup solution options to back up one or many computers and keep multiple time managed backups
- Firewall and Anti-Virus NAS options
- Remote and Cloud Backup/Sync in case you need to migrate data between different networks/buildings over the network/internet
- Network Protocol covering ISCSI and LUN, meaning you can make folders and drives on the NAS visible as a folder/drive on all network computers with the appearance of a local drive
- Multiple Virtual Machine Support with VirtualBox, meaning you can quickly create and duplicate virtual machines to fast deploy an office of machines! You will need lots of memory if you intend to exceed 3-4 VMs
Take a look at the 4-Bay and 8-Bay below and see how you can create the perfect business NAS server storage solution
AsustorAS7004T 4-Bay
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Score Based on nascompares.com, Units sold, Review and User Feedback |
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AsustorAS7008T 8-Bay
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Score Based on nascompares.com, Units sold, Review and User Feedback |
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The Best Fully Featured Asustor NAS for Home and Small Business
If you are a startup or a small business with less than 10 staff, you may well think the enterprise Asustor NAS devices are a little bit overkill, or you simply cannot justifying spending so much of your budget on a NAS without knowing how much you will use the device. This is where the Asustor range of cost-effective NAS for business and independent business owners who work from home comes in. These are NAS that have shifted the hardware in favour of CPU, Memory and connections that are balanced in favour of many, many smaller file transfers. They have a good solid support for media, surveillance and some even feature HDMI and a Remote control, but do not be fooled. These NAS are designed with business at a low price point in mind. If you are finding that your data is getting on top of you at your workplace, but have a tight/controlled budget, one of these four NAS servers is the answer.
| Hardware Specifications of these fully featured NAS In 2 and 4 Bay | ||||
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| AS1002T | AS1004T | AS3102T | AS3104T | |
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| CPU | Marvell ARMADA-385 1GHz (Dual-Core) Processor | Marvell ARMADA-385 1GHz (Dual-Core) Processor | Intel Celeron 1.6GHz Dual-Core (burst up to 2.08~2.48GHz) Processor | Intel Celeron 1.6GHz Dual-Core (burst up to 2.08~2.48GHz) Processor |
| Hardware Encryption Engine | |
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| Hardware Acceleration Engine | – | – | H.264 (AVC),H.265(HEVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-2, VC-1 | H.264 (AVC),H.265(HEVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-2, VC-1 |
| Memory | 512MB (not expandable) | 512MB (not expandable) | 2GB DDR3L (not expandable) | 2GB DDR3L (not expandable) |
| HDD | 2 x SATA3 6Gb/s; 3.5″ HDD | 4 x SATA3 6Gb/s; 3.5″ HDD | 2 x SATA3 6Gb/s; 3.5″ HDD | 4 x SATA3 6Gb/s; 3.5″ HDD |
| Maximum Storage | 24 TB (12 TB HDD X 2) | 48 TB (12 TB HDD X 4) | 24 TB (12 TB HDD X 2) | 48 TB (12 TB HDD X 4) |
| Expansion | USB 3.0 x 2 | USB 3.0 x 2 | USB 3.0 x 3 | USB 3.0 x 3 |
| Network | Gigabit Ethernet x 1 | Gigabit Ethernet x 1 | Gigabit Ethernet x 1 | Gigabit Ethernet x 1 |
| Size | 165(H) x 102(W) x 218(D) mm | 165(H) x 164(W) x 218(D) mm | 165(H) x 102(W) x 218(D) mm | 165(H) x 164(W) x 218(D) mm |
| Weight | 0.99 kg / 2.18 lbs | 1.5 kg / 3.31 lbs | 1.17 kg / 2.58 lb | 1.6 kg / 3.53 lb |
| Input Power Voltage | External Power Adaptor: 65W x1 100V to 240V AC |
External Power Adaptor: 90W x1 100V to 240V AC |
External Power Adaptor: 65W x1 100V to 240V AC |
External Power Adaptor: 90W x1 100V to 240V AC |
| Power Consumption | 13.2W (Operation); 6.6W (Disk Hibernation); |
24.4W (Operation); 11.5W (Disk Hibernation); |
13.7W (Operation); 7.47W (Disk Hibernation); 0.69W (Sleep Mode) |
24.5W (Operation); 11.1W (Disk Hibernation); 0.69W (Sleep Mode) |
| Volume Type | Single disk, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 | Single disk, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 | Single disk, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 | Single disk, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 |
| Output | N/A | N/A | HDMI 1.4b x 1 | HDMI 1.4b x 1 |
| Infrared Receiver | – | – | |
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The Best Business NAS for Offices and Cost Effective Enterprise Solutions
If your budget is in the $1000’s and you want to invest your money into a NAS that can give you solid and long-term storage solution, then the following NAS models are the very best hardware in Desktop NAS that you can buy from Asustor. Each one features ALL of the flagship features and functionality that is mentioned throughout this entire article. Be warned, the price point is higher than all other NAS devices mentioned so far, BUT it is worth noting that all features and functionality will be supported and if you are intending this device to be accessed by lots of user at the same time, you will vastly see the benefits of these cost-effective enterprise solutions.
| Hardware Specifications | ||||
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| AS6202T | AS6208T | AS6210T | AS6404T | |
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| CPU | Intel Celeron 1.6GHz Quad-Core (burst up to 2.08~2.24GHz) Processor | Intel Celeron 1.6GHz Quad Core (burst up to 2.24 GHz) Processor | Intel Celeron 1.6GHz Quad Core (burst up to 2.24 GHz) Processor | Intel Celeron J3455 Quad-Core 1.5 GHz (brust up 2.3GHz) Processor |
| Hardware Encryption Engine | |
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| Hardware Acceleration Engine | H.264 (AVC),H.265(HEVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-2, VC-1 | H.264 (AVC),H.265(HEVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-2, VC-1 | H.264 (AVC),H.265(HEVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-2, VC-1 | H.264 (AVC),H.265(HEVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-2, VC-1 |
| Memory | 4GB SO-DIMM DDR3L (2GB x 2, Expandable. Max 8GB) | 4GB SO-DIMM DDR3L (2GB x 2, Expandable. Max 8GB) | 4GB SO-DIMM DDR3L (2GB x 2, Expandable. Max 8GB) | 8GB SO-DIMM DDR3L (4GB x2, Expandable. Max 8GB) |
| HDD | 2 x SATA3 6Gb/s; 3.5″/2.5″ HDD/SSD | 8 x SATA3 6Gb/s; 3.5″/2.5″ HDD/SSD | 10 x SATA3 6Gb/s; 3.5″/2.5″ HDD/SSD | 4 x SATA3 6Gb/s; 3.5″/2.5″ HDD/SSD |
| Maximum Internal Raw Capacity (Capacity may vary by RAID types) |
24 TB (12 TB HDD X 2) | 96 TB (12 TB HDD X 8) | 120 TB (12 TB HDD X 10) | 48 TB (12 TB HDD X 4) |
| Supports Single Volume Larger Than 16TB | |
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| Expansion | USB 3.0 x 3, USB2.0 x 2, eSATA x 2 | USB 3.0 x 3, USB2.0 x 2, eSATA x 2 | USB 3.0 x 3, USB2.0 x 2, eSATA x 2 | USB 3.0 x 4 (Type A x3, Type C x1) |
| Network | Gigabit Ethernet x 2 | Gigabit Ethernet x 4 | Gigabit Ethernet x 4 | Gigabit Ethernet x 2 |
| PCIe Expansion Slots | – | – | – | – |
| LCD Panel | – | |
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| Size | 163.5(H) x 108(W) x 230(D) mm | 215.5(H) x 293(W) x 230(D) mm | 215.5(H) x 293(W) x 230(D) mm | 185.5(H) x 170(W) x 230(D) mm |
| Weight | 2 kg / 4.41 lb | 6.2 (kg) / 13.67 (lb) | 6.4 (kg) / 14.1 (lb) | 2.9 kg / 6.39 lb |
| Input Power Voltage | External Power Adaptor: 65W x1 100V to 240V AC |
Internal Power Supply: 250W x1 100V to 240V AC |
Internal Power Supply: 250W x1 100V to 240V AC |
External Power Adaptor: 90W x1 100V to 240V AC |
| Power Consumption | 16.6W (Operation); 9.5W (Disk Hibernation); 0.96W (Sleep Mode) |
59.5W (Operation); 31.2W (Disk Hibernation); 1.5W (Sleep Mode) |
68.3W (Operation); 34.4W (Disk Hibernation); 1.5W (Sleep Mode) |
24 W (Operation); 11.2 W (Disk Hibernation); 0.44 W (Sleep Mode) |
| Volume Type | Single disk, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1 | Single disk, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 | Single disk, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 | Single disk, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10 |
| Output | HDMI 1.4b x 1, S/PDIF x1 | HDMI 1.4b x 1, S/PDIF x1 | HDMI 1.4b x 1, S/PDIF x1 | HDMI 2.0 x 1, S/PDIF x1 |
| Infrared Receiver | |
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| Audio Output | S/PDIF | S/PDIF | S/PDIF | S/PDIF |
| Tray Lock | |
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