Browser-Based Interface And Test Setup
Accessing the NS4600 by its network address in a Web broser, users are redirected to a landing page rather than being allowed straight to the configuration interface. From there, you can choose to either continue on to the administration panel or access media files stored on the NAS.
Administration Interface
The NS4600 uses the same Web interface previously found on the Promise NS4300N and the NS2300N. Available in ten languages, it is very clearly structured, letting less-experienced users manage and configure the NAS device with ease.
However, we must say that it’s best not to use Google’s Chrome browser, since we experienced some problems with the way DHTML was displayed. Also, make sure you click the button labeled Login, as simply pressing enter or return did not send the user/password combination.
Like the NS4300N, the NS4600 is aimed at home users and small to mid-sized businesses. Thus, its “NAS replication” feature will probably be more interesting to businesses that employ several NAS devices and that want to automatically replicate certain data across various units.
Web-Based Access to the Media Center
Access to music, videos, and images stored on the NAS is not limited to the local area network. Instead, users can also employ a Web browser and connect to the NS4600 through the Internet, provided the router’s port forwarding rules have been configured appropriately.
Again, the first step is authentication using a username and password combination. Promise even thought to include a simplified interface for the media center designed for mobile devices. It can be selected during the login process.
The media center interface is just as self-explanatory and easy to use as the administration section
Test Setup and Benchmarks
| System Hardware | |
|---|---|
| Intel LGA 775 Platform | Asus P5E3 Deluxe, Rev.1.03G, Intel X38 chipset, BIOS: 0810 (02/11/2007) |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 (65nm Conroe core) |
| RAM | 2 x 1024MB Crucial Ballistix DDR3-1600 |
| e-Sata Controller | JMicron JMB363 |
| System Drive | Seagate Barracuda 7200.9, 160GB7,200 RPM, SATA/300, 8MB cache |
| NAS Drives | Samsung Spinpoint HD321KJ, 320GB7,200 rpm, SATA/300, 16 MB Cache |
| ODD | Samsung SH-D163A , SATA150 |
| Graphic Card | Gigabyte Radeon HD 3850 GV-RX385512HGPU: 670 MHz Memory: 512 MB DDR3 (830 MHz, 256 Bit) |
| NIC | Marvell Yukon 88E8056 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller |
| Audio | Integrated |
| PSU | Cooler Master RS-850-EMBA, ATX 12V V2.2, 850 Watt |
| Operating System and Drivers | |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Enterprise SP1 |
| DirectX 10 | DirectX 10 (Vista-Standard) |
| DirectX 9 | Version: April 2007 |
| Graphics Driver | ATI Radeon Version 7.12 |
| Networking Driver | 9.0.32.3 (Vista-Standard) |
| Intel Chipset Driver | Version 6.9.1.1001 (20/02/2008) |
| JMicron Chipset Driver | Version 1.17.15.0 (24/03/2007) |
All tests were conducted using firmware version 02.00.0000.15.
Intel NAS Performance Toolkit
We tested the Promise NS4600 using Intel’s NAS Performance Toolkit. You can find a detailed description of the benchmarks in our story Benchmarking With Intel's NAS Toolkit.
