iXsystems FreeNAS Mini XL (32TB) 8 Bay Compact NAS Storage with ZFS. 8-Core 2.4GHz Processor, 32GB RAM

The NAS shows up very well packaged. Not much in the way of instructions but this really isn't a consumer-level device. FreeNAS has a pretty good online manual/Wiki and forum for help. The software has a GUI which is actually easy to use but you will eventually have to use the CLI (command line interface) using UNIX-like commands which is where all the power and control lies. So, unless you already are familiar with or are willing to learn FreeNAS, I would recommend going with one of the consumer level NAS systems. The big advantage of this NAS is the ZFS file system which offers a very high level of reliability and protects against data corruption. The fans on this unit are fairly loud so take that into account. I've had the system up and running for about 10 months now. I did have a problem where I was getting some failures from the SMART tests (which periodically check the drives for problems). I contacted iXsystems for tech support and let me just say it was probably the best experience with tech support I've had. Usually you get someone who is following a script and giving you canned solutions which don't really help. The iXsystems tech who was helping me actually read my e-mails, listened to me, offered helpful troubleshooting tips and took the time to educate me. He was definitely and IT pro and not some tech-support drone. I was very impressed with their support. Overall, this a great NAS if you want a pre-built FreeNAS system.

I tried pricing components to build a storage server myself, but I always came up with a number greater than the cost of this unit.It came in a large box with ample foam padding. The hard drives were mounted in their trays and each was in an individual foam cut-out, with the main case of the storage server packed beneath them.I plugged in and powered on the server and it obtained a DHCP lease automatically. I have extensive sysadmin experience and found the FreeNAS setup process very straightforward, but I can see how it might be confusing to a less-experienced user.Before buying this, I had 4TB plugged into a desktop computer as my main home storage. This server gives me 24TB of usable space using RAID Z2. As the drives that came with the unit fail, I'll probably replace them with larger ones and eventually be able to expand the storage space, but I hope that won't be for a long time yet. I think it'll take me a while to fill up the space I have.

Over the years we have been through many NAS type of machines, but we love this one.! We purchased the Mini XL Loaded, it is quiet after startup , it runs cool and is easy to use. This is used in a remote office in Asia and we will be using the OwnCloud and FTP Server included. This is a MAC office so noise is a big deal and this unit is better that we wished for. We replaced two Thunderbolt NAS Units and they are a bit faster, but this is fast enough. We also use it for VM (Virtual BOX ) storage and they run directly just fine. We almost built our own unit, but out team talked me out of it and I am glad they did. Great Unit and Good Tech Company to deal with.