In the past, we have commented on the integration of network attached storage solutions in the modern home and while there is no doubt that over the last year we have seen more and more products offered, we are still a long way around from mainstream usage. While NAS units do provide excellent usability options that large network or media oriented homes can benefit from, the price point suggests more of a small network business environment. For its purpose however, the N0503 no doubt excels at, that is acting as a centralized storage device.

Earlier in this review, I mentioned my dislike for the web interface and while I am not about to retract my criticism, it should also be mentioned that while a polished interface is significant, the product itself as it is, is still excellent. Getting the unit up and running is a breeze. Within 10 minutes, I had the hard drives in, the unit booted, web UI loaded and all ready to setup RAID, however, to tinker with the unit, or setup anything specific, prepare for a bit of head scratching. Since the very first Thecus we’ved looked at, the main criticism has always been with the web interface, oddly while their hardware has been simply getting better and better the software has taken a turn for the worse with this new addition to their lineup.

Still though, not to go on and on about the web interface- as much as I dislike it, I digress. It is packed with features, and it is flexible. The N0503 is fast- there is no doubt about that and even in RAID 5 it manages to sustain some excellent numbers. For a three drive NAS, or five 2.5″ drive NAS the N0503 happens to fall into the more expensive side of things, but alas is the nature of performance hardware. At the time of writing can be purchased for just under $400 dollars. While it does cost a bit more, the N0503 can easily runs circles around the majority of three and even some four drive network attached storage units offered today.

Advantages

• Excellent performance

• Solid construction
• Flexible

Disadvantages

• Web interface need a serious overhaul

I’d like to thank Thecus for making this review possible.

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