Our test of six Wi-Fi 6 routers found no significant benefit from OFDMA.
We resume our quest to find OFDMA's promised benefits, by first trying to find a good benchmark test.
OFDMA, a key Wi-Fi 6 feature, is still mostly absent from consumer routers and makers are not telling us.
We take a look at how five Wi-Fi 6 routers perform with a Wi-Fi 6 client.
The first Wi-Fi performance test standard will change the way we test Wi-Fi products.
Advertising supported content doesn't work, at least no longer for SmallNetBuilder. So we're taking a different path.
Updated - Our first look at the performance of NETGEAR's RAX80 and ASUS' RT-AX88U shows little benefit functioning as AC routers.
Synology's DS119j $100 NAS is the least expensive NAS you can buy.
QNAP's TS-332X is a 10GbE NAS that trades higher flexibility for lower price.
SmallNetBuilder has said goodbye to social media networks.
Jim Salter took ASUS' AiMesh for a drive and found your mileage may vary...a lot!
Updated - NETGEAR's R7800 Nighthawk X4S Smart WiFi Gaming Router is our new top-ranked MU-MIMO router.
Updated - 160 MHz channel bandwidth is an essential feature of 802.11ax. We take a look at whether it means trouble for your 11ac network.
Updated - ASUS' RT-AC86U Dual Band AC2900 Wireless Router aims to replace the RT-AC68 as ASUS' mainstream midrange router.
VLANs aren't just for large networks. Doug Reid shows you how to use a smart switch and VLANs to divide a small LAN into secure, separate segments. 
We reveal the secrets of why your devices don't always connect where you want them to and what you can do to fix it.
Updated: The first draft 11ax routers are almost here. Take a little time to know what you might be buying into.
Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes when Wi-Fi devices roam, or more likely don't? We'll show you why the "seamless" roaming Wi-Fi gear makers promise is still as elusive as a Yeti.
Updated - Our roundup of 2x2 802.11ac access points shows top performance doesn't have to cost a lot.
Updated - Think Wi-Fi analyzers that can show network activity are expensive? Here's how to build one for well under $100.
Our 2018 guide to choosing a wireless router finds 802.11ax not yet ready to play.
This short How To shows you how to delay your old wireless router's trip to the landfill.
Delays, missteps and over-aggressive marketing have made this once promising technology something you can live without.
| At a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Product | QNAP TS-251 & TS-451 Turbo NASes [Website] |
| Summary | Intel dual-core Celeron-powered NASes with dual Gigabit LAN, USB 3.0 and HDMI port. |
| Pros | • Supports up to 8 GB of RAM • Wide range of downloadable apps • Quiet • Updated user interface |
| Cons | • TS-451 is expensive compared to similarly performing TS-469L |
Introduction
QNAP recently upgraded its Home and SOHO NAS family with the TS-x51 series with two, four, six and eight bay models. All share a common hardware platform with two variations. The white TS-251 (2 bay) and TS-451 (4 bay) use the same main board with two each USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports.
The black TS-651 (6 bay) and TS-851 (8 bay) share a different main board that supports three USB 3.0 ports. The larger models also use a different SATA device to support the greater number of drive bays. So while the family includes four models, this review will focus on the two and four-bay models.
QNAP TS-x51 product comparison
Each product in the TS-X51 family is available with 1 GB or 4 GB (2 X 2 GB) of SoDIMM RAM that can be expanded to a total of 8 GB. The 4 GB model costs $60 more than the corresponding 1 GB model on Amazon. The additional power of the Celeron processor and additional memory will come in handy to support Virtualization Station and new QvPC features coming in QTS 4.1.2.
Below is a screenshot showing the callouts for the front and rear panels for the four models. Each front panel has LED indicators for each disk, power button, IR receiver, One Touch Copy button and a single USB 3.0 port. Although the TS-651 and 851 look like they have a status panel, the callouts show that all that's behind the dark plastic panel running along upper front panel is an IR receiver.
Front and rear panel callouts
The TS-251 and 421 rear panels have a power connector for the external brick, two Gigabit LAN ports, reset button, two USB 2.0 ports, security slot, HDMI port and fan. The TS-651 and 851 have a built-in power supply so you'll find an AC receptacle. The TS-651 and 851 also have dual fans as well as two USB 3.0 ports (in addition to the one on the front panel).
Inside
We disassembled the TS-451 to take the photos and identify components. Disassembly is easy and QNAP even provides instructions. The easy backplane removal will be particularly welcome if you opt for a RAM upgrade.
All -x51 series models use a 2.41 GHz Intel Celeron J1800 (Bay Trail D) dual-core processor, sitting under the heatsink in the photo below. As noted earlier, the TS-651 and 851 use a different board with dual-stacked USB 3.0 and Gigabit Ethernet ports.
QNAP TS-451 main PCB
SATA for the 251 and 451 drive bays is provided by Asmedia ASM1061 dual-port PCIe to SATA host controllers mounted on the drive bay backplane. According to Legion Hardware's review, the 651 an 851 use Marvell 88SE9215 quad-port 6 Gb/s PCIe - SATA host controllers mounted on their larger drive backplanes.
QNAP TS-451 backplane PCB
Table 1 summarizes key components.
| TS-251 / TS-451 | TS-651 / TS-851 | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron J1800 dual-core processor @ 2.41 GHz (Bay Trail D) | Intel Celeron J1800 dual-core processor @ 2.41 GHz (Bay Trail D) |
| RAM | 1 GB DDR3 SoDIMM (expandable to 8 GB) | 1 GB DDR3 SoDIMM (expandable to 8 GB) |
| Flash | 512 MB DOM | 512 MB DOM |
| Ethernet | Intel WGI210TA (x2) | Intel WGI210TA (x2) |
| USB 3.0 | Asmedia 1074 USB 3.0 quad port hub |
Asmedia 1074 USB 3.0 quad port hub |
| SATA | Asmedia ASM1061 (x2 for TS-451) | Marvell 88SE9215 quad-port 6 Gb/s PCIe - SATA host controllers (x2) |
| HDMI | Asmedia ASM1442 level shifter | Asmedia ASM1442 level shifter |
Table 1: Key component summary and comparison
QNAP equipped the TS-451 review sample with four Seagate NAS HDD 3 TB (ST3000VN000) drives for testing. Power consumption measured 31 W with the 4 drives spun up and 13 W with them spun down. With only two drives inserted for the TS-251 tests, power consumption dropped to 19W with the drives spun up. Fan and drive noise could be classified as low, i.e. barely audible in a quiet home office.
