I remember a few years ago hearing about ASUSTOR NAS devices, but I didn’t really give the information much attention then. Come 2024, at the end of this August summer vacation, I decided to test an ASUSTOR product, specifically, the LOCKERSTOR 4 Gen2 AS6704T and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised at how much ASUSTOR has evolved over the years. ASUSTOR offers quality, performing products and focuses not only on home users, but also business users. ASUSTOR devices come with a powerful operating system called ADM which stands for ASUSTOR DATA MANAGER. I was also surprised to find ADM applications are kept up to date, as is the hardware environment. At the time of writing, ASUSTOR’s Linux Kernel sits at version 5.4; their Docker Engine sits at version 27.1.1; PHP is at version 8.3; Hardware Acceleration Engine H.264 (AVC), H.265(HEVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-2, VC-1, not to mention the operating system has a full OS Dark mode option and many more interesting features. Sit back and enjoy the reading.
ASUSTOR – More Than Just Storage
So goes the ASUSTOR motto written on the box in which the LOCKERSTOR 4 Gen2 AS6704T NAS came: “More Than Just Storage“. In addition to the motto, there is also a short description that says “Discover the extraordinary with ASUSTOR”. The words are carefully chosen as the product promises to be extraordinary – I’ve been at the helm of mariushosting for almost 6 years now and can assure you of that.
I Opened Pandora’s Box
What did I find when I opened the box? Obviously, the NAS sitting in its protective Styrofoam encasing, and a smaller box with the AC Power Cord and Power Adapter, a few SSD and HDD screws as well as 2 1-meter long LAN cables and a Quick Installation guide.
Package Contents
Below is a picture of the package contents: the NAS, the AC Power Cord and Power Adapter, a few SSD and HDD screws, 2 1-meter long LAN cables and a Quick Installation guide. Note: Disks are not included 🙂 Full Package Contents at a Glance.
LOCKERSTOR 4 Gen2 AS6704T at a Glance!
Here is the star of this review.
- Quad-Core 10 nm Intel Celeron N5105 CPU. The Celeron N5105 is clocked at 2.0 GHz with 2.9 GHz, enabling efficient content creation with the added flexibility of 10-Gigabit Ethernet upgrades.
- Superfast 2.5-Gigabit Ethernet ports.
- Flexible PCIe slot for 10GbE NICs or M.2 SSDs.
- Supports PCIe 3.0 SSDs.
- Uses DDR4-2933 RAM Memory.
- USB 3.2 Gen2 ports – 10Gbps speed.
- Increased ventilation for SSDs.
Excellent Ventilation and a Close-Up of the Back
A big 120mm FAN for optimal ventilation. 2x 2.5-Gigabit Ethernet ports, 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 port at 10Gbps speed, an HDMI port, a DC-IN port and a reset button.
Metal Case!
One of the things I have instantly noticed is the robustness of the NAS with its metal case.
M2 2280 Ventilation
You will notice there is ventilation present on the upper side of the device as well to further help with heat dissipation of the M2 2280 SSDs.
Robust
The NAS itself is quite robust as it’s made of metal. The look is close to industrial which gives the NAS the appearance of a solid, reliable device.
4 Bay-NAS
The ASUSTOR LOCKERSTOR 4GEN2 AS6704T is an enthusiast-grade NAS with four bays. Compatible with:
- 3.5″ SATA HDDs
- 2.5″ SATA HDDs
- 2.5″ SATA SSDs
- M.2 2280 NVMe
Robust Metal Bays!
I swear, I’ll stop! But I cannot resist insisting on how sturdy and well-designed the disk bays are! You can definitely feel the sturdiness and quality of the product as soon as you touch it.
A Close-Up!
Looking inside one of the disk slots, you can see the frame is metal, and the design overall supports optimal heat dissipation which helps prolong disk lifespan. Metal protection separates the disks from the well-ventilated motherboard.
Easy Bay Removal
I made a little video showing how to remove a Bay (disk compartment) from the ASUSTOR LOCKERSTOR 4 Gen2 AS6704T. As you can see, it’s a piece of cake!
Tightening The Screws
I placed my 4 HDDs in the disk bays, tightened the screws to fix them in and prepared for the next STEP.
Almost Ready
4 HDD disks inserted into the NAS. The process was quick and easy.
How to Access the M2 Slots
Using a screwdriver, remove the 3 screws at the back of the device, then remove the metal case. Follow the instructions in the photo below.
Four M.2 Slots
The LOCKERSTOR 4 Gen2 NAS series comes with four M.2 slots for caching or storage or both. Either use all the slots for one purpose or mix and match, depending on your needs.
Upgrade the RAM
The LOCKERSTOR 4 Gen2 AS6704T NAS comes with a 4GB SODIMM 2933 preinstalled RAM. Memory is expandable up to 16GB (2x 8GB). Below I will show you, STEP by STEP, how to upgrade your RAM. Once you have removed the metal case to access the M.2 slots, remove the 4 screws on the side to access the RAM compartment.
Your ASUSTOR LOCKERSTOR 4 Motherboard at a Glance
You can now insert your RAM module.
8GB Additional RAM Installed!
I have added an 8GB RAM module. If you want to change the second 4GB preinstalled RAM with a new 8GB RAM module, you have to remove the motherboard from the NAS. But don’t fear, it’s easy and I have found a VIDEO that explains how to do it.
Connecting the NAS
Plug the LAN cables into your Router/Switch and connect to the power grid.
Power ON!
Click the Power on button at the front of the NAS.
Download the ASUSTOR Control Center
On your PC, install the ASUSTOR Control Center software from the official ASUSTOR website. Once the ASUSTOR Control Center software is installed, hit the Scan button on your NAS. Your NAS will then be found on your network. Select it, then click Connect to connect to it.
Your ADM OS at a Glance!
Once you have set up your Disks and Volume, you can start to personalize your ADM operating system. Remember to use the following credentials when connecting for the first time to your operating system: admin for the username and admin for the password. Afterwards, you will absolutely need to create a new user with admin privileges to use from that point on. To do this, click the Access Control icon. Then, after creating your new administrator, disable the default admin user.
My RAM at a Glance!
You can see below that my 8GB RAM module that I have inserted a few steps above is correctly added. 4GB of preinstalled RAM + 8GB added RAM for a total of 12GB of RAM.
Familiar Feeling
The ADM operating system is similar to the Synology DSM operating system so you might feel a tinge of familiarity even if it’s your first time with an ASUSTOR NAS.
Your NAS, Your Style
The ADM OS allows you to add new designs to the login page. In addition to light and dark modes, there are more styles for you to choose from, creating a welcoming environment every time you log into your NAS.
Docker Engine Always up to Date!
One of the things I have appreciated about the ADM operating system and ASUSTOR in general is that they take their users’ feedback and needs to heart and offer solutions that are always up to date. The Docker Engine is proof of this. Synology, TerraMaster and UGREEN all have one thing in common at the moment: an outdated Docker Engine. ASUSTOR remains the undisputed King when it comes to software upgrades. At the time of writing, the Docker Engine version on ASUSTOR NAS devices is 27.1.1
PHP 8.3
On ASUSTOR NAS devices, the PHP we so need for our web projects is sitting at version 8.3. You can check the PHP version for your ASUSTOR NAS in App Central – ASUSTOR Apps.
Everything at a Glance
Multimedia, Plex, Jellyfin, Surveillance, DDNS, Firewall, Certificates, Scheduling, Groups control, FTP, SMB, Terminal etc.
Icing on The Cake
Want to personalize your LCD panel on the front of the NAS? Go to Settings / Hardware / LCD Panel tab and customize your message.
Note: As you well know, I do not sponsor any products, nor does my website sell or earn anything or make any kind of profit off the sale of any product. My recommendations are genuine.
This post was updated on Monday / September 9th, 2024 at 1:35 AM