INTRODUCTION

   Storage capacity is one very large problem that haunts professionals and enthusiasts since as far back as i can recall but nowadays due to the appearance of new technologies like 1080p and even 4k things are even worse. Sure consumers can now find several 4/6TB external desktop solutions (even 8TB ones are available but in much smaller numbers) but what happens when that's simply not enough and you want to make the best out of the available desktop space? Luckily many manufacturers have released numerous 3.5" external enclosures in the recent years for all tastes featuring as many as eight 2.5/3.5" bays which end users can use with multiple RAID and/or JBOD modes. Teratrend by SilverStone released several external enclosures a couple of years ago and since we finally have access to their product lines today we're testing the flagship TS432U model.

   Teratrend Technology Inc., a division of SilverStone, was founded in 2010 as a professional storage solution provider with focus on industrial design and manufacturing of storage products and accessories. To meet increasing demands for cloud media access and security, Teratrend will release and develop cloud and small disk array system applications for consumers and small businesses. Teratrend will taking full advantage of the latest technologies to bring consumer and business users easy and reliable ways to manage data storage, simplify operation, share and sync files across different platforms through PC to smart phone and access data anytime anywhere. Teratrend aims to deliver products with diverse features and the best in customer services. With distribution centers in different areas of the globe, Teratrend products can be seen all over the world, not just for computer users but also for home entertainment use. Providing leisure with integration of advanced technologies that is functional and making them enjoyable to use.

   The TS432U is a quad bay SATA III 3.5" external desktop enclosure that features both USB 3.0 and eSATA connectivity for optimal data transfer rates. Teratrend has also equipped the TS432U with a completely tool-free slide-in design for the drives, two 60mm exhaust fans and a medium sized LCD display via which the end user can not only check the current status of the mounted drives and the device itself but also manage the desired mode (the TS432U supports RAID 0/1/3/5/10 and LARGE modes) and use the drive duplicator/clone feature without having to plug the enclosure into a PC. What really drew our attention however is the Windows software Teratrend bundles with the TS432U which allows for hassle-free management of the drives (also supports SMART monitoring) and thanks to its user friendly GUI even people without much experience should have no problem using it.