Designed for growing businesses looking for backup, restoration, private cloud, storage for virtualization, and to future-proof their IT infrastructure for 10GbE networks, the QNAP TS-431XeU 4-Bay NAS Enclosurefrom QNAP TS-431XeU 4-Bay NAS Enclosureis a 1 RU rackmount NAS with a short depth design that is suitable for compact racks or places with lots of cabling. It provides versatile all-in-one functionality with features including VJBOD (Virtual JBOD), which is a cost-effective way to utilize unused NAS storage space foe expanding the storage capacity of other QNAP NAS devices, plus Container Station, which allows users to develop and deploy Internet of Things (IoT) apps.

The TS-431XeU is powered by a 1.7 GHz Alpine AL-314 Quad-Core processor, which will allow you to run multiple applications simultaneously. The 8GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM has a configuration of 1 x 8GB and will allow quick access to frequently used file and programs. Network connectivity is achieved using the one 10 Gigabit SFP+ port and two Gigabit Ethernet ports which offers multiple port-trunking modes, including fail-over support. There is also support for JBOD, single disk, and a variety of RAID modes, including RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10, each of which offers data redundancy, speed, or a combination of both.

This 4-bay enclosure has the ability to natively house both 3.5" and 2.5" SATA III hard drives or SSD drives, and screws are included that accommodate each drive size. With the 10GbE ports in use, the TS-431XeU can deliver upload speeds of up to 1055 MB/s and download speeds of up to 580 MB/s. When using the 10GbE port with AES 256-bit volume encryption, download speeds top out at 362 MB/s and upload speeds deliver up to 345 MB/s. Using the four external USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, this QNAP NAS can be connected to other devices, such as QNAP expansion units. The integrated AES 256-bit encryption helps to prevent sensitive business data from unauthorized access and breaches.

QNAP's TS-431XeU 4-Bay NAS Enclosure operates using a 100W power supply that run using 100-240 VAC at 50/60 Hz. Included is an Ethernet cable, a power cord, 3.5" HDD flat head screws, 2.5" HDD flat head screws, two hangers, and two holders. Protection is provided by a limited 2-year warranty.

Open Box Products Have a Limited 2-Year Manufacturer Warranty    4 x 3.5"/2.5" SATA III Drive Bays    1.7 GHz Alpine AL-314 Quad-Core    8GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM    1 x 10GbE SFP+ Port | 2 x 1GbE Ports    4 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 Ports Ports    RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, JBOD, and Single    Up to 1055 MB/s Download Speeds    Up to 580 MB/s Upload Speeds    AES 256-Bit Volume Encryption    QTS 5.0.1 Operating System

Compared to a traditional 4-bay rackmount NAS, the TS-431XeU has a depth of only 11.46". This makes the TS-431XeU a solid choice for smaller racks, and the unused space can be reserved for cabling or ventilation. The TS-431XeU is space-saving for flexible deployment and is especially suitable for multiple locations and applications including offices, audiovisual rooms, and security surveillance recording.

The TS-431XeU is equipped with a 1.7 GHz Annapurna Labs Alpine AL314 Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A15 processor, SATA III 6 Gb/s connectivity, and 8GB of 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM. Its encryption acceleration engine provides AES 256-bit full NAS volume encryption, boosting system performance & security while also ensuring the safety of sensitive business data. Besides two Gigabit Ethernet ports, the TS-431XeU also includes a 10GbE SFP+ port to fully support 10GbE high-speed networks for businesses that demand higher bandwidth for virtualization and fast backup & restoration of an ever-growing amount of data.

The TS-431XeU supports SSD caching to boost the IOPS performance of storage volumes to increase operational efficiency. It is good for improving the overall workflow of IOPS-demanding applications and allows the best of both cost and performance by combining SSDs with HDDs.

The TS-431XeU supports snapshots, which can record the system status and data at any single moment. If the system unexpectedly fails or is infected with ransomware, you can instantly restore files from a snapshot. The intuitive snapshot tool in the QTS Storage Manager can be used to take snapshots of your data and restore data from snapshots if necessary. Always take regular snapshots to help ensure the safety of your files and data.

The business-ready TS-431XeU is designed to provide 24/7 operations and services. The support for comprehensive RAID configurations and hot-swapping allow for replacing hard drives without service interruption. QNAP's advanced RAID recovery technology also helps if any healthy drives are accidentally removed from a degraded RAID volume. The system can be recovered by reinserting the wrongly-removed hard drives so the data can still be accessible. The TS-431XeU delivers high reliability and efficiency with support for multiple port-trunking modes including fail-over support.

Besides using expansion enclosures, there is an additional option to expand NAS storage capacity. QNAP VJBOD (Virtual JBOD) is network-based JBOD, allowing you to expand the storage of a QNAP NAS with multiple QNAP NAS units. The TS-431XeU offers strong potential for economically expanding the storage of other QNAP NAS with VJBOD, and to create virtual storage pools and volumes on virtual disks for operating NAS services

QNAP Container Station exclusively integrates LXC and Docker® lightweight virtualization technologies, allowing you to operate multiple isolated Linux® systems on the TS-431XeU as well as download apps from the built-in Docker Hub® Registry for unlimited containerized applications. What's better, Container Station supports the QIoT Containers platform that helps quickly structure your IoT environment and deployment on your private IoT cloud, boosting microservices and modernizing legacy applications to drive more business opportunities.

With multiple applications and functions, QTS enhances management efficiency, personal productivity, entertainment, and much more. The user-friendly QTS OS features an intelligent desktop that allows you to find desired functions quickly, monitor important system information on a real-time basis, open multiple application windows to run multiple tasks concurrently with greater working efficiency, and provides a built-in App Center with install-on-demand apps to extend NAS functionality. Empowered by intelligent agent services that simplify system operations and management, QTS breaks down barriers of devices, platforms, and geography to provide you with the optimum cloud experience.

The TS-431XeU centrally stores data, logs, and various files, and supports SMB/CIFS, NFS, and AFP protocols for file sharing across Windows, Mac, Linux/UNIX networks. Coupled with Qsync - a utility that turns a QNAP NAS into a safe, high-capacity data center for file synchronization - files uploaded to the TS-431XeU will be made available for linked devices, such as computers, laptops, or mobile devices. You can sync shared folders and team folders for group file sharing, greatly enhancing the flexibility of team projects and collaboration.

The TS-431XeU offers flexible backup solutions for Windows and Mac users. It also supports Hybrid Backup Sync that consolidates backup, restoration, and synchronization functions (using RTRR, rsync, FTP, CIFS/SMB) for easily transferring data to local, remote, and cloud storage spaces as a comprehensive data storage and disaster recovery plan. Supported cloud services include Amazon Glacier, Azure Storage, Google Cloud Storage, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive for Business, Dropbox, Amazon Drive, Yandex Disk, Box, hubiC, and Amazon S3/OpenStack Swift/WebDAV compatible services.

In open network environments, business data may be exposed in a potential hack. The TS-431XeU provides numerous security options, such as antivirus, encrypted access, IP blocking, 2-step verification, and more. IT administrators can also control the access rights of each user to different folders, preventing unauthorized access to important files. The TS-431XeU supports AES 256-bit encryption, preventing sensitive business data from unauthorized access and breach even if the hard drives or the entire system were stolen. Windows AD server, LDAP server, and built-in LDAP service are also supported.

With the QVPN app which integrates settings for VPN server and VPN client, the TS-431XeU can be used as a VPN server with L2TP/IPsec, OpenVPN, and PPTP support, allowing you to securely access data shared within private local networks. It can also be used as a VPN Client to connect to other VPN servers (connecting multiple servers at the same time is possible) or virtual private networks through PPTP and OpenVPN for secure data transmission. You can connect devices to your NAS and the VPN server at home to access data on the LAN; via VPN Client on your NAS, for example, you can connect to VPN servers in foreign countries for accessing regionally-restricted services.

The TS-431XeU supports Qsirch, a proprietary search engine for quickly finding files. In addition to previewing files with thumbnails, content abstract, and keyword hints, Qsirch even remembers your search history allowing you to quickly navigate to files you've previously searched for. The Qsirch Helper extension (for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox) can also be used to search for files on your NAS when using Google Search. Qsirch provides a huge productivity boost by greatly reducing the time spent looking for files on the NAS.

QmailAgent is an online email client that helps you manage multiple email accounts, allowing you to access all of your emails and to switch between different accounts. It provides complete functionality for composing, reading, and organizing emails. You can even attach files, photos, and documents directly from the TS-431XeU when composing emails. iOS and Android™ users can use the QmailClient app to quickly check multiple email accounts with mobile devices, and to browse & send emails using the QmailAgent on their TS-431XeU.

Surveillance Station is a professional network surveillance Video Management System (VMS) that offers a user-friendly management interface, over 3000 compatible IP camera models, and expandable IP camera channel licenses. It supports real-time monitoring, video & audio recording, and playback with a wide range of customizable settings. You can use the iOS or Android Vmobile app to manage the monitored channels to safeguard your office environment, or install the Vcam mobile app to turn your device into a network camera to instantly record to your TS-431XeU. The TS-431XeU offers 2 free IP camera channels and you can expand up to 30 channels by purchasing additional licenses.

The TS-431XeU's storage capacity can be expanded as needed to meet the demands of rapidly-growing data, making it well-suited for storage-intensive applications such as video surveillance, data archiving, TV broadcast storage, and more. By connecting the TS-431XeU to a QNAP expansion enclosure, you can expand the TS-431XeU's storage on-demand, and use the QTS Storage Manager to manage the newly-added capacity without any downtime.

Using an UX-800U-RP and an UX-1200U-RP, up to 24 (4+8+12) drives are supported. Using two UX-800U-RPs, up to 20 (4+8+8) drives are supported. Using an UX-800U-RP or an UX-1200U-RP, up to 12 (4+8) or 16 (4+12) drives are supported.

With the support of QJBOD Express (JBOD enclosure roaming), you can connect a large-capacity QNAP expansion enclosure to the TS-431XeU and migrate data to another NAS through the JBOD enclosure without needing network connectivity.

The TS-431XeU utilizes an energy-efficient 1.7 GHz ARM Quad-Core processor that maintains high performance in system operations without running up a high electric bill. With a noise level of just 20.3 dB and power consumption of 12.42W (sleep) or 30.99W (active), the TS-431XeU is built for providing an always-online business cloud and other around-the-clock applications. Additional energy-saving features include hard disk standby, scheduled power on/off, and Wake on LAN.

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. Can I connect this to 4x editing stations simultaneously?

A: The QNAP TS-h973AX has a 10GbE and 2x2.5GbE ports that you can use to connect the NAS to your network. The users would access the NAS from the network.

Q: 2. What are the best 3.5 SATA Drives for this unit?

A: The drives you choose for the QNAP TS-h973AX 9-Bay NAS Enclosure would depend on the amount of storage you require, but NAS drives such as the Seagate IronWolf and the WD Red Pro are popular choices.

Q: 3. Could you please confirm that this doesn't support Raid 5?

A: The QNAP TS-216G 2-Bay NAS Enclosure does not support RAID 5 and is only capable of RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD. Only enclosures with three or more bays (and a minimum of three drives installed) can support RAID 5.

Q: 4. is the qnap ts-433 compatible with 2.5" WD Blue WD400T3BOA 4TD SSD ($264)?

A: Yes, the QNAP TS-433 4-Bay NAS Enclosure is compatible with 2.5" drives such as the WD Blue WD400T3BOA.

Q: 5. Is there a maximum size drive that this enclosure is compatible with? I have 2 12TB 3.5" drives.. would those work?

A: The maximum size drive of the QNAP TS-433 4-Bay NAS Enclosure is 22TB per bay.

Q: 6. Does it come with free IP camera licenses?

A: Yes, this QNAP TS-435XeU 4-Bay NAS Enclosure comes with 2 IP camera licenses.

Q: 7. Is the RAM expandable?

A: Yes, the RAM in the QNAP TS-462 4-Bay NAS Enclosure is upgradable to 16GB.

Q: 8. What is the maximum amount of space that 1, 3.5 SATA Drive bay can hold?

A: There is no set limit on the capacity of installed 3.5" SATA hard drives. It is however important that all drives used with this enclosure should be the same speed and capacity.

Q: 9. Do I need an expansion card to install SSD? Or does it come with SSD slots and the expansion card just provides some extra?

A: The QNAP TS-464 4-Bay NAS Enclosure has two M.2 slots built-in for SSDs. With the QNAP QM2-2P10G1TB expansion card, B&H # QNM22P10G1TB, you could add two additional M2 slots as well as 10GbE networking.

Q: 10. Can the QNAP TS-H886-D1622 be used for direct access storage (DAS) simultaneously with it's NAS capabilities?

A: The QNAP TS-h886 8-Bay NAS Enclosure BH #QNH886D16028 is not capable of being used as a DAS.