Terramaster is a company that focuses on producing storage products such as NAS devices and direct attached storage. These products are sold in above forty countries and regions. TerraMaster’s devices are particularly made for home use as well as small to medium business use.
For the past sixteen years, the company has been constantly developing their products for everyone to have an easier and more convenient data storage solution. Today, we’re going to focus on their TerraMaster F2-420 4-Bay NAS. It is one of the new diskless models from the company and is specifically designed for home and small businesses.
Before we check out the F4 4 Bay NAS’ features, specifications, and performance, let’s look at what’s inside the box and see what other accessories are included with the NAS device.
TerraMaster F4-420 Review – What’s in the Box?
Taking a look at TerraMaster’s packaging, you’ll see that it comes in a simple blue box with the company’s logo on all sides. Aside from the logos, you will also find a sticker with a barcode and the product’s serial number written there. Other than that, there are no other vital details regarding the F4 4 Bay NAS which is fine since you can just go right ahead and check what’s inside the box.
Once you open the package, you will find the TerraMaster F4 4 Bay NAS itself, as well as a collection of accessories that are necessary for installing the device and making it work. Included here is a power supply brick and a cable so you can utilize the NAS device.
The package also consists of an RJ-45 cable for your network connection which is necessary to start utilizing the TerraMaster F4. The NAS device supports both the 2.5 and 3.5-inch drives which is why the company included a good number for both types. There are more than enough screws so you won’t have to worry about losing a few.
Additionally, you also have a screwdriver included in the package to have an easy and seamless installation. What’s nice is that TerraMaster also added a couple of additional rubber feet in case you end up breaking some of the pre-installed feet of the NAS.
A few important notes are also available such as the product’s warranty guide and a quick installation manual. The company also included two sheets of stickers as a bonus which can be set on the drive trays itself. We think that the stickers are pretty useful since these will help you determine what data you put on each drive. You just need to stick these, label them, and you’re all set.
The Product
TerraMaster F4-420 Review – A NAS Solution at an Affordable Price
Before anything else, let’s talk about the physical design of the F4 4 Bay NAS from TerraMaster. There isn’t really a lot of surprises in store for you when it comes to its looks, but it does sport a nice clean design which exhibits a classy feel to it – a silver device with a thick and durable aluminum casing.
Its rear and front panels are made of plastic, but despite this, the NAS device still looks great and it complements the aluminum material perfectly. You are also given front-access to all of the drives via the hot swap feature of the drive caddies.
The device’s aluminum enclosure helps cool the F4 4 since this type of material is generally an excellent heat conductor. Though it isn’t enough to keep the device cool throughout the day, it does keep the F4 4 Bay NAS from overheating.
The TerraMaster F4 4 Bay NAS features two 80-millimeter fans to draw the air through the lower vents and between the drive trays. You can also adjust the fan speed in the setup, or you can automatically let the NAS device handle the settings based on the current temperature.
Another attractive feature on the NAS device is its LED lights. You will see that there is one available for each drive bay: one for each of the LAN ports, and one for the device’s power system. All of these are brightly-lit green LED lights and these shine through the little pin holes that were made specifically for them.
TerraMaster’s F4 4 Bay NAS is integrated with the Intel Celeron J-1900 which is a quad-core processor with 2 Gigahertz and a 10-Watt TDP, making it a perfect device for NAS use. It features four cores, allowing you to freely multitask with diversified services without the risk of a thread obstructing another. Also, the decreased TDP also maintains a lower temperature while simultaneously providing lower running costs and adequate power efficiency.
If you check out TerraMaster’s specifications page, you’ll see that they claim that instead of utilizing the ARM CPU, the company utilized the quad-core 2GHz Intel Celeron J-1900 plus 2GB of DDR3 memory for their F4 4 Bay NAS.
The company also included the necessary connectivity for seamless usage. There are also two RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet ports that assist link aggregation for improved failover and throughput. You’ll also get one USB 2.0 and 3.0 port wherein both ports can be found on the unit’s rear. Additionally, the USB ports can also accommodate USB dongles for extra network connectivity.
Storage Space Sharing
The NAS device can readily share storage space for numerous users. It can easily support up to a thousand or more user access which is really convenient. The device makes use of the RBAC permission management, as well as the Windows ACL to arrange access permission based on the user groups, the user, and the folders available.
Diversified File-Sharing Services
The feature allows the NAS device to support NFS, FTP, AFP, ISCSI, SMB, and other file services. This makes it easier for file sharing and access.
Various Backup Types
What’s interesting about the F4 4 Bay NAS is that it allows for different types of backup methods. This supports the Time Machine backup, R-Sync Remote backup, and the USB External Storage backup to safeguard your data security.
Reliable Body and Fans
As the TerraMaster F4 4 Bay NAS adopts the low noise fans and aluminum-made shell, you can expect that it is a solid, durable, and reliable device with low noise and excellent heat dissipation abilities. Because of its removable hard drive tray, it’s generally convenient to install the hard drive which also backs hot swap.
Green Energy Saver
The F4 4 Bay NAS has an integrated green energy saving design, allowing the NAS device to consume only 36.6 Watts during operation and just 2 Watts during standby. When the F4 4 Bay NAS has no task within thirty minutes, the drive will automatically sleep, reducing the power consumption while simultaneously extending the life of the hard drive.
Advantageous Multimedia Server
The NAS device supports iTunes and the DLNA / UPNP protocol server which also serves as a home media server. This streams multimedia files via smart TV, mobile device, or set top boxes.
Smart TNAS Assistant for Desktop
If you’re a Windows or Mac OS user, TerraMaster provides you with the TNAS desktop app. This can help you easily connect your device and access the set system. It can also easily provide technical support to your advantage.
Personal Cloud Storage
The F4 4 Bay NAS device offers you two different types of remote login processes: the first is for TNAS.online, while the other is for the DDNS. You can readily setup your device as a remote login and personal cloud storage via mobile or computer application.
User-Friendly TOS OS
The F4 4 Bay NAS runs the Linux-based TOS Operation System. It is generally a user-friendly and simple interface so you won’t really need to have technical expertise to get started.
Specifications
Processor model
- Intel® Celeron® J1900
Processor architecture
- 64-bit
Processor frequency
- Quad-Core, 2.0 GHz (Maximum Turo: 2.42GHz)
System memory
- 4GB
Pre-installed memory module
- 4GB (1 x 4GB)
Total memory slot number
- 1
Maximum supported memory
- 8 GB (4 GB + 4 GB expanded)
Diskette slot number
- 4
Compatible disk types
- 5″ SATA HDD
- 5″ SATA HDD
- 5″ SATA SSD
Maximum internal storage capacity
- 48TB (12 TB drive x 4) (Capacity will vary along with the RAID type)
Disk hot plugs
- Yes
RJ-45 1GbE network jack
- 2
USB 3.0 port
- 1
USB 2.0 port
- 1
Internal disk
- EXT4
External disk
- exFAT, EXT3, EXT4, NTFS, FAT32, HFS+
Size
- 227 x 225x 136 mm
Weight Net Weight
- 28Kg
Gross Weight
- 52Kg
System fan
- 80 mm x 80 mm x25mm 2 pcs
Fan mode
- Smart, Fastest, Low temperature, Mute
Automatic recovery of power
- Yes
Noise level
- 8dB(A)
Timing On/Off
- Yes
Power supply / transformer
- 90W
AC input voltage
- 100V – 240V AC
Current frequency
- 50/60 Hz, single frequency
Power consumption
- 6W (read & write)
Supported RAID types
- Single,JBOD,RAID 0,RAID 1,RAID5,RAID 6,RAID 10
- Large capacity hard disk for expanding storage space RAID 1,RAID5,RAID 6,RAID10
Maximum local user’s account number
- 2048
Maximum local group number
- 256
Maximum shared folders number
- 256
Maximum shared folders syncing tasks
- 4
Maximum concurrent CIFS/AFP/FTP sessions
- 500
Windows ACL integration
- Yes
NFS Kerberos authentication
- Yes
Mail server, web server
- Yes
FTP server, MySQL server
- Yes
Rsync remote server
- Yes
Cloud Station Server
- Yes
Download Station
- Yes
Media Server
- Yes
DLNA Compliance
- Yes
Network protocol
- CIFS、AFP、NFS、 WebDAV. iSCSI. Telnet, SSH, SNMP
Package contents
- Host (x1)
- Accessories package (x1)
- Power adapter (x1)
- Power line (x1)
- RJ-45 network cable (x1)
- Quick Guide (x1)
TerraMaster Operating System (TOS)
TOS or the TerraMaster Operating System is a system primarily developed for the cloud storage NAS server of TerraMaster. The TOS 3.1 is today’s 3rd generation operating system which has just been launched lately. We’ve listed the operating system’s features to give you a better idea for this.
Cloud File Sync
This feature allows you to sync the data from TNAS to Dropbox Cloud for easier access. It also lets you seamlessly move between work and home, mobile device and desktop computer; you’ll also be able to effortlessly edit the same files. Cloud Sync establishes a Cloud space exclusively for you so you can readily access files anytime, anywhere.
File Sharing
TOS 3.1’s latest File Manager supports SMB2, WebDAV, NFS, AFP, and FTP protocols. It also lets you easily share files among Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms. It doesn’t matter what type of file you are sharing, you just need to access the TNAS the same way you do with any kind of network storage and you’re good to go.
Data Backup
The expandable and customizable storage that is available makes the NAS device one of the best backup spots. It’s a really good feature since you’ll be able to link any other accessory regardless of it being a Mac device, Windows computer, or another gadget. You’ll be able to backup your data to a locally shared folder, network shared folders, external devices, public Cloud services, or an R-Sync server.
Multimedia Server
The multimedia features of the TOS 3.1 turn the TerraMaster F4 4 Bay NAS into a multimedia server that is suitable for the UPnP or DLNA. This also allows you to play by streaming multimedia contents to a smart TV or player. With this, you can readily change your digital entertainment to a huge stereo and screen right in your living room; this will allow you to fully enjoy your viewing sessions.
Full Package Server
We all know that setting up an exclusive device for each available application can be extremely inefficient and expensive. Via the TOS 3.1’s app center, you can install rich and complete functions or applications in TNAS anytime.
Virtualization
This technology can combine the physical and promote server while simultaneously decreasing the cost of your enterprise. The system provides excellent reliable virtualization technology and high efficiency to let you achieve a multiuser environment. It also allows you to flexibly use IT resources and develop the present time of a specific service.
Permission Management
TOS 3.1 is integrated with a user management feature that allows you to share the benefits and efficiency of the NAS device with family and friends. You can also provide access and share storage space to other users via the quick and hassle-free management feature.
Easy Maintenance
What we really liked about the TOS’ interface is that it is very simple and user-friendly. You won’t have to worry about the maintenance process since it will be easy no matter how many TNAS you install.
Performance
In our opinion, the file serving performance with the TerraMaster F4 4 Bay NAS device is excellent. When you attach both Ethernet ports to the appropriate switch, the speed limits that were previously provided can be increased. When we accessed the F4 4 Bay NAS as a file server, we also noticed that it responded really quick.
We then continued monitoring the performance logs while flooding the bandwidth of the LAN adapters; to our surprise, the quad-core CPU didn’t get overloaded even during extreme transfers. For noise level and power consumption, these will depend on the drivers you install. In our tests, the TerraMaster F4-420 4 Bay NAS was quiet and it only consumed around 36 Watts which is really low. When the disks go into hibernation mode, the power that the NAS device consumes drops to around 2 Watts.
We also really liked the interface since it was clean and simple. The layout made it easier to use and we didn’t really get confused with the navigation which is really good. Overall, we can say that the TerraMaster F4 4-Bay NAS’ performance is highly notable, and we’re giving it a thumbs-up for it.
Conclusion
The TerraMaster F4 420 appeared slightly tricky when we first tried it, but once we got it running, it worked perfectly well. It was really fast since its write and read performance reached above 115 MB/s. The data transfer speed between our devices was high and we were able to easily stream 4K Ultra HD videos.
This NAS device will make the most out of your Gigabit network and allow you to immediately access and share your photos, videos, and other files. The TerraMaster Operating System 3.0 was also highly responsive and it did not slow down. It is great that the company is already working on allowing more applications to install to the device.
Overall, we can say that the TerraMaster F4 420 4-Bay NAS is a great device that works perfectly as a basic file server. We’d recommend this device to anyone who wants a high Gigabit speed during file transfers.
Where to Buy
You can purcahse the Terramaster F4-420 for onliny $479AUD over at the official Amazon store.
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