Introduction

We would like to thank Thecus for supplying the review sample.

Thecus was founded in 2004, and their main focus is on developing innovative storage solutions that keep your data safe. They are currently among the top companies in networking storage solutions, and expert reviewers and users around the world consider their NAS servers to be among the best. Today, we have the chance to test a Thecus product after having had one of their offerings on hand for a very long time, and we hope that we will now be in a position to bring you Thecus product reviews much more often.

The N5550 we are testing in this review is a five-bay NAS equipped with a dual-core Atom processor, so it will easily handle the needs of a small business environment while obviously fully covering an enthusiast user that will buy it for use at home. This NAS is probably one of the few in its category that is equipped with 2 GB of DDR3 RAM and all the usual features a contemporary high-end NAS ought to have, including a USB 3.0 port, HDMI, VGA, audio-out ports, and an LCD display. Its other interesting feature allows you to directly back your NAS data up to CD, DVD, or Blu-ray disc via the Data Burn module using an external optical or network drive. This is indeed a pretty cool feature, though many of you will most likely never exploit it since HDDs are much cheaper storage solutions. However, the former are more reliable since even SSDs can fail and lead to data loss.

Specifications

The N5550 utilizes an Atom D2550 CPU instead of the stronger D2700 the competition in this category uses with their NAS servers. But the difference in computing power is small among these two processors, so we don't think the N5550 will fall behind in performance because of it. This NAS sets itself apart in the amount of available RAM it is equipped with, since 2 GB of DDR3 RAM is twice as much as the competition utilizes. This will surely improve performance when multiple applications are running at the same time.

The operating system the box uses is based on Linux. Developed specifically by Thecus for their devices, it will fully exploit the capabilities of the hardware. The N5550 can also take up to five HDDs for a maximum capacity of 20 TB if five HDDs with 4 TB capacity each are used. It even has two Gigabit Ethernet ports which can be linked to provide increased performance or higher reliability. Finally, the I/O ports include all the essentials, and you will also find a single USB 3.0, VGA, and HDMI port. The latter allows the NAS to be operated independently of a client and help it employ its multimedia capabilities.

This NAS is huge and heavy, and we suspect that the main culprit behind its size and weight is the for a NAS strong PSU hiding inside, along with its fully metallic casing. We will naturally take a better look at the PSU once we fully dismantle it. A 92 mm ADDA fan removes the heat the HDDs and other components generate—there is also a smaller 40 mm fan to cool down the PSU.

The warranty period of this product is rather short at only two years, while the price tag looks good if compared to offerings by the competition.

Packaging

The box is quite large and features vivid colors, though the graphics design isn't too appealing. At the front is a photo of the NAS with its screen lit, along with numerous badges and icons describing most of its functions and capabilities.


Thecus cites the server's most interesting features on this side, including the HDMI port that transforms the NAS into a multimedia hub, the increased performance the Atom processor provides, the McAfee Antivirus software included in the software bundle, the Data Burn module, which allows you to burn data onto CDs in optical drives, and all security options the N5550 provides.


A nice scheme describing most of the functions and roles the N5550 can play can be found on this side. As you can see, a modern NAS can do much more than simply storing your data.

Contents & Bundle

Thick pieces of packing foam protect the NAS inside the box well. This is a quite expensive product, so Thecus made sure it will reach its owner in pristine condition.


The bundle includes several software discs, including Acronis True Image Personal Edition 2010, a power and Ethernet cable, two sets of screws for HDD mounting onto the trays, a quick installation guide, a warranty guide, a notification about the official Thecus HDD compatibility list, and two sets of keys for its lockable trays, which are essential in business environments.

Exterior

The NAS is quite large, and its looks and design are geared toward business environments instead of use at home. It is also really heavy, even without any HDDs installed—we actually thought Thecus shipped us the NAS with HDDs pre-installed the first time we moved it around (but they, to our disappointment, did not). The left of the front has a series of LED indicators, while a small LCD screen with four buttons to control functions is located at the bottom. The LCD screen will be in Display Mode while the NAS is operating normally, with messages regarding NAS functions rotating every one or two seconds. Management Mode during the setup and configuration phase will allow you to perform various administrative tasks. You can also enter Management Mode at any time by simply pressing the Enter button and dialing in your password. The default password is "0000". Enter Management Mode to change network settings of the NAS, select a Link Aggregation protocol, change your administrator password, and reset the system to factory defaults.


You have to open the front bay port to access the HDD trays, the on/off and copy buttons, and the front USB 3.0 port. Simply push on its middle-right side to do so. As you can see, all trays feature locks, a must-have for business environments.


A useful scheme of the NAS front buttons and LED indicators can be found in the user's manual.


We removed all caddies to offer you a view of the internals. We will also dismantle the NAS completely on the next page to give you a much better and detailed view of the insides.


The sides of the casing feature ventilation holes.


At the bottom are four rubber stands and the warranty sticker, and a label with the model number.


The fan grill at the rear allows for a look at the 92 mm Adda fan. Next to it are most of the I/O ports. These include audio ports, HDMI and VGA outputs, an eSATA and four USB 2.0 ports, and, near the bottom-right corner, both Gigabit Ethernet ports. Finally, the server's PSU is cooled by a small 40 mm fan, and there is thankfully an on/off switch for the PSU, an essential feature to even a NAS that will most likely run 24/7.


The caddies are of good quality and can host 3.5" or 2.5" disks; that is, if you are rich enough to invest into high capacity SSDs. These caddies also have rubber pads for vibration absorption.


The key feature of the caddie is the lock, which play a major role in physical data protection.

A Look Inside

It's time now to strip the NAS down and discover what components it hides inside its casing.


Taking apart the N5550 was easy and went smoothly since we only had to unscrew three screws to remove the heavy metallic cover. Once it was out of the way, the chassis of the N5550 was revealed.


Contrary to the top and side cover, the chassis is very light. The way in which the mainboard is secured made quite an impression. It isn't secured with screws but slides on two rails and stays put because of the rear cover to which it is attached via the two jack screws of the VGA connector. This may look odd, but it does ensure that the mainboard is secured firmly while also making its removal a breeze. The LCD screen is installed on a compartment with three sealed sides, so it is pretty secure there, and rather difficult to remove.


The mainboard is small but has all the necessary components to provide the N5550 with a bunch of features that will let it face off against the tough competition.


The x16 PCI Express expansion slot that holds the SATA HDD backplane is located on the solder side of the mainboard.


These two passive heatsinks cool down the Intel Chipset. The chipset is most likely a member of the ICH10 family and the Atom processor whose model number is D2550 (1M Cache, 1.86 GHz).


There are two RAM slots, but only one of them is occupied by a 2 GB DDR3 Transcend module with 1333 MHz speed, which will easily allow you to upgrade the memory.


The 1 GB Disk On Module (DOM) that contains the ROM of the NAS.


Two Intel WG82574L controllers provide network connectivity and handle both Gigabit Ethernet ports.


This is an ITE IT8728F I/O controller chip. It monitors the fan speed and temperature of both fans. Next to it are an SiI3132 SATA controller and an ALC262 HD Audio Codec.


The photo above shows a MAX3232C RS232 Line Driver, an ATmega168PA 8-Bit microcontroller, and a NEC D720200AF that is the USB 3.0 controller.


We found another RS232 IC on the board, a MAX3243C IC.


We also noticed a CS-9LPRS50 PLL IC.


Two Fintek F75387SG ICs provide hardware monitoring and automatic fan-speed control. They apparently assist the ITE IT8728F we mentioned earlier.


A Chrontel CH7318C is used as an HDMI level shifter.


The buzzer of the board. It is quite audible when it buzzes.


We also found a mSATA port on the board. A highly interesting feature, which, however, is left unexploited and isn't mentioned as a hardware characteristic.


Both power connectors of the PSU are connected to the PCIe card that holds the HDDs. The fan connector is attached to this card as well. The photos above nicely show that the HDD backplane is reinforced with a metal plate on its solder side, which easily allows it to cope with the weight of five mechanical disks.


The PSU powering the NAS is built by Enhance, a large OEM with good products. Its model number is ENP-7020D, it is 80 Plus certified, and can deliver up to 200 W, so it is very strong for the needs of this NAS. The ENP-7020D has two +12V rails with 14 A maximum current output, each, and is cooled by a small 40 mm fan whose output noise is completely absorbed by the 92 mm fan cooling the system.


This fan is provided by ADDA, and its model number is AD0912MX-A76GL (12 V, 0.37 A, 2000 RPM, 54.0 m3/h, 23.5 dBA). Thecus likes to use this fan because it is very reliable, but it is unfortunately not very quiet despite its promising specifications.

Software

Once you unpack the NAS, the wisest thing to do is to put the bundled software disc into an optical drive to install the necessary software. Also make sure to take a good look at the quick installation guide. You will find all modules or application packages to enhance the usability of the N5550 on the same disc. We will look at them later on in this review.


The Thecus Backup Utility is included on the aforementioned installation CD. With it, you can create backup tasks that will automate the whole procedure.


The installation CD also includes the full user's manual. You had better copy it to a convenient location since you will probably need it.