Sponsored

Techradar

---

• Review: Epson Runsense SF-810V
• Running Man of Tech: 10k a day: Adidas SmartRun and Jabra Pulse reviewed
• Fighting Talk: Why is your password still password?
• Here's how you can download the latest Windows 10 preview
• Week in Gaming: HoloLens, Xbox streaming, and GTA rampages
• Review: WD Sentinel DX4200

Review: Epson Runsense SF-810V Posted: 24 Jan 2015 08:10 AM PST We're playing with quite a few fitness bands at the moment - it's that time of year - and the word "playing" is important to note. Stylist, affordable health trackers are everywhere now, helping to gameify general fitness, and on the whole these discreet devices are doing a valiant job of motivating folks to get off the couch and do a little bit more stretching and moving. But after a while, some of those folks will feel the burning desire to go a step further, and before long they've purchased some skintight lycra and started rising at 5am to go for a sprint up an icy hill. This is where the more dedicated, and more expensive, running tools like the Forerunner series from Garmin and the new Runsense from Epson come in to play. Now, first off, Epson might make you think of printers – and jolly good ones, at that – but the Japanese company actually has a rich heritage in watches, with the Seiko Epson Corporation developing the world's first quartz watch in 1969, for example. Does that mean you should you part with £260 for its latest run-tracker offering? Let's see... Setup The Runsense that I tested was already 50 per cent charged when I plucked it out of the box. So I popped it in its charger - a ludicrously bulky plastic case like the sort you'd juice rechargeable batteries in, not the slimmest thing to slip in a kit bag - and left it for an hour or so to reach full capacity. It tells you exactly what percentage it's at as it charges, which is handy. In the meantime, I set about downloading the app and reading through the instructions and online set up. Now, as mentioned, this isn't your general step-counting fitness band like the Garmin Vivosmart that I recently tested, it's designed for – and, we're told, partly designed by – dedicated runners. Therefore it's not a device you de-box, slap on and start enjoying instantly; it's a tool which requires a bit more configuration and getting used to. It's a shame then, given the inherent complicated nature of these sorts of things, that the companion Run Connect app is quite confusing and not just a little bit frustrating. This is an app which requires PIN codes, registration emails, spinning wheels of death and, usually I found, a pop up saying something has failed. Getting an email with the subject line: "Start using the service", your heart sinks a bit when you scan down to the main body of the email to read: "When using NR Uploader, you need to update Run Connect first. 1) PC App - Start Run Connect - Change Login ID and Password 2) Smartphone…" etc etc… Speaking of hearts, it's telling that mine went from pumping out 60bmp to 87bmp during online setup, according to the device (but then if you look at this picture, it also recorded the resting heart rate of an unworn running shoe to be 85bpm, so I'm not sure what to think - more on this later. Another confusing pop-up notification we got on the app was "Cannot detect the watch. Error code: 20-3302-0018". Right. In other words, although I wouldn't expect these things to be as simple to set up as setting up an everyday health tracker, I felt it could be a bit… ok, a lot more intuitive than it is. From the Run Connect app, your data is uploaded to the Runsense View Portal online, so you can analyse your exercise data. Though it was not possible for me to set up and register for this via my iPhone because things as simple as putting in date of birth were rendered impossible by the calendar being half off the screen, with seemingly no way to resolve matters. The infrastructure simply isn't set up in a way that people use their tech in 2015. Watch design So, on to the actual watch itself. It's actually pretty neat; intuitive, if aesthetically a tad dry, and relatively easy to navigate on a run, with four pages of vital info to scroll through, providing data such as splits, heart rate, time, altitude, stride (more of which later) and only four well-spaced buttons (Light, Disp./HR, Lap and Start/Stop) to get the hang of. The rubbery strap has loads of holes so you can make sure it fits really well and I had no issues with chafing or lack of comfort on long runs. It's water resistant and has a bright, easy-to-read, no nonsense screen. If it's dark, simply click the Light button and the screen will illuminate for around 10 seconds, which was good - a lot of more casual fitness trackers only give you about 2 seconds of illumination, which is part of how they make the battery life last for weeks instead of a day. I only had a couple of instances, due to the position of the 'Start/Stop' button (protruding at the 1pm position when worn on the left wrist) hitting the back of my hands and pressing. Though this lets off a loud beep and wasn't really much of an issue. On The Run When tested on a very well-known route with a reliable app for comparison, the Runsense measured distance accurately enough for my purposes - only a 0.2 mile discrepancy over 10 miles - thanks to reliable GPS, which locked on within a minute, and a clever Smart Stride feature, which takes over when GPS is lost, having learnt your running style to keep track on distance and pace in the meantime. As mentioned above, it measures heart rate without the need for a chest strap, but unlike on the generally reliable TomTom MultiSport Cardio, which uses the same basic tech, results did seem rather wild. Maybe I wasn't wearing it tight enough for bright green sensor on the back to cope, but the need for circulation will always get the nod over monitoring. The battery life - billed as 20 hours on a full charge - still had ages to go after two hours of running, so you'd be fine using this over marathon distances. You can set phases for interval training, variable target pacing and laps to suit your regime - not very intuitively, so read those instructions - and there's also an indoor mode for gym running, sans GPS. Analysis The Runsense monitors many things. The Lap function records: Manual Lap, Auto Lap Distance, Auto Lap Time and Programmable Lap. You can record intervals for time, distance and heart rate zone, and set goals for distance and time. There are also alarms you can set for distance, pace and heart rate. What's more, you can measure cumulative ascent in altitude, descent, gradient, stride and calories burned. So it's not skimping on features. This data is fed to the app via Bluetooth and then you can analyse all the data in graphs on the Runsense View Portal online from your desktop. That's the theory anyway. Every time I tried to access this View Portal from my MacBook, I was somehow always just taken back to Epson's general Runsense product information page on their website in an endless circle of migraine. In fact, the Portal webpage doesn't seem to be compatible with Mac at all, which seems bizarre, firstly because Macs are pretty popular, and secondly because accessing the Portal from a phone's browser is impossible, as mentioned earlier. So analysing my actual runs online, something you can do quite easily in great detail on any platform from a free app such as Endomondo, required the use of a PC. On this platform, the UI felt about five years out of date. More damningly, while there was no shortage of data to analyse, the RunSense system made no effort to contextualise it, or offer coaching or tips of any kind. You need to be a self-starter with a lot of patience to get the most out of this watch. Verdict To put it in a sentence: nice watch, shame about the app. We like The Runsense SF-810V is a decent running watch for the price. It's accurate and fast when it comes to GPS lock, with good battery life, a clear screen and lots of features. We dislike The heart rate monitor doesn't instil the most confidence, being inaccurate when the strap's at a comfortable tightness, for me at any rate. However, Epson's real Achilles' heel is its software. The drab app, tiresome setup and baffling web accessibility ause a seriously twitchy left eye and leave a bad taste in the mouth – something you already have when knackered after two hours of running. Verdict Now, to be fair, compared to much of its competition, £260 is relatively cheap. However, it's not "cheap" in a broader sense, and I'd like the software issues sorted out before shelling out that much for the Runsense. The question for a running watch is always, "Can it replace my smartphone?" Until the software backing it up improves the answer from me in this case is, "No, not really."

Running Man of Tech: 10k a day: Adidas SmartRun and Jabra Pulse reviewed Posted: 24 Jan 2015 08:00 AM PST Adidas SmartRun and Jabra Pulse It's the new year, which means you'll be constantly battling past hordes of newly-inspired runners as you trudge your way to work once more. But what if you wanted to join them but are scared you lack the speed? Or perhaps you're already pounding the streets in your well-worn trainers and are looking to spice things up with a touch of technology here and there? Well, you're in luck. I'm currently running 10k every day – yes, every day – and over the coming weeks I'll be testing out some the best (and, to be frank, less best) running technology that the gadget world has to offer. This will range from smart scales to clever running watches to bewitching Bluetooth headphones, all of them promising to make your attempts to get from one place to another a little bit faster, and more entertaining. Here in the inaugural column I take a look at a rather fancy running watch and headphones that help you ditch the heart rate strap. Adidas SmartRun First up is the Adidas SmartRun - an oddity in the tech world in that it's actually been out for over a year, yet doesn't seem to be showing any signs of age. In fact, with numerous updates since then it's a much, much better version of the running watch that launched in 2013. The great thing about the watch is its integration with Adidas' online miCoach platform, one of the best out there for every runner, ranging from the complete beginner to the seasoned trail warrior. Simply key in what you want to do, whether it's run a race at a certain pace, get better for a sport or just de-stress, let it know what days you're available, and it'll come up with a tailor made plan to get you there. This all syncs with the watch over Wi-Fi, which works both ways, so the second you step in the front door you'll be able to analyse all the information from your trot. The other great thing is the inbuilt heart rate monitor, which means you can drop the strap and just use the optical sensor under the watchface to pulse light under the skin, making training that much better thanks to being able to work out effort based on how hard the ol' ticker is working, compared to just speed. It's not a bad looker either, despite being a bit chunky - I wasn't ashamed to wear it out and about as a timepiece which adds to the convenience. The latest update is one of the best for the SmartRun, as it brings 6 months' integration with MixRadio, a service that will deliver all manner of curated playlists to help you run that little bit more motivated. You can chuck your own MP3s on there too, but this involves USB leads and computers, where the MR option gives you a selection of tunes almost instantly. It's not all good news with Adidas' running watch though. Firstly, there's the price: you'll struggle to get it anywhere for less than £260, with that cost not dropping much since launch… Battery life …And this is the other problem. You'll get a long run out of the SmartRun, but that's about it (give or take a few hours of time-keeping). It was much worse at the beginning, so the updates have really helped, but this is more smartwatch-level of battery... which is irritating when its competitors can last over five times as long. The GPS accuracy is also too generous, which is nice when you're knackered but not so great when you want to improve your speed and distance with precision. It's generally not massive – say 100 or so metres over a 5K run on average – but I did have instances in races where it would add nearly 10% to the distance travelled, which is awful if you're attempting to run to pace. Despite that, it's still one of my favourite running watches for general training, especially when I want to load a few podcasts into my run and don't want to carry a phone with me. Best for: The intermediate runner Jabra Pulse Let's move up the body now and into the ears: and these Bluetooth headphones are something a bit special. I was so excited to try these out, as the Jabra Pulse set packs so many features in that they could feasibly remove the need for a running watch altogether. You will need a phone though, as there's no inbuilt tracking apps in the headphones themselves, but what they do have is a very accurate heart rate monitor. Actually, I need to caveat that last statement: the monitor should be very accurate, as they've been tested to be as accurate as medical test, sensing your pulse from inside the ear. However, I've got what doctors call "rubbish ears" for headphones, as they constantly fall out due to, apparently, lacking conventional human parts. So the heart rate tracking was terribly inaccurate for me. However, I've spoken to a few other users that have worn them regularly, and they've raved about the fit and accuracy - so let's assume that they work just as advertised for the normal people. The heart rate sensing is very quick to lock in - plus the set up you need to go through when connecting the Pulse headphones to either an iPhone or Android handset is very thorough. You'll need to download the Jabra Sport app to get them set up (and with Android, the Jabra services app, which leaves an annoying icon running in the notifications bar) but once that's sorted you can use them with myriad other services, such as Strava. On top of that, the Jabra Sport app can track your VO2 Max level (assessing the level of oxygen in the blood when exercising to track your fitness) or check if you're overtraining... an excellent test for something most athletes struggle to work out. The design of the Jabra Pulse is also excellent - while they're plastic and rubber, the range of fits with the little ear 'wings' is excellent, the weight feels just right and they're IP55 rated, which means sweat or rain won't be a problem... plus they can survive being tossed around in gym bags easily. The controls on the neckband are also large and easy to find, so should you want to pause music, change the volume / tracks or even take a call, it's all very easy to do on the go. Another nifty feature that's often overlooked is the countdown start. Press go on your smartphone and you get a 10 second beep sequence, so you've got time to put away your phone and get the best running pose ready without having to try to do the same on the go and watching with horror as your new Galaxy handset smashes on the pavement. The control section is a little large though, and this causes the neckband to bounce about wildly at pace. I took to using a safety pin to hold it in place, so it would have been nice if Jabra had added something a bit more professional in to do the same thing. While they are Bluetooth, the Jabra Pulse headphones aren't very good without a smartphone - for instance, if you want to connect them to a running watch (the SmartRun above is a good example) then you're plum out of luck... it seems to need a certain set of under the hood services to connect. And of course we've got the issue of price: these aren't cheap at £200. They do justify that cost, but I still find it hard to choose them over the convenience of a running watch as they can't track data without a smartphone attached, which kind of negates the point of having something so lightweight for running. Then there's the issue with them falling out of my ears, with the associated loss in accuracy. I'm aware that most users won't have the same problem, but if you can find a way to try before you buy – easier said than done with in-ears, I know – I'd recommend you do. In summary, these Jabra Pulse headphones are excellent for the runner who has a smartphone and wants to add in heart rate tracking. They sound great, the volume is good and the functionality excellent - if a touch on the expensive side to add to your running arsenal. Best for: The serious trainer Got a question? Let rip in the comments below or have a word on Twitter: @superbeav

Fighting Talk: Why is your password still password? Posted: 24 Jan 2015 05:00 AM PST One of the regular surveys into our password habits has revealed that they're still mostly terrible, with plenty of people using the easiest, most obvious, guessable options to protect their precious online lives, and two-factor authentication reserved for the hardcore and the paranoid. It seems people are happy to use the same password across multiple sites and have "123456" protecting their main email account (and therefore their access to their entire data universe), despite regular warnings about how this isn't a great idea as if one thing gets hacked everything else falls with it. But how can you encourage people to be more interested in using complex passwords and authentication methods, when there's no immediate downside to having password for a password? It's kind of a boring thing, but, like wearing a seatbelt or replacing the battery in your fire alarm, one that can make things much better for you in the long run should something bad happen. And not 2820 either As people clearly can't be trusted, perhaps there should be a two-tier internet, like the filtered versions arriving in the UK thanks to the ISPs and their adult content blockers. If your password is 123456 or "password," you get a special version of the internet, one that's filtered, and presented entirely in Comic Sans, so you can't do any damage to yourself or others. Banking sites are blocked, online shopping accounts require an adult signed in with a proper password to vouch for you, plus email is limited to read only as you're clearly a bit too stupid to be trusted to converse with grown-ups. And if people complain about that, it must come down to the service providers to force their users to comply to proper password rules. My internet bank requires me to turn up at a branch with a urine sample and a letter from my dad it's so bloody hard to sign in to it these days, but Gmail's happy for me to use the same password I've used for everything since 1996. Who's wrong there? I'm less likely to do any internet banking because it's such a chore to use the special codes, memorable words, card readers and devices they need to verify I'm me and not a Russian bot, whereas Gmail's always open because it stays logged in and is, therefore, my friend. If Gmail forced everyone to use two-factor authentication, people would stop using Gmail because of the additional fuss it'd generate and move to a less secure option. That's how lazy we all are. But then again, aren't we all constantly being hacked in much more intelligent and imaginative ways than people guessing our passwords nowadays? Guessing passwords is a bit 1980s. When you've got gangs putting fake card readers over the top of ATM slots to steal PIN numbers and keyloggers installing themselves in the background when you visit web sites, bothering about secure passwords feels like fighting a pointless, losing battle. Someone's going to find out your password and special numbers no matter what they are or how many odd alternate characters and capital letters you're using, so perhaps the only defence and way to stay sane is to stop caring and hope it doesn't happen to you. That's the same way we manage to not worry about getting crushed by falling masonry when going outside. Imagine it won't happen to you, and if it does, don't worry, as someone will probably help pick up the bits.

Here's how you can download the latest Windows 10 preview Posted: 24 Jan 2015 02:25 AM PST You've stared dewy-eyed at its Start Menu, longed for its multiple desktops and salivated over its future on the smartphone -- and now it's here. The latest Windows 10 preview code can be yours in just a few clicks. To give Microsoft's latest OS a test-drive, head on over to the Windows Insider Program where you can download it by following Microsoft's instructions. Everything we know about Windows 10 Alternatively, you can get it by heading to PC Settings, clicking Update and recovery, then Preview builds before finally giving Check Now a click. Start me up There's a ton of new features waiting for you if you decide to take the plunge. They include Microsoft's digital assistant Cortana, which has been ported over from Windows Phone. Additionally, there's a new, fuller Start menu that still looks very Windows 8 but promises to bring a whole new level of organisation to your Windows apps. You can grab them via a new "universal" Windows Store app that introduces an all-new design and will look the same across different devices. Gamers should take note of Windows 10's new Xbox App, which brings more information on what your friends are doing at that moment in time. If you're interested in what Windows 10 means for Xbox and PC gaming, you can check out our thoughts here. Is the new OS any good? Read our hands on Windows 10 review to find out

Week in Gaming: HoloLens, Xbox streaming, and GTA rampages Posted: 24 Jan 2015 02:00 AM PST If last week belonged squarely to Nintendo and its gaming announcements then this week is property of Microsoft. Its big Windows 10 livestream contained plenty of exciting news for Xbox fans and non-believers alike, if you could sit through all the other slightly boring parts. By far the most exciting thing was the announcement of HoloLens – Microsoft's answer to the VR/AR trend and potential rival to Sony's Project Morpheus and the Oculus Rift. Don't get confused by the name though, there aren't any projected holograms here. Instead the HoloLens overlays images on whatever you are looking at, so you can build a Minecraft environment around your living room, making it even more like Lego but without the mortal danger of stepping on a piece barefoot. Like most VR/AR/hologram projects the HoloLens won't be on your face for a while, but when it does arrive we hope it won't be as expensive as Google Glass, and that it'll stick around for longer. In more tangible news, Windows 10 devices (laptops, desktops and tablets) will be able to stream Xbox One games so long as they are on the same Wi-Fi network. That means you could play Halo: The Master Chief Collection in bed without moving your TV and console from the living room. This is good news if you live in a divided household that's caught up in the console war – one of you can play PS4 and the vastly inferior Destiny downstairs, while the clearly superior human plays Halo upstairs, without the need for a second TV or moving your costly consoles around. You'll also be able to cross-platform play online, so you won't have to worry about friends who are streaming on their PCs. Game of Game of Thrones TellTale has confirmed the release date for the second episode of its amazing Game of Thrones game. Titled The Lost Lords it will be released February 3 on Steam, PS4 and PS3, February 4 on Xbox 360 and Xbox One and February 5 on iOS and Android. If you're a fan of the books or the TV show (or both) then this game is a must play. In true Game of Thrones style it will have you shouting at your TV from the start and I'd put money on it making you cry. You also get to experience an excruciating wait between episodes, and if there's one thing fans of George R R Martin's series enjoy it's waiting. If you still haven't watched Game of Thrones then it's time you came out of your cave. Seriously, just watch it, play this game, then come back and thank me in the comments. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boY5jktW2Zk ESO used be an adventurer like you... This may be the least shocking news of 2015, and it's still only January: Elder Scrolls Online is removing its subscription options in favour of a Guild Wars 2 style buy-to-play option. But really, we all knew this was coming. The game hasn't quite lived up to the hype and they did take away the 6-month subscription plan in December, which was definitely a sign of things to come. If I was a fan of ESO I'd be feeling very worried about the future of this MMO right now. Luckily my soul belongs to World of Warcraft. And by luckily I mean, please god someone help me with my WoW addiction. It wouldn't be a week in gaming without a bit of Nintendo news. This week Nintendo announced that it will be closing Club Nintendo and starting up a new rewards system. Club Nintendo will be phased out in three stages, starting April 1 this year. So if you want novelty golf balls, a keyring or a Nintendo blanket now's the time to spend those hard earned stars. Also for Nintendo fans, here's a custom Amiibo of Villager in his true form: axe murdering psychopath (aka young Patrick Bateman). If you want to turn your Villager Amiibo into a similar vision of terrifyingly cute horror then you can buy a tiny axe for him here. Talking of gleeful murder sprees, look at this video of some oldies playing Grand Theft Auto 5. It's hilarious. GTA is truly the great leveller – no matter your age or gender we all become maniacs when faced with an open world environment, a gun and zero consequences. Scary and yet quite comforting. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHoOrFdgYR8

Review: WD Sentinel DX4200 Posted: 24 Jan 2015 02:00 AM PST Introduction and performance At first glance it looks like little more than just another 4-bay NAS appliance, but the Sentinel DX4200 from Western Digital stands out from the crowd both in terms of the hardware involved and the Windows rather than Linux software it runs. Moreover, the DX4200 is very much aimed at businesses with existing Windows servers and expertise looking to add flexible network storage to the mix. A proper server in a box Housed in a conventional desktop NAS cube, the DX4200 eschews the plastic panels found on lesser consumer products in favour of a solid, all-metal, construction. A somewhat bulky AC brick provides the power and, although only one PSU comes as standard, another can be purchased and plugged in to keep the appliance running should either of the pair suffer a failure. A large and quite noisy single fan located at the rear keeps the unit nice and cool with a couple of Gigabit network ports above, together with four USB 3.0 ports that can be used to attach external backup drives. You can also plug in a keyboard and mouse, and a screen via the VGA port alongside, to directly manage the DX4200 just as you would a standard Windows server. When not doing that, however, a small LCD panel at the front summarises what's going on inside with, underneath, a lockable door behind which the storage lies and it's here that things start to get interesting. Unlike a lot of NAS boxes, the DX4200 comes fully populated with four hard drives. Choose the 8TB model fitted with four 2TB disks and you'll pay around £1,080 ex VAT (around $1,693, or AU$2,036) while the 16TB system we looked at comes with a set of 4TB disks, for which you'll have to spend £1,390 ex VAT (around $2,180, or AU$2,620). These prices may seem a little on the high side for a 4-bay NAS, especially when compared to low-end, consumer models. The DX4200 is very much an enterprise product and, instead of the consumer disks found on those products, comes with "Enterprise-class" WD Se drives, incorporating features to deliver both extra performance and greater reliability. The disks are also hot-pluggable and simply slide into place with no special carriers or tools required. Plus there's a bonus in the form of a separate 2.5in boot disk which means you can use every bit of space on the four larger disks just for data. The boot disk is a 500GB WD AV-25 drive primarily used in set-top boxes and surveillance systems. It's also tucked away under the hood which means powering off and attacking the chassis with a screwdriver to gain access. However, that's not an issue as it comes ready formatted and pre-loaded with the Windows Storage Server 2012 R2 software used to drive the Sentinel appliance. Moreover, if you're at all concerned about availability you can add an optional second AV-25 disk and create a RAID 1 mirrored pair for rapid recovery should one of the boot disks fail. An Intel Atom C2338 "Avoton" quad-core processor provides the motive power to drive the NAS accompanied by 4GB of ECC-protected RAM. Clocked at 1.7GHz the Atom is far from the fastest CPU on the block and, at times, this was noticeable. That said we only felt the lack of "zip" when using the Windows desktop to manage the appliance. As far as file sharing performance was concerned, it didn't seem to cause any problems. Getting started If you're used to powering up a Linux-based NAS, configuring it via the cloud, then managing it through a browser, the Sentinel DX4200 is something of a culture shock. To start with you have to find and plug in a screen, keyboard and mouse, then use these to run through a wizard-led setup procedure to customise the pre-installed Windows Storage Server 2012 R2 software. Fortunately it doesn't take long or require much in the way of technical expertise and once completed there's an easy-to-use WD StorCentral dashboard utility to help with day-to-day monitoring and management. You can also do what we did and use Remote Desktop to manage the Sentinel NAS from somewhere more comfortable. But that's not the whole story as the WD StorCentral dashboard doesn't offer much beyond showing you the current status of the NAS and what's inside. When it comes to actually making changes, such as configuring and sharing the all important storage, it hands over to tools in Windows Server which, for the uninitiated, can be a little daunting. There's a lot to get to grips with, not least because, instead of hardware-based RAID, Windows Storage Server uses Microsoft's Storage Spaces technology to both virtualise the available storage and provide the same kind of protection against data corruption and hardware failure normally afforded by RAID. Server Manager is used to configure and manage Storage Spaces with the physical disks first assigned to one or more storage pools across which data is distributed and recovery information stored to provide either simple, mirrored or parity pooling - equating, more or less, to RAID 0, 1 or 5 protection. The type of pooling is specified when virtual disks are created, a storage pool with space either allocated immediately or on demand to effectively support thin provisioning. Lastly Windows shares need to be associated with each virtual disk to make the storage available on the network and assign permissions using standard Windows management tools. For experienced Windows Server admins this will all be second nature, but for those new to the environment or a little rusty, getting to grips with Server Manager and other Windows utilities can be hard work. This is not helped by a lack of documentation beyond how to setup the hardware. That said, Windows Storage Server can be mastered by novices and the DX4200 requires no more in the way of day-to-day oversight than most Linux-based alternatives. Performance The performance you get will depend on both how the storage is configured and how the network ports are employed. Two Gigabit ports are available and these can be setup to provide failover redundancy or aggregated for combined bandwidth. We used just one port for our tests using the ATTO Disk Benchmark which, when run against a simple (RAID 0) thin provisioned virtual disk returned respectable read and write speeds of around 116MB/sec respectively. Unfortunately write speeds did fall when we added in the overhead of a parity disk setup (equivalent to RAID 5), dropping to around 70MB/sec. But without a RAID controller and only an Atom processor that was to be expected and, even configured this way, performance is unlikely to be an issue for most customers. Verdict There's no doubting the enterprise credentials of the WD Sentinel DX4200, which with its solid yet compact chassis, enterprise-class disks and extensive redundancy features really does stand out from the general NAS crowd. It is, however, designed to fit a specific niche, aimed primarily at companies with existing Windows servers wanting to add network storage and nothing more. If that's you then the DX4200 fits the bill nicely. If not, it is still worth considering but faces stiff competition in a very crowded market. We liked The separate boot disk is a real plus point, making it possible to use all of the capacity of the removable disks for data. It also speeds up installation and, if you opt for a second boot disk, adds valuable extra redundancy. We also liked the flexibility afforded by the Windows Storage Spaces technology which lets you get on with the job of delivering reliable shared storage without having to understand the complexities of hardware RAID. We disliked The WD StorCentral dashboard is a nice feature but it doesn't really do much, handing you back to Windows Server tools when it comes to all the important bits, most notably, storage setup and management. Unfortunately getting to grips with the tools and technologies involved can take a lot of time and effort and is a lot more complicated compared to the best of the Linux-based NAS alternatives. We've also become accustomed to being able to download and host a lot of free apps on Linux-based NAS appliances and these simply aren't included with the DX4200. You do get 25 licenses for WD SmartWare Pro backup, to protect user PCs plus the Windows IIS web server. However, if you want to add anything else (which is possible) you have to source it yourself. Final verdict A well built storage appliance with lots of enterprise-class features, the WD Sentinel DX4200 is most likely to appeal to existing Windows Server customers wanting to add distributed network storage to their setups. The choice of Windows Storage Server rather than Linux makes this easy to achieve but, by the same token, puts the WD appliance at a disadvantage when it comes to customers looking for a more self-contained, easy to manage, storage solution. Worth looking at but take time to understand the positioning before making a buying decision.

You are subscribed to email updates from techradar To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States