Introduction
If you are looking for a professional and versatile NAS for your business, then the QNAP TS-435XeU-4G might be something for you. This is a 4-bay rackmount NAS that runs on a quad-core processor and 4 GB RAM. It not only offers a high storage capacity and performance, but also a range of features and applications that you can use to make your work more efficient and secure. For example, think of data backup, file sharing, virtualization, cloud integration, multimedia streaming and much more. In this review, we will go deeper into the specifications, the unboxing, the software and the use of this NAS. Are you curious if this NAS meets your expectations? Then read on quickly.
Specifications
The QNAP TS-435XeU-4G is a 1U short-depth rackmount NAS that is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses that need a compact and powerful storage solution. The NAS has the following specifications:
• CPU: Marvell OCTEON TX2 CN9130 series CN9131 ARMv8 64-bit Cortex-A72 quad-core 2.2 GHz processor
• Memory: 4 GB DDR4, expandable to 32 GB (1 x 32 GB)
• Flash memory: 4 GB (dual boot OS protection)
• Disk slots: 4 x 3.5-inch SATA 6Gbps, hot-swappable
• M.2 slots: 2 x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 3 x1 NVMe SSD slots
• Network ports: 2 x 10GbE SFP+ ports, 2 x 2.5GbE (2.5G/1G/100M) RJ45 LAN ports
• USB ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
• LED indicators: HDD 1-4, Status, LAN, USB, M.2 SSD 1-2 • Buttons: Power, Reset
• Dimensions (HxWxD): 43.3 × 430 × 292.12 mm
• Weight (net): 4.17 kg
• Power consumption: HDD sleep mode: 17.367 W, operating mode: 30.878 W
• Fans: 3 x 40mm, 12VDC
• System warning: Buzzer Kensington security slot
These specifications show that the QNAP TS-435XeU-4G is a NAS that offers a lot of computing power, storage space and network speed for various business applications. The NAS also supports AES-128-GMAC for the acceleration of the SMB signature, which improves the security and performance of the file transfer.
Price
The QNAP TS-435XeU-4G has a suggested retail price of €771.90, but the actual price may vary depending on the store and availability. The price of the QNAP TS-435XeU-4G is comparable to that of other NAS devices with similar specifications, such as the Synology RS1221+ (€799,-) or the Asustor AS6508T (€799,-). However, the QNAP TS-435XeU-4G offers more network ports and M.2 slots than these competitors, which can be an advantage for some users. The price of the QNAP TS-435XeU-4G does not include the costs of disks, SSDs, licenses and accessories that you may need to fully utilize the NAS.
Unboxing
The QNAP TS-435XeU-4G comes in a sturdy cardboard box with the QNAP logo and model name on it. In the box you will find:
• The NAS itself, wrapped in foam and plastic
• A power cable
• Two ethernet cables
• A bag with screws for disks and M.2 SSDs
• A quick installation guide and warranty card
The NAS has a metal casing with a black finish and a plastic front panel. On the front you will see four drive bays with locks, a power button, a reset button, two USB 2.0 ports and various LED indicators for status, LAN, USB and M.2 SSDs. On the back you will see two 10GbE SFP+ ports, two 2.5GbE RJ45 LAN ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a Kensington security slot, a power connector and three fans. The NAS also has two M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 3 x1 NVMe SSD slots on the bottom, which you can access by turning over the NAS and removing four screws. To install the NAS, you first need to remove the drive bays from the NAS by unlocking them.
Then you need to attach your SATA disks (3.5-inch or 2.5-inch) to the drive bays with the included screws. Then you can put the drive bays back into the NAS and lock them. If you also want to use M.2 SSDs, you need to open up the bottom of the NAS and insert your M.2 SSDs into the slots with the included screws. Then you can close up the bottom again.
Now you can connect the NAS to the power outlet and to your network with the ethernet cables. You can also connect external devices to the USB ports, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a printer or an external drive. Once you have connected everything, you can turn on the NAS with the power button and wait for it to boot up.
To configure the NAS, you need to go to your web browser and enter the IP address of the NAS or go to start.qnap.com and enter the serial number of the NAS. There you can initialize and set up the QTS operating system according to your preferences. You can also use Qfinder Pro, a utility that you can download from the QNAP website, to find and manage your NAS on your network.
Software
The QNAP TS-435XeU-4G runs on the QTS operating system, an intuitive and versatile software that transforms your NAS into a powerful and flexible platform. With QTS, you can easily set up, manage, monitor and update your NAS via a web browser or a mobile app. You can also use the App Center to download and install more than 200 apps that extend your NAS functionality in areas such as backup, virtualization, cloud, multimedia, security and more.
One of the main features of QTS is QuTS hero, a ZFS-based file system that provides advanced data protection, optimization and management. With QuTS hero, you can benefit from features such as inline deduplication, compression and compaction that increase storage efficiency; snapshots and replication that improve data recovery capacity; RAID-triple parity and RAID-TP that strengthen data integrity; and SSD-overprovisioning that extends SSD performance and lifespan.
Another important feature of QTS is QuRouter, an operating system that simplifies the management of high-speed and high-coverage LAN/WAN. With QuRouter, you can use NAT, VPN, security and QuWAN SD-WAN to make your network management easier and your remote connections more secure. QuWAN is a software-defined WAN solution that can combine multiple WAN connections to create a secure and reliable network between different locations. With QuWAN, you can also use Zero Trust Security to protect your network from cyberattacks.
In addition to QTS, QuTS hero and QuRouter, this NAS also supports other software solutions that can enhance your NAS experience. Some examples are:
• QVR Pro: a professional surveillance solution that supports up to 8 free IP camera channels and can be expanded to 128 channels with licenses. With QVR Pro, you can manage your cameras, view live feeds, play back recordings, use face recognition and much more.
• QVR Elite: a cloud-based surveillance solution that does not require any extra hardware and supports up to 10 free IP camera channels. With QVR Elite, you can manage your cameras via the cloud, view live feeds on any device, store recordings on the NAS or in the cloud, use face recognition and much more.
• HybridMount: a file-based cloud gateway solution that gives you access to various public cloud services via the file manager of QTS or Windows File Explorer. With HybridMount, you can use cloud storage as local storage without consuming extra bandwidth or adding latency.
• VJBOD Cloud: a block-based cloud gateway solution that allows you to use cloud storage space as virtual disks on your NAS. With VJBOD Cloud, you can use cloud storage as local storage with better performance and efficiency.
• HBS 3: a comprehensive backup solution that allows you to backup data to local, remote or cloud storage with encryption, compression and deduplication. With HBS 3, you can also use QuDedup to reduce the backup size and increase the backup speed.
These are just some examples of the software solutions that the QNAP TS-435XeU-4G supports. There are many more apps and features that you can discover and use to take your NAS to the next level.
Due to the fact that QNAP’s nasses have quite a uniform OS, I am using the pictures of another review, the TS-464 and TS-664!
Usage
The QNAP TS-435XeU-4G is more than just a storage device. It is a versatile platform that you can customize and expand to meet your business needs. Here are some examples of how you can use the NAS for different purposes:
• Store, share and sync files: You can store your files on the NAS and easily share them with your colleagues, clients or partners. You can also sync your files between the NAS and your devices, so you always have the latest version. You can also create a hybrid cloud environment by integrating your cloud storage with the NAS. This gives you more flexibility, scalability and cost savings for your storage management.
• Backup and recovery: You can backup your important data to the NAS or to external or cloud storage with HBS 3. You can also protect your data from accidental deletion or corruption with snapshots and replication. With QuTS hero, you can also benefit from advanced RAID levels to strengthen your data integrity. This gives you more peace of mind, security and recovery capacity for your data.
• Virtualization: You can use the NAS as a virtualization platform to host multiple virtual machines or containers. You can also create a secure and reliable network between different locations with QuWAN. With QuTS hero, you can also benefit from SSD-overprovisioning to extend SSD performance and lifespan. This gives you more possibilities, efficiency and productivity for your business applications.
• Multimedia streaming: You can use the NAS as a media server to stream your photos, videos and music to different devices. You can also use Qmedia to manage and play your media content. With QuTS hero, you can also benefit from storage efficiency features to store more media content. This gives you more enjoyment, convenience and space for your multimedia collection.
• Surveillance: You can use the NAS as a surveillance system with QVR Pro or QVR Elite, which support up to 8 free IP camera channels and can be expanded to 128 channels with licenses. With QVR Pro or QVR Elite, you can manage your cameras, view live feeds, play back recordings, use face recognition and much more. This gives you more control, insight and security for your surveillance environment.
Although the QNAP TS-435XeU-4G offers many benefits for usage, there are also some drawbacks that you need to consider:
• Dependency on a stable internet connection: Some features of the NAS, such as cloud integration, QuWAN or QVR Elite, require a stable internet connection to work properly. If your internet connection is slow or unreliable, this may affect the performance and availability of these features.
• Extra costs for licenses: Some features of the NAS, such as snapshot storage space, virtual machines or containers, IP camera channels or face recognition, require extra licenses to unlock more capacity or functionality. These licenses may incur extra costs that you need to consider when budgeting for your NAS solution.
• Extra consumption of system resources: Some features of the NAS, such as virtualization, media streaming or surveillance, may consume extra system resources, such as CPU, memory or bandwidth. This may affect the performance and stability of other features or applications that run on the NAS. You need to ensure a good balance between the different features and applications that you want to use on the NAS.
Conclusion
The QNAP TS-435XeU-4G is a NAS that has a lot to offer for a sharp price. It is a compact and versatile NAS that is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses that are looking for a professional and flexible storage solution. The NAS has a quad-core processor, 4 GB memory, two 10GbE SFP+ ports, two 2.5GbE ports and two M.2 NVMe SSD slots. The NAS runs on the QTS ope rating system, which provides an intuitive and comprehensive software with many apps and features to extend the NAS functionality.The NAS also supports QuTS hero, a ZFS-based file system that provides advanced data protection, optimization and management. The NAS also supports QuRouter, an operating system that simplifies the management of high-speed and high-coverage LAN/WAN.
The QNAP TS-435XeU-4G is a NAS that you can use for different purposes, such as storing, sharing and syncing files, backup and recovery, virtualization, multimedia streaming and surveillance. The NAS offers high performance, security, efficiency and productivity for your business applications. The NAS also offers enjoyment, convenience and space for your multimedia collection.
The QNAP TS-435XeU-4G is not perfect, however. There are also some drawbacks that you need to consider, such as the dependency on the internet connection, the extra costs for licenses and the extra consumption of system resources. You need to weigh carefully whether these drawbacks outweigh the benefits for your situation.
I am ginving the QNAP TS-435XeU-4G, 4 out of 5 stars.
