Once that’s done, you might choose Storage and set up your storage volumes.
Overall, I was impressed with the speed of setup and use.
What I really like about this NAS solution is that it’s completely scalable.
If you set up the permissions correctly, you’re free to also get into the drive remotely.
Not only that, but the actual setup of the unit is extremely easy.
This is usually where most smaller NAS systems end, but here TerraMaster has included a further option.
The RAM slots can support up to 64GB, using two 32GB sticks.
What this enables, combined with the dual 10GbE Ethernet ports, is incredibly fast transfer speeds.
First of all, there’s the Intel Core i5 processor with 10 cores and 12 threads.
What’s more, alongside these four standard bays, there are two NVMe M.2 slots for faster storage.
However, many wireless routers already have several LAN ports you could plug directly into.
TerraMaster also provides plenty of online support videos and documentation to guide you through the setup process.
One of the main uses for NAS systems within the home and small office is as a media hub.
This makes it perfectly possible to use as a home media server.
Again, adding more RAM will make a difference to the performance.
This gives you flexibility over how you configure the drives and allocate space.
As with any storage rig used for business, you’ll want to ensure everything is safe and secure.
This makes it suitable for image and video editingsomething few other systems of this size or price can offer.
Backup is one of the major features here for security and enables you to recover data.
If you lose or damage your laptop or other devices; your data is safely backed up.
Much of the complexity of older NAS boxes is gone.
Between these two slots are the dual-channel RAM slots.
If you want to upgrade the RAM at the same time, you’ve got the option to.
The unit comes with 8GB as standard, which was more than enough for most tasks during testing.
I then allocated folders to the main volume, creating folders for video, documents, and other media.
I also set up a PLEX account and installed apps for media playback.
On the NVMe fast-access drives, I created a new volume.
For use in a home office or small office, the F4-424 Max is an excellent solution.
One of the tests I conducted was to see how the NAS box would perform with multiple connections.
I connected two PCs and two Macs, all accessing content from the NAS box simultaneously.
There were very few, if any, issues.
For those on a wireless connection, the average transfer rate was around 100150MB/s.
With multiple connections, this dropped to around 80100MB/s, which was still impressive.
Likewise, due to web link limitations, the wired connection topped out at around 150MB/s.
Should you buy the TerraMaster F4-424 Max?
NAS systems like this can be tricky, especially for those without much IT experience.
The initial setup is relatively straightforward, and there shouldn’t be anything here that causes issues.
The F4-424 simplifies this concept with its TOS 6 web app-based tool.
This software allows you to set up volumes quickly and easily, especially with the included guides.
The RAID configuration ensures that if one drive fails, it can be replaced without any loss of data.
Additionally, the sync options enable your laptops and desktop machines to be backed up to the NAS drive.
In turn, the NAS itself can be backed up to another drive or an online backup solution.
As a complete solution, the TerraMaster F4-424 is one of the best options I’ve seen.
What truly gives it an edge are the two NVMe M.2 drives that slot into the side.
While 4TB might seem like a significant amount of storage, video production can quickly consume that volume.
Value
While it may seem expensive, the flexibility and maximum storage capacity make it excellent value.
Total
One of the best solutions I’ve reviewed at this priceideal for content creators and small businesses alike.
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