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Introduction
| At a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Product | Netgear ReadyNAS NVX (RNDX4410) |
| Summary | Fast, fully-featured, expensive four-drive NAS |
| Pros | • High performance • Dual gigabit Ethernet • Many backup options • Root shell access • User-expandable RAM up to 4 GB |
| Cons | • Expensive
• No eSATA ports |
NETGEAR's ReadyNAS NV+ has had a long run, dating back to when Infrant was just a gleam in NETGEAR's acquisition eye. But its custom Infrant SPARC-based processor hasn't been able to match the performance of more recently designed products, so NETGEAR had to do something.
That something is the Intel-based NVX, NETGEAR's new four-bay ReadyNAS that will eventually replace the NV+. The NVX is, for all intents and purposes, a faster (and much more expensive) NV+. So since the ReadyNAS is no stranger to these pages, this review will focus on its performance after a brief feature summary and look at the innards.
The NVX has two versions currently in distribution, the top-of-line RNDX4410 (4 x 1 TB - the review unit) and RNDX4210 (2 x 1 TB). An entry-level RNDX4250 (2 x 500 GB) is listed on NETGEAR's website, but doesn't appear to be shipping yet.
The NVX is exactly the same size as the NV+, measuring a compact 7.9" H x 5.2" W x 8.7 D". But its all-black styling makes it look like a smaller version of NETGEAR's six-drive Pro. Figure 1 calls out the front panel indicators and controls, which are a copy of those found on the NV+.
Figure 1: ReadyNAS NVX front
A metal-mesh door swings open to reveal the four drive bays, which hold redesigned trays that substitute a slide switch for the paper-clip lock release (Figure 2).
Figure 2: New drive tray lock
Figure 3 shows the NVX's rear panel, with a single variable-speed case fan. Noise level is about on par with the NV+, which is not whisper quiet. It was louder than my desktop PC and became somewhat louder when under load during testing.
Figure 3: NVX rear
The other two of three total USB 2.0 ports support additional storage, USB printers and USB-enabled UPSes (such as APC). Two 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN ports support jumbo frames (auto-adjustable up to 9K) and can be configured in a variety of teaming / failover options explained here.
Like the ReadyNAS PRO, the NVX has the serious omission of an eSATA port to support fast backups or storage expansion. But iSCSI target support has been added to the NVX and all ReadyNASes with the most recent RAIDiator 4.2.5 release.
User reviews
Average user rating from: 2 user(s)
NOTE! Please post product reviews from actual experience only.
Questions, review comments and opinions about products not based on actual use will not be published.
Major Compatibility Issues!! But Great Unit When it Works
Pros: Good performance with lots of features. Much cheaper than comparable speed/features NAS boxes. Setup is so easy my mom could do it. Long HW warrenty period, (but only 90 days of free tech support.)
The easy setup and use of X-RAID2 hides many controls that some tech savvy owners would want access to. (pro or con depending on the user)
Cons: Major Compatibility Issues!!
This unit has huge compatibility problems, which blows my mind given that it should have the very mature linux IP stack and a standard NIC inside. I've spent hours on the phone with tech support to no avail (they blame all my other hardware). When I first got it I tried out 10 different routers/switches and only about 1/2 worked with this unit and the others had unusable performance (~ 20KB/s down and 40MB/s up - that's not a type-o). I've brought to friends houses to trade data and several of their computers' somehow also similarly incompatible. Now it's started dropping connections and stalling out downloads. It even causes my brand new iMac to hang the finder so badly that I can't Force Quit and have to hard power off the unit.
Summary:
I've had the unit for 3-4 months. My overall opinions is that when the unit works, it is an great NAS at a good price. But if you own one of these, every time you buy a new piece of equipment or move the unit elsewhere, you'll do so in fear that it won't be able work at all with the NAS.
I'm sad that I'm prepping to sell mine to buy some other a lesser, but reliable unit.
Netgear Readynas NVX 4x 500GB
This is my first NAS and I have been mightily impressed. It looked pretty expensive, but then Netgear did a promotion. Buy an NVX with 2x 500GB and they send you another 2x 500GB free. This made it a much better value proposition. Reviews were good for the unit so I bit the bullet.
Setup was pretty painless, but be warned when expanding the storage it can take a LONG time. Expanding my 1TB to 2TB took over 12 hours, but it was not that bad as I left it going overnight. Having the Xraid feature was a big plus.
The unit has tons of features, and the web interface is pretty easy to use. My Xbox, PS3 and WIn7 machines picked it up without any hassle thanks to the bulit in DNLA/UpNP. It also works fine with my Macbook Pro laptop.
Performance is very good. I was eyeing up an NV+ as a friend had one, but the NVX is much faster so I'm glad I went for it.
On the downside it would have been good to have ESATA. USB backup is okay if you use EXT3 formatted discs, but SLOW using NTFS. Perhaps Netgear could look into the Paragon solution that Qnap as using for fast NTFS backups? USB3 should be a minimum for any future Readynas units...
Also it is not the easiest unit to dismantle, I had a little play, just in case I may want to upgrade the ram or replace a component like the PSU.
However those are some minor issues. All in all this is a small, not too loud, fast NAS. I am very happy with my purchase.
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