NETGEAR ReadyNAS 314 (RN31400-100NAS) Diskless System Network Storage NETGEAR ReadyNAS 314 (RN31441D-100NAS) 4TB (4 x 1TB) Network Storage NETGEAR ReadyNAS 314 (RN31442D-100NAS) 8TB (4 x 2TB) Network Storage NETGEAR ReadyNAS 314 (RN31400-100NAS) Diskless System Network Storage NETGEAR ReadyNAS 314 (RN31421D-100NAS) 2TB (2 x 1TB) Network Storage

Pros: easy to setup and get up and running
Transfers Data well without errors
Dual Ethernet ports
automatic raid selection depending on drive selection
xRAID2 expandability
Easy firmware upgrade
Works great for HD content served through the HTPC to any xBox 360 in the house even multiple streams

Cons: Not real easy to set up users as passwords seem to only work for the admin account ... still working on this
with the Diskless system none of the software is installed so the help videos are not helpful until you have the software installed
Make sure you update the firmware asap

Other Thoughts: Everything works as it should but there are a few things (like with anything new) that need a little tweaking.
Overall a good product and it has no problems serving up HD content through the HTPC to the Media extender xBox 360's anywhere in the house

Pros: Easy-peasy setup and installation. Quieter than other reviews lead me to believe - I can't hear it over my other computers in my office so, it's quiet.
Swapping disks is a piece of cake and there is very good feedback through the user interface. The new UI is much better than my previous ReadyNAS box (this is my second one).
Very satisfied with Netgear ReadyNAS appliances for backups and a kind of file-server occasionally.
Fast enough though not a speed demon.

Cons: Documentation was great for everything except one of the very first things you need to know - how to put drives in it. I kinda figured it out on my own and then later found an explanation buried in one of the docs (when I was looking for something else in the docs).
C'mon guys! Tell a man how to put the drives in as one of the very first things on the list!

Pros: The new Netgear ReadyNAS systems are top notch. The new software fixes nearly all of the inconsistencies from the previous version (which weren't very many). It is now incredibly simple to get you started right out of the box, which is useful for users that aren't so tech savvy. One of my favorite features is the Ready Cloud, basically allowing me to become my own private and secure cloud server from which I can access anywhere in the world. This is important to me as a photographer as clients will often ask for images while I am on the road for another job/project. Mix that with the Duplicate features that allows you to mirror two ReadyNAS devices. While this has to happen initially on the same network, you than have the ability to move the duplicate offsite to another internet connection and maintain mirroring. When it comes to my images, redundancy is key!

Cons: Having more apps to use with the new OS would be nice.

Other Thoughts: To be honest, I own the ReadyNAS 314, 316 as well as the Pro 4 and Pro 6 from the last generation and have yet to have a single malfunction or even HD crash. I have been a happy ReadyNAS user ever since I moved away from Drobo for my Photography backup needs.

Pros: Easy to setup the device, works out of the box. So far reliable.

Cons: Not accessible from one of my 3 computers on the network. Called customer support and they outright refused to help me figure out why. Plus, the guy on the line acted like he didn't have his coffee this morning. 0/10 on customer support.

Pros: Easy to Set Up:
When I first unboxed the NAS, it had the main unit, power supply, Ethernet cable, and screws (for 2.5" hdds only). The first thing I did was take all the protective plastic film off the machine. There was a lot of it. Then I opened the front of the NAS and pulled out a tray. The plastic tray didn't want to expand to allow the hard drive at first. The tray latch needs to be pushed at the same time as pulling on the hdd tray. Once I figured it out, it was simple to plug in the hdd and slide the tray into the NAS.
When I powered on the NAS, the display screen told me the IP address it was assigned on my network and that the Disk Array was building.

Visual GUI:
Going to the supplied HTTP address took me directly to the Web GUI. It told me that there was a newer version of the OS and allowed me to update with the click of a button. The update added some additional features including a Netgear app marketplace and additional advanced options for sharing.

Apps:
There are a handful of user created/modified applications such as a VPN server, full-featured Web server, and even a bit torrent client. With this NAS a PC can be bypassed and allow the user to only have use mobile devices. (Con below)

DLNA:
The media sharing function works quite well. It is easy to play music and video on my tablet and DLNA-compatible TV.

Network Sharing:
Aside from DLNA, there are many options allowing for the sharing of data. There are 4 directory to start with; Backups, Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos. These are initially accessible to anyone connecting to the NAS. Creating a new shared directory is as simple as clicking a button called "New Folder" on the Web GUI.

Authentication:
Local Users and Groups allow for a large amount of customization for permissions and access. For a location (most likely a business), the ReadyNAS allows for direct connectivity with an Active Directory-enabled network. It will (in theory. I haven't tested this yet) inherit permissions from the AD making it easy to set up with every other piece of equipment.

Backups:
The ability to use the device to back up data automatically via a menu option has put my mind at ease by having it copy precious files from a network share on my PC. It also acts as a safe storage location for my OS's built in Backup function.

Cons: Apps:
While there are a handful of apps that handle a fair variety of functions, they may not provide for all users. Those familiar with Linux have the ability to upload their own programs, but this is probably not the recommended route to take.

Array Building:
I initially installed two 2TB NAS hard drives (not the red ones). It started building the storage array at about 7 PM and was only at about 52% after 3 hours when I had to step away to do other tasks. This might be normal but not being familiar with the world of business-class RAID storage devices, I felt it was kind of slow.

Other Thoughts: This is a business-class product designed for use by between 5 and 25 users. As such, I cannot test the breadth of the capabilities of the ReadyNAS 314.
I do know that it feels likely to last a long time. It's a solid device, the network functions are reliable, and the sheer amount of features will provide many options for those that would use them.