Introduction
Are you looking for a powerful and super quiet NAS for your home network? Then the QNAP TS-410-8g might be something for you. This is a four-bay NAS with 8 GB RAM, a quad-core processor and a dual-port 2.5 GbE network card. With this NAS you can not only store and share your files securely, but also run various applications, such as multimedia streaming, virtualization, backup and more. In this review I will show you what the QNAP TS-410-8g can do, how it looks, how it works and what my experience with it is. Read on to find out if this is the NAS you need!
The Dutch review of the TS-410-8g can be read here!
Specifications
The QNAP TS-410-8g is a NAS with the following specifications:
• CPU: Intel Celeron J4125 quad-core 2.0 GHz (burst up to 2.7 GHz)
• RAM: 8 GB DDR4 (expandable to 8 GB)
• Storage: 4 x 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gbps HDD/SSD (max. 64 TB) • Network: 2 x 2.5 GbE RJ45 (compatible with 1 GbE/100 MbE)
• USB: 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (1 x front, 2 x rear)
• HDMI: 1 x HDMI 2.0, up to 4K @60Hz
• Audio: 1 x built-in speaker, 1 x 3.5 mm line-out jack
• Dimensions: 168 x 170 x 226 mm
• Weight: 2.37 kg
With these specifications you can expect that the QNAP TS-410-8g is a fast and stable NAS, which is suitable for different tasks and scenarios. You can serve multiple users simultaneously, run multiple virtual machines or containers, or stream your favorite movies and series to your TV or mobile devices.
Unboxing
The QNAP TS-410-8g comes in a sturdy cardboard box with the logo and the name of the product on the front. On the sides you will find some information about the specifications and the features of the NAS. When you open the box, you will first see an accessory package with a power cable, an ethernet cable, a quick start guide, a warranty card and some screws for installing the hard drives. Below that you will find the NAS itself, which is well protected by foam and plastic. The NAS has a black metal casing with a glossy plastic panel on the front. On the front you will also see an on/off button, a USB port, a copy button, a status LED and four LEDs for the hard drives. On the back you will see two fans, two ethernet ports, two USB ports, an HDMI port, an audio output and a power input. The NAS looks sleek and modern, and feels sturdy and solid.
Software
The QNAP TS-410-8g runs on QTS, the operating system of QNAP that is specially designed for NAS devices. QTS offers a user-friendly and intuitive interface, that resembles a desktop environment. You can easily access all the settings, features and apps of the NAS via the main menu or the shortcuts on the desktop.
To install the NAS, you only need to insert the hard drives, connect the NAS to your router and turn on the power. Then you can go to start.qnap.com via your browser to initialize and configure the NAS. You can also use the Qfinder Pro app to find and manage the NAS on your network. The installation takes only a few minutes and is very simple.
Once installed, you can enjoy the many possibilities that the QNAP TS-410-8g offers. For example, you can do the following things with this NAS:
• Securely store, share and synchronize your files with other devices or cloud services via File Station, Hybrid Backup Sync or Cloud Drive Sync.
• Organize, play and stream your multimedia files to your TV or mobile devices via Photo Station, Video Station, Music Station or Plex Media Server.
• Create and run your own virtual machines or containers via Virtualization Station or Container Station.
• Improve your network security and performance via QVPN, QoS or QuWAN.
• Increase your productivity and collaboration via Notes Station, QmailAgent or Qsync.
The QNAP TS-410-8g also supports a large number of third-party apps that you can download and install via the App Center. You can find apps for surveillance, downloading, web servers, WordPress, Joomla, Docker and more. With the QNAP TS-410-8g you can also create your own personal cloud that meets all your needs.
QNAP uses the same OS for every nas. The images below are the ones used in the review of the QNAP TS-464 and TS-664. The interface would work the same for the TS-410E.
Usage
The QNAP TS-410-8g is a NAS that has positively surprised me. I have been using it for a few weeks now and I am very satisfied with the speed, stability and versatility of the NAS. The NAS starts up quickly, responds smoothly and can perform multiple tasks simultaneously without problems.
For example, I have a virtual machine with Windows 10 running, while I also stream movies to my TV and synchronize files with my laptop. The NAS can handle all this effortlessly, thanks to the powerful processor and ample memory. The NAS is also very quiet, even under heavy load. I only hear the fans kick in occasionally, but that is not disturbing. The NAS also offers an excellent network performance, thanks to the dual-port 2.5 GbE network card.
I have connected the NAS to a 2.5 GbE switch and I get an average of about 220 MB/s when copying files from and to the NAS. That is more than twice as fast as my previous NAS, which only had a 1 GbE port.
The NAS also supports link aggregation, which means that you can combine the two ethernet ports for more bandwidth or redundancy. The NAS also supports QuWAN, an SD-WAN solution from QNAP that improves your network security and efficiency by using VPN and QoS.
The NAS also has an HDMI port, which allows you to connect the NAS to a monitor or TV. You can then use HD Station, an app that gives you access to various multimedia apps, such as Kodi, YouTube, Netflix and more. You can also connect your own keyboard and mouse to the USB ports of the NAS, or use the Qremote app on your smartphone to control the NAS. This is handy if you want to watch movies or photos on a large screen.
The NAS, however, also has a few drawbacks. First of all, the NAS is quite large and heavy, compared to other four-bay NAS devices. This can be a problem if you have little space or if you want to move the NAS often. Secondly, the NAS is quite expensive, compared to other four-bay NAS devices. The QNAP TS-410-8g costs about 500 euros without hard drives, while you can get a Synology DS420+ for about 400 euros without hard drives. The QNAP TS-410-8g does have better specifications and features than the Synology DS420+, but you have to decide for yourself if that is worth the price difference.
Conclusion
After testing the QNAP TS-410-8g, I can say that it is a great NAS. It is a device that can do everything, from multimedia streaming to virtualization, from backup to network management. It is fast, stable and versatile, thanks to the powerful hardware and the user-friendly software. It is a device that improves your network performance and security, thanks to the dual-port 2.5 GbE network card and QuWAN. It can also enrich your multimedia experience, thanks to the HDMI port and HD Station. It is in short a good ‘all-in-one’ NAS that will not disappoint you.
This NAS, however, is not suitable for everyone. It is a device that is quite large and heavy, compared to other four-bay devices. It is also quite expensive, compared to other four-bay devices. It also has no PCIe slot or M.2 slot for expansion, it also has no 10 GbE or Btrfs support. It is a device that lacks some features or apps that other brands have. The QNAP TS-410-8g is therefore a device with many pros and cons.
You have to decide for yourself if the pros outweigh the cons, and if this is the device you need. For me personally, I like it very much and I can definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a powerful and versatile solution for their home network. My recommendation is therefore to buy the QNAP TS-410-8g if you are looking for a device that can do everything, and if you are willing to pay a bit more for better specifications and features. But if you are looking for a cheaper or more compact device, or if you want specific features or apps that the QNAP TS-410-8g does not have, then you should look at other options on the market.
With 1000 euros it is not really a cheap nas. And because of that I knock one point off the rating, therefore it’s going to be 4 out of 5 stars, not bad.. Right?
