ioSafe 216 2-Bay NAS Review

1. Introduction2. ioSafe 216 / Packaging / Bundle3. ioSafe 216 / Design4. ioSafe 216 OS5. Usability6. Testing Methodology7. CrystalDiskMark8. ATTO Disk Benchmark9. Intel NASPT10. IOMETER11. Real Life File Testing12. Power13. Closing Thoughts14. View All Pages

Needless to say, ioSafe's 216 is unlike any other NAS we have looked at. It's not a stylish looking NAS by any stretch of the imagination; its a black lump that is built like the proverbial brick outhouse and weighs a good deal more than you would expect. But then again it hasn't been designed to look pretty, it's been designed to do a very important job – to physically protect data under extreme circumstances.

 

To protect data from being lost due to fire, ioSafe use something called DataCast technology. DataCast is an endothermic fire insulation that forms a chemical bond with water molecules. When the temperature reaches above 71.1°C (160°F) DataCast releases water vapour to keep the internal temperature at a safe level. ioSafe claim the technology can prevent data loss up to 843°C (1550°F) for half an hour.

HydroSafe is the name of ioSafe's water protection technology. This is a water barrier that prevents seawater or freshwater from entering the disk storage area of the NAS while still allowing heat to be got rid of during normal operations. According to ioSafe, HydroSafe can keep your data safe for up to 72 hours while the unit is fully immersed up to depth of 3.04m.

Even something as seemingly mundane like the cooling vents have been specially engineered. The FloSafe vents as ioSafe call them have been designed in such a way that they prohibit radiant fire energy from having a direct line of sight to the drives. During a fire, the steam produced by the DataCast technology is forced out through these vents (as the flow of gas is always outwards), blocking the damaging effects of heat on the drives. Even with these fire prevention features installed the vents still keep the unit cool in normal everyday operations.

If you are thinking about cutting costs and buying a diskless version of the ioSafe 216, a word to the wise. If you buy a 216 with loaded drives you get a complimentary one time use of ioSafe's no questions asked data and hardware recovery service which will come in very handy should disaster strike.

Is the ioSafe 216 worth spending around 600 quid more on than a conventional DiskStation 216? Well, the old adage “what price your data” springs to mind especially if you don't trust giving your sensitive data to a 3rd party to store on the cloud. It might be seen as a niche product, but If you asked a business owner located in the Somerset Levels or York city center, whether they would pay a very large premium for a device that can survive under 10ft of water for 72 hours, they might well write a cheque on the spot.

We found the ioSafe 216 configured as the review sample was delivered on Span.com for £858 (inc VAT) HERE

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Pros

• Superb data protection.
• Synology DSM O/S.
• 1-year complimentary Data Recovery Service

Cons

• Very expensive for a 2-bay NAS.

Kitguru says: Yes it's very expensive and it might well be a niche product but such arguments fall by the wayside if disaster strikes and your data is protected.

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