Netgear Upgrades SMB Storage with ReadyNAS 716

Netgear seeks to bring high-end storage capabilities within reach of SMBs working in industries such as software development and video production.

The network and IT equipment maker has released the Netgear ReadyNAS 716 (RN716X), a desktop network-attached storage system designed for businesses that don’t want to wait for their files. “This is the fastest, highest-performing desktop NAS on the market,” claimed Matt Pahnke, senior marketing manager of Netgear Storage.

The six-bay device supports up to 24 TB of capacity and offers 10 gigabit Ethernet connectivity under a twin 10GBASE-T port setup. ReadyNAS 716 is powered by a quad core, 3.2GHz Intel Xeon Ivy Bridge processor (E3-1225v2), and it features 16 GB of error-correcting code (ECC) memory.

Netgear ReadyNAS 716 supports up to 500 users concurrently, claims the company, and is currently the only NAS on the market “capable of simultaneously streaming multiple large uncompressed Blu-ray files.” In a statement, Pahnke said the ReadyNAS 716 has the “capability to stream multiple HD 4K videos simultaneously.”

It supports SATA hard drives up to 4TB—along with solid-state drives. All told, a single ReadyNAS 716 system can scale to 84 TB courtesy of three eSATA expansion ports and expansion chassis hardware. ReadyNAS OS 6 provides the underlying software capabilities. Supported protocols include iSCSI, NFS, SMB, AFP and FTP enabling unified NAS and SAN (storage area network) storage operations. It supports thin or thick provisioned logical unit numbers (LUNs).

Small Business Data Protection and Cloud Technology

Data protection features include built-in, easily-configured replication to another ReadyNAS. Unlimited snapshots let you restore files from any previous versions, similar to Apple Time Machine. The included anti-malware software ensures that files are virus-free in real-time. “We believe that small business data is just as important to SMBs as enterprise data is to big business,” said Pahnke.

Netgear’s desktop NAS leverages the company’s ReadyCloud technology, which provides cloud-based setup, provisioning and storage management.

Accessible via any Web browser, ReadyCloud also provides remote, cloud-like secure access to files stored on the NAS. Data stored on the ReadyNAS 716 never touches Netgear’s servers, assured Pahnke. Other features include ReadyDrop file sync, and ReadyDLNA apps that enable remote media streaming.

Pahnke also indicated that managing ReadyNAS 716 is easier than ever. His company “completely redesigned the new hardware line and reintroduced the GUI six months ago,” he said. The results is a clean, purpose-built dashboard that simplifies common tasks.

Netgear ReadyNAS 716 is available now. The system is priced $4,500 but certain configurations can be had for much less, said Pahnke.

Pedro Hernandez is a contributing editor at Small Business Computing. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE.