This NAS for SMEs by Western Digital using a different operating system than the NAS in general. Western Digital recently presented a variant of the latest product aimed on a larger scale. To answer the need for storage solutions to SME business, Western Digital presents its first Western Digital Sentinel product, DX4000.
Western Digital Sentinel DX4000 has a number of capacity options. The difference located in the amount of hard drive included as well as capacity of each hard drive have. Overall, this NAS has enough space to hold four hard drives. How to installing and removing also very easy. Users simply open the door and pull each hard drive lock.
If other NAS typically uses the Linux-based operating systems and web-based control panel interface, Sentinel DX4000 uses Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 as their main control. The use of the Windows operating system can only make you fully perform to the NAS setup in the Windows environment as well. On the Macintosh operating system, is available to make access Launchpad application and the setup is simple. While on Linux, you can not do any setup. NAS is able to handle up to 25 users. Even so, features and ease use of user interface was a bit confusing and not as flexible as web interface on another NAS.
When we use this Western Digital Sentinel DX4000, we feel startup process quite a long, especially when verifying disk condition. This process will continue over and over every time you turn on this NAS. Interestingly, this NAS can perform automatic RAID rebuild if one hard drive problems. We’ve accidentally unplugging the hard drive while still in operation, resulting in the display immediately shows an error message. When reassembled, NAS immediately begin the process of rebuild and re-verification.
In terms of performance, Western Digital Sentinel DX4000 is considered pretty good. With RAID1 configuration, the NAS is able to producing read and write rate around 60-80 MB/s. To find more test results, please refer to Table test results.
Western Digital Sentinel DX4000 NAS is quite unique with the use of Windows Storage Server 2008 operating system. However, its use still feels limited and somewhat confusing. But overall, performance is fairly good and adequate for the SMEs needs.
Test Results
| Intel NASPT | |
| HD Video Playback | 53.360 MB/s |
| 2x HD Video Playback | 55.294 MB/s |
| 4x HD Video Playback | 64.316 MB/s |
| HD Video Record | 151.872 MB/s |
| Playback & Record | 71.891 MB/s |
| Content Creation | 11.213 MB/s |
| Office Productivity | 41.875 MB/s |
| File Copy to NAS | 178.784 MB/s |
| File Copy from NAS | 61.498 MB/s |
| Directory Copy to NAS | 25.978 MB/s |
| Directory Copy from NAS | 24.175 MB/s |
| Photo Album | 12.872 MB/s |
| Robocopy | 66.099 MB/s |
| SiSoftware Sandra (RAID0) | |
| Buffered Read | 83.260 MB/s |
| sequential Read | Read 82.253 MB/s |
| Random Read | 59.163 MB/s |
| Buffered Write | 109.290 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 71.797 MB/s |
| Random Read | 56.797 MB/s |
Specification
| Hard Drive interface | SATA 3 Gbps |
| Total Hard Drive | 4 internal (2 pieces 2 TB hard drive is included in the package) |
| Hard Drive Size | 3.5″ |
| Port | 2 x USB 3.0; 2 x 10/100/1000 Ethernet (LAN) |
| Storage mode | RAID1, RAID5 |
| weight | 4.8 kg (without adapter) |
| guarantee | 3 years |
| Website | www.wdc.com |
| Price (range*) | U.S. $ 1026 |
 Windows-based Based on Windows: The whole setup NAS uses the operating system Windows Storage Server 2008 R2. |
 Up to four hard diskWestern Digital Sentinel DX4000 provides a room that can accommodate up to four hard drives. Units we received contained two hard drives with a total capacity of 4 TB. |
 USB 3.0 Port To connect with external storage media, there are two USB 3.0 ports that support high speed. |
Conclusion
Plus: 4 hard drive capacity, transfer rate tolerable, no USB 3.0, Windows Storage Server operating system.
Minus: The interface is a bit confusing, full configuration only through Windows
Score Assessment - Performance: 3.75 - Facilities: 4 - Usage: 3.75 - Price: 2.75 - Total Score: 3.56
