Intel® Celeron® N3150 quad-core CPU fulfills multi-tasking efficiency

Powered by the latest 14 nm Intel® Celeron® N3150 quad-core 1.6GHz processor, dual-channel 4/8GB DDR3L-1600 RAM (upgradable to 8GB), 2 Gigabit LAN ports and SATA 6Gb/s, the TS-253A delivers up to 224 MB/s read speed and runs tasks smoothly and quickly. The TS-253A can automatically increase the processor's clock speed from 1.6GHz to 2.08GHz when performing CPU-intensive tasks. The TS-253A features Intel® AES-NI hardware-accelerated encryption engine to drive transfer speeds of up to 224 MB/s with AES 256-bit encryption for both full NAS volume and shared folders, boosting system performance & security while ensuring the safety of sensitive business data stored in the TS-253A.

Tested in QNAP Labs. Figures may vary by environment.

Test Environment:
NAS:
OS: QTS 4.2.0
Volume type: RAID 1; 2 x Seagate 1TB ST1000NM0033 HDDs: NAS and PCs are connected.
Client PCs:
Intel® Core™ i7-4770 3.40GHz CPU; DDR3L 1600Hz 16GB; WD 1TB WD10EZEX;
Intel Gigabit CT( MTU 1500 ) ; Windows® 7 Professional 64bit SP1 & Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit IOMeter configuration: Multiple PCs via switch. Transferring 32GB file continuously to NAS for 3 minutes. Block size: 64KB for SMB2.0

Dual HDMI outputs - Switch between HD Station and Linux desktop

The TS-253A comes with dual HDMI outputs for using two monitors in either a “duplicated” or “extended” desktop configuration. Duplicating will display the same content on both displays, and extended desktop mode allows users to display applications over two displays for improved multitasking convenience and productivity.

When displaying content using HDMI outputs, you can use the TS-253A as an amazing multimedia player by using HD Station to enjoy rich apps including Kodi™, HD Player, Plex Home Theater, YouTube™, Spotify®, JRiver, Google Chrome™, Mozilla Firefox®, and more. Alternatively, you can choose to output the Linux® operating system desktop to use the TS-253A as a PC.

Note: The Linux desktop will be available from QTS 4.2.1. To use it, you must install the Linux Station from the App Center.

The picture above shows the extended desktop mode.

Enjoy the best audiovisual experience on TV including a free remote control

QNAP HD Station integrates the powerful Kodi™ media player and web browser. With HDMI connectivity, you can connect the TS-253A to a HDTV or an A/V receiver to enjoy your rich multimedia content and 4K( H.264) videos with the best audiovisual experience. The splendid user interface of Kodi™, 7.1 channel audio passthrough*, and the TS-253A’s powerful real-time transcoding capability facilitate smooth and enhanced playback of 4K videos **. You can even watch YouTube™ videos, surf the web and manage the TS-253A using a web browser with multilingual keyboard input. HD Station supports multi-tasking and user authentication so only authorized users can access the stored data.

The TS-253A includes a QNAP remote control for you to conveniently control HD Station through its built-in IR receiver. With the help of the new smart remote control learning function, you can pair up to three TV or stereo IR remote controls and program your frequently-used buttons and functions. From now on, you'll never again live in fear of losing or damaging your dedicated remote controls***. You can also turn your mobile devices into remote controls by installing the Qremote app.

*A receiver with HDMI support is required for decoding multi-channel surround sound.
** The quality of video and music delivery can vary according to hardware and network environments.
*** The smart remote control learning function will be available from QTS 4.2.1.

Learn more: HD Station, Qremote

Superior real-time and offline 4K video transcoding*

Featuring advanced 8th-generation Intel® HD Graphics, the TS-253A supports 4K (H.264) hardware decoding and delivers superior real-time 4K (H.264) and 1080p video transcoding to convert videos to universal formats that can be smoothly played on PCs, mobile devices and Smart TVs. With offline transcoding, even when you can only connect using a low-speed Internet connection, you can still enjoy smooth video playback via File Station, Video Station, and the Qfile mobile app by selecting a pre-rendered lower resolution video. The TS-253A also allows you to set a dedicated folder for automatic video transcoding.

Learn more: DLNA, File Station, Video Station, Qfile

QTS 4.2 – Simple, convenient and efficient

Thanks to the intuitive user interface of QTS, your NAS experience is smarter, smoother and spectacular. Its modern flat design streamlines loading times, and the intelligent desktop allows you to find desired functions quickly, create desktop shortcuts or group shortcuts, monitor important system information on a real-time basis, and open multiple application windows to run multiple tasks concurrently, bringing greater working efficiency. QTS breaks the barriers of devices, platforms and geography to bring optimized cloud experiences to you, and incorporates more advanced features including volume/LUN snapshot, remote connection to public cloud services in File Station, multi-zone multimedia system, and more.

Learn more: QTS

Disaster recovery solutions brings peace of mind

The TS-253A offers various data recovery options. RTRR (Real-Time Remote Replication) supports real time or scheduled data backup to a remote QNAP NAS or FTP server and synchronizes files to a remote folder from a local folder with better backup efficiency. You can enjoy backup versioning to preserve a certain amount of versions, with options of simple versioning to schedule how many versions should be retained and for how long, or smart versioning with a rotation scheme that automatically replaces earlier backup versions. The TS-253A also supports the rsync protocol to back up data to another remote server on a scheduled basis. Data can also be backed up to and restored from a range of cloud storage services, including Amazon® S3, Amazon® Glacier, Microsoft® Azure, ElephantDrive®, Dropbox®, Google Drive™, Google Cloud Storage™, and more.

Learn more: RTRR, rsync, Cloud storage backup

Restore files with Snapshot

QTS Storage Manager adds an easy-to-use web-based snapshot tool for you to easily backup and restore data on the TS-253A back to any point of time in case you lose any important data. You can take snapshots for both volumes and LUN (up to 256 snapshots per volume or LUN and maximum 1024 snapshots per NAS), efficiently replicate volume/LUN snapshots via Snapshot Replica to remote servers by copying only the changes made, and quickly clone a volume /LUN snapshot as a local volume without interrupting the current system operation. You can even set up the system to automatically take a snapshot of the volume before backup via RTRR/rsync, even when the file is opened.

Qsirch - a smarter, faster way to search

The TS-253A supports Qsirch, a proprietary near real-time search tool for quick file searching. In addition to thumbnail previews, Qsirch now allows you to find and preview Gmail emails that are backed up on the TS-253A. Qsirch even remembers your search history allowing you to quickly navigate to files you've previously searched for. Qsirch is a huge productivity boost that greatly reduces the time spent looking for files on the NAS, allowing you to focus on other tasks. The revamped Qsirch 2.1 adds a Google Chrome Extension that allows you to search for files on your NAS when you use Google Search.

*Qsirch 2.1 will be available from QTS 4.2.1

Learn more: Qsirch

Datastore for virtualized environments

The TS-253A is also an iSCSI/ IP-SAN storage that supports VMware® and Citrix®, and is compatible with Microsoft® Hyper-V® and Windows Server 2012, benefiting flexible deployment and management in virtualization environments. The TS-253A supports VMware VAAI and Microsoft ODX to increase performance by offloading server loading for ESXi server and Hyper-V respectively, and supports QNAP vSphere Client plug-in and QNAP SMI-S provider with enhanced operational efficiency and management in virtualization applications.

Learn more: VMware® Ready™, Citrix® Ready™, Microsoft® Hyper-V™,VMware VAAI, Microsoft ODX, SMI-S provider for Microsoft SCVMM

Born for server virtualization

Virtualization Station allows you to host virtual machines (VM) on the TS-253A, and access them via a web browser or VNC. Virtualization Station supports multiple operating systems, fast VM creation, VM backup & restoration, VM import/export, snapshot, and Device Management for centrally managing VM. Virtualization Station uses SDN (Software-defined Networks) and allows the TS-253A and VMs to share the same LAN port. No longer constrained by physical network performance, high-speed Virtual Switches greatly increases data transfer between VMs as well as between VMs and NAS through the internal interface. You can also download VMs on demand from online VM markets and import them to the TS-253A without any complex procedures.

The TS-253A also features the game-changing container technology for server virtualization. QNAP Container Station exclusively integrates LXC and Docker® lightweight virtualization technologies, allowing you to operate multiple isolated Linux® systems on the TS-253A as well as download apps from the built-in Docker Hub Registry®. Container Station also supports the Online Document app*, which allows you to directly view, edit and store files of various types anytime on your NAS, including Office documents, images and text files.

* Available by end of 2015

Learn more: Virtualization Station, P2V, Container Station

Cross-platform file sharing, centralized data storage

The TS-253A supports SMB/CIFS, NFS, and AFP protocols for file sharing across Windows®, Mac®, Linux®/UNIX® networks. Data, logs and ISO images of CDs and DVDs can be centrally stored on the TS-253A and protected by an integrated antivirus solution. The Windows AD® and LDAP services enable system administrators to configure user permissions by using an existing Windows AD server, LDAP server or built-in LDAP service. The TS-253A supports SAMBA v4 and can act as a Windows domain controller to manage privilege settings.

Learn more: File Station, Windows Active Directory (AD) , LDAP Directory Service, Antivirus, ISO share, Syslog service

Well-rounded backup solutions to secure data

QNAP NetBak Replicator supports real-time and scheduled data backup on Windows including Outlook email archiving. Apple Time Machine® is also supported to provide Mac® OS X users with a solution to effortlessly back up data to the TS-253A. The front-panel USB 3.0 port of the TS-253A features a one-touch-copy function for you to instantly back up data from external drives to the TS-253A with just one click, or alternatively to back up data from the TS-253A to external drives. A wide range of third-party backup software such as Acronis® True Image and Symantec® Backup Exec are also supported.

Learn more: NetBak Replicator, Time Machine backup, Third-party backup software compatibility

Comprehensive security options

In open network environments, business data may be exposed in a potential hack. The TS-253A provides numerous security options, such as encrypted access, IP blocking, and more. IT administrators can also control the access rights of each user to different folders, preventing unauthorized access to important files. The TS-253A supports AES 256-bit encryption, preventing sensitive business data from unauthorized access and breach even if the hard drives or the entire system were stolen.

Learn more: Encrypted access, IP blocking, Hard drive encryption

Secure access with VPN & Proxy Server

The TS-253A can be used as a VPN server with L2TP/IPsec, OpenVPN, and PPTP support, allowing you to securely access data shared within the private local network. The TS-253A can also be used as a VPN Client to connect to other VPN servers or virtual private network through for PPTP and OpenVPN for secure data transmission. VPN Client also allows your NAS to connect to multiple servers at the same time*. You can connect your devices to your NAS and the VPN server at home to access data on the LAN; moreover, via VPN Client on your NAS, you can connect to VPN servers in the United States for accessing regionally-restricted services such as Netflix and Hulu in HD Station. The TS-253A provides you with various VPN options and helps secure your data transmission. The TS-253A also supports setting up a proxy server. The Proxy Server Package can configure the cache size, supported transmission protocols, record web pages you browsed and set up a powerful content control system that limits the use of the Internet. Other features include a work log that remembers users’ habits and preferences and SquidClamav anti-virus for proxy servers to ensure connection safety.

* Available from QTS 4.2.1

File synchronization across multiple devices and clouds

Qsync utility turns your TS-253A into a safe, large-capacity data center for file synchronization. Any file uploaded to the TS-253A will be made available for all linked devices, such as computers, laptops or mobile devices. Qsync is especially useful for frequent travelers to manage files and always have the most up-to-date files on different devices. Qsync now provides more new features— it allows you to synchronize shared folders and create group-shared folders exclusive for your project team; it provides centralized management configuration, helping saving IT administers’ time; it also supports centralized configuration and allows you to remotely erase the Qsync folder on a lost device to avoid data breaches, and even restore it after you have retrieved the device. You can also install the Cloud Drive Sync app from QTS App Center to easily sync files with Google Drive™ and Dropbox® cloud storage.

Learn more: Qsync, Cloud Drive Sync

Enjoy your exclusive karaoke system with OceanKTV

QNAP OceanKTV is the first NAS-based karaoke application on the market allowing you to create a quality karaoke experience at home. The TS-253A offers high-capacity storage for accommodating up to thousands of 1080p karaoke songs . Simply attach your big-screen TV to the TS-253A via HDMI and start singing with OceanKTV. Four UI themes are provided to create the best atmosphere, and with the OceanKTV mobile app you can control the entire experience on your phone or tablet. More than a NAS, the TS-253A is a karaoke machine for singing entertainment. Enjoy alone or with your friends!

Note: OceanKTV will soon be available in QTS 4.2.1.

Learn more: OceanKTV

High-quality audio effect with dual microphones outputs and Line Out function

The TS-253A has two 6.3mm dynamic microphone jacks for connecting up to two dynamic microphones. Compared with the average reception quality of USB microphones, the TS-253A offers a clearer reception quality as it is equipped with a 20-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC). On top of that, the TS-253A has a 24-bit digital to analog converter (DAC) that can send audio signals via the Line Out jack to your amplifier and deliver clearer stereo sound. By offering excellent audio output/input functionalities together with various apps, the TS-253A brings you a fantastic audiovisual experience.

Comprehensive surveillance solution providing 24/7 security

Surveillance Station is a professional network surveillance Video Management System (VMS) that offers a user-friendly management interface, over 3,000 compatible IP camera models, and expandable IP camera channel licenses. It supports real-time monitoring, video & audio recording and playback with a wide range of customizable settings. You can also install the Vmobile app on your iOS® or Android™ devices to manage monitored channels anytime and anywhere to safeguard your office environment, or install the Vcam mobile app to turn your device into a network camera to instantly record to your TS-253A. The TS-253A includes 4 free IP camera channels and you can expand up to 40 channels by purchasing additional licenses .

Learn more: Surveillance Station

Install-on-demand apps to extend NAS functionality

The built-in App Center provides various install-on-demand apps developed by QNAP and third-party developers, including tools for backup/sync, business, content management, communications, download, entertainment, and much more. It is also a centralized location for managing & updating installed apps, allowing you to directly update applications once newer versions are released.

Learn more: App Center

LED indicators with adjustable brightness controls

With adjustable 20-stage brightness controls for LED indicators, the TS-253A provides flexible LED brightness options. Based on the surrounding environment, you can adjust the brightness of all system indicators and also schedule the system to automatically dim the LEDs at certain times when needed.

Easily expand storage capacity

The TS-253A supports online capacity expansion for archiving rapidly-growing data by connecting a QNAP expansion enclosure. With the QNAP scale-up solution, the raw storage capacity can be expanded on demand*, making the TS-253A an ideal file center with large storage capacity for storage-intensive business applications such as video surveillance, data archiving, TV broadcast storage, and more.

With the support of QJBOD Express (JBOD enclosures roaming)**, you can just connect a large capacity QNAP expansion enclosure to the TS-253A, and migrate data to another NAS through the JBOD enclosure without network connectivity.

The maximum raw storage capacity available by connecting a QNAP expansion enclosure:

*To expand the storage space with an UX expansion enclosure, you must create a separate static volume or storage pool on the UX expansion unit.
**RAID groups of storage pools cannot cross multiple enclosures.
***The maximum capacity is calculated by using 8TB HDDs.

Learn more: QNAP expansion enclosure

Additional SMB-ready features

The TS-253A supports various business applications as an all-in-one Turbo NAS with cost-efficiency.