QNAP TS-653 Pro SMB NAS Review

Storage/NAS by stefan @ 2014-11-29

The TS-653 Pro NAS from QNAP is built on a solid Intel platform and while using the chassis from last year, the power consumption is noticeably less, while keeping a high level of performance. Thanks to the Intel Celeron J1900 Quad-Core, we also have transcoding capabilities up to 4K and we would also like to remind the QvPC technology which permits using the TS-653 Pro as a regular PC.

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Product Features

High performance

Powered by a cutting-edge 22nm quad-core Intel® Celeron® 2.0GHz processor with 2GB/8GB energy-efficient DDR3L RAM (upgradable to 8GB), coupled with the support of SATA 6Gb/s, 4 Gigabit LAN ports and HDMI output, the TS-653 Pro is a powerful NAS that delivers up to 415MB/s read & write speeds. The TS-653 Pro can also automatically increase the processor's clock rate from 2.0GHz to 2.41GHz when needed for CPU-intensive tasks. The TS-653 Pro’s fast encryption and decryption performance provides transfer speeds of up to 70MB/s with AES-256 bit volume encryption, boosting system performance & security while ensuring the safety of sensitive business data stored in the TS-653 Pro. When installed with the latest dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz 802.11ac Wi-Fi network card, the TS-653 Pro can offer remarkably high speeds for transferring large amount of files and streaming bandwidth-consuming multimedia.

Thanks to the intuitive user interface of QTS, system operations of the TS-653 Pro are smooth and handy. Its intelligent desktop allows you to find desired functions quickly, create desktop shortcuts or group shortcuts, monitor important system information on a real-time basis, and open multiple application windows to run multiple tasks concurrently, bringing greater operating efficiency.

SSD cache acceleration

The TS-653 Pro supports SSD caching which can greatly boost IOPS performance of storage volumes. It is perfect for improving overall workflow of IOPS-demanding applications such as virtualization.

Use your TS-653 Pro as a PC with the exclusive QvPC Technology

QNAP’s exclusive QvPC Technology consolidates a number of high-end technologies including VM integration, multimedia transcoding, HDMI output, cloud integration and NAS connection technologies, allowing users to operate the TS-653 Pro as a PC when they plug in a keyboard, mouse and monitor. With QvPC Technology, the TS-653 Pro is transformed into a cost-effective device with PC functionalities for users to directly access stored data, run multiple applications using Windows/Linux/UNIX/Android-based VMs, surf the web on Google Chrome, enjoy Full HD videos with up to 7.1 channel audio with XBMC, monitor Surveillance Station in real time with local display, and much more.

Run additional operating systems on the TS-653 Pro

With the support for Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x), the TS-653 Pro can operate the Virtualization Station, transforming the TS-653 Pro into a 2-in-a-box NAS that can function as an all-in-one NAS and a virtualization platform that supports multiple operating systems, fast virtual machine (VM) creation, VM import/export, snapshot, and enables desktop operations on web browsers. With the easy-to-use interface, you can centrally manage all of the VMs created on the TS-653 Pro with minimal effort. You can also download VMs on demand from online VM markets and import them to the TS-653 Pro without any complex procedures.

Note: TS-653 Pro with 8GB RAM (TS-653 Pro-8G) is recommended.

Cross-platform file sharing, centralized data storage

The TS-653 Pro supports SMB/CIFS, NFS, and AFP protocols for file sharing across Windows, Mac, Linux/UNIX networks. Data, logs and ISO images of CDs and DVDs can be centrally stored on the TS-653 Pro and protected by an integrated antivirus solution. The Windows AD and LDAP services enable system administrators to configure user permissions by using an existing Windows AD server, LDAP server or built-in LDAP service. The TS-653 Pro supports SAMBA v4 and can act as a Windows domain controller to manage privilege settings.

Well-rounded backup solutions to secure data

QNAP NetBak Replicator supports real-time and scheduled data backup on Windows including Outlook email archiving. Apple Time Machine is also supported to provide Mac OS X users with a solution to effortlessly back up data to the TS-653 Pro. The USB 3.0 port on the front panel of the TS-653 Pro features a one-touch-copy function for you to instantly back up data from external drives to the TS-653 Pro with just one click, or alternatively to back up data from the TS-653 Pro to external drives. A wide range of third-party backup software such as Acronis® True Image and Symantec® Backup Exec are also supported.

Disaster recovery solutions brings peace of mind

The TS-653 Pro offers various data recovery options. RTRR (Real-Time Remote Replication) supports real time or scheduled data backup to a remote Turbo NAS or FTP server and synchronizes files to a remote folder from a local folder with better backup efficiency and reduced backup time. The TS-653 Pro also supports rsync protocol to back up data to another remote server on scheduled basis. Data can also be backed up to and restored from a range of cloud storage services, including Amazon® S3, Amazon Glacier, Microsoft® Azure, ElephantDrive®, Dropbox® and Google® Drive.

Comprehensive security options

In open network environments, business data may be exposed in a potential hack. The TS-653 Pro provides numerous security options, such as encrypted access, IP blocking, and more. IT administrators can also control the access rights of each user to different folders, preventing unauthorized access to important files. The TS-653 Pro is validated with military-level FIPS 140-2 AES 256-bit encryption, preventing sensitive business data from unauthorized access and breach even if the hard drives or the entire system were stolen.

Storage for comprehensive virtualization applications

The TS-653 Pro supports VMware® and Citrix®, and is compatible with Microsoft® Hyper-V™ and Windows Server 2012, benefiting flexible deployment and management in the virtualization environments. The TS-653 Pro supports VMware VAAI and Microsoft ODX to increase performance by offloading server loading for ESXi server and Hyper-V respectively, and supports QNAP vSphere Client plug-in and QNAP SMI-S provider with enhanced operational efficiency and management in virtualization applications.

Real-time & offline HD video transcoding

The TS-653 Pro delivers superior real-time Full HD video transcoding to convert videos to formats that can be smoothly played on PCs, mobile devices and Smart TVs. It allows for up to 5 devices to simultaneously view different videos stored on the TS-653 Pro with on-the-fly hardware accelerated transcoding. The TS-653 Pro allows you to enjoy instant videos on multiple devices - even those that lack computing power or have limited file format support - without the need for complicated and time-consuming file conversion.

With the benefit of offline transcoding, if you can only connect to an Internet connection with limited/restricted bandwidth, you can still enjoy smooth videos by selecting a pre-rendered lower resolution to play the videos via File Station, Video Station, or the Qfile mobile app without affecting the TS-653 Pro’s system performance running other applications. This also allows more people to play videos via streaming. The TS-653 Pro also allows you to set a dedicated folder for automatic video transcoding.

Full HD videos local display with HD Station via HDMI

QNAP HD Station integrates the powerful XBMC v12 media player and web browser. With HDMI 1.4a connectivity, you can connect the TS-653 Pro to a HDTV to enjoy your multimedia on the big screen. The splendid user interface and support for 7.1-surround sound pass-through* brings smooth playback of Full HD 1080p videos**. You can even watch YouTube videos, surf the web and manage the Turbo NAS using Google Chrome web browser with the HD Station.

It’s convenient & easy to control the HD Station. Turn your mobile devices into remote controls by installing the Qremote app, or use the QNAP RM-IR002 remote control and MCE remote controls via the built-in IR receiver of the TS-653 Pro. The HD Station also supports YouTube Pairing, allowing you to select a YouTube video on your smartphone, tablet or computer and play it on HDTV via the TS-653 Pro.

Optimize IT assets management with the IT Management Station

The IT Management Station, powered by Mandriva® Pulse, provides a flexible service for managing multi-OS and multi-site IT assets for business of all sizes. By installing the IT Management Station on the TS-653 Pro, you can centrally manage multiple IT resources with numerous business applications including comprehensive inventory, centralized software deployment & updates, imaging, remote management & support, backup & restore, and more tasks with greater flexibility and productivity.

File synchronization across multiple devices

The Qsync utility turns your TS-653 Pro into a safe data center for file synchronization with a large storage capacity. Any file uploaded to the TS-653 Pro will be made available for all linked devices, such as computers, laptops or mobile devices. Qsync is especially useful for frequent travelers to manage files and always have the most updated files on different devices. Qsync provides multiple ways of file synchronization and group file sharing, greatly enhancing the flexibility of collaboration.

Comprehensive surveillance solution providing 24/7 security

Surveillance Station is professional network surveillance Video Management System (VMS) that offers a user-friendly management interface, over 2,700 compatible IP camera models, and expandable IP camera channel licenses. It supports real-time monitoring, video & audio recording and playback with a wide range of customizable settings. You can also install the VMobile mobile app on your iOS® or Android™ devices to manage the monitored channels anytime and anywhere to safeguard your office environment, or install the Vcam mobile app to turn your device into a network camera to instantly record to your TS-653 Pro. The TS-653 Pro offers 2 free IP camera channels and you can expand up to 24 channels by purchasing additional licenses.

Signage Station - Creatively present your animated content and ads

With the Signage Station, it is easy to create content for a wide range of materials such as menu boards, advertisements, posters, and business profiles. The Signage Station is a great tool to invigorate your advertisements or animated materials for promoting your services, and to update contents in a timely manner. The iArtist Lite application, with intuitive editing tools, helps you create these signs with simple drag & drop tools. Your creativity can now travel around the world with a few simple steps to instantly get published, revised, and shared.

Access, use, sync and enjoy with your tablets and smartphones

The TS-653 Pro is your private cloud storage that virtually enlarges the capacity of your mobile devices. Qfile allows you to access, upload, download, manage, and share stored files easily as if you are carrying tons of files in your pocket. If Qfile is installed on an iOS device, users can also browse videos & photos stored on the TS-653 Pro and play via Apple TV. Qmanager lets you monitor & manage the TS-653 Pro remotely and efficiently without turning on a PC, while Qmusic allows you to listen to your music on the TS-653 Pro anytime and anywhere, and download to enjoy offline.

Install-on-demand apps to extend NAS functionality

The TS-653 Pro has a built-in App Center that provides various install-on-demand apps developed by QNAP and third-party developers, including tools for backup/sync, business, content management, communications, download, entertainment, and much more. It is also a centralized location for managing & updating installed apps. In addition, QNAP’s development platform embraces the open-source spirit to enable developers to create their own apps, adding potentially limitless potential for the TS-653 Pro.

Economical storage expansion with scale-up solution

The TS-653 Pro offers a high performance yet affordable storage solution to fulfill the needs of business in archiving rapidly growing data & large files. The TS-653 Pro supports capacity expansion by connecting a QNAP expansion enclosure. With the QNAP scale-up solution, the raw storage capacity can be expanded on demand, making the TS-653 Pro an ideal file center with a large storage capacity for business data. When connecting the TS-653 Pro to a UX-series expansion enclosure you will have to create a separate volume, and the total usable storage capacity is the volume on the TS-653 Pro plus the volume on the UX-series expansion enclosure.

Energy-saving

The TS-653 Pro utilizes a 22nm CPU and DDR3L RAM which feature low voltage requirements and low power consumption whilst maintaining high performance in system operations. Other eco-friendly designs include S3 sleep mode, scheduled power on/off, hard disk standby mode, and Wake on LAN.

Additional SMB-ready features

The TS-653 Pro supports various business applications as an all-in-one Turbo NAS with cost-efficiency.

 

The Turbo NAS supports FTP server to share large files, with user-defined settings including bandwidth limitation, number of connections, and write-only permissions.

The Turbo NAS supports Surveillance Station to connect and manage multiple IP cameras remotely, including real-time monitoring, video recording, playback, and event notifications.

 

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Comment from jmke @ 2014/11/30
great review (as usual) Stefan, the VM functionality is really unique to the QNAP series and is an excellent way to migrate any and all "home servers" to their NAS unit without losing any functionality; where as on other solutions you need to find workarounds for existing software/setup you had on your full blown home server, with the QNAP VM you can just keep that setup in a virtual machine! killer feature imho!

(ps: you did not link article <> forum thread yet?)
Comment from Stefan Mileschin @ 2014/12/01
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmke View Post
great review (as usual) Stefan, the VM functionality is really unique to the QNAP series and is an excellent way to migrate any and all "home servers" to their NAS unit without losing any functionality; where as on other solutions you need to find workarounds for existing software/setup you had on your full blown home server, with the QNAP VM you can just keep that setup in a virtual machine! killer feature in my humble opinion!

(ps: you did not link article <> forum thread yet?)
Thanks for the appreciation John! The link is also active now.

 

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