The TerraMaster F2-210 ($149.99) is a two-drive network attached storage (NAS) device designed to serve as a home or personal cloud solution.
This NAS doesn't offer features such as multiple gigabit LAN ports, link aggregation, or an HDMI video output and its app catalog is very limited, but it's affordably priced and delivered decent performance in our tests.
That said, our Editors' Choice for dual-drive NAS devices, the $329 Asustor AS5202T, offers more robust features and faster file transfers.
Design and Features
If the F2-210 looks familiar, that's because it uses the same 5.2-by-4.6-by-9-inch silver aluminum alloy enclosure as the TerraMaster F2-221 and F2-220 devices.
It is equipped with two front-loading drive bays but offers only a single gigabit LAN port, whereas the Asustor AS5202T has dual 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports that can be combined using link aggregation to deliver speeds of up to 5Gbps.
Joining the LAN port on the rear panel are two USB 3.0 Type-A ports and the AC adapter jack.
Missing is the HDMI port that you get with the QNAP TS-251B-4G.
The front of the enclosure holds a panel with a power button and LED indicators for drive activity, LAN activity, and power.
The F2-210 is powered by a 1.4GHz, quad-core ARM CPU and 1GB of system memory.
It supports 4K/30fps video encoding and can accommodate an internal capacity of up to 32TB (two 16TB drives).
This NAS supports RAID 0, RAID 1, JBOD, and single-disk configurations and the EXT4 and Btrfs file systems.
A single 80mm three-speed fan prevents internal components from overheating.
As with most of the NAS devices we review, you'll have to supply your own 2.5- or 3.5-inch SATA hard drives.
The F2-210 uses the same TerraMaster Operating System (TOS) as the F2-220 and F2-221 models and can be controlled using the same TNAS desktop and mobile apps.
The desktop app has a Windows look and feel and comes populated with tiles for File Manager, Applications, Control Panel, Backup, Remote Access, and TOS Help.
A panel with the device's name, status, network connection, storage usage, and resource usage appears to the right of the desktop.
The File Manager lets you create and delete folders, upload data from external sources, and create file and folder shares.
Tap the Applications tile to download media server, mail server, security, and backup apps.
I found 39 apps available in the TerraMaster catalog, which is five more than when we reviewed the F2-221 but significantly fewer than you get with other NAS drives.
For example, Asustor offers more than 200 apps, while the QNAP and Synology catalogs have more than 100 apps apiece.
To add users and user groups, assign permissions, configure network settings, and configure firewall and other security settings, tap the Control Panel tile.
It includes a Storage Manager section where you can create a storage pool, create volumes for each pool, view hard drive information, and manage external storage devices.
The Backup tile takes you to a screen where you can configure Rsync and Time Machine data backups and back up data from the F2-210 to a USB drive or vice versa.
Remote Access lets you reach the NAS from anywhere over the web or configure it for DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name Service) access.
The TOS Help icon provides descriptions of each TOS feature, but the information is very basic, as is the downloadable user guide.
Installation and Performance
I found the F2-210 much easier to install than the F2-221, but there was a slight hiccup near the end of the installation process.
To begin, I typed the http://start.terra-master.com URL into my browser, which opened a Quick Installation Guide page.
I selected the F2-210 from the drop-down list, pressed Start, and followed the instructions to download the user manual and then install my two Seagate Ironwolf 10TB drives into the drive sleds using the included mounting screws and screwdriver.
I inserted the sleds into their drive bays, connected the device to my router using the included LAN cable, and powered up the NAS.
Next, I downloaded and installed the TNAS desktop app and launched it and the F2-210 was immediately recognized.
I clicked on the drive to begin the initialization procedure, which checks for the physical presence of hard drives and downloads the latest version of the TOS operating system.
After five minutes and a couple of loud beeps, the device restarted and I was redirected to the TOS login screen where I created a user name and password and entered my email for a verification code.
Once my email was verified, I was prompted to create a volume on a new storage pool and selected RAID 1 with data protection and the Btrfs file system.
Five minutes later, the app froze and a message appeared stating that the RAID format had failed, possibly due to abnormal partitions on the drives.
I clicked Hard Drive Initialization to try to restart the process, but that didn't work, so I exited and logged back into the TNAS app where I found that the RAID volume had indeed been created.
I then checked the status of my drives, which were healthy, created a test folder, and was ready for performance testing.
The F2-210 delivered solid scores in our file transfer tests, in which we copy a 4.9GB folder containing a mix of music, video, photo, and office document files between the NAS and a desktop PC connected to the same network and measure read and write speeds.
The TerraMaster's write score of 70MBps was 12MBps faster than what we saw with the company's F2-221, but it wasn't quite as fast as the Asustor AS5202T or QNAP TS-251B-4G.
In our read test, the F2-210 managed 77MBps, once again beating the F2-221 but coming in behind the Asustor and QNAP NAS devices.
A Low-Cost Private Cloud
You don't get a lot of extras with the TerraMaster F2-210, but you do get good file transfer performance and 4K video transcoding capabilities for $149.99.
This two-bay NAS was relatively easy to install and manage using the TOS operating system and TNAS desktop app, but it doesn't offer nearly as many downloadable apps as competing devices, and I/O ports are few and far between.
That said, if you're looking for a basic home backup and cloud NAS, the F2-210 will fit the bill.
If you require a two-drive NAS that offers more features, consider our Editors' Choice, the Asustor AS5202T.
It's considerably more expensive, but the extra money gets you two 2.5GbE LAN ports, link aggregation, faster performance, and a larger catalog of apps.
Cons
Only one LAN port.
Limited app library.
Drives not included.
The Bottom Line
The TerraMaster F2-210 is an affordable dual-drive NAS device that delivered solid file transfer performance in testing, but somewhat skimps on features.
The TerraMaster F2-210 ($149.99) is a two-drive network attached storage (NAS) device designed to serve as a home or personal cloud solution.
This NAS doesn't offer features such as multiple gigabit LAN ports, link aggregation, or an HDMI video output and its app catalog is very limited, but it's affordably priced and delivered decent performance in our tests.
That said, our Editors' Choice for dual-drive NAS devices, the $329 Asustor AS5202T, offers more robust features and faster file transfers.
Design and Features
If the F2-210 looks familiar, that's because it uses the same 5.2-by-4.6-by-9-inch silver aluminum alloy enclosure as the TerraMaster F2-221 and F2-220 devices.
It is equipped with two front-loading drive bays but offers only a single gigabit LAN port, whereas the Asustor AS5202T has dual 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports that can be combined using link aggregation to deliver speeds of up to 5Gbps.
Joining the LAN port on the rear panel are two USB 3.0 Type-A ports and the AC adapter jack.
Missing is the HDMI port that you get with the QNAP TS-251B-4G.
The front of the enclosure holds a panel with a power button and LED indicators for drive activity, LAN activity, and power.
The F2-210 is powered by a 1.4GHz, quad-core ARM CPU and 1GB of system memory.
It supports 4K/30fps video encoding and can accommodate an internal capacity of up to 32TB (two 16TB drives).
This NAS supports RAID 0, RAID 1, JBOD, and single-disk configurations and the EXT4 and Btrfs file systems.
A single 80mm three-speed fan prevents internal components from overheating.
As with most of the NAS devices we review, you'll have to supply your own 2.5- or 3.5-inch SATA hard drives.
The F2-210 uses the same TerraMaster Operating System (TOS) as the F2-220 and F2-221 models and can be controlled using the same TNAS desktop and mobile apps.
The desktop app has a Windows look and feel and comes populated with tiles for File Manager, Applications, Control Panel, Backup, Remote Access, and TOS Help.
A panel with the device's name, status, network connection, storage usage, and resource usage appears to the right of the desktop.
The File Manager lets you create and delete folders, upload data from external sources, and create file and folder shares.
Tap the Applications tile to download media server, mail server, security, and backup apps.
I found 39 apps available in the TerraMaster catalog, which is five more than when we reviewed the F2-221 but significantly fewer than you get with other NAS drives.
For example, Asustor offers more than 200 apps, while the QNAP and Synology catalogs have more than 100 apps apiece.
To add users and user groups, assign permissions, configure network settings, and configure firewall and other security settings, tap the Control Panel tile.
It includes a Storage Manager section where you can create a storage pool, create volumes for each pool, view hard drive information, and manage external storage devices.
The Backup tile takes you to a screen where you can configure Rsync and Time Machine data backups and back up data from the F2-210 to a USB drive or vice versa.
Remote Access lets you reach the NAS from anywhere over the web or configure it for DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name Service) access.
The TOS Help icon provides descriptions of each TOS feature, but the information is very basic, as is the downloadable user guide.
Installation and Performance
I found the F2-210 much easier to install than the F2-221, but there was a slight hiccup near the end of the installation process.
To begin, I typed the http://start.terra-master.com URL into my browser, which opened a Quick Installation Guide page.
I selected the F2-210 from the drop-down list, pressed Start, and followed the instructions to download the user manual and then install my two Seagate Ironwolf 10TB drives into the drive sleds using the included mounting screws and screwdriver.
I inserted the sleds into their drive bays, connected the device to my router using the included LAN cable, and powered up the NAS.
Next, I downloaded and installed the TNAS desktop app and launched it and the F2-210 was immediately recognized.
I clicked on the drive to begin the initialization procedure, which checks for the physical presence of hard drives and downloads the latest version of the TOS operating system.
After five minutes and a couple of loud beeps, the device restarted and I was redirected to the TOS login screen where I created a user name and password and entered my email for a verification code.
Once my email was verified, I was prompted to create a volume on a new storage pool and selected RAID 1 with data protection and the Btrfs file system.
Five minutes later, the app froze and a message appeared stating that the RAID format had failed, possibly due to abnormal partitions on the drives.
I clicked Hard Drive Initialization to try to restart the process, but that didn't work, so I exited and logged back into the TNAS app where I found that the RAID volume had indeed been created.
I then checked the status of my drives, which were healthy, created a test folder, and was ready for performance testing.
The F2-210 delivered solid scores in our file transfer tests, in which we copy a 4.9GB folder containing a mix of music, video, photo, and office document files between the NAS and a desktop PC connected to the same network and measure read and write speeds.
The TerraMaster's write score of 70MBps was 12MBps faster than what we saw with the company's F2-221, but it wasn't quite as fast as the Asustor AS5202T or QNAP TS-251B-4G.
In our read test, the F2-210 managed 77MBps, once again beating the F2-221 but coming in behind the Asustor and QNAP NAS devices.
A Low-Cost Private Cloud
You don't get a lot of extras with the TerraMaster F2-210, but you do get good file transfer performance and 4K video transcoding capabilities for $149.99.
This two-bay NAS was relatively easy to install and manage using the TOS operating system and TNAS desktop app, but it doesn't offer nearly as many downloadable apps as competing devices, and I/O ports are few and far between.
That said, if you're looking for a basic home backup and cloud NAS, the F2-210 will fit the bill.
If you require a two-drive NAS that offers more features, consider our Editors' Choice, the Asustor AS5202T.
It's considerably more expensive, but the extra money gets you two 2.5GbE LAN ports, link aggregation, faster performance, and a larger catalog of apps.
Cons
Only one LAN port.
Limited app library.
Drives not included.
The Bottom Line
The TerraMaster F2-210 is an affordable dual-drive NAS device that delivered solid file transfer performance in testing, but somewhat skimps on features.
