We have been playing around with the QNAP TS-659 Pro II unit over the last month or so. Based on the Intel Atom D525 platform, it has 6 bays and dual GbE ports, making it a candidate for the high end SMB market.
via AnandTech
build your own network attached storage device
We have been playing around with the QNAP TS-659 Pro II unit over the last month or so. Based on the Intel Atom D525 platform, it has 6 bays and dual GbE ports, making it a candidate for the high end SMB market.
via AnandTech
Stay away from QNAP. Firmware it’s decent, but there is no support if something goes south, they sell no replacement parts (will be told buy new NAS), and the hardware quality is absolutely terrible. In 3 years of ownership where I pampered my TS-639 Pro, I probably used it less than 6 months counting all the hours that it’s been running.
Never left it running 24/7. Kept it away from heat, dust, moisture, shocks and have always turned it off properly. Powered by connecting it to a power conditioner to protect from spikes and fluctuations. I am no data center, but I cared to protect my investment. Nevertheless after just 3 years the NAS got stuck displaying “System Booting >>>>” in the LCD leaving all HDDs unpowered.
I removed the HDDs, opened the case and tested the PSU with no load: It tested good. The NAS doesn’t emit the POST beep so it could be a corrupt firmware on Flash module (go figure what corrupted it) or could be the motherboard itself.
You figure that such expensive piece of hardware would have a decent support right? Think again! There are no replacement parts for this PoS! Only the PSU (which incidentally is sold at 2.5x than what the manufacturer of the PSU sells it for! The molex on the PSU are modified to fit the NAS so if buying an original FSP220-60LE 80 Plus PSU from the FSP you will need to modify the molex connectors using a 24pin for the mobo (or use the 20+4 already on the standard PSU), but then you will have to remove all EIDE/SATA/FDD connectors and make a custom 20pin molex like the one in the PSU you are replacing.
Support tech is nearly non existent. Although quite responsive is utterly useless since what’s there for when can only tell you we only have the PS and costs $165 shipped and is non-refundable (though DOA will get replaced). Want a mobo/Sata card to replace the old one? Sorry not only we don’t have it but repairing an older NAS will be 2/3 of the cost of the new one (add shipping and diagnostic and will basically be ready to buy a new one). If you try to complain about the company the tech will tell you “I’m just tech, I don’t set the prices”.
While tech rep has no fault of his own and I do feel for him becoming the front facing end of frustrated customers, it’s the company that is at fault. First of all how can a mobo with a crappy atom cost as much as a midrange gamer PS or as much as a decent ultrabook? Totally insane!
I’d drop a couple hundreds on a replacement mobo, but they don’t even make them available!
Morale is: STAY AWAY FROM QNAP!
1) Quality of the hardware is beyond poor,
2) Support is non existent,
3) There are no replacement parts
4) Upon failure your only option will be to shell out top$$$ to buy new unit
5) You are better off with DIY NAS where you can build your own using whatever hardware you need to and won’t be subservient to the idiocy and greed of a company like QNAP.
Now I hope you have enough to make an informed decision.