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We liked
The N8810U-G may not be maximising the performance of 10GbE but it performs very well.
Thecus has gone to great lengths to provide redundancy. The N8810U-G will stay online even if there's a PSU, Ethernet, fan or disk failure, with plenty of hardware to fall back on. It definitely deserves brownie points for stress relief.
I also really like the easily accessible innards. Want to add more memory? No problem. Swap out the Ethernet card? Sure! Even changing the CPU or its fan is possible.
We disliked
Big and hefty are relative terms, but that is exactly how I would describe the N8810U-G. It's server hardware, and not for home use at all. That's only a criticism if you were thinking of it for this use. Unless you keep a server rack in your downstairs cupboard, there are alternative, more compact eight-bay NAS units that might be easier to manage.
The N8810U-G is also very noisy. It's not a device you would want to put under your desk.
The software is a bit of a let-down. It definitely needs a lick of paint, the plugin system could do with a redesign and perhaps a better navigation system. While it works fine, the operating system seems to lack the attention to detail Thecus has provided on the hardware front.
Final verdict
The N8810U-G is a solid, well-performing piece of server storage hardware. Considering it supports pricey 10GbE for superfast network speeds, it's not bad value for money.
Its trump card is redundancy. Thecus has put a great amount of effort into this area, with dual PSUs, hot-swappable fans and user-replaceable system components. That's great to see.
The software is merely okay though. It's fully functional but nothing exciting, and messy in parts. Thecus isn't the only networking company that could do with giving its software a more modern redesign, but it's more irksome when forking out for a £1,500 (around $2,350, AU$2,840) device.
