Accounts

This page allows you to add a new user, manage an existing user account, or delete it. You can also create user groups and assign members to those. If you want the NAS to be accessible through the cloud, you will have to add corresponding ReadyCLOUD user accounts.


The Default User settings allow you to easily pre-define some settings for each new user account you create.

Network

The Network page gives you access to all options related to the Ethernet ports. You can team both ports up to make the connection faster or more reliable.


We chose to team the Ethernet ports up with the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), which increases transfer speeds. The settings we used for these network cards are depicted in the screenshots above.

Apps

Netgear offers a satisfactory number of applications, which greatly enhances the NAS server's functionality. There aren't as many apps as with QNAP's, Synology's and Asustor's offerings, but there are still a lot.


Netgear should have created categories for these apps.


We noticed several interesting apps, including Plex, Surveillance center, bittorent apps, etc.


All installed apps are on the first page of the administrative interface.

Surveillance

Since most contemporary NAS servers offer advanced surveillance options, Netgear had to do something similar. Their application is called ReadyNAS Surveillance, and its UI looks rather unappealing when compared to similar applications by the competition. The ReadyNAS 202 comes with one camera license and support for up to eight; you could in theory view, manage, and record video from up to eight IP cameras. There is also a free mobile application to look at the surveillance cameras' video feeds. Netgear says 2,000 camera models to be supported; however, popular Foscam cameras are not, which kept us from testing the surveillance application's functionality because our test setup only includes Foscam IP cameras.


The ReadyNAS Surveillance Home application supports up to eight camera connections per NAS, with one for live view or playback per client with Netgear's normal ReadyNAS Surveillance app. The normal version also supports up to 64 camera connections, 128 live-view cameras, and playback for up to 16 users. It also offers a monthly free trial for 64 camera licenses. The differences between ReadyNAS Surveillance Home and the normal edition are depicted in the table below.

Cloud & Backup

The Cloud tab includes all cloud-related options, including all cloud-access and cloud-backup options.


You can easily create remote backup jobs from a local or remote source to a local or remote destination. You can also assign a function to the NAS server's backup button at the front, which will execute all pre-programmed procedures in a specified order.


These backup jobs work with Windows, Linux, and Apple PCs.