Although Thecus and QNAP started in the same year, unlike QNAP, it has not yet become a real challenger to market leader Synology. It is not due to a lack of courage, Thecus repeatedly came up with important innovations. The N4810 is also a promising NAS that, however, falls short on the same point where other models of this brand already did.
Thecus N4810
Price € 410 (without discs)Language English
OS Thecus OS 7 with apps for iOS and Android
Website: www.thecus.com
6 Score 60
- Pros
- hdmi
- USB-C Ports
- 4K transcoding
- Btrfs Snapshots
- LED display
- Negatives
- Operating system
- Packages
- iOS/Android apps
- English GUI
Nas devices with more storage such as 4-bay models are becoming more and more popular. Recently we looked at various models in a comparative test, unfortunately the submission of Thecus was too late. Although the Thecus N4810 has been on sale for two years now, it is by far the most interesting. That is why we tested it to see how the brand compares to the perhaps more famous Synology and QNAP.
Great performance
In any case, the performance is fine. The quad-core Celeron N3160 processor, together with the 4 GB RAM, still delivers excellent performance with 93.9 and 87.9 MB/s read and write at RAID5. In addition, the processor offers 4K hardware transcoding. There are also two gigabit network ports, three USB3.0 and one USB-C port for extra storage, for example. For playback via a connected TV or stereo, an S/PDIF output, HDMI and display port are available.
Opportunities
Furthermore, the NAS is one of the few in its price range with an LED display for status messages and insight into the configuration. To use the direct display, the Local Display app must be installed, one of many functional extensions in the Thecus App Center. Although quantity for apps is certainly a plus, Thecus should really take a good look at its App Center. There are simply too many outdated and insufficiently qualitative apps available. There are also highlights such as the various synchronization options such as with Google Drive, Dropbox and OwnCloud, and the media centers KODI and Plex.
The Thecus OS7 operating system is adequate for most tasks, but don't expect the quality and richness of a QNAP QTS or Synology DSM. Thecus OS7 is also mainly intended for management of the NAS, an individual user will be less likely to use it. A plus is the support of the Btrfs file system for infinite snapshots of the data on the NAS. There was always the T-OnTheGo app for mobile use, but development has stopped. Thecus is now working with OrbWeb, an American/Taiwanese cloud provider. After installing the Orbweb app on the NAS and registering with the cloud service, the Orbweb app allows you to view files and photos stored on the NAS, upload new files and photos, and also stream music and movies. After the trial period, the app shows advertisements.
Conclusion
The N4810 arrived late for the big 4-bay NAS test. Despite the excellent performance and many connections, it had not earned a recommendation due to the less good software. Both the OS7 and the extensions and apps score less well than the competition. Although the N4810 is certainly not outdated after two years, you can now buy a newer QNAP or Synology with more modern hardware and especially better software for the same money. If Thecus wants to be more than a niche player, it will have to make a big step forward, something that should be possible now that it has been part of the large Foxconn for two years.
