New Netgear ReadyNAS Launched – Xeon D with 10Gbase-T

Netgear released new ReadyNAS systems that feature Intel Xeon D based processors and 10Gbase-T Ethernet. The new Netgear ReadyNAS 526X and ReadyNAS 626X NAS units are designed for offices expanding to 10Gbase-T Ethernet. We have covered some of Netgear 10Gbase-T switches and the transition to 10GbE in 2016. In the NAS industry we have been seeing clear trends around both 10GbE as well as running applications on the NAS unit in a hyper-converged architecture. By utilizing the Pentium D1508 and Xeon D-1521 processors, Netgear is delivering significantly more performance than previous generation processors. They are also able to cost-effectively deliver dual 10GbE without requiring an expensive add-in card.

Here is an excerpt from from the press release today:

Netgear is refreshing its award-winning ReadyNAS® Network Attached Storage (NAS) family. New models bring best in class 10 Gigabit connectivity to desktop storage for scaling VMs and clients, supported by 2 x 10G ports to maximize data access performance and provide redundancy. The two new 6-bay desktop models, ReadyNAS 526X and ReadyNAS 626X, both run on the latest version of the Netgear ReadyNAS operating system (OS 6) with its five levels of unrivaled data protection. With ReadyNAS 526X and ReadyNAS 626X, Netgear offers the fastest desktop NAS in the world for small businesses – outperforming previous NAS solutions by 8 times. Creative professionals who work on high resolution digital imagery, ultra-HD 4K video and future 8K video finally have a NAS that does not slow down creativity. Businesses are now empowered to multiply productivity by backing up data 10 times faster and serve 8 times more users. ReadyNAS 526X and 626X with dual 10 Gigabit ports and server-class processor allow for more VMs, faster response times, and higher server loads – making it the small business choice for high performance server virtualization. 

ReadyNAS 526X and 626X easily integrate into any existing Gigabit or 10 Gigabit network and work seamlessly with industry leading 10 Gigabit copper Ethernet switching solutions from NETGEAR. The built-in dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports can be configured to operate as a trunk in link aggregation mode with NETGEAR 10 Gigabit switches – adding redundancy and improving overall system performance. With ReadyNAS 526X, 626X and ProSAFE 10 Gigabit Switches, NETGEAR is pioneering a cost effective and easy upgrade path for small businesses to 10 Gigabit networking. 

The industry-leading ReadyNAS OS 6 that powers both new ReadyNAS editions is designed to provide unmatched data protection to safeguard the security and privacy of your data, file sharing and sync for easy recovery and file serving to address the demanding requirements of today’s growing small businesses. 

“Our newest ReadyNAS storage systems are designed to scale with the demands of small growing offices and media-heavy creative professionals who desperately need more storage capacity combined with better performance and value in order to stay competitive,” said Richard Jonker, vice president of product line management, SMB products for Netgear. “With 20 years of expertise working with growing businesses to address their networking and storage challenges, Netgear continues to provide true best-in-class solutions.” 

What’s New in the Newest Desktop ReadyNAS? 

ReadyNAS 626X Hardware

• Desktop 6-bay NAS for offices or branch offices of 40-120 employees
• Intel® Xeon® Server Processor D-1521 Quad Core 2.4GHz
• 8GB DDR4 of ECC RAM (expandable to 64GB)
• Capacity up to 60TB (scales to 110TB with EDA500 expansion chassis)
• 2x 10GBase-T ports
• 2x 1GBase-T ports
• Link Aggregation IEEE 802.3ad, Layer 2, 3, 4
• Port Trunking, adaptive load balancing
• 3x USB 3.0 ports
• 1 eSATA port

ReadyNAS 526X Hardware

• Desktop 6-bay NAS for small offices or branch offices of 20-80 employees
• Intel® Pentium® Server Processor D1508 Dual Core 2.2GHz
• 4GB DDR4 of ECC RAM (expandable to 64GB)
• Capacity up to 60TB (scales to 110TB with EDA500 expansion chassis)
• 2x 10GBase-T ports
• Link Aggregation IEEE 802.3ad, Layer 2, 3, 4
• Port Trunking, adaptive load balancing
• 3x USB 3.0 ports
• 1 eSATA port

The new ReadyNAS 526X and 626X both sport a new industrial design, with a high-quality metal enclosure, brushed metal door with two-line LCD, and five-point back-lit touch buttons for direct input. 

ReadyNAS OS Offers Data Protection and Cloud Options

The ReadyNAS OS 6 enabling both of the new ReadyNAS offers a complete, reliable and cost-effective backup platform, starting with its BTRFS File System with 5 levels of data protection:

• RAID protection against disk failure
• Real time anti-virus
• Incremental backup copies with unlimited snapshots
• Bitrot protection against media degradation; and
• Easy-to-setup cloud-managed replication

ReadyNAS OS allows automatic bi-direction synchronization between any ReadyNAS model and the data storage offered by public cloud services such as Amazon Cloud Drive and Dropbox. 

Upon upgrade to the latest version of ReadyNAS OS 6, the new ReadyDR (Disaster Recovery) will be automatically installed for block-level backup and restore to a second ReadyNAS. This new feature ensures LAN replication of even the largest backup files and databases. 

In addition to supporting connections to popular cloud services, both new ReadyNAS also offer NetgearReadyCLOUD®, which provides an instant, secure VPN-based private cloud for local and remote data access for file sharing, without additional costs. Its versatile sync and remote management capabilities enable employees to enjoy the same unified interface regardless of location. 

Pricing, Availability, and More

Both ReadyNAS 526X and ReadyNAS 526X come as diskless chassis or populated with six storage drives (3TB, 4TB, or 6TB). The diskless edition of ReadyNAS 526X has an MSRP of $1,399 in the U.S. The diskless model of ReadyNAS 626X has an MSRP of $1,799. ReadyNAS is available now worldwide.