ASUSTOR is trying to reinvent its NAS portfolio with the Nimbustor 2 Gen2 AS5402T, and the 2-bay NAS will get quite a bit proper. It makes use of Intel’s confirmed {hardware} platform, has 4 M.2 slots — greater than every other NAS on this section — and comes with 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.
The largest challenge with ASUSTOR servers up to now was the software program, and the model was the goal of a ransomware assault two years in the past. So it overhauled the software program, beefed up its safety measures, and rolled out a ton of recent helpful options.
ASUSTOR is betting on worth to get potential prospects to choose up the AS5402T over different merchandise on this section, and that is the most effective {hardware} package deal of any 2-bay NAS within the sub-$500 class. I used the AS5402T for simply over three months, and this is why I feel it has a whole lot of potential.
ASUSTOR AS5402T: Pricing and specs
ASUSTOR unveiled the AS5402T alongside the 4-bay AS5404T again in Might 2023, and the NAS is now obtainable globally. The AS5402T retails for $369 on Amazon within the U.S., and it’s obtainable from all main retailers. Over within the U.Okay., the NAS prices £374 ($473). ASUSTOR gives a three-year guarantee as customary with the NAS. Calling a product Nimbustor 2 Gen2 AS5402T will get annoying actually rapidly, so I am simply going to confer with it because the AS5402T in the remainder of the assessment.
| Class | ASUSTOR AS5402T |
|---|---|
| Inside drive bays | Two (24TB every bay), 3.5-inch HDD, 2.5-inch HDD/SSD |
| Community interface | 2 x 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet |
| USB ports | 2 x USB 3.2 Gen2, 10Gbps |
| eSATA ports | Row 3 – Cell 1 |
| PCIe | Row 4 – Cell 1 |
| HDMI | Sure, HDMI 2.0b port |
| CPU | Quad-core 64-bit 2.0GHz Intel Celeron J5105 |
| Plex transcoding | Sure |
| RAM | 4GB DDR4 non-ECC, upgradeable to 16GB |
| M.2 slots | 4, M.2 2280 customary |
| Cooling | 1 x 70mm fan |
| Dimensions | 170 x 114 x 230 mm |
| Weight | 1.71kg, 3.77lb |
ASUSTOR AS5402T: Design
NAS producers do not often change the design of their merchandise, and that’s the case with the AS5402T as effectively. It has the identical design language as ASUSTOR’s earlier choices, and the unassuming design means it simply blends into the background. You aren’t getting any vents on the perimeters, however there’s a 70mm fan on the again that does a superb job making certain the drives do not get too scorching.
That stated, ASUSTOR went with a geometrical sample all through that appears fairly good, and it offers the NAS a bit of little bit of character. The NAS has two drive bays, and so they simply slide out. There’s a shroud protecting the drive bays, and it attaches magnetically to the enclosure. Whereas the remainder of the AS5402T has a plastic design with a matte texture that does not decide up mud simply, the shroud is made out of shiny plastic, and it’s a mud magnet.
There are standing LEDs for the exhausting drives, community ports, and USB ports, and also you get a USB-A port on the left. Set up of three.5-inch HDDs is tool-free, however you will want to make use of screws if you happen to’re mounting 2.5-inch SSDs or HDDs. Top-of-the-line options of the AS5402T is that it has 4 M.2 2280 slots. The draw back is that accessing these slots is not straightforward; you will must take away the screws in the back of the enclosure, take out the exhausting drive bays, after which slide the entrance cowl again.
This allows you to entry the innards of the chassis, with the M.2 slots situated on the high. Putting in the SSDs is simple sufficient when you get to the slots, however a slide-out panel would have made issues significantly simpler. There are vents above the M.2 slots that supply some quantity of passive cooling, however I might have appreciated to see thermal pads put in beneath every slot. And contemplating a screwdriver is important to get to the M.2 slots, ASUSTOR ought to have included one within the field — like TerraMaster.
Apart from that downside, I did not discover any points with the design. ASUSTOR did a superb job sustaining design consistency with earlier generations, and the fan on the again manages thermals effectively with out getting too loud.
ASUSTOR AS5402T: Ports
ASUSTOR is thought for delivering a superb worth with its NAS servers, and the AS5402T is not any completely different. The NAS has two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports on the again, and also you get twin USB-A ports as effectively. What I significantly like is the inclusion of an HDMI 2.0 port; this permits the NAS to be related to a TV.
All three USB-A ports now use the USB 3.2 Gen 2 customary, and so they get the total 10Gbps bandwidth, so if you happen to’re trying to join exterior drives to the NAS, you will get quick transfers. The large differentiator is the quad M.2 slots on the NAS, so if you happen to’re trying to combine conventional HDDs with quick SSD storage, you are able to do that with the AS5402T.
Curiously, the AS5402T reuses the identical M.2 backplane as the more expensive AS6707T, and the HDD backplane is similar because the AS5302T. This does not have an effect on the usability of the NAS in any approach, and there are many different manufacturers that use the identical {hardware} throughout their merchandise. However given how ASUSTOR labels its mannequin quantity on all of the elements, it is easy to see what servers they had been designed for.Â
ASUSTOR AS5402T: Software program
ASUSTOR was the goal of a ransomware assault two years in the past, and following the incident, the model overhauled its safety measures. The ASUSTOR Knowledge Grasp (ADM) web-based interface suggests methods to tighten the safety of the NAS after you log in, and it picked up a visible refresh — it now has a definite gaming aesthetic, and the daring styling seems to be good.
The interface nonetheless would not look fairly as polished as what you get with DSM, however ASUSTOR did a superb job including a whole lot of options. Icon administration is a bit of intuitive, and settings may have been organized higher, however on the entire, you get a ton of helpful utilities, together with the likes of Dwelling Assistant, Tailscale, Plex, AdGuard, and extra.
ASUSTOR additionally has a collection of cell apps that allow you to again up photographs and movies, and whereas they do a good job, they’re in want of an overhaul.
ASUSTOR AS5402T: Efficiency
ASUSTOR is continuous to supply Intel {hardware} on its NAS enclosures, and the AS5402T is powered by the quad-core Celeron N5105, delivering sizeable positive aspects over the N4xxx collection. It’s loads quick in each day use, and it an impressive selection if you wish to arrange a strong Plex server.
The AS5402T does a terrific job with {hardware} transcoding typically, and if you happen to’re wanting to make use of the characteristic in Plex, this is without doubt one of the greatest dwelling NAS servers obtainable. It’s higher than the DiskStation DS224+ — my present 2-bay decide — relating to Plex streaming, and it holds up significantly effectively with excessive bitrate content material.
The AS5402T has 4GB of DDR4 RAM out of the field, and there is one other SO-DIMM slot obtainable that permits you to add as much as an 8GB module. ASUSTOR would not hobble the NAS in any approach, so the greatest NAS exhausting drives will work with none points on the AS5402T, together with the IronWolf Professional and WD’s Crimson Professional collection. You may even slot within the new 24TB IronWolf Professional drives within the NAS, however seeing as how they value $549 in the mean time, you are higher off shopping for 8TB IronWolf HDDs.
I examined the AS5402T with twin 6TB IronWolf drives, and it was straightforward sufficient to saturate the switch price of the exhausting drives when transferring information from the SSD of a Home windows machine. The truth that you get 2.5GbE connectivity makes issues considerably simpler, and also you needn’t fear in regards to the community ports being the limitation on this space.
ASUSTOR AS5402T: The competitors
In case you just like the look of the AS5402T however need one thing with extra drive bays, it is best to take into account the Nimbustor 4 Gen2 AS5404T. It has the identical Celeron N5105 {hardware}, similar variety of ports on the again, and an identical reminiscence and M.2 slots. The one distinction is that you simply get the flexibility to fit in 4 3.5-inch drives, and out of doors of that, it’s the similar because the AS5402T.
The DiskStation DS224+ is extra inexpensive, however you do not get wherever near the identical stage of {hardware}. You aren’t getting any M.2 slots, you are restricted to Gigabit Ethernet, and there is not any {hardware} transcoding. The software program options are the rationale why the DS224+ is a giant deal, nevertheless it would not measure as much as the AS5402T when it comes to the {hardware}.
ASUSTOR AS5402T: Must you purchase it?
You should purchase this if:
- You desire a highly effective Plex dwelling server
- You want loads of M.2 slots
- You need nice {hardware} and multi-Gigabit connectivity
You should not purchase this if:
- You want polished software program
On the entire, the AS5402T is without doubt one of the greatest dwelling NAS servers you may get on this section. The NAS has terrific {hardware} throughout the board, and it is clear that ASUSTOR is positioning it as a creator-focused mannequin. The mix of M.2 slots and twin 2.5GbE connectivity makes it a terrific selection if you wish to use SSD storage along with mechanical drives.
Whereas ASUSTOR’s software program nonetheless wants a bit of labor, the model made a whole lot of constructive strikes on this space over the past 12 months. In case you’re trying to arrange a strong Plex server and need the most effective {hardware}, the AS5402T is a straightforward advice.
With the most effective {hardware} in its class and loads of M.2 slots, the AS5402T has every thing you want if you wish to construct a Plex server. Â Â