ASUSTOR AS5304T NAS

The ASUSTOR AS5304T NAS is a solid piece of kit for anyone looking to boost their home or small office storage. Priced around £407, it’s not the cheapest on the market, but you do get a fair amount of bang for your buck.

One of the standout features is its Intel Celeron J4105 processor, which handles most tasks quite well. With 4GB of RAM (expandable to 8GB), it’s decent for running multiple applications simultaneously. This NAS supports 4K transcoding, which is a big plus if you're into streaming your media. It can easily handle multiple streams without breaking a sweat, making it great for families or small groups.

The four-bay design allows for plenty of storage options, and if you're into RAID configurations, this NAS supports several, including RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10, which is nice for data redundancy. On the connectivity front, it has two 2.5GbE ports that can be aggregated for improved performance, which is a notable feature for anyone with fast internet speeds.

However, it’s not without its downsides. The user interface can be a bit clunky at times, especially if you’re not familiar with NAS setups. Also, while the build quality is good, it feels a bit plasticky compared to some competitors.

In terms of value for money, it’s a decent investment if you need reliable storage and media serving capabilities. It might not be the best choice for those on a tight budget or if you’re simply looking for basic file storage. But if you're after something that can handle more demanding tasks and offer flexibility, the AS5304T is worth considering. Just be ready to spend a bit of time getting everything set up to your liking.