14 DAY TRIAL // Another network-attached storage device has appeared, one that may or may not bang heads with the 4-Bay Synology DiskStation DS413j.
NAS devices may not seem like the most interesting products on the IT market, but that's only when looking at them through the lens of a normal consumer's point of view.
Network administrators, as well as owners of small and medium businesses, have, in fact, every reason to be interested in such things.
Thus, the same way we brought you the aforementioned product a few days ago, we are going to describe a four-bay NAS unit from D-Link.
There isn't any wireless support on the Cloud Storage 4000, even though D-Link has a strong collection of routers and receivers and, thus, all the expertise it needs to incorporate such functionality in a NAS.
The reason is simple: since NAS devices are supposed to centralize data, and create backups for the connected PCs, Wi-Fi is too slow, and it would not be all that safe to open a potentially important database to every wireless device out there, encryption protocols or no, not to mention the cost of such a thing.
That said, the NAS does possess two Gigabit Ethernet ports, and the ability to stream media or host files through an FTP server.
“Continuing our commitment to providing complete network solutions, D-Link’s new Cloud Storage 4000 offers the ideal cloud storage solution for any connected home or small business,” said Ken Loyd, director, consumer products, D-Link Systems, Inc.
“The Cloud Storage 4000 provides flexible options for the end user, such as centrally storing and sharing your digital media, streaming movies from your ShareCenter to your TV, managing your files remotely on your smartphone or tablet, or adding significant storage drive capacity.”
One of the special perks of D-Link's ShareCenter Cloud Storage 4000 is the ability to create a personal cloud portal through the mydlink cloud app (remote storage, sharing).
The other is the full-featured network video recorder (NVR), which can monitor, in real time, surveillance video feeds, as well as record and play them.