Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 4TB Nas box

Unlike the previous incarnation of the StorCenter ix2, the hard disks in the ix2-200 are replaceable. Simply remove two screws per disk from the bottom of the case and slide the trays out – job done. Iomega includes a three-year warranty, but fails to make it obvious that this warranty will be voided if the user replaces the disks with anything other than the included Seagate Barracuda units. To find this information, one must examine the manual's small with a powerful microscope.

HD out

Looking at the benchmarks, the ix2-200 seems fairly average, showing neither surprisingly fast nor slow speeds. The benefits of Raid 1 are clear to see, offering fairly significant improvements in all operations and most notably in the sequential read.

When configured in JBoD - 'just a bunch of disks' - the StorCenter ix2-200 lags behind one of its closest competitors, Synology’s DS210j. With the exception of random read operations, that is. Most notable is the nearly 20MB/s gap in the sequential read speed, indicating that Iomega’s offering lacks performance in copying large files – not ideal for those wishing to transfer large video files for streaming later. Though the initial copy may take some time, playback of 1080p video is actually very smooth.

Bringing Raid 1 onto the playing field evens the score somewhat, with the ix2-200 taking a slight lead in both random operations, but still slightly losing out in the sequential zone, where a 10MB/s gap is still observed.

Verdict

Despite the somewhat reduced transfer speeds, at £310 for the 2TB version, the StorCenter ix2-200 comes slightly cheaper than the competition. The Synology box may sell for £160, but you have to supply your own disks. So for the paranoid Nas user on a budget who needs the reliability of Raid 1 to keep their CCTV footage safe, the Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 is just what you need. Tin-foil hat not included. ®