Introduction
Network-attached Storage products are everywhere these days. It’s still a relatively new area for the end user market, but NASes have been around for a while. Normally the main market was for the serious networking fan, or your typical AV engineer who needed a lot of network storage without too much of a fuss. In the last few years the popularity of NASes has grown a lot, and number of consumer-focused companies have seen this, one of them being Asus. In 2011 Asus established Asustor, with the name describing “ASUS” and “Storage”. Though a little later than their main rivals, there was still plenty of market space available for a NAS rookie, albeit, with the strength of Asus behind them.
We have the Asustor AS3102T 2-Bay NAS on review today, a product aimed at the end user who wants a powerful but economical Dual-Core Network-attached storage. The 2-bay NAS will allow a decent amount of storage without going overboard for someone who doesn’t want 128Tb of storage to worry about.
The Asustor AS3102T also will serve someone who wants a multimedia interface, supporting 4K output via HDMI and a lot of mainstream branded apps, such as iTunes, Spotify, Kodi and Plex. You will also have access to iOS and Android apps allowing for smartphone or tablet interaction, including a remote app if you are not a fan of IR remote controls.
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Model | AS3102T | AS3104T |
| CPU | Intel Celeron 1.6GHz Dual-Core (burst up to 2.16GHz) | Intel Celeron 1.6GHz Dual-Core (burst up to 2.16GHz) |
| Hardware Encryption Engine | Yes | Yes |
| Hardware Transcoding Engine | H.264 (AVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-2, VC-1 | H.264 (AVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-2, VC-1 |
| Memory | 2GB | 2GB |
| Maximum Internal Raw Capacity | 16 TB | 32 TB |
| Gigabit Network | Yes/1 | Yes/1 |
| Power Consumption | 13.7W (Operation); 7.47W (Disk Hibernation) 0.69W (Sleep Mode) | 24.5W (Operation); 11.1W (Disk Hibernation) 0.69W (Sleep Mode) |
| Output | HDMI 1.4b x 1 | HDMI 1.4b x 1 |
| Infrared Receiver | Yes | Yes |
| Maximum # of Users | 4096 | 4096 |
| Max. Resolution | 2160P 4K | 2160P 4K |
| Warranty | Limited 3-year | Limited 3-year |
So, the humble NAS has a lot more to offer than just “storage” on the LAN (it even says that on the box!), and these days it’s not uncommon to see a lot of multimedia and smart user features. The AS3102T and its 4-bay AS3104T big brother have a lot of modern features, including HDMI 1.4b supporting the claimed UHD resolutions.
Asustor AS3102T 2-Bay Network-Attached Storage Review
Package - 8.5
Performance - 8.5
Price - 8
Consumer Experience - 8.5
8.4
We would recommend the Asustor AS3102T to anyone who wanted to step into the world of Network-Attached Storage, at least, and if you already have a NAS setup in your home or small business, we found the Asustor AS3102T to perform without fault, so look over the reviews and specifications when you consider your next upgrade.