Netgear Unveils NAS For SMBs

Netgear ReadyNAS For SMBs

Netgear on Monday refreshed its ReadyNAS network-attached storage line with two higher-performing appliances for small and medium-sized businesses.

The ReadyNAS 3100 and ReadyNAS 4200 each support up to 500 users and are targeted particularly at mid-range enterprises and at secondary devices for larger businesses, the vendor said. The latest ReadyNAS products provide data storage along with integrated replication and backup options.

The 3100 is a 1U, four-bay, rack-mount device that can come equipped with 4 TB or 8 TB of storage. The 4200 is a 2U, 12-bay, rack-mount product that's available with either 12 TB or 24 TB of storage and two redundant drives. Both products are VMware-ready and are unified storage systems powered by the Linux-based ReadyNAS RAIDiator operating system.

The 3100 has four SATA channels and includes a redundant power supply, while the 4200 has 12 SATA channels and is the first ReadyNAS product to support 10-Gigabit Ethernet. Both systems support NAS and iSCSI applications, offer hot-swappable SATA drives, and have redundant cooling systems, network ports, and power supplies.

The ReadyNAS 3100 has a starting price of $3,800 and the ReadyNAS 4200 starts at $10,000. Both systems are scheduled to be available in late April.

Netgear has been pushing deeper into SMB storage for some time. The company introduced a year ago the ReadyNAS 2100 rack-mount storage appliance and the ReadyNAS Remote Secure Access. Pricing for the 2100 started at $1,900 for up to 2 TB of storage.

A standard feature in ReadyNAS systems is drag-and-drop remote access tools for Windows and Mac users in remote and branch offices. The tools enable users to access central files via an encrypted direct connection with no firewall configuration and without the hassles of VPNs, FTP access, or HTTPS Web access.