![]() After waiting a few more minutes, you're presented with the TS-233's login screen. This process takes several minutes, after which you're asked to name the device, create an admin user and password, and setup the time zone and IP address (static or DHCP). You'll be prompted to click a button to install the latest version of QTS. Once the QNAP TS-233 is powered on, simply point your web browser at the device (you can download the QFinder Pro app to your desktop to find it if you need to). The major advantage to a dedicated NAS device from a company like QNAP is the streamlined interface of QTS that makes most tasks extremely straight forward. ![]() It's not really an issue, it just doesn't glide in as easily as it should.Īfter that, simply screw the base back together, plug in the power supply and an Ethernet cable, press the power button, and you're ready to go. It felt like the channel wasn't completely smooth, and this was definitely unrelated to the drives or sleds because when I swapped them around, the problem stayed with the first bay. One weird thing I ran into was that it was a little difficult to get the first drive bay into the slot. I will note that it was a little strange plugging the drives in straight down so that they're spinning 45 degrees off axis from where they typically do, but there didn't seem to be any issues with this, it's just a little different. Simply unscrew it, slide the case off, and you have access to two normal, tool-less drive sleds.įrom here, simply pull out the sled, snap your drive into place, and insert the sled back into the NAS device. That said, access to the drives is controlled by a single screw at the bottom of the device. As noted earlier, this is both an advantage (no risk of accidentally pulling a drive from a working system) and disadvantage (although technically hot swappable, it seems a little riskier to tilt the device around with spinning disks inside). ![]() Setting up the QNAP TS-233 is a relatively straight forward process, although slightly more work than most other NAS devices due to the fact that the drive bays are not exposed. When you look at the back, you'll see everything you'd expect: A single Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB 2 ports, and a single reset button, along with a single 80mm fan and the barrel connector for power. The front of the TS-233 has a single USB 3.2 port and two buttons: one for power, and one to copy data from the aforementioned USB port. That said, it's only $199, which is a great price for someone with modest requirements. For example, after installing Container Station, you're greeted with a message indicating there could be issues with less than 4GB of RAM, meaning Docker and LXD are probably off-limits with the TS-233. In addition, since the device has a maximum of 2GB of RAM, you're somewhat limited on what you can run. The inclusion of the ARM processor shows that QNAP does not intend the TS-233 to be a workhorse, it is geared more towards simple storage and basic tasks. Although the drives are hot-swappable, having to remove a screw from the bottom and exposing the device's innards seems like more of a risk than simply shutting it down. ![]() This makes the device look a lot nicer, as well as adds protection from someone accidentally (or on purpose!) removing a drive from the NAS, but it also means you have to remove the cover when you replace the drive. The second thing you'll realize is that there's no direct access to the drive bays. ![]() In addition, it's not glossy, so it doesn't attract fingerprints or cat fur, which is handy if you have pets. Many people won't care, since server devices frequently get hidden in a closet somewhere, but for those who keep their electronics on display, the TS-233 just looks nice. In a world where most of the devices I've reviewed are a plain black box, this was a welcome change of pace. The first thing you'll notice is that the device is a stark white with a sleek carbon fiber-like black stripe on the front. ![]()
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