ASUSTOR is trying to reinvent its NAS portfolio with the Nimbustor 2 Gen2 AS5402T, and the 2-bay NAS will get so much proper. It makes use of Intel’s confirmed {hardware} platform, has 4 M.2 slots — greater than every other NAS on this section — and comes with 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.The greatest concern with ASUSTOR servers prior to now was the software program, and the model was the goal of a ransomware assault two years in the past. So it overhauled the software program, beefed up its safety measures, and rolled out a ton of recent helpful options.ASUSTOR is betting on worth to get potential clients to select up the AS5402T over different merchandise on this section, and that is one of the best {hardware} bundle of any 2-bay NAS within the sub-$500 class. I used the AS5402T for simply over three months, and here is why I feel it has plenty of potential.ASUSTOR AS5402T: Pricing and specs(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)ASUSTOR unveiled the AS5402T alongside the 4-bay AS5404T again in May 2023, and the NAS is now accessible globally. The AS5402T retails for $369 on Amazon within the U.S., and it’s accessible from all main retailers. Over within the U.Okay., the NAS prices £374 ($473). ASUSTOR presents a three-year guarantee as normal with the NAS. Calling a product Nimbustor 2 Gen2 AS5402T will get annoying actually rapidly, so I’m simply going to check with it because the AS5402T in the remainder of the evaluate.Swipe to scroll horizontallyCategoryASUSTOR AS5402TInternal drive baysTwo (24TB every bay), 3.5-inch HDD, 2.5-inch HDD/SSDNetwork interface2 x 2.5 Gigabit EthernetUSB ports2 x USB 3.2 Gen2, 10GbpseSATA portsRow 3 – Cell 1 PCIeRow 4 – Cell 1 HDMIYes, HDMI 2.0b portCPUQuad-core 64-bit 2.0GHz Intel Celeron J5105Plex transcodingYesRAM4GB DDR4 non-ECC, upgradeable to 16GBM.2 slotsFour, M.2 2280 standardCooling1 x 70mm fanDimensions170 x 114 x 230 mmWeight1.71kg, 3.77lb ASUSTOR AS5402T: Design(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)NAS producers do not normally change the design of their merchandise, and that’s the case with the AS5402T as effectively. It has the identical design language as ASUSTOR’s earlier choices, and the unassuming design means it simply blends into the background. You do not get any vents on the perimeters, however there’s a 70mm fan on the again that does a superb job guaranteeing the drives do not get too sizzling.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)That mentioned, ASUSTOR went with a geometrical sample all through that appears fairly good, and it provides the NAS a bit little bit of character. The NAS has two drive bays, and so they simply slide out. There is a shroud masking the drive bays, and it attaches magnetically to the enclosure. While the remainder of the AS5402T has a plastic design with a matte texture that does not choose up mud simply, the shroud is made out of shiny plastic, and it’s a mud magnet.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)There are standing LEDs for the laborious drives, community ports, and USB ports, and also you get a USB-A port on the left. Installation of 3.5-inch HDDs is tool-free, however you may want to make use of screws if you happen to’re mounting 2.5-inch SSDs or HDDs. One of one of the best options of the AS5402T is that it has 4 M.2 2280 slots. The draw back is that accessing these slots is not simple; you may have to take away the screws in the back of the enclosure, take out the laborious drive bays, after which slide the entrance cowl again.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)This enables you to entry the innards of the chassis, with the M.2 slots positioned on the prime. Installing the SSDs is simple sufficient when you get to the slots, however a slide-out panel would have made issues significantly simpler. There are vents above the M.2 slots that provide some quantity of passive cooling, however I’d have appreciated to see thermal pads put in beneath every slot. And contemplating a screwdriver is critical to get to the M.2 slots, ASUSTOR ought to have included one within the field — like TerraMaster.Other than that downside, I did not discover any points with the design. ASUSTOR did a superb job sustaining design consistency with earlier generations, and the fan on the again manages thermals effectively with out getting too loud.ASUSTOR AS5402T: Ports(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)ASUSTOR is thought for delivering a superb worth with its NAS servers, and the AS5402T is not any totally different. The NAS has two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports on the again, and also you get twin USB-A ports as effectively. What I significantly like is the inclusion of an HDMI 2.0 port; this permits the NAS to be linked to a TV.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)All three USB-A ports now use the USB 3.2 Gen 2 normal, and so they get the complete 10Gbps bandwidth, so if you happen to’re trying to join exterior drives to the NAS, you may get quick transfers. The large differentiator is the quad M.2 slots on the NAS, so if you happen to’re trying to combine conventional HDDs with quick SSD storage, you are able to do that with the AS5402T.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Interestingly, the AS5402T reuses the identical M.2 backplane as the dearer AS6707T, and the HDD backplane is similar because the AS5302T. This does not have an effect on the usability of the NAS in any method, and there are many different manufacturers that use the identical {hardware} throughout their merchandise. But given how ASUSTOR labels its mannequin quantity on all of the elements, it is easy to see what servers they have been designed for. ASUSTOR AS5402T: Software(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)ASUSTOR was the goal of a ransomware assault two years in the past, and following the incident, the model overhauled its safety measures. The ASUSTOR Data Master (ADM) web-based interface suggests methods to tighten the safety of the NAS after you log in, and it picked up a visible refresh — it now has a definite gaming aesthetic, and the daring styling appears to be like good.The interface nonetheless does not look fairly as polished as what you get with DSM, however ASUSTOR did a superb job including plenty of options. Icon administration is a bit intuitive, and settings may have been organized higher, however on the entire, you get a ton of helpful utilities, together with the likes of Home Assistant, Tailscale, Plex, AdGuard, and extra.ASUSTOR additionally has a collection of cellular apps that allow you to again up photographs and movies, and whereas they do an honest job, they’re in want of an overhaul.ASUSTOR AS5402T: Performance(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)ASUSTOR is constant to supply Intel {hardware} on its NAS enclosures, and the AS5402T is powered by the quad-core Celeron N5105, delivering sizeable beneficial properties over the N4xxx collection. It is loads quick in every day use, and it an excellent alternative if you wish to arrange a strong Plex server.The AS5402T does an awesome job with {hardware} transcoding normally, and if you happen to’re wanting to make use of the characteristic in Plex, this is without doubt one of the greatest residence NAS servers accessible. It is healthier than the DiskStation DS224+ — my present 2-bay choose — in terms of Plex streaming, and it holds up significantly effectively with excessive bitrate content material.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The AS5402T has 4GB of DDR4 RAM out of the field, and there is one other SO-DIMM slot accessible that allows you to add as much as an 8GB module. ASUSTOR does not hobble the NAS in any method, so one of the best NAS laborious drives will work with none points on the AS5402T, together with the IronWolf Pro and WD’s Red Pro collection. You may even slot within the new 24TB IronWolf Pro drives within the NAS, however seeing as how they price $549 in the meanwhile, you are higher off shopping for 8TB IronWolf HDDs.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)I examined the AS5402T with twin 6TB IronWolf drives, and it was simple sufficient to saturate the switch price of the laborious drives when transferring knowledge from the SSD of a Windows machine. The truth that you simply get 2.5GbE connectivity makes issues considerably simpler, and also you needn’t fear concerning the community ports being the limitation on this space.ASUSTOR AS5402T: The competitors(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)If you just like the look of the AS5402T however need one thing with extra drive bays, it’s best to think about the Nimbustor 4 Gen2 AS5404T. It has the identical Celeron N5105 {hardware}, similar variety of ports on the again, and equivalent reminiscence and M.2 slots. The solely distinction is that you simply get the flexibility to fit in 4 3.5-inch drives, and out of doors of that, it’s the similar because the AS5402T.The DiskStation DS224+ is extra inexpensive, however you do not get wherever near the identical degree of {hardware}. You do not get any M.2 slots, you are restricted to Gigabit Ethernet, and there is no {hardware} transcoding. The software program options are the rationale why the DS224+ is a giant deal, nevertheless it does not measure as much as the AS5402T by way of the {hardware}.ASUSTOR AS5402T: Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)You can purchase this if:You desire a highly effective Plex residence serverYou want loads of M.2 slotsYou need nice {hardware} and multi-Gigabit connectivityYou should not purchase this if:You want polished softwareOn the entire, the AS5402T is without doubt one of the greatest residence NAS servers you will get on this section. The NAS has terrific {hardware} throughout the board, and it is clear that ASUSTOR is positioning it as a creator-focused mannequin. The mixture of M.2 slots and twin 2.5GbE connectivity makes it an awesome alternative if you wish to use SSD storage along with mechanical drives.While ASUSTOR’s software program nonetheless wants a bit of labor, the model made plenty of constructive strikes on this space during the last 12 months. If you are trying to arrange a strong Plex server and need one of the best {hardware}, the AS5402T is a simple advice.
With one of the best {hardware} in its class and loads of M.2 slots, the AS5402T has every thing you want if you wish to construct a Plex server.