| QNAP TS-119 Gigabit NAS Server |
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| Written by Olin Coles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wednesday, 17 June 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
QNAP TS-119 NAS ServerIf you've ever visited Benchmark Reviews in the past, you've probably noticed that we've tested a large collection of NAS products. At the same time, you might have noticed how many of these products aren't really geared towards home users needing just the basics. That's where the QNAP TS-119 comes in handy. Designed to hold a single SATA drive (HDD or SSD), the TS-119 can deliver all the great features of larger more expensive NAS products. The latest Enterprise-level NAS servers feature iSCSI expansion, RAID redundancy, and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, and surprisingly the TS-119 does these things too, but without the expensive price tag. How can a single-drive NAS offer RAID you ask? In this article Benchmark Reviews takes the QNAP TS-119 through a tough set of performance tests while we outline the Turbo NAS functions and features. Thrifty shoppers are faced with many options when choosing where to store their valuable data: from traditional optical media and drive based storage, to flash drives and even more exotic third party online storage - each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The NAS server has gained popularity lately as more and more consumers realize the need for a reliable, cost effective, and easy to access centralized way to store their data. However, with so many competing products it's not always possible for buyers to easily compare what's on the market. Read on as Benchmark Reviews puts this "all-in-one" NAS through its paces. Intended for small/medium business (SMB) and small office/home office (SOHO) users, The QNAP TS-119 offers inexpensive and easy-to-use data storage and backup that's sure to appeal to budget-minded users.
So what can you expect a single-drive NAS to deliver? Take a look at the short list of features the QNAP TS-119 delivers:
About QNAP Systems, Inc.
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| CPU | Marvell 6281 1.2GHz |
| DRAM | 512MB DDRII RAM |
| Flash Memory | 16MB |
| HDD | 1 x 3.5" SATA I/II HDD, up to 2TB (the standard system is shipped without HDD) |
| LAN Port | 1 x Gigabit RJ-45 Ethernet port |
| LED Indicators | USB, Status, HDD, eSATA, LAN ,Power, |
| USB | 3 x USB 2.0 port (Front: 1; Back: 2) Support USB printer, pen drive, USB hub, and USB UPS etc. |
| Buttons | System: Power button, USB One-Touch-Backup Button, Reset button |
| Alarm Buzzer | System warning |
| Form Factor | Portable |
| Dimensions | 182 (H) x 60 (W) x 210 (D) mm 7.17 (H) x 2.36 (W) x 8.27(D) inch |
| Weight | Net weight: 1.2 kg/ 2.65 lb Gross weight: 2.1 kg/ 4.63 lb |
| Temperature | 0~40°C |
| Humidity | 0~95% R.H. |
| Power | External Power Adapter, 36W, 100-240V |
| Secure Design | K-lock security slot for theft prevention |
| Thermal Solution | Fanless, heat dissipation by aluminum case |
QNAP Software Specifications
Powerful All-in-one server |
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Software Specifications |
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Closer Look: QNAP TS-119
Network Attached Storage (NAS) servers have earned themselves a very worthy reputation as being powerful all-in-one devices capable of replacing the basic file-serving functions of a desktop computer system. QNAP has been at the forefront of NAS development, and their products continually improve with each new release. In this article, the QNAP TS-119 shows just how much can fit into a small single-drive enclosure.
With such a small footprint, it's no surprise to find the front and back sections of the TS-119 so crowded with status lights and connection ports. At the front of the flat black enclosure is a small collection of LED-backlit status messages colored green, orange, or blue, which report the basic NAS activity. Although the actual 'Status' LED will flash to a specific trouble pattern in the event of problems. the LAN, HDD, ESATA, and USB LEDs give straight-forward activity feedback.
At the rear of the QNAP TS-119 NAS are two HighSpeed USB 2.0 ports, a single eSATA port for direct 3.0GBps transfers, a RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port for unrestricted network access, and the A/C power adapter receptacle. A system 'Reset' button is hidden between the network and power connections. Below the connections is a Kensington K-Lock hole, for securing the NAS.
At the front of the unit, you've got three options to work with: Power, and a single HighSpeed USB 2.0 port above a unique 'USB Copy' button. The USB Copy feature allows the user to easily initiate content transfer between a USB-attached device and the TS-119 NAS. There is a limitation however; since the TS-119 does not offer USB Share, and any attached device must be formatted with the FAT32 file system. The front USB 2.0 port can be utilized for connecting a flash drive, printer, camera, or external hard drive; two more ports are located at the backside of the chassis.
Since you're limited to only one drive in the QNAP TS-119 NAS, this product is really only destined for home users as well as SOHO/Small Business environments. Years ago this might have been a problem, but considering how 2.0 TB SATA hard drives are fairly inexpensive, you'll have a tough time convincing someone they won't have enough storage space.
At the heart of the QNAP TS-119 is a 1.2GHz CPU paired to 512MB of RAM, which may not be as exciting as the larger NAS servers we've tested which use desktop processors and high capacity DDR2 memory modules, but the performance results will prove that it's enough to get the job done. Even though a RAID-1 or -5 array is physically impossible for this single-drive unit, the TS-119 still offers excellent simple-disk performance.
The CPU consists of an integrated (soldiered) Marvell Kirkwood 88F6281 (88F6-B1A2) processor control unit with no passive cooling heatsink. This controller chip includes a 256KB L2 cache, which operates at 400MHz when the unit is clocked to 1.2GHz. Although Marvell designed their Kirkwood controller to include two Gigabit Ethernet ports, QNAP has customized the design to offer only one RJ45 port.
Everything you need to get the TS-119 Turbo NAS loaded and ready for duty-use is included in the box; although you provide either a mechanical hard drive or solid state drive. Although there might be future plans, at this time QNAP does not include Hard Disk Drives with their NAS products. In this TS-119 NAS kit there is enough hardware to mount a single drive into the enclosure, along with a power cord and CAT-5e cable. My only gripe is with the enclosed network patch cable, which wasn't very impressive when you consider that most environments now use CAT-6 as a standard.
Gigabit Ethernet will still perform well over CAT-5e, especially at short patch-cord lengths, but most IT professionals agree that this is yesteryear's standard and has since been replaced by CAT-6. The manufacturers cost is a difference of about two to three pennies per cord at 100-unit prices, so I really can't find a valid reason as to why every network product Benchmark Reviews has seen still comes with the old cables. I have personally seen all new network construction and retrofits utilize CAT-6 infrastructure and patch cords since 2006, so let's hope the manufactures catch on sooner than later.
Network Terminology
Benchmark Reviews has decided to abandon our effort to educate readers on the difference between a Gigabyte, and a Gibibyte. This article will use the common metric terminology for data measurement, instead of the binary units we've used in past articles. Sadly, too many people are more interested in comfortable reading, even if it means being technically inaccurate. But for anyone who might still be interested in learning real technical terms relevant to the industry, I've added a small explanation below:
The basic unit data measurement is called a bit (one single binary digit). Computers use these bits, which are composed of ones and zeros, to communicate their contents. All files are stored as binary files, and translated into working files by the Operating System. This two number system is called a "binary number system". In comparison, the decimal number system has ten unique digits consisting of zero through nine. Essentially it boils down to differences between binary and metric measurements, because testing is deeply impacted without carefully separating the two. For example, the difference between the transfer time of a one-Gigabyte (1000 Megabytes) file is going to be significantly better than a true binary Gigabyte (referred to as a Gibibyte) that contains 1024 Megabytes. The larger the file used for data transfer, the bigger the difference will be.
Have you ever wondered why your 500 GB hard drive only has about 488 GB once it has been formatted? Most Operating Systems utilize the binary number system to express file data size, however the prefixes for the multiples are based on the metric system. So even though a metric "Kilo" equals 1,000, a binary "Kilo" equals 1,024. Are you confused yet? Don't be surprised, because even the most tech savvy people often mistake the two. Plainly put, the Kilobyte is expressed as 1000 bytes, but it is really comprised of 1,024 bytes.
Most network engineers (myself included) are not fully aware that the IEC changed the way we calculate and name data chunks when they published the new International Standards back in December 1998. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) removed the old metric prefixes for multiples in binary code with new prefixes for binary multiples made up of only the first two letters of the metric prefixes and adding the first two letters of the word "binary". For example, instead of Megabyte (MB) or Gigabyte (GB), the new terms would be Mebibyte (MiB) or Gibibyte (GiB). While this is the new official IEC International Standard, it has not been widely adopted yet because it is either still unknown by institutions or not commonly used.
Personally, I think the IEC took a confusing situation and simply made it more of a mess. As I mentioned earlier, the Kilobyte was previously expressed as 1000 bytes, even though it was really comprised of 1,024 bytes. Now, the Kilobyte really is expressed correctly as 1000 bytes, and the Kibibyte is the item comprised of 1,024 bytes. In essence, the IEC just created a new name for the binary item and left the existing name for the metric item. Hopefully that clears things up, and you can thank Benchmark Reviews for training the next generation of Network Engineers.
NAS Testing Methodology
Although each of the devices we tested can accommodate several different disk configurations, it was decided that basic (single) disk and RAID-5 configurations were the best way to measure data throughput for our NAS servers.
Connected directly to the Realtek RTL8168 Gigabit Ethernet NIC by a three-foot CAT6 patch cable, the NAS products received one test transfer followed by three timed transfers. Each test file was sent to the Seagate 1.5 TB 7200.11 SATA-II HDD installed in the NAS for a timed write test, and that same file was sent back to an identical Seagate 1.5 TB 7200.11 HDD drive (ST31500341AS) in the test system to record the read test. Each test was repeated, and the first three identical results were recorded and charted.
The two transfer tests: read and write, were conducted on each NAS appliance using the 100 MB file and then the 1 GB file. Additionally, a second set of tests were conducted with Jumbo Frame enabled. While the Synology Disk Station DS209, DS408, Cube Station CS407, and QNAP TS-409 Pro/TS-209 Pro each offered 9000K MTU Jumbo Frame settings available, the D-Link DNS-323 and QNAP TS-509 Pro do not. In the Jumbo Frame tests the Realtek RTL8168 Gigabit NIC was set to use the 4K MTU value with Jumbo Frame enabled. For the sake of benchmark results, the TS-509 Pro was also tested in the RAID-5 configuration (four disks), and included 10 GiB file transfers.
NAS Comparison Products
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Synology Disk Station DS209 2-Bay DS209 NAS server
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Thecus N7700 Gigabit 7-Bay SATA NAS server
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QNAP TS-509 Pro Gigabit 5-Bay SATA NAS server
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Synology Disk Station DS408 Gigabit 4-Bay SATA NAS server
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Synology Cube Station CS407 Gigabit 4-Bay SATA NAS server
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QNAP TS-409 Pro Gigabit 4-Bay SATA NAS Server
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D-Link DNS-323 Gigabit 2-Bay SATA NAS server
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QNAP TS-209 Pro Gigabit 2-Bay SATA NAS server
Support Equipment
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(2) Seagate 1.5 TB 7200.11 SATA-II 7200 RPM Hard Disk Drives
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3-Foot Category-6 Solid Copper Shielded Twisted Pair Patch Cable
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Realtek RTL8168 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller (Driver Version 5.674.807.2007)
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1 metric Gigabyte Test File (1 GB / Gigabyte = 1,000,000,000 bytes)
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10 metric Gigabyte Test File (10 GB / Gigabyte = 1,000,000,000 bytes)
Test System
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Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EX58-EXTREME (Intel X58/ICH10R Chipset) with F7e BIOS
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Processor: Intel Core i7-920 Nehalem 2.66 GHz (BX80601920)
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System Memory: OCZ 6GB 1600MHz CL7 DDR3 OCZ3P1600LV6GK
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Disk Drive: OCZ Vertex 120GB SATA SSD OCZSSD2-1VTX120G
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Monitor: SOYO 26-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor DYLM26E6 (1920x1200)
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Operating System: Windows XP Professional SP-3 (optimized to 16 processes at idle)
NAS Testing Results
With so many features available to offer a broad range of functionality, NAS server products can be daunting when you try to nail down performance. In this article, Benchmark Reviews will refer to performance as the bandwidth speed results of a file transfer test. The first tests we perform utilizes a single 1GB (1000 megabytes / 1,000,000,000 bytes) file in a transfer to and from the NAS. This test used to take as long as a minute back in 2007, but in the past few years there have been major gains in NAS transfer performance. Now our 1GB Read test ends in as little as seventeen seconds (with the QNAP TS-509 Pro). Using an FTP tool so that exact transfer time could be captured, each NAS was tested for transfer bandwidth.
As you can see for yourself in the chart below, QNAP has certainly set itself apart as the dominate force in file transfer speed. The TS-509 Pro doesn't offer Jumbo Frame support so all of our tests use the same result twice; but even without the extra packet size we see that QNAP has designed for optimal transfer performance. At 58.8 MB/s read bandwidth the QNAP TS-509 Pro is our highest 1GB performer, with the QNAP TS-119 and Synology DS408 coming in close behind with a best of 55.6 MB/s each with Jumbo Frame. The Thecus N7700 comes in right behind the top three leaders, with a best of 50.0 MB/s, matching performance with the Synology DS209.
Moving on to the 1 GB write bandwidth test, our results suggest that sometimes it will be faster to read files from a NAS server then it is to write files onto it, and sometimes the opposite is true. The Network Attached Storage servers each have their own strengths, with some being more robust in write-to performance when others conformed to the traditionally impressive read-from performance.
QNAP's TS-509 Pro maintained 62.5 MB/s without the comfort of Jumbo Frame support, followed by the Thecus N7700 which produced a best of 62.5 MB/s. The Synology Disk Station DS209 narrowly beat the larger DS408, and scored a swift 43.5 MB/s write performance with Jumbo Frame enabled. A single-drive QNAP TS-119 held a steady 33.3 MB/s speed, scoring the same with and without Jumbo Frame enabled, and was tailed by the Thecus N3300 at 32.3 MB/s.
The lower-end spectrum consists of all the remaining NAS products, with the next closest competitor being the QNAP TS-409 Pro which reached only 20.3 MB/s write performance using Jumbo Frame, and 16.5 MB/s without it. The older Synology CD407 performed at roughly half the speed of its newer predecessor, and the remainder of the bunch trailed distantly behind. Let's move on to the larger file chunk testing, because next up is our 10 GB (1000 metric megabytes / 10,000,000,000 bytes) tests. Using only a single hard drive for testing in each NAS, network throughput would be put to the test.
Fresh out of the gates, QNAP's TS-509 continued to impress us with the high-bandwidth read performance of 55.6 MB/s that lead the pack. QNAP's single-drive TS-119 offered the same performance once Jumbo Frame was enabled, but reduced to 47.6 MB/s at 1500 MTU. The Synology DS209 and DS408 maintained a close relationship with peak performance around 47 MB/s in normal mode, and improved to 49.3 and 48.3 MB/s read performance with Jumbo Frame enabled at both ends (respectively). The Thecus N7700 was able to sustain 44.5 MB/s using Jumbo Frame, and 41.5 MB/s without it, which was very similar to the N3200 Pro.
In our 10GB write performance tests, the charts were shuffled a bit. The Thecus N7700 makes up for above-average read performance by offering excellent large-file write performance and sustained 56.2/58.8 MB/s in normal and Jumbo Frame modes. Next was the TS-509 Pro, which has held the top position for most tests, and scored 47.0 MB/s. The Synology DS209 and DS408 have performed in the middle of the pack for our 10GB file transfer tests, and performed at 42.9/40.0 and 36.8/36.3 MB/s in normal and Jumbo Frame modes.
The single-drive QNAP TS-119 and three-drive Thecus N3300PRO both score around 32 MB/s in our large file JBOD tests, and trail behind the leaders by almost 20 MB/s. Taking the entire test section as a whole, one thing becomes abundantly clear: QNAP keeps the bar high for NAS performance with their Turbo Station TS-509 Pro, even when compared against newer products.
NAS Comparison Products
- Synology Disk Station DS209 2-Bay DS209 NAS server
- Thecus N7700 Gigabit 7-Bay SATA NAS server
- QNAP TS-509 Pro Gigabit 5-Bay SATA NAS server
- Synology Disk Station DS408 Gigabit 4-Bay SATA NAS server
- Synology Cube Station CS407 Gigabit 4-Bay SATA NAS server
- QNAP TS-409 Pro Gigabit 4-Bay SATA NAS Server
- D-Link DNS-323 Gigabit 2-Bay SATA NAS server
- QNAP TS-209 Pro Gigabit 2-Bay SATA NAS server
NAS Server Final Thoughts
It's not going to make a lot of sense for resellers and IT professionals to outfit a client with a Windows-based server if it's only going to be used for serving out files, sharing printers, and controlling Active Directory objects; one fairly inexpensive NAS does all this in its most basic form at less than half the cost. It's not until you consider that some manufacturers outfit their NAS series with full LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL and PHP) package for web servers, along with FTP and media tools, that the list of items a NAS product could potentially replace grows very large.
So what can you expect from most NAS products? More than you can with some pedestal or rack servers. This is supposed to be my final thoughts, and quite frankly I just barely touched the surface of features NAS products can offer. Most of my NAS reviews focus on performance, and sparingly supply feature lists. So let's recap some feature highlights that most modern NAS products offer:
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Hot-swappable SATA-II drive storage bays, usually with 5.25-to-2.5" adapters available.
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RAID-0, 1, 5, 6, 5 + Spare, 10, Single, and JBOD disk configurations.
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Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports for failover redundancy or network teaming.
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Windows Active Directory Services and NT4 support with login via Samba/AFP/FTP for domain users.
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Linux based O/S with Apache-based web serving, usually partnered to PHP and MySQL allowing you to run dynamic web sites directly from the NAS.
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eSATA and High-Speed USB 2.0 ports capable of connecting external hard disk drives, flash storage, and compatible printers.
Obviously the list could go on and on, especially if you noticed the multi-page layout of features and functionality. Taking into consideration that NAS products seem to all offer a feature-set that reads like a chefs shopping list, it's no wonder why these NAS products are quickly replacing Windows Server products. After all, for the price of one RAID-5 capable NAS and three 2.0 TB SATA-II HDDs you'll get four Terabytes of total storage space and still spend well below the cost of one single Windows Server Operating System and the required client access licenses.
While it's true that these NAS products will do almost everything a Windows Server platform can, they still fall very short of one important task: Windows software. Many of my clients have servers which require some form of server-side software to manage a database. Some of the most common applications that require almost no processing power but still require installation on a Windows O/S are QuickBooks and AutoCAD licensing server. Imagine the possibilities you could offer clients with a full server-in-the-box solution. I believe that this will be the next evolution in NAS products, as consumer demand more versatility out of their investment.
But there are still a few more things you can't do on a NAS, such as utilize the onboard O/S to install applications. Most NAS products utilize a Linux variant ('Nix) with little or no command interface, so even if you knew how to install from YUM or a similar repository the functionality doesn't exist. Even once that obstacle is navigated, I have a feeling that users will then demand a Windows emulator so they can install and utilize Windows-specific software on their NAS (such as license servers and anti-virus command points). It seems that these problems all revolve around side-stepping Microsoft products and licensing, which is not surprising.
QNAP TS-119 Conclusion
Benchmark Reviews believes that manufacturers should be educating consumers with their product packaging, so they can make the most informed decision possible before they make the purchase. This is why we rate the retail package presentation. in terms of the TS-119 Turbo NAS this rating is above average because QNAP has done an excellent job of informing buyers with basic on-the-box specifications and feature information. The concept of truth in advertising is getting further and further away every year, but for once I can see that not every company is out to cover their product with catch phrases and slogans and instead educate the consumer.
If you're familiar with external hard drive enclosures, then the QNAP TS-119 will look very familiar. Although QNAP has somehow figured out a way to cram a system board, processor, memory, and network interface inside this small chassis, it looks like a basic drive enclosure but houses a full-duty NAS. The anodized aluminum alloy chassis helps to transfer heat away from the unit, but a few vent holes would have also been helpful. The black finish is not very friendly towards fingerprints, but it wipes down easily to look new again.
QNAP has built one solid little NAS out of the TS-119. The alloy enclosure is thick enough to sustain direct impact without suffering damage, while at the same time it acts as a heatsink. While a SOHO network appliance may not see a lot of careless handling, home users can subject their equipment to harsh environments. Thankfully, the TS-119 is pet and child safe.
Ever since Gigabit Ethernet found its way into the mainstream, bandwidth throughput has gradually grown for all products involved. The Synology TS-119 enjoys these benefits, and performed above nearly all of the competition we compared it against for our benchmark tests. Single-drive (JBOD) read bandwidth was remarkably good compared to the competition, which topped-out at 55.6 MBps with Jumbo Frame enabled. Write-to performance was slightly less-impressive, but still ahead of most the competition, and measured 33.3 MBps. The list of functionality and features for every QNAP NAS is practically endless, and this is especially true for the TS-119. There's plenty of depth to the different modules, which might be considered too much for one device since it's close to overwhelming for a seasoned IT professional like myself. But as the saying goes: "It's better to have and not need then to need and not have". All that's missing is the ability to install software to emulate a Windows environment.
As of mid-June 2009, the QNAP TS-119 is available at NewEgg for $309.99 without drives. With some additional searching, our price comparison tool found better deals on the web which matched our price expectations a little better. Home or SOHO users can fill the TS-119 with a 2.0 TB drive, but users not needing major storage capacity could use a 1TB Seagate 7200.12 drive for only $100.
The QNAP TS-119 Gigabit NAS server is going to be an excellent alternative to a notebook or desktop computer as a basic file server, and is perfect for small business networks. Home users can take advantage of a multitude of enterprise-level tools, such as web hosting, but the functionality and storage capacities will probably excite them most. Whether you find yourself positioning the TS-119 Turbo NAS in a home, SOHO, or business environment, just remember: this little workhorse wears several hats, and does it fairly well wearing them all.
Pros:
+ 55.6/33.3 MB/s single-disk read/write performance
+ Gigabit Ethernet NIC with Jumbo Frame functionality
+ Rugged black alloy chassis provides durability with elegance
+ Three total High-Speed USB 2.0 ports available
+ Frequent firmware development and free software support
+ Pre-installed PHP+MySQL and Apache web server
+ Supports convenient USB Copy functionality
+ eSATA external storage 3.0 GBps connectivity
+ LED light panel displays basic status information
Cons:
- Lacks hardware-level data redundancy
- Large AC power adapter brick adds to overall footprint
- Package includes obsolete CAT-5e Ethernet patch cable
Ratings:
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Presentation: 8.75
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Appearance: 8.75
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Construction: 9.75
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Functionality: 9.00
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Value: 7.50
Final Score: 8.75 out of 10.
Quality Recognition: Benchmark Reviews Silver Tachometer Award.
Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.
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