Volume: Yes, my purchased in January 2014 NSA325V2 has a fan, the one after two to 3 days of operation (first she was very quiet) in a quiet room clearly heard (it is a rising and falling sound that well above the noise of a normal computer is). The device is, however, even with this cheap fan quieter than my V1 at home (which is in the storeroom where a NAS actually belongs). In the office, the sound goes during the day under the normal noise level, evening and at night it is clearly audible. I'll replace the fan against a NB fan 80x80 mm. There is no standard format (80 * 80 mm and less than 20 mm deep, he has to be), I have to exchange NOISEBLOCKER BlackSilentFan XC1 - 80 mm, L-XC1B used - case fan. But 8 EUR, it is worth it to me. For a device with these features for less than EUR 110. I expect no noise freedom or living room suitable for noise levels.
A NAS is a NAS (and should not be confused with a server). The NSA325 V1 runs at home without any problems as a media server (unlike earlier a Synology DS 212j): The Squeezecenter software included in the firmware has the current status and supplied three clients (Squeezebox) from a more than 20,000 records pertaining music collection easily and at the same time , Movies go completely smoothly through the built Twonky server, all existing formats to be streamed. Only for the PC-version of the Twonky Media Server I have already paid more than 20 years ago EUR. The users are satisfied.
Even as a file server, the software is useful if you did not have special requirements. As a file server in the office (only for backups via Samba CIFS and rsync) I have only installed a hard drive. Here shines the small box with V2 practicable transfer values. Even large backups (disk images with more than 20 GB in size) are transmitted in a reasonable time; the write speeds are between 30 - 60 MB / s - which is for an entry-level NAS an outstanding value. When saving / writing many small files (the data directory of our fileservers has more than 150,000 files between 15 kb and 100 MB capacity) interrupts the performance a brutal; the data trickle then with 0.5 to 10 MB / s through the network. But this is absolutely normal with such a device. Several simultaneous accesses (2-3 clients read / write) the small box can handle even and shares the requests evenly on to the clients. More you should not expect in such a device.
Genial is the low power consumption: The stocked only with a 500GB WD HDD V2 in the office consumed in idle 9 watts and when accessing less than 12 watts. For comparison, consumes a powerful NAS based on a HP Proliant N36L with a comparable hard drive more than 30 watts and another mini server with an Intel Atom D525 motherboard and a hard drive consumes 29 watts in idle mode. In addition, the firmware version 4.70 WOL is implemented stable. With a Magic Packet, the device of our fileserver can wake up at night, making the backup and is then put to sleep on schedule. All that is now running fully stable for two weeks.
Also awesome are the options which is a Linux enthusiast about the "boring" the firmware using FFP - offer (Fonz 'Fon Plug a retrofit and already prepared in the Zyel firmware parallel Linux Slackware-based). Those who so little busy and struggles through endless crowds of occasional bit of cryptic how-to's and information reports (and some experimenting) gets additional features retrofitted as an extension of the Samba features (on the zyxel_utils), a super-fast rsync mirroring also great databases (without the childish restrictions which has the own backup service of Zyxel firmware - as with other commercial NAS systems). But be careful: all these changes happen on the command line, the changes can be backed up and are not simply in a firmware update quickly away.
The disadvantages have to be mentioned: The file permissions when sharing can not be handled flexibly; the file shares the Zyxel firmware dominate neither importing users from a Samba Domain or even AD, there is no home directories for registered users and even simple functions like hiding directories (browsable = no) can be very costly over FFP retrofit. All extended Konfiguarationsänderungen (the system's own file shares) are not backed up by default. Although the data in its own directory are not going away, but must FFP copied via command line and then the own directories are re-created. I therefore recommend that, if possible, only to use the default shares. The pre-assigned folders Music, Video, Photo can be disabled in the Control Panel if the media server, etc. are not used. But the directory "Public" has all rights for everyone - in a network with graduated rights not the optimal solution, but simple. The biggest shortcoming: The built-in backup capabilities are more than modest. The application called Zyxel "Backup Planner" copied to externally-connected to the NAS drive, on another Zyxel NAS or on an internal drive - everything not particularly great solutions if you really crowded packed with the NAS data. Really bad this is not: Since the Windows connection works very fast, I back the videos with Windows over the network to an external drive to a Windows station and the music coming in the opposite direction. A software like SyncBack makes the quick and easy. For home so it was okay.
Tips: You should not pack full with the small device applications. OwnCloud is available but supported in the current version no calendar / addresses and provides mE also a significant security risk, because working with the original user accounts. In fact, I would be a starter NAS whose firmware is updated less frequently, never put on the Internet. My cloud may sound like great, but can quickly get by configuration errors or unpatched bugs that hackers ties directly to the NAS in the living room. The scheduler ("Power Settings") is unstable - configuration changes, it sometimes results in a reboot loop (Reboot to reboot or Off) that can only be resolved in a fairly elaborate customized USB flash drive and deleting system directories. Feasible, but not for beginners. Especially one should (install applications, set Disk RAID, wait for the sync) the unit until completely set, then back up the settings and then play only the data (video, music, whatever) via the network to the NAS. And always back up the NAS to the PC. As the sole fileserver that thing is definitely useless. The backup options are too modest and small but common firmware bugs like the "energy plan" can quickly cause the whole unit must be set up again. But what happens very quickly, if you have backed up the basic configuration.
Those looking for only a data grave, a small backup tank or a robust media server with Squeezebox and Twonky is really well served and good value with this little NAS. Only for far more than EUR 200, there are comparable machines from other manufacturers that deliver data as fast and robust. Those who are familiar with Linux and some command line is not afraid, will find the ideal platform for experiments or even exotic applications. And all this with very modest energy needs. A practical concept.
