NAS Box vs. Windows Home Server

Traditionally, there have been two different routes to reach are always in stock at home: extremely powerful (but expensive, noisy and difficult to maintain) or platform network storage server typically low power (NAS) boxes. However, the distinction between NAS boxes and servers full narrowed. We recently tested faster NAS boxes filled with features such as server, and shipping companies are now smaller, cheaper servers with Microsoft Home Server platform news. This month, we compare the HP MediaSmart Server EX475 Home (discussed in the February issue) to our favorite NAS box, the QNAP TS-109 Pro (see http://tinyurl.com/yomys5) to determine whether a server or NAS device is the best candidate to meet our network storage.

round 1

Performance is a difficult category to judge because the NAS boxes we've tested varied widely in file transfer speeds. While the TS-109 Pro QNAP supply reference results that are competitive with those of a dedicated server machine, we also tested the NAS boxes that are slower than an old school sneakernet. In other words, all the NAS boxes are created equal. Home Server boxes, on the other hand, must meet a minimum, and from the Home Server uses the standard x86 platform, the sky is the limit when it accelerate. Although we are sure sellers ship undersized Home Server platform, the worst of cases, these devices are still much better than the worst case, the NAS box.
WINNER: Home Server

 

HOME SERVER HP MediaSmart EX475
$750 (includes two 500GB drives),
www.hp.com

round 2

PRICE The breakdown: HP MediaSmart EX475 costs $ 750 and comes with two 500 GB disk drives The QNAP TS-109 is only $ 330, but to achieve the same amount of storage, you need to buy a terabyte drive NAS device is single array, which adds another $ 300 - $ 350 This makes it a little cheaper, but the lack of opportunities for expansion should also be considered MediaSmart can double its capacity by two other relatively cheap $ 100 500 GB disk.
WINNER: TIE

round 3

Using a low-power embedded processor instead of a power-hungry desktop CPUs, using even the fastest NAS box, much less juice than a Home Server. In our tests, taken MediaSmart around 80W, while the QNAP unit from just 12W when running the same kind of activities.
WINNER: BOX NAS

round 4

Features As we have tested some NAS devices that include backup software on the secondary market, it can not be compared with Home Server rich feature set. Home Server backup process is transparent: just install a small TSR (TSR) on your PC and the server will automatically wake up the nightly backup. Media sharing is even easier: Dump your music, videos and photos into the appropriate folders and Home Server will automatically flow to any UPnP enabled device as a dedicated streaming box, an Xbox 360 or PS3. And Home Server includes its own dynamic DNS service enabled, which makes it easy to connect to your Home Server even when you are away. While some NAS boxes include a similar feature that is almost always a kind of warning.
WINNER: Home Server

round 5

Home potpourri server architecture includes a powerful API that encourages the development of compatible third-party tools and applications. In fact, end users already have a main server support for your favorite services and devices. For example, plug-ins allow you to synchronize your photo collection on Flickr and share your multimedia files with TiVo boxes. In addition, Home Server monitors the health of all network equipment, alerting when a machine has not been saved, the lack of recent virus definitions, or a hard drive no. NAS boxes simply do not. If one server folder of the primary account can be configured for redundancy of data, these devices only softer look.
WINNER: HOME SERVER

 

NAS BOX QNAP TS-109 Pro
$330 (w/o drive), www.qnap.com

And the Winner Is...

A NAS box, for the most part just sits there. Although it may contain features such as streaming or a BitTorrent client, it is primarily a bucket of data that is on your network. Home Server unit offers the same features as in a garden-variety NAS, and is available at a price, but it also includes backup transparent, integrated media streaming and idiot-proof data redundancy, which makes our preferred solution. Remember though that the advent of Home Server devices will push the price down to NAS boxes in the coming months. While a NAS device with a decent cost TB of storage space of nearly $ 700 today, we would be shocked if prices remain higher than a year, and it can completely change the value proposition for the class system network storage as a whole.