The Exterior

The D8 Hybrid looks like a basic NAS at first glance, but it lacks any kind of ports on the front. There are a set of LEDs for each of the hard drives, as well as a power LED located on the right. The four drive caddies allow for tool-less insertion of 3.5-inch drives, whereas 2.5-inch drives have to be screwed in place using the supplied screws. The right-hand side has a sticker on it explaining how to configure the RAID modes, but more on that later in the review. The left-hand side has a support sticker on it, but the sides are otherwise void of features except acting as air intakes and outlets.


The rear of the D8 Hybrid is home to the 120 mm cooling fan, a 12 V DC power input and a Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) port. You'll also find a power button, a RAID selection dial and a reset pinhole button here. The provided SIM ejection tool is used to hit the reset button, whereas the little screwdrivers are to switch the RAID mode. Once you've changed the RAID mode, you then need to press and hold the reset button for 5 seconds to initiate the new RAID mode. The bottom of the unit has additional air vents as well as a model sticker.


The drive caddies are a standard affair, although installing drives is tool-less, as each side of the caddy has a plastic bar with a pair of knobs on them in lieu of screws, which are much quicker and easier to use. The drives don't feel like they're going to fall out, and the drive trays feel quite sturdy over all. There are no means to lock the drive caddies in the housing of the D8 Hybrid though. The supplied stickers are the only means of telling one drive caddy from another, as there are no markings on them.