I often suggest funds dwelling NAS servers should you’re simply getting began with the class; they provide you an excellent overview of what is obtainable with storage servers, and the affordability means you do not have to speculate an excessive amount of money to get began. There’s no scarcity of selection on this regard, and in recent times, ASUSTOR has delivered plenty of good choices within the entry-level and funds classes.
The AS3302T v2 is its newest displaying, and it ticks plenty of the correct packing containers. It is powered by Realtek’s RTD1619B platform and is noticeably quicker than its predecessor, and also you get 2GB of RAM, 8GB embedded flash storage, and three USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports.
The key speaking level is the connectivity; the AS3302T v2 has a single 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port on the again, and that provides it a definite benefit over nearly every other NAS on this section. ASUSTOR routinely affords multi-Gigabit connectivity on its mid-range servers just like the AS5402T, however to see a 2.5GbE port on this section is a welcome transfer. The AS3302T v2 retails for $269 on Amazon, so it goes up in opposition to the likes of the DiskStation DS224+.
You do not often see any main design modifications with NAS servers, and ASUSTOR did not change the general aesthetic to any noticeable diploma with the AS3302T v2. The NAS has the identical design as many of the model’s 2-bay servers, with a magnetic panel overlaying the drive bays.
The panel has a geometrical sample and the ASUSTOR emblem, and it attaches securely to the NAS. The twin drive bays have a tool-less set up — which hasn’t all the time been the case with ASUSTOR — and so they slot in commonplace 3.5-inch drives or 2.5-inch drives.
There’s the same old array of standing indicators positioned beneath the facility button to the left, and on the entire, the AS3302T v2 has a well-recognized design. The construct high quality is good, and the fan on the again ensures the drives do not overheat below heavy hundreds. What’s good to see is that ASUSTOR affords the identical three-year guarantee as its mid-range servers.
ASUSTOR is often beneficiant with port choice, however the AS3302T v2 does not have an HDMI port or twin Ethernet connectivity. That’s not an enormous omission given that you just get a 2.5GbE port on the again, and apart from that, there are two USB ports alongside with a USB-A connector on the entrance.
ASUSTOR remains to be utilizing a Realtek platform with the AS3302T v2, however the RTD1619B goes as much as 1.7GHz, and is a good selection. It is not fairly as highly effective because the Intel Celeron-backed merchandise on this class, however as a every day workhorse, I did not see any points. You get a local Plex utility, and once more, it’s good sufficient to stream content material to related units on your own home community.
The AS3302T v2 has 2GB of soldered reminiscence, and there is not a slot so as to add extra down the road do you have to want it. Similarly, you do not get M.2 slots, so if you wish to use SSD storage, you will have to get 2.5-inch drives as an alternative. While 2GB of RAM is enough in every day use, I might have favored the flexibility to increase the reminiscence, however the larger omission is NVMe storage.
That stated, the AS3302T v2 has loads to supply in its personal proper, and ASUSTOR’s software program comes with a ton of helpful options. You get container administration, video and audio utilities designed to make it straightforward to entry your media assortment from anyplace, and again up very important knowledge with ease.
I slotted in two 6TB IronWolf drives into the AS3302T v2, and the 2.5GbE connection is ready to maximize the bandwidth of the drives — I routinely noticed transfers averaging 214MB/s. Link Aggregation would have achieved comparable outcomes, however I like that there is multi-Gigabit connectivity as commonplace.
I’d nonetheless want the DiskStation DS224+ on this class because it has higher software program and standout cellular purchasers — it continues to be one of the best dwelling NAS server round. Having stated that, the AS3302T v2 is a good various if you wish to maximize worth.
The AS3302T v2 has first rate {hardware} upgrades and 2.5GbE connectivity, making it a robust contender on this class.