Qnap TS-119

The Qnap TS-119 is designed to turn a standard hard disk into one that can be accessed from any computer on a network.

This makes it handy for storing files and backups, but it can do lots more besides that.

The TS-119 is supplied empty, so you need to add a 3.5in Sata hard disk of the type found in most desktop computers. Fitting the disk was easy, requiring only a screwdriver and a few minutes.

With that done, the device must be connected to a network. It’s not able to connect to a wireless network, so you will need a spare network socket on your router.

In most cases, that is all you have to do. The disk will appear as several shared folders on your network, and you can start copying files to it using any other computer on the network.

Unlike some of its rivals, the TS-119 has no fan, so it is quiet enough that you can leave it running constantly. The USB socket on the front allows users to access files stored on a USB memory key, or to copy them to the TS-119’s disk with a single push of a button.

The TS-119 is more useful, though, if configured properly. After logging in using a simple website-like interface we were able to create user accounts, each with its own secure storage – handy for families.

A network storage device is, essentially, a small computer, so Qnap has set up the TS-119 to perform all kinds of other computing tasks. The TS-119 can be used to download a large file via Bittorrent, for example, so users can save energy by not having to use a power-hungry PC for this simple task.

A multimedia viewer allows users to view photos or play music stored on the device over a web browser, while the media server can stream them to any UPnP-compatible media player.

Other more esoteric functions include a web server, so you could run a website from home rather than paying for a server, although this is not recommended, not least because it opens up security risks.

With so many features the TS-119 takes some setting up, but the interface is one of the best we’ve seen: clear, simple and responsive. Although it’s expensive if all you want is storage, if you will make use of its other functions it is a brilliantly clever product.