WD Sentinel DX4000 8TB (4x2TB) Small Business Storage Server NAS WDBLGT0080KBK-NESN WD Sentinel DX4000 12TB (4x3TB) Small Business Storage Server NAS WDBLGT0120KBK-NESN WD Sentinel DX4000 6TB (2x3TB) Small Business Storage Server NAS WDBLGT0060KBK-NESN WD Sentinel DX4000 8TB (4x2TB) Small Business Storage Server NAS WDBLGT0080KBK-NESN WD Sentinel DX4000 4TB (2x2TB) Small Business Storage Server NAS WDBLGT0040KBK-NESN WD Sentinel DX4000 16TB (4 x 4TB) Small Business Storage Server NAS WDBLGT0160KBK-NESN

Pros: Well built, great drives, love the display, dual NICs, dual PSUs, easy set up once you call tech support because the manual is incomplete and poorly written.

Cons: As said, the manual sucks. One little item they left out is that when you setup the unit, you MUST use Internet Explorer, because the setup routine uses ActiveX components. Well, I use Firefox and all I got was a 403-Access Prohibited error when I tried to start the setup routine. A call to tech support solved that problem, but don't you think this might be a good thing to put in the manual?

Another issue, mentioned by others, is that it is assumed you're using this unit for media. Well, I'm not and I don't need the media shares and I don't need to get scolded each time I log into the admin interface about the fact that they're not there.

Other Thoughts: One thing they don't mention is that you can use Remote Desktop Access to get to the server's desktop. If all you use is their admin interface, you can't install other software (like an FTP server). At it's core, this is a Windows Small Business Server 2008 without some of the features of the full-featured server product. I needed a FTP server on this unit, so I downloaded Filezilla, punched a port 21 hole in the firewall, and bada-bing, bada-boom, it's up and running. I plan to ignore the admin interface and just use Remote Desktop Access to manage the server.

Pros: Well Built (except for OS) Nice feature ie Dual PSU, NIC

Cons: Windows Storage Server. Does not function as a NAS. Must install connector SW.

Manufacturer Response:

We appreciate your feedback and apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced with the Sentinel 4 TB, as this is not the typical experience with the product.
The WD Sentinel can in fact be used as a NAS, as it is a network connected device, and allows for sharing via DLNA, CIFS, and for backups on multiple systems within your network.
The Sentinel is supported on Windows and Mac OSX. Note that the easy set up process allows you to integrate WD Sentinel into your home or office network. The administration Dashboard quickly guides you through the process, including adding users, setting up data access, creating shared folders and scheduling backups.
You may visit the following link for the user manual, which will provide you with detailed information on the features and functionality of the device.
http://support.wdc.com/product/install.asp?groupid=1601&lang=en
Our support team is here to assist, should you require any further clarification or technical feedback with your device. You may contact us at 1 (855) 556-5117, or via our support website at: http://support.wdc.com/contact/contact.asp?lang=en&ct=sentinel. Please indicate within the online case creation or with the first support agent you speak with, that you are responding to a Newegg review, so we route you and your information to the correct team members.

Pros: This is my second review on this. I have had it for 10+ months now and it is still going strong. :)

Sits there quietly and never makes a fuss. Just keeps on working!

Cons: still no iscsi. management software is also still laggy.

Other Thoughts: great little device! they now have 4x4TB models. If I needed more space and had the coin, I would buy another unit in a heartbeat.

Those complaining about the processors and memory fail to realize that this unit is NOT a workstation. it is not an application server either! it is a STORAGE SERVER. made to store and share files on your network, not run server applications for your network.

It has more than enough processor and ram to do its intended job. I have never had any lag issues with it when streaming or downloading from it and I use it daily.

Pros: Easy to use, just need some time to set it up, let the unit calibrate ( approx 24 hours ) and go from there. WD has Very good tech support ( needed only once when i did a dumb dumb error ). system is quiet, fast, and a life saver for me! this sentinle is great for storing pics, documents, movies, and other stuff that is valuable

Cons: Drives COST $300+! SO get it maxed out when you purchase one

Other Thoughts: WD is a super company! Had a Spacesaver NAS from them ( 4+ years ) and it died last month. Was within warranty period by 2 months, called WD and they are sending me another NAS in exchange for the old broken one

Pros: So. Much. Space! 9 TB in raid 5 is just awesome.

Runs windows storage server 2008 RC2

Read speeds have been up to 85-90 MB/s(more than rated), and write speeds have been around 70-75 MB/s

Software started doing daily image backups of my computer without any configuration other than installing and leaving it alone after that.

If you upgrade it to 4GB of ram(uses standard laptop ram) you might even be able to run some light weight server applications on it since it boasts a dual core 1.8 GHz intel atom.

Cons: Unfortunately, not capable of gigabit read speeds over ethernet despite the internal read speed being over 150 MB/s.

Very bright LEDs and display (I keep this thing on overnight, in my bedroom)
If this thing was in a server room instead the bright led's and display would be a pro.

Other Thoughts: Would be nice if it had basic vga out seeing as this is essentially a full fledged computer designed to be compact and fit a bunch of hard drives, but I can get into it with rdp so it hasn't been an issue.

Pros: Adequate for a SOHO environment

Cons: Firstly, It cannot handle any load. With 2 gigs of ram, it barely runs its os, Windows Storage Server (basically 2008 R2 without certain roles available like AD controlling). At idle, it is using 72% of the physical memory and it has over 4 gigs of virtual memory on the array. Secondly, it is "incompatible" with any drives unless WD sanctions it. It will not accept any non-WD drives nor any WD drives that are not on the compatibility list. Lastly, WD's kits to replace or upgrade the Sentinel's drives are excessively expensive. For example, their "compatible drive" WDBBDN0030HNC is a 3TB disk that will set you back only a nice $349.99. Whereas a Seagate drive ST3000DM001 is only $149.99, less than half the price and would perform just fine in a RAID. I only picked this one because it did not have a bad review, but I am thinking about returning it.

Manufacturer Response:

We appreciate your feedback and apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced with the Sentinel DX4000 4TB, as this is not the typical experience with the product. The Sentinel has been tested under several configurations and it will easily handle your small business's day-to-day computing and file storage demands. Please note that in order to guarantee the highest level of performance and low energy consumption, the Sentinel exclusively uses the new generation of WD RE-GP family of drives, which have advanced power management technology to deliver am efficient and performance-based green solution. For more information about the Sentinel features and highlights, please click on the following link. WD Sentinel DX400 Overview:
http://bit.ly/zevNSG
http://bitly.com/MHy6V5
The Sentinel device is intended to be a highly redundant backup and storage solution with minimal downtime on a home or Enterprise environment, with full support for Windows Domains. Utilizing the RAID Edition Enterprise drives guarantees compatibility and support for robustness within these demanding requirements. If you are experiencing possible performance concerns with your device, please ensure you have the latest firmware, OS, and Windows updates applied to the Sentinel for the best possible experience, as the latest versions may address any compatibility or other various performance issues.
http://bit.ly/TSDeDz
http://bit.ly/UeRSpa
We would appreciate the opportunity to further assist you, and resolve any further concerns you may have with the device and/or your experience. You may contact us at (855) 556-5117, or via our support website at: http://support.wdc.com/contact/contact.asp?lang=en&ct=sentinel
Please indicate within the online case creation or with the first support agent you speak with, that you are responding to a Newegg review, so we route you and your information to the correct team members.

Pros: RAID 5, dual gigabit NICs, dual power, OS bundled, easy setup, small footprint, high quality parts, very quiet!

Cons: I wish the RAM could be upgraded, and perhaps a SSD used onboard.. maybe future versions of this product?

I'm not able to find anything that leads me to believe i'll be able to upgrade to 2012... but its' for backup/storage, perhaps after the warranty i'll experiment :)

Other Thoughts: I was a little concerned when I made this order, but wow... I am really surprised at the quality of this product. this thing is solid, very well built.

Setup was simple, everything was basically ready to go after a short setup procedure which was easy to do from a remote machine.

I really like the fact that this uses only 40 watts of power.

note, that if you want fail-over power, you'll need to buy an extra adapter. it only comes with one.

i'm still breaking in the product, so hopefully this solution lasts a long time!

Pros: Performs as advertised, very self maintained. It comes with top of the line hard drives.

Cons: This is not an issue for me but it does not offer the ability to change the raid type manually, the raid type is set by the number of hard drives and starts as raid 1 with two hard drives and then shifts to raid 5 with the addition of more hard drives. This is not horrible but an interesting note.

Other Thoughts: No Android app to access the NAS. =\

Pros: It's got some, but they don't matter...

This machines requires too much "baby sitting" administration for serious small business users. I would not recommend it at all for business use. As a home server it would be great though.

Cons: This review is a response to the response from WD in my previous post.

Again, I truly believe this server is NOT for small business. It's geared in it's management set for home users and not business use. It's slow to manage, and does not like it when you make changes to it's initial setup. Plus it complains about it when you don't use features that you don't need. I don't need features force fed to me!

Other Thoughts: 1. I didn't say a thing about the drives or their engineering. Just that a 120mm fan would be more quiet and have more longevity. The 80mm fan is fine, but not optimal. Small business needs as much optimization as they can get! Not "just fine."
2. Please don't give me a R.T.F.M. response again. I read the manual, which was poorly written, and know Windows Server 2008 quite well. And, I know Windows Home Server quite well too! This server is NOT for small business. It's more for home use, and does NOT meet the needs for small business. For instance, I removed the "media" shares as they are useless for our business, now the server complain each and every day that the "required shares are missing" THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED!!!!!!! I also have NOT registered a domain for this server, as it does not NEED a domain to work! Yet another daily compaint from it that I need to do this when I don't!
3. Updates don't install automatically when set that way. I have to baby sit it!!!

Manufacturer Response:

We appreciate your feedback and apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced with the Western Digital 8 TB Sentinel DX4000, as this is not the typical experience. We will gladly forward your request for adjusted cooling to our engineering team for further consideration. The User Manual references are intended to avoid confusion in our responses. We also use these references as a resource for customers who may read our responses. The Microsoft Updates to the Windows Server 2008 R2 are a separate update from the WD updates, and are applied via Windows Updates. To apply Microsoft updates, go to Server Settings on the Dashboard. Within the Dashboard, under Monitor, you may check for software updates or choose Automatic Updates. Within the Microsoft updates settings you may set the updates to automatically install with the option to schedule an update. In the event that your device is up to date and still receive alerts indicating required updates, you may want to properly reboot your device if this was not automatically done. The alerts are there to inform the administrator of potential ways to improve system stability and reliability. If you do not want to add your device to a domain, you can click on the ignore link to discontinue further duplicate alerts. As to the default media shared folders, the error you received, ‘required shares are missing’ is a component of the Windows Server 2008 R2 Essentials operating system, which we cannot supersede. We would appreciate the opportunity to answer any further inquiries for you directly, in an attempt to resolve those concerns, and find a positive resolution for your situation. You may contact us at 1 (855)556-5117, or via our support website at: http://support.wdc.com/contact/contact.asp?lang=en&ct=sentinel. Please indicate within the online case creation or with the first support agent you speak with, that you are responding to a Newegg review, so we route you and your information to the correct team members.

Pros: Very well built small unit.
Dual net and power for redundancy
Full Windows Storage Server 2008 based OS
Fast network performance
WD Support

Cons: Oh, where to start...
First, there is only a 80 mm fan on the back. Plenty of room for a 120mm which would have been much quieter. While the OS is Windows Storage Server 2008, it's setup more like Windows Home Server with the RDS style administration. This can be extremely confusing, as it pops up windows that look like local windows, but really are remote windows. It's slow, dog slow. The Atom processor is dual core, and nice to use due to low power, but it's dog slow. A different chip should have been used. Managing backups seems easy, but if you hit a bump fixing the problem is a pain. The admin interface is extremely un-intuitive. And missing so many key components for a proper NAS. Sure you can buy more add-ins, but you have to BUY them!

Other Thoughts: I really wanted to like this unit, but using it for only a few days has really been a bad experience. I've joined this unit to my domain, and even there I hit a problem. We only have 13 users, but more than 13 accounts in the domain. The NAS immediately informed me I was out of the 25 user limit and would not work. I had to create a special group in the domain just to make the NAS work! This thing even wanted to update install I.E. 9. WHY?!?! Then it wouldn't install it after all! BAH!! Windows Storage Server 2008 was great for speed, but terrible for admin and support. I'm really not pleased at all.

Manufacturer Response:

We appreciate your feedback and apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced with the Sentinel Small Office Storage Server, as this is not the typical experience with the product. The Sentinel has been specifically engineered to meet heat specifications desired for the approved drives that have been tested and qualified. For a list of qualified compatible drives, please use the following link as a reference
http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/9443
Server administration can be accessed via the dashboard, which allows the administrator to perform all of the tasks necessary to properly manage this device, which is outlined starting from page 17 on the user manual provided at the following link
http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/UM/ENG/4779-705064.pdf
Page 53 of the user manual gives a best practice for usage with the Sentinel to allow for the optimum performance of this device, as well as general setup practices. The Sentinel is running a Windows Server 2008 R2 platform, and all licensing follows guidelines provided by Microsoft, and add-ins are optionally acquired directly from Microsoft.
For information on options of updating software, please reference the section of the user manual for updating, starting on page 24. As far as updating to a new web browser, it is a business best practice to update to newer web browsers as far as security is concerned, because older technology may have vulnerabilities that have been taken into consideration and addressed with the applicable update. We would appreciate the opportunity to further assist you, and resolve any further concerns you may have with the device and/or your experience. You may contact us at 1 (855) 556-5117, or via our support website at:
http://bit.ly/PkgnDH
Please indicate within the online case creation or with the first support agent you speak with, that you are responding to a Newegg review, so we route you and your information to the correct team members.