Thecus N5550 Diskless System NAS Server | Enterprise - Tower

Pros: Fast set up with (4) WD 3GB Red drives. Once I installed an Intel 1GB NIC, speeds were 100MByte/sec read & write. Using it for backup with my Acronis True Image 2013. Took a little fussing to have that see the Thecus by UNC but got it working without having to load any other software.

Cons: None so far

Pros: - 5 Bay
- eSATA
- USB 3.0
- Dual Network
- Linux OS
- Established and Active community for tips & troubleshooting
- Support for wide array of internal 2.5 and 3.5 HDD/SSD's

Cons: - Not hardware raid, instead software based
- Memory limitations with Local Display
- No supported way to include eSATA disks into array
- USB 3.0 port only in front and only with door open

Other Thoughts: Intending to use for home media streaming, TimeMachine backup, and general file storage, the Thecus N5550 from NewEgg fit the bill. This particular order came with the device and a free 2tb USB 3.0 device, thus making it, cost wise, comparable to the Synology and Netgear solutions being considered.

Loaded with 5x2tb WD RED disks, the initial boot did not recognize the disks, however a firmware update to the latest revision recognized all disks: internal, eSATA, and USB 3.0 after the reboot. From that point there was no problem accessing the disks or creating a RAID set.

New firmware claims access to HFS+ on eSATA, however I was unable to view the filesystems on my external devices. Maybe with more time it will become apparent how to make that work.

The software RAID is not an issue for me. Primarily interacting with the device through wireless connections, the limiting factor is the network. In my setup it proved difficult to drive the system to miss-behave, seems to handle everything thrown at it in stride without missing a beat.

iTunes server appeared instantly upon activating as did NFS access. Recognized my UPS immediately and can fully integrate into Active Directory or LDAP if desired. User configuration is straight forward as is assigning ACL's for shares. Setting up NIC bonding is straight forward via the web console, providing a refreshing amount of redundancy for the price point. SSH access provides a decent amount of standard linux features, enough to get a little deeper in performance and configuration. I would caution, as the MOTD does, against making any changes from the shell prompt.

It is important to read through the manual (downloadable only). There are a few things that I thought were problems until I read the manual to see it was expected. Example being AFP. It can take up to 5 minutes for AFP to be fully alive on your network while the device broadcasts to all your OS/X devices. This will impact TimeMachine and at first may make you think it is not working.

All in all I am very happy with my purchase. Thecus hosts an active community that is available to provide tips and tricks to get the most out of your device. Lots of expansion and configuration options are available, some are supported, others might void warranty, however is all goes back to your appetite for risk.

Pros: Price - Easy Setup

Cons: None really

Other Thoughts: Best NAS for the price. Offers TONS of options and interacts nicely with Linux or Windows. I put Samsung disks in it .. I can't even hear the thing running.
I bought the 5550 because I bought the 4100PRO and this was one of the best buy I have ever made.

Pros: Nice features.

Cons: NAS keeps getting stuck at self testing when booted. Search google you will see many people are having the same issue. Support is not helpful and takes a full day to respond. Each they offer a meaningless troubleshooting suggestion.

Manufacturer Response:

Hi John,

Sorry to hear about the experience that you encountered with your Thecus N5550 5-bay NAS. Please confirm that you have the latest firmware uploaded which can be located on our website. The latest firmware should solve the "self testing" loop issue.

Please use the http://ussupport.thecus.com/esupport/ link if you require more assistance with your product.

Thank you very much.

Pros: 5-bay storage for a cheap price, reasonably full feature set.

Cons: Dead fan out of the box, defective LCD panel, cheap feel, GUI looks like something out of the 1990s, M-F 9-5 support only.

Out of the box, it reported a fan failure, plus the LCD had a defective line of pixels.

GUI looks like something out of the 1990s.

My support issue was something that was "escalated", though normal support is only M-F 9A-5P PST.

Other Thoughts: Replaced this unit with a Synology DS1512+ and have been extremely happy with it. I won't go back to Thecus due to this bad experience.

Pros: Fast installation
Lots of modules
HDMI direct video playback
Plenty of storage space

Cons: Can't think of any

Other Thoughts: Overall very satisfied with this product. Thecus's official forum is a great source of information for whatever questions I had. The 5 bays of storage gives me enough place for all of my movie collection and plenty for more. With the HDMI output and local display module, playing those movies on my flat screen TV is as easy as 1-2-3. And to add to the greatness I can control the local display with my smartphone :). I strongly recommend it, you won't be disappointed.

Pros: Easy-to-use NAS
Reliable NAS. Fast and quiet.
Intel Atom CPU provides superior operation performance
ThecusOS 5.0 and Local Display works seamlessly
Great HDMI integration

Cons: No cons so far

Other Thoughts: The N5550 is truly a great NAS and for the price it's even better. For me, the most significant part of the N5550 is that it offers loads of options and functions.

I defiantly do not regret purchasing and choosing Thecus for my network attached storage solution. I feel confident and will refer Thecus to family and friends!