Drobo FS NAS Review & Giveaway

Drobo FS Review

The widespread availability of high-speed broadband internet access, exceeding previous capabilities, presents both advantages and challenges. A vast library of digital content – films, television shows, music, and more – is now readily accessible. However, this convenience necessitates sufficient storage capacity.

The Rise of NAS Devices

Network Attached Storage (NAS) systems are becoming increasingly common in residential settings. When considering a NAS purchase, several factors deserve attention. These include cost and storage capacity. This series will examine various popular NAS devices, offering brief comparisons to highlight key considerations during the shopping process.

This article focuses on the Drobo FS, a product from Data Robotics. The Drobo FS is offered for sale on their website, starting at $699 without drives. The price increases to $1,699 when configured with five 2 TB Western Digital hard drives.

As part of this review, we will be giving away the featured device, complete with five 1 TB WD hard drives to one lucky reader.

Let’s begin a detailed examination.

Design and Aesthetics

The visual design of the Drobo FS is particularly noteworthy. Its exterior is constructed from a single piece of matte black metal. The front panel is devoid of buttons, and indicator lights are discreetly positioned behind a magnetically attached cover.

The device presents a striking appearance when powered off. Upon connection, its functionality is further enhanced. The status of each hard drive is visually indicated by green lights along the side of the drive array.

Additional indicators display power status and network activity near the base of the unit. Notably, the Drobo FS includes a disk usage indicator, a feature often absent in competing NAS devices. This indicator provides a real-time visual representation of available storage space.

Drive Installation

Installing drives into the unit is remarkably simple. The process requires no tools or screws. Simply disengage the grey clip and slide the drive into place.

Attaching the front plate completes the installation. This ease of use is a significant advantage of the Drobo system.

The Drobo FS provides five drive bays, offering considerable flexibility for future upgrades.

Connectivity and Features

The rear panel features a honeycomb-shaped fan grill, a power button, a Kensington lock port, a network interface, and a power inlet. The Drobo FS was the first Drobo product to incorporate a gigabit network interface, enabling connection to a home network.

However, a notable omission is the lack of a USB interface. For users new to NAS technology, USB connectivity may prove more essential than anticipated.

Initial Setup and Device Recognition

The Drobo FS was accompanied by a concise quick start guide, proving to be quite beneficial. The setup process demanded minimal configuration, being remarkably straightforward. Initially, the Drobo Dashboard software needed to be installed – it was included on a CD and offered a user-friendly interface for NAS management.

Following the installation of the dashboard application, focus shifted to the Drobo FS unit itself. Upon connecting and powering on the device, the dashboard software automatically identified the installed drives.

Subsequently, the drives were formatted and readied for operation without any further intervention. A new shared folder then became accessible.

It’s worth noting that the reported storage capacity initially appeared somewhat lower than expected. This discrepancy is a direct result of Data Robotics’ BeyondRAID technology.

The Drobo FS abstracts away the complexities of traditional RAID configurations like RAID 0, 1, 5, or 6, as BeyondRAID manages these aspects automatically. The primary choice presented to the user involves selecting either single or dual disk redundancy.

This selection determines the level of protection against drive failure, allowing a choice between safeguarding against one or two simultaneous drive failures.

Expanding Storage Capacity

BeyondRAID streamlines the process of increasing storage space. To upgrade, simply remove the drive with the lowest capacity and install a new one.

The system will then automatically recompute the total available storage and redistribute data across all drives. No manual configuration or further action is needed from the user.

Effortless Upgrades

Removing the smallest disk is all that's required to begin the upgrade process.
A new drive of any larger capacity can then be installed.
Data redistribution and storage recalculation occur automatically.

This automated functionality ensures a seamless and user-friendly experience when expanding your storage capacity with BeyondRAID.

Management

In addition to the Drobo Dashboard, a feature previously discussed, users will also encounter a component known as DroboApps.

DroboApps function as compact applications that operate directly on the Drobo device, extending its capabilities with supplementary features.

While the prospect of having a torrent client, a DLNA media server, or an iTunes server running natively on your network is appealing, these applications are not included by default.

Installation Process

The process of installing these applications is not straightforward and may present challenges for some users.

Unfortunately, a simplified, one-click installation method is currently unavailable.

Final Assessment

The Drobo FS, functioning as a network attached storage solution, simplifies data management through its BeyondRAID technology, which requires no initial configuration. Expanding storage capacity and implementing upgrades are remarkably straightforward processes.

Potential buyers should consider that USB file transfer isn't supported, and the installation of additional features can be complex. However, if these limitations are acceptable, the Drobo FS presents a compelling storage option.

The inherent design minimizes potential points of failure. This reliability is particularly valuable when dealing with critical data storage.

Acknowledgement

MakeUseOf extends its gratitude to Drobo. Organizations interested in sponsorship opportunities are encouraged to contact us directly via email to discuss potential collaborations.