QNAP System has launched the 2-bay TS-251B NAS, which costs about $300. Powered by an Intel J3355 dual-core processor, the TS-251B provides home and SOHO users with a cross-device multimedia experience with its 4K media transcoding and streaming capabilities, 4K HDMI output, and a range of backup and sharing applications. The TS-251B also provides a PCIe slot to expand its core functionality.
With its PCIe slot, users can expand the functionality of the TS-251B. A QNAP QM2 card can be installed to add M.2 SSD caching and 10GbE connectivity; a compatible wireless adapter (e.g. QNAP QWA-AC2600) to create a wireless storage and streaming environment; a USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) card to increase the number of USB ports; or a QNAP QXG-10G1T 10GbE network expansion card to add 10GbE connectivity.
Powered by a 14nm Intel Celeron J3355 dual-core 2.0GHz processor (burst up to 2.5 GHz), 2GB/4GB DDR3L RAM (up to 8GB), a single Gigabit LAN port, and supporting SATA 6Gb/s drives, the TS-251B provides dependable read/write speeds and provides Intel AES-NI hardware-accelerated encryption to ensure the security of sensitive data on the NAS, according to Jason Hsu, QNAP product manager. The TS-251B also supports snapshots, allowing users to recover data in the event of accidental deletion/modification or ransomware attack.
The TS-251B’s App Center provides a range of productivity tools: “Qsirch” full-text search allows for quick file search; “IFTTT Agent” and “Qfiling” automate user workflows for improved efficiency and productivity; “Qsync” and “Hybrid Backup Sync” simplify file sharing and syncing across devices. A variety of streaming applications, including “Cinema28”, “QVHelper”, “Qmedia” and “Video HD” allows users to enjoy a smooth multimedia experience using different streaming protocols. Users can also use QNAP’s remote control RM-IR004 (sold separately) with the QButton app to customize the functions of the buttons for easy navigation.