Shuttle introduces the OMNINAS KD20, a new 2-bay NAS that focuses on low-energy and low-noise. The system uses 9W in sleep mode and 15.5W in operation. The MSRP is 129EUR (excl. VAT).
Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH, the
European subsidiary of Shuttle Inc., one of the leading developers and
manufacturers of compact PC solutions such as the world-renowned XPC
Mini-PC Barebones, now offers its own network-attached storage (NAS)
systems. The first model in this product range is aimed at small
offices, workgroups and home use.
Built from a harmonious combination of solid aluminium and brilliant
white plastic, the Shuttle OMNINAS KD20 acts as a central storage unit
for all types of data. Its design was specifically created to blend
easily into existing home and office environments – whether on a
desk, chest of drawers, filing cabinet or shelf.
"In view of the growing number of networked, often portable terminals,
central data storage increases convenience of data handling as each
machine on the network has access to the same content. At the same
time, mechanisms such as mirrored hard drives give enhanced fail-safe
operation," states Tom Seiffert, Head of Marketing & PR at Shuttle
Computer Handels GmbH. "When on the move, apps enable
password-protected access to the NAS."
The Shuttle OMNINAS KD20 has two hot-swappable drive bays for up to 4
TB 3.5" hard disks and SSDs. This gives up to 8 TB of storage capacity
over a single network. Drives can operate in RAID-1 mode (mirroring,
for high data security), RAID-0 (striping, for maximum speed) or as
JBOD. In RAID-1 mode it is possible to swap a defective hard disk. The
status of each hard disk can be monitored with the S.M.A.R.T. system.
The extensive use of aluminium with its excellent thermal conductivity
makes the KD20 particularly cool – and therefore quiet. The
integrated control unit only activates the 80 mm fan, if the hard disk
temperature approaches specific limits. In typical environments the
fan remains inactive.
At the front and rear of the machine are 1x USB 3.0 port, 2x USB 2.0
ports and a card reader for various types of SD memory cards. External
hard disks, USB sticks and printers can be shared by any client
connected to the network. With the "AutoCopy" function activated, data
is copied automatically from USB media or SD memory card to the KD20.
For additional data security, a connected USB device can be used for
time-controlled backups of the data stored on the KD20.
Access to the NAS happens via Gigabit Ethernet. Switches and (WLAN)
routers with 10/100/1000 Mbit/s data transmission are compatible. With
topology discovery, direct connection to PCs and notebooks is also
possible.
The KD20 uses an energy-saving dual-core processor, which enables
rapid read/write data transfer. Speeds of 75/55 MB/s (read/write) have
been achieved under optimal test conditions. Energy consumption is a
miserly 9 W in sleep mode and just 15.5 W in operation.
An integrated DLNA-compatible media server is able to provide videos,
photos and music for playback on games consoles (e.g. Xbox 360,
PlayStation) or other suitable media players. The KD20 also offers an
iTunes server and BT download function.
All settings can be configured with an easy-to-use, multilingual user
interface via Web browser. Users are also able to benefit from new
functions and enhancements thanks to firmware updates from Shuttle.
Free OMNINAS apps for tablets and smartphones (iOS/Android) allow
mobile access to content stored on the KD20.
