At first we would like to thank ASUSTOR for offering us a sample of their AS3104T 4-bay NAS model for testing and reviewing.

 

 

 

About ASUSTOR:

 

“Founded in 2011, ASUSTOR Inc. is a leading innovator and provider of private cloud storage (network attached storage) and video surveillance (network video recorder) solutions. We are devoted to providing the world with unparalleled user experiences and the most complete set of network storage solutions possible.”

 

Product Features:

 

Powered by the latest Intel Celeron processors

 

AS3104 is powered by Intel Celeron Braswell dual-core processors, equipped with 2GB of dual-channel memory, and feature read speeds of over112 MB/s and write speeds of over 112 MB/s under RAID 5 configurations.

 

Dual-channel power

 

The AS31 models support dual-channel memory, be able to smoothly playback 4K video. Furthermore, AS31 series devices are not only energy efficient, but offer a combination of performance and price that is unmatched in its class. Get ready to enjoy brilliant ultra-high-definition 4K video from the comfort of your own home!

 

Supercharge your multimedia experience

 

You no longer need to worry about running into resolution compatibility issues when playing videos on your phone, tablet or computer.

Media Converter utilizes a quick and simple conversion method, allowing you to execute conversion tasks in the background.

The exclusive built-in Hyper-Transcoding technology was expertly crafted by ASUSTOR. This technology utilizes the Intel CPU hardware acceleration function to make video file conversions faster and simpler than ever before. Using Hyper-Transcoding to convert video files can reduce the normal conversion time by at least 10 times.

 

Toolless installation

 

The AS31 series’ sliding outer cover design allows it to be conveniently removed when needed. The inner hard disk rails and outer cover all use hand screws allowing for the simple installation of hard disks without any extra tools.

 

Add modern flair to your favorite space

 

The AS31 series devices redefine the aesthetics of a NAS. The stylish diamond-plate finished cover makes it an elegant addition to any space, no matter if it is a family room, living room or office.

 

Hardware encryption engine

 

Protecting your data is ASUSTOR’s top priority. The AS31 series devices feature Intel AES-NI encryption engines, allowing data to be completely protected from the moment it is first stored on the NAS. This means that you never have to worry about your confidential data falling into the wrong hands even if your hard disks become lost or stolen. The built-in hardware encryption engine also features read speeds of over 112 MB/s and write speeds of over 71 MB/s for encrypted data providing an optimal combination of file security and system performance.

 

High capacity cloud storage for all your digital assets

 

The AS3104 provides a large capacity NAS for home users at an affordable price. Users can install four 8 TB hard disks to immediately create a high capacity storage space of up to 32 TB. When taking photos or recording videos of family vacations, gatherings and other cherished memories, users no longer need to be confined to the limited storage on memory cards. With high capacity AS3104, users can save all of their videos and photos in high quality resolution, preserving them perfectly. Additionally, RAID 5 and 6 storage volume setting provide comprehensive protection for all digital assets stored on the NAS, minimizing the risk of data loss due to hard disk failure or accidents.

 

Create the Ultimate Home Multimedia Center

 

Enjoy electrifying digital entertainment on demand with ASUSTOR NAS. The built-in HDMI interface and variety of multimedia Apps let you to enjoy all of your favorite multimedia from your NAS by directly connecting it to an LCD/LED TV or amplifier.

 

ASUSTOR NAS supports Full HD (1080p) output, allowing you to savor your movies, TV shows, music and photos in high definition. What's more, through ASUSTOR's App Central, you can install additional multimedia server Apps such as UPnP Media Server and iTunes Server giving your NAS the ability to stream multimedia content to your computers, TVs and mobile devices.

 

Additionally, you can also further add a surround sound amplifier to create an unprecedented high definition multi-channel listening experience. Imagine watching your favorite racing movie and being immersed in the roar of the engines. Feel the thrill and the sense of speed as you listen to the sounds of cars whizzing by. Prepare for an unparalleled entertainment experience that will have you on the edge of your seat.

 

Even More Reliable After-Sales Service

 

ASUSTOR has extended the warranty period on all of its products to three years, continuing to make customer service a huge priority. It is ASUSTOR's mission to continue to provide its customers with products of the highest quality along with only the most reliable and attentive after-sales service and technical support.

 

Product Specifications:

 

Remember the unit we have reviewed a bit of time ago, with its code name AS1004T, integrating a Marvell ARMADA-385 1GHz Dual-Core processor and 512MB of DDR3 RAM? In this article we are going to look at the beefed-up version which sports the same light and handy chassis, but it does pack an Intel Celeron 1.6GHz Dual-Core CPU at its heart along with 2GB of DDR3L memory (non-expandable). This is not all! With this model we also do get a full multimedia experience thanks to the supplied HDMI 1.4b port located in the back, but let’s take a closer look as always. As the lower-specced model, the AS3104T is shipped inside a medium-sized cardboard enclosure, with a photo of the product on the frontal area along with some product main features listed:

 

 

 

Clear usage exemplifications can be observed on both sides of the box:

 

 

 

 

Translations of these features can be found in the back area:

 

 

 

The box is also provided with a plastic handle for easy manipulation:

 

 

 

After removing the top cover, we will be welcomed by a “Thank You!” note along with links to different web resources:

 

 

 

The server along with its accessories are protected well inside with lots of foam material:

 

 

 

Speaking of the accessories, these are offered in a separate plain cardboard box:

 

 

 

 

We will receive one LAN cable, the power lead, one power adapter but also mounting screws for 3.5’’ drives:

 

 

 

 

The power supply was manufactured by Delta Electronics and offers on the output 12V at 7.5A:

 

 

 

As documentation, ASUSTOR comes with a small leaflet, but we do also receive a disk with additional resources:

 

 

 

Besides the foam we have taken a look upon earlier, the server is also fully wrapped inside a transparent plastic bag:

 

 

 

This is not all! Since the top area is more prone to scratches, ASUSTOR has pre-applied a transparent plastic film on it:

 

 

 

A look at the frontal area of the AS3104T does not tell us that we are dealing with a new unit since it resembles quite perfectly the previously tested model:

 

 

 

On the top we do have activity LEDs for the Power, System, LAN and Disk:

 

 

 

Further down the line we do have an IR sensor along with one USB 3.0 port; when compared to the AS1004T, the IR lens are no longer a place-holder:

 

 

 

The manufacturer logo is placed on the frontal right side:

 

 

 

The sides of the server do not have any additional ventilation holes or grills:

 

 

 

These are though present on the bottom in order to offer a correct airflow in order to cool both motherboard and the drives located inside; also here we will be able to spot two stickers with the server power rating, serial number and MAC address:

 

 

 

One rubber foot is located in each corner:

 

 

 

An indicator placed nearby will tell us in which direction we do have to slide the cover in order to open the unit up:

 

 

 

ASUSTOR is using thumbscrews for easy access inside; in the center we do have one silent 120mm fan, while the interfaces are located on the right:

 

 

 

Unlike most servers from other manufacturers, the AS3014T does have the Power button located on the back and near it we will be able to spot the Reset button hole and also two USB 3.0 ports:

 

 

 

Further down we do have a HDMI port, one LAN port but also the DC-IN port:

 

 

 

ASUSTOR did not forget to also include one Kensington lock port:

 

 

 

The metallic bays assembly does resemble the AS1004T quite a bit; as before, the server does not officially support 2.5’’ drives but 3.5’’ models can be easily installed by using the supplied thumbscrews:

 

 

 

A daughter-board connects to the main board; this one supplies the SATA Data/Power connectors for each bay:

 

 

 

The NAS does house one Intel N3050 Celeron processor and this time we will get to see a larger heatsink on it:

 

 

A total of eight Samsung K4B2G1646Q-BYK0 memory modules are soldered to the motherboard for a total of 2GB of DDR3L RAM:

 

 

The CR2032 battery is meant to save the CMOS settings of the server:

 

 

We have observed that the NAS flash memory is provided by an ADATA module:

 

 

The back side PWM fan connects to a dedicated motherboard header:

 

 

Right after we have plugged in our trusty test SSDs, we have powered on the NAS and connected it to the local network. Thanks to the ASUSTOR Control Center, we can easily find the server on the network for performing the first init steps:

 

 

 

The utility will redirect us to a web page from where we can start the setup procedure; it is not mandatory to go this way, since we can also use the AiMaster utility for the same purpose:

 

 

 

First we will be asked to specify a server name and a new password for the administrator account:

 

 

 

The next step relies on the Time and Date setup:

 

 

 

Network settings can be also customized next:

 

 

 

The server will then list the detected drives and prompt for a RAID level creation:

 

 

 

We will go RAID0 route for maximum performance:

 

 

 

The setup procedure will then show us the steps it will perform until completion:

 

 

 

This is not all! After these initial steps will be completed, we will be asked to create an ASUSTOR ID or enter up the credentials in case we already have one available:

 

 

 

We can afterwards log in to the web interface (ADM):

 

 

 

Right after the log-in, we were prompted to update the server to an even newer software version:

 

 

 

We did perform the update and then checked the Storage Manager section in order to assure that the volumes were created correctly:

 

 

 

Some pre-defined shared folders were also created by ADM, which is quite handy for our testing purposes:

 

 

 

Let’s go back to ADM and take a closer look:

 

 

 

ADM does also come with a small presentation of the interface right after we log in:

 

 

The GUI presents itself like a tablet OS, with large icons and if we have more applications installed, they can split through multiple pages:

 

 

 

The user can also perform Sleep/Restart/Shutdown/Sign-Out operations from the top right menu:

 

 

 

Let’s dig in and check out the Settings area first, from where we can modify the system-wide settings. First we’ve got the General area, which takes care of the port settings/auto log-out timer but also the page style:

 

 

 

 

Next we’ve got the Network settings available along with Wi-Fi (if a compatible dongle is connected) and Proxy settings:

 

 

 

 

 

VPN options can be also set up from the next menu:

 

 

 

Regional options come next with Date & Time setup, Time zone and System Language:

 

 

 

The Hardware area will allow working with LED options, Buzzer behavior, adjust Power Management options for the system and drives, more Power options and also Fan Control:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notification options can be also altered from the next menu:

 

 

 

ADM Defender area takes care of the Firewall options and Network Defender will allow us to specify trusted/black lists:

 

 

 

 

ADM Update will work with the online services for keeping our server up to date; from here we can also perform a manual update via file:

 

 

 

Recycle Bin options can be configured next and here we do also have the option to clear its current contents:

 

 

 

Energy Saver menu puts together some of the power saving options:

 

 

 

Ease of Access integrates the Cloud Connect options via Cloud ID, EZ-Router and DDNS settings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The server can be reset to factory defaults but along with this operation, all data on the drives will be lost too:

 

 

 

The Registration tab will just list the current status of our ASUSTOR account:

 

 

 

Access Control is the area where we can define new Users, User Groups, Domain Users/Groups, but also work with the Shared Folders and their permissions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Installed application privileges can be also set from the last tab:

 

 

 

Next we’ve got the Activity Monitor, the area we should go to in order to see the consumption of the system resources:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After logging in to our account, we will have available to us a large selection of modules, from both ASUSTOR and 3rd party:

 

 

 

 

Online Help is the section to go in order to learn about each section of the ADM interface:

 

 

 

Backup & Restore is handy to each NAS user because we can replicate the data to other NAS servers or different cloud services/storage device:

 

 

 

External Devices like storage drives, printers, Wi-Fi dongles, UPS and so on have a dedicated menu of their own:

 

 

 

File Explorer is the place to go when working with files/folders on the NAS; in order to have all features available and direct access to the drives of the computer we are currently working on, we need to install Java:

 

 

 

Here are some actions we can perform to each file/folder:

 

 

 

For working with different Services, we have to go to the respective area:

 

 

 

 

 

Storage Manager is in charge of creating volumes, spare drives, diagnosing drives and so on:

 

 

 

 

System Information will offer us information on current hardware/software status, network configuration, system logs, currently connected users to the server and we do also have one Dr. ASUSTOR wizard which scans the system and gives us optimization suggestions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASUSTOR Portal is the ADM application which is in charge of the HDMI interface; from here we will be able to adjust General options, change current Wallpaper, adjust Favorite applications on the list, screen Resolution and so on:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can perform cloud drive backups without additional hassles; one example is DataSync for Microsoft OneDrive:

 

 

 

Download Center is the place to go for downloading our favorite torrents; while the application does support drag-and-drop successfully, we do also have a Torrent Search option:

 

 

 

Google Drive sync activity does also have a dedicated application:

 

 

 

If we do have iDevices in our homes, we might as well install iTunes Server for easier multimedia content access across devices:

 

 

 

Another sync application is available for the well-known Dropbox:

 

 

 

LooksGood is ASUSTORs’ offering for playing back and transcoding video files:

 

 

 

Media Explorer does allow file browsing; the files will be played back in a separate browser tab; the player is based on VLC:

 

 

 

 

Transcoding with custom options is also available from the respective area:

 

 

 

SoundsGood is our audio player and will display all suitable content after it has been indexed:

 

 

 

 

We can always install and use Photo Gallery for browsing our photo albums, creating new ones, running slideshows and so on:

 

 

 

 

 

If LooksGood is not our cup of tea, then we have available Plex which is quite handy regarding multimedia indexing, playback and gathering suitable data off the web:

 

 

 

Not long ago we have discussed about ASUSTOR Portal; well, after the server boots up we do also have video output on its HDMI interface and we can navigate through the menus via one dedicated ASUSTOR remote but also with the help of a keyboard/mouse combo. The information appearing on screen can be customized from ADM:

 

 

 

About the same options can be also configured right here (by clicking on the small gear icon):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we have seen with other manufacturers, the NAS interface can be browsed without the need of a PC. ASUSTOR has practically made a shortcut to the ADM local address and opened it in Chrome:

 

 

 

Chrome can be also used separately to browse the websites of our choice:

 

 

 

Next, if we install the YouTube module, we can browse its interface like on any other Smart TV:

 

 

 

KODI is also ready for us and after specifying the folders with media files we can access them easily; it does also support add-ons, skins and it is really easy to be used with the remote. AiCast (Beta) is now in beta form and can be also used as a remote control for KODI when installed on our mobile devices; its benefits are easy video playback when connected at the same network, highest priority on ASUSTOR Portal meaning that even if we are browsing a web page via Chrome, if AiCast is used it will jump back to KODI and play the selected file and the most interesting feature is that it can connect to the server when we are in a different location so we are able to play back a specific file to people at home when we are traveling for example:

 

 

 

 

We can learn more about the system from the Summary Information area:

 

 

 

Besides PopcornTime, which has been recently updated to the newest revision by the 3rd party, we would like to remind of the very-useful VirtualBox. This tool from Oracle will allow us to run customized virtual machines right from the HDMI interface and we have tried it with a Windows XP 32-bit distribution:

 

 

 

 

Despite the low-powered Intel dual-core N3050 processor, installation went fine and what we did like the most was the fact that Guest Additions part also installed without a hitch, in order to permit video acceleration and other improvements regarding drivers; this would be a very powerful tool for more high-end NASes from ASUSTOR:

 

 

 

Same Chrome shortcut stuff happens with the Tune-In Radio service too:

 

 

 

Test Setup

 

CPU : Intel I5 4690K Retail

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14

Motherboard : BIOSTAR GAMING Z97X

RAM : GeIL EVO CORSA 16GB 2400MHz C11

(2GB Exceleram DDR1333 for NASPT compatibility)

Video : HIS 280X

Power Supply : Cooler Master 850W

SSD : OCZ Vertex 4 256GB

Case: Cooler Master ATCS840

 

To test the NAS performances, the AS3104T NAS was populated with one OCZ Vertex 4 SSD along with one KingFast SLC E-Drive in RAID 0, formatted with a single volume and the NAS was connected directly to the computer, to avoid any limitations by implying additional hardware like a router. The first simple test was performed by loading the test file onto a RAM drive and then it was copied to the NAS, on its shared folder. The speed was recorded with Total Commander:

 

 

The second test was to copy the same file back to the computer; for eliminating any HDD speed limitations, the file was copied back to the RAM drive:

 

 

For performing a more advanced test, the Intel NAS Performance Toolkit was used, for performing 5 different test runs. Here are the results:

 

 

As extras, we have also included ATTO Disk Benchmark and Anvil:

 

ATTO Disk Benchmark

 

 

Anvil

We have performed the same benchmarks but this time with an encrypted folder:

 

Total Commander Copy Performance

 

 

Total Commander Read Performance

 

 

Intel NAS Performance Toolkit

 

ATTO Disk Benchmark

 

Anvil Utilities

 

AS3014T NAS was also designed for home use, uses the same chassis as the AS1004T but this time we are dealing with a more powerful Intel Celeron N3050 processor, backed with no less than 2GB of DDR3L RAM; the 4-bay unit can also output video signal on HDMI and the server can be operated this way without the need of a PC in order to work with other media-center applications, but also the very-useful Oracle VirtualBox or the well-known PopcornTime, which has been recently upgraded to a newer build.

 

If we do not have the server placed in a convenient area near the TV screen, we can always use the supplied ADM modules for working with multimedia content as SoundsGood, LooksGood or even Plex which is a multi-platform media center application. For browsing photos we do also have the Photo Gallery application which houses many of the features we have also seen from other manufacturers.

 

ADM is always complemented by mobile applications like AiMaster which we have covered previously, AiRemote, AiData, AiFoto, AiDownload and more for setting up and controlling the NAS from a distance via smartphones or tablets.

 

As the AS1004T, the AS3014T does not come with official support for 2.5’’ drives, but only 3.5’’; these can be installed with ease thanks to the included thumbscrews but the bays do not feature any vibration-dampening properties.

 

The NAS does also come with three USB 3.0 ports to which we can install different other storage drives, but also compatible Wi-Fi dongles, printers, UPS systems and so on.

 

Regarding the server performance, we can clearly see improvements via the lower-specced model and when working with encrypted folders, the copy performance takes a bit of a hit.

The tested server can be found online for about 420 Euros.

One of the places you can buy this unit is: JTC.

ASUSTOR AS3104T 4-bay NAS is Recommended For:

 

 

We would like to thank to ASUSTOR for making this review possible!