TerraMaster F2-240
This new name in NAS gives the big names a run for their money, but performance doesn’t quite hit the spot
SCORE ✪✪✪✪✪ PRICE Diskless, £216 (£260 inc VAT) from pcpro.link/276t2
If you haven’t spotted TerraMaster’s NAS offerings on the high street, that’s no surprise: this upstart Chinese NAS specialist sells to the UK exclusively through Amazon. If you’re hesitant to entrust your precious data to an unfamiliar provider, be reassured that, like most NAS platforms, it’s built on Linux, so the foundations are solid – from a software point of view, at least.
The hardware is pretty sturdy too. The F2-240 feels well put-together, with two drive caddies that slide out and click into place as cleanly as any rival’s. They’re not tool-free, but a screwdriver is thoughtfully included to help you get set up as easily as possible.
TerraMaster’s TOS software offers easy access to technical settings via a stylish and professional-feeling web interface. You can configure the F2-420 as an iSCSI target, and optionally enable link aggregation or load balancing. Remote access is available via the TNAS.online service.
The TOS Application Centre isn’t overflowing with apps, but Plex worked perfectly, and you’ll also find handy services such as MySQL and WordPress. For Apple users, iTunes and Time Machine are supported.
It’s all kept ticking over by an Intel Celeron J1900 processor; this is from the Bay Trail generation, introduced way back in 2013, but it’s a powerful quad-core model that can still hold its own. You also get a generous, albeit non-upgradeable, 4GB of RAM.
While there aren’t any obvious showstoppers here, there are some compromises. The F2-240 has only a single USB 3 socket, tucked away at the rear next to an old-school USB 2 port. The TerraMaster is also the only contender this month to lack a slot for a Kensington lock.
It’s also worth noting that, in our performance tests, the F2-240 delivered this month’s slowest read rates. In the single-file test it managed only 93MB/sec, while our frontrunners topped 110MB/sec. And in the punishing 4K test, the TerraMaster’s read rates averaged out to just 2MB/ sec, while rival appliances hit speeds of 4MB/sec and up.
None of this is a disaster: the F2-240 might still suit a small office. After all, it’s compact and perfectly functional, with enough power to keep services running smoothly. If processing grunt isn’t a priority, though, the cheaper Netgear or Synology units offer faster file copies, plus more apps and more USB ports.