Pros: Small, light (but durable!), fanless (which means completely silent), great performance, easy setup (if you know what you're doing). Internal web-based configuration makes the majority of setup a snap (after you manually configure an IP address, subnet mask and gateway via the CLI console).

Cons: I'd have preferred an internal power supply, as opposed to the external (and king-sized) 'wall wart' it uses, but I suppose that's the price one pays for a fanless device. Non-standard (for Cisco, anyway) serial port console connection (they should have set it up to use the well-known 'blue cable' used on most of their routers). No provision for USB/Serial console port. If you're going to configure the thing manually (and you have to, at least for an IP address and subnet so you can get to the web interface), you need to do it through the hardware RS232 serial port. Still, I don't see this as a major failing point given the presence of USB/Serial adapters.

Overall Review: I'm using two of these units, one for IP/PoE+ security cameras and one in the lab for a 'testbench' switch. In terms of setup and performance, I have no complaints all. READ THE MANUAL/QUICK-START GUIDE! This is NOT a device I would recommend for total networking newbies. If I could give the design team any input on these units, it would be twofold: First, see if an internal power supply can be done and still have the unit be fanless. Second, make the console serial port compatible with the familiar 'blue cable' used for so many of the larger Cisco routers.

Pros: I was a little leery about buying this, having been burned in times past, but I'm happy to report it does exactly what it says: Makes a true SAS hard drive visible via USB. I tested it under Linux (Kubuntu 24.04 LTS), with an old HP 146GB 2.5" drive, and experimented with both wxHexEditor and the standard Linux partition editor. I was able to, with the hex editor, literally step through every sector/byte on the drive and easily alter or search. This is a Great Thing for file recovery and similar disk forensics. As far as the partition editor goes, I was able to create a standard FAT32 partition on the SAS disk and write/read files on it. Was it the fastest thing on the planet? Of course not. You're going through the overhead of a USB port plus the USB-to-SAS bridge circuitry. But it WORKED!

Cons: My only gripe: The construction seems a bit flimsy. Plastic housing, not a lot of mass to it, the door up top feels fragile, etc. I would have been willing to pay a bit more for something in a metal housing which was too heavy to just brush off your desk.

Overall Review: If you have a need to work with SAS hardware, as I do, this little beastie is well worth the $$.

Pros: --Well-built, has a good 'heft' to it. --Incredibly quiet! I had to plaster the thing to my ear to hear the drive running at all. --Easy to use, but don't bother with the built-in software. Just plug it in and use it!

Cons: --The software provided was not useful, at least to me. It seemed 'overly simplified' for a power user or pro tech. --Rubber anti-skid feet are too small. I don't think they're going to last more than a year or so.

Overall Review: I bought this unit so I could back up the entirety of our old NAS (about 3.5TB worth) and transfer it to a new one (see my other review for the Synology RS-816). Other than the minor annoyances listed in the 'Cons,' no complaints. I've been leery of Seagate product in times past, but they certainly seem to have gotten this unit right.

Pros: --Incredibly quiet for a rack device. I expected it to be as loud as a small server, fan-wise, but no! You could easily put this in a living space, especially if you use SSD's. --Very well-built, easy setup, very fast USB ports (important for restoring data from a portable backup drive). Example: It took nearly 27 hours to back up about 3.5TB from our old NAS, so I could move the disks to the new one. According to the progress graph, it looks like restoring everything will take about six hours and change. --Had no trouble at all joining an Active Directory domain. It picked up on all our domain users, groups and, most importantly, file permissions without a single hitch.

Cons: Only one so far: Synology did a poor job of machining the rackmount brackets. Oh, they're quality material, certainly strong enough for the job, BUT Synology neglected to provide enough empty space between the rack screw slots and the U-shaped 'handle' for the screw heads. The standard screws I use for a 2-post telecomm/network-type rack don't fit on both sides. I ended up using two different screw types, with different head sizes. Synology: If you read this, I would be only too happy to send you a couple of samples of the standard rack screws I'm speaking of. Perhaps you can re-do the brackets? My first thought would be to eliminate the U-shaped 'handle' part and just go with a basic L-bracket design.

Overall Review: I especially like the ability to aggregate (bond) the two network ports.

Pros: Very easy to set up (assuming you know what you're doing with manually configuring a laptop to talk to it for initial setup). The web interface is very intuitive, but does have a 'gotcha' (see below). Engenius provides freely downloadable controller software if you want to run multiple WAPs on one network. Excellent price point for a WAP of this quality and feature set. Cisco would want $400+ for something comparable!

Cons: Not set for DHCP by default (you have to enable it during initial configuration). No hardware/RS232 console serial port to manage initial setup. If you don't have an Ethernet crossover cable for your laptop, or an existing network with at least one switch, you're up the proverbial creek without any means of propulsion! As for the 'gotcha' I mentioned above: Yes, the web interface makes it pretty easy, but check the 'Save/Reload' item in the left column after making ANY changes! If it shows a count greater than zero, CLICK IT BEFORE you log out or power off or the AP will revert to factory defaults.

Overall Review: If you're looking for just a simple, plug-and-go WAP, this is NOT it. These units are clearly built for those who have some experience with networking, TCP/IP configuration, RADIUS (if you use it), etc. If I could change the design, I would do two things: First, provide a hardwire RS232 serial console port for initial configuration. Cisco does this on their WAPs, and it's a real lifesaver if you're out in the field without an Ethernet crossover cable. Second: I would have these units set for DHCP by default. That way, you can just plug it into an existing network, check the DHCP server to see which address it grabbed, and log in to configure. No messing with crossover cables or a separate computer. With all this said: You do get quite a bit for your $$. If you're comfortable with your network skills, go for it!

Pros: Does just as it's designed to do, and does it well. The standalone cloning function worked perfectly to transfer the contents of a failing drive to a replacement, and the USB hookup made it easy to wipe a different drive prior to recycling.

Cons: No accommodation for the older PATA drives. No similar product for SAS drives (yes, this is just me being picky).

Overall Review: It'd be a Really Great Thing if someone would create a similar product which could dock SAS drives.