TerraMaster F2-210 Review - Review 2022

The TerraMaster F2-210 ($149.99) is a two-drive network attached storage (NAS) device designed to serve as a abode or personal cloud solution. This NAS doesn't offer features such every bit multiple gigabit LAN ports, link assemblage, or an HDMI video output and its app itemize is very limited, but it's affordably priced and delivered decent performance in our tests. That said, our Editors' Choice for dual-bulldoze NAS devices, the $329 Asustor AS5202T, offers more than robust features and faster file transfers.

Pattern and Features

If the F2-210 looks familiar, that'south because information technology uses the same 5.2-past-4.6-by-9-inch silver aluminum alloy enclosure as the TerraMaster F2-221 and F2-220 devices. Information technology is equipped with two front-loading drive bays but offers only a single gigabit LAN port, whereas the Asustor AS5202T has dual two.5Gbps Ethernet ports that can be combined using link aggregation to deliver speeds of up to 5Gbps. Joining the LAN port on the rear console are two USB 3.0 Type-A ports and the Air-conditioning adapter jack. Missing is the HDMI port that you get with the QNAP TS-251B-4G. The front of the enclosure holds a panel with a ability button and LED indicators for drive activity, LAN activity, and power.

The F2-210 is powered by a 1.4GHz, quad-core ARM CPU and 1GB of system retention. It supports 4K/30fps video encoding and can accommodate an internal capacity of upwards to 32TB (two 16TB drives). This NAS supports RAID 0, RAID 1, JBOD, and unmarried-disk configurations and the EXT4 and Btrfs file systems. A unmarried 80mm 3-speed fan prevents internal components from overheating. Equally with most of the NAS devices we review, you'll accept to supply your ain 2.five- or 3.5-inch SATA hard drives.

The F2-210 uses the same TerraMaster Operating System (TOS) every bit the F2-220 and F2-221 models and can exist controlled using the same TNAS desktop and mobile apps. The desktop app has a Windows look and feel and comes populated with tiles for File Manager, Applications, Control Panel, Backup, Remote Access, and TOS Help. A console with the device'southward name, condition, network connection, storage usage, and resource usage appears to the right of the desktop.

The File Managing director lets you lot create and delete folders, upload information from external sources, and create file and folder shares. Tap the Applications tile to download media server, mail server, security, and backup apps. I constitute 39 apps bachelor in the TerraMaster catalog, which is five more than than when we reviewed the F2-221 simply significantly fewer than you get with other NAS drives. For example, Asustor offers more than 200 apps, while the QNAP and Synology catalogs have more than than 100 apps apiece.

To add users and user groups, assign permissions, configure network settings, and configure firewall and other security settings, tap the Control Panel tile. It includes a Storage Manager section where you tin can create a storage puddle, create volumes for each pool, view hard drive data, and manage external storage devices.

The Fill-in tile takes you to a screen where yous tin configure Rsync and Time Machine information backups and dorsum up data from the F2-210 to a USB drive or vice versa. Remote Access lets y'all accomplish the NAS from anywhere over the spider web or configure it for DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name Service) access. The TOS Help icon provides descriptions of each TOS feature, but the data is very basic, as is the downloadable user guide.

Installation and Functioning

I found the F2-210 much easier to install than the F2-221, merely at that place was a slight hiccup almost the end of the installation process. To brainstorm, I typed the http://start.terra-master.com URL into my browser, which opened a Quick Installation Guide folio. I selected the F2-210 from the drop-down list, pressed Start, and followed the instructions to download the user transmission then install my two Seagate Ironwolf 10TB drives into the drive sleds using the included mounting screws and screwdriver. I inserted the sleds into their drive bays, connected the device to my router using the included LAN cable, and powered up the NAS.

Next, I downloaded and installed the TNAS desktop app and launched it and the F2-210 was immediately recognized. I clicked on the drive to brainstorm the initialization procedure, which checks for the physical presence of difficult drives and downloads the latest version of the TOS operating system. After v minutes and a couple of loud beeps, the device restarted and I was redirected to the TOS login screen where I created a user name and password and entered my electronic mail for a verification code. One time my email was verified, I was prompted to create a volume on a new storage pool and selected RAID 1 with data protection and the Btrfs file system.

V minutes afterward, the app froze and a message appeared stating that the RAID format had failed, possibly due to abnormal partitions on the drives. I clicked Hard Drive Initialization to effort to restart the process, but that didn't piece of work, so I exited and logged dorsum into the TNAS app where I found that the RAID volume had indeed been created. I so checked the status of my drives, which were healthy, created a test folder, and was ready for operation testing.

The F2-210 delivered solid scores in our file transfer tests, in which we copy a 4.9GB folder containing a mix of music, video, photo, and office document files between the NAS and a desktop PC continued to the aforementioned network and measure read and write speeds. The TerraMaster's write score of 70MBps was 12MBps faster than what we saw with the company'due south F2-221, but it wasn't quite as fast as the Asustor AS5202T or QNAP TS-251B-4G. In our read test, the F2-210 managed 77MBps, one time again beating the F2-221 only coming in behind the Asustor and QNAP NAS devices.

A Low-Toll Private Cloud

You don't get a lot of extras with the TerraMaster F2-210, but you do go adept file transfer performance and 4K video transcoding capabilities for $149.99. This two-bay NAS was relatively easy to install and manage using the TOS operating organisation and TNAS desktop app, but it doesn't offer nearly as many downloadable apps as competing devices, and I/O ports are few and far between.

That said, if you're looking for a bones home backup and cloud NAS, the F2-210 will fit the bill. If you require a 2-bulldoze NAS that offers more than features, consider our Editors' Choice, the Asustor AS5202T. Information technology'due south considerably more expensive, but the extra coin gets you lot 2 two.5GbE LAN ports, link aggregation, faster performance, and a larger catalog of apps.

Best Network Attached Storage Picks

• The Best NAS (Network Attached Storage) Devices for 2022
• How to Turn a Raspberry Pi Into a NAS for Whole-Abode File Sharing
• More Network Attached Storage Reviews
• More from TerraMaster

Further Reading

• Business Choice Awards 2022: Routers and Servers/Network Attached Storage
• Reader's Choice Awards 2022: Routers and Network Fastened Storage
• How to Turn a Raspberry Pi Into a NAS for Whole-Domicile File Sharing
• Facebook Building New Data Centre in Denmark
• Business Selection Awards 2022: Servers and Network Attached Storage

Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/network-attached-storage-nas-reviews-ratings-compa/35879/terramaster-f2-210

Posted by: houckyouseve.blogspot.com

Share this post