SilverStone SST-DC01B Network Data Center Review

Unboxing The SilverStone SST-DC01B

The SST-DC01 arrived in pristine condition without any kind of damage to the exterior of the packaging. The unit comes in a tricked-out box with nice graphics and plenty of bling; lots of little logos showcase the SST-DC01s capabilities, and a short listing of its more important features appear on the front of the box. The SST-DC01 comes in two flavors: A silver version, the SST-DC01BS, and a black version, the SST-DC01B. There is no difference between the two other than color, and as indicated on the box, I will be reviewing the SST-DC01B today.

The backside of the SST-DC01B goes into more detail about the potential uses of the NAS unit. A list of specifications is present, along with a couple of cutouts showing how the SST-DC01B would be used in a Gigabit NAS and media server environment, as well as a remote, Web-based configuration using a compatible smartphone. Discussed later in the review, one of the major benefits of the SST-DC01B is its capability to allow users to remotely access their NAS device and stream digital content to their smartphones.

Opening the box, we can see that the SST-DC01B is well packaged. Wedged between two pieces of foam, the NAS is wrapped in a bag to further protect it from scratches and dings. On the left side is a white box which contains the AC adapter, and on the right is an Ethernet cable. The instruction manual is printed in black and white and written in no less than ten languages.

I found the manual to be a bit on the sparse side. The documentation essentially covers the installation and set up of a hard drive in the SST-DC01B and directions to log into the unit either remotely or through a Web browser. It does not address the more advanced features of the NAS such as configuring a RAID array or setting up an SMTP server, for example. For these and other features, users must go online to Akitios Wiki page for more information.

The accessory bundle for the SST-DC01B is quite good and contains everything needed to set up the NAS. Accessories include a 5-foot long CAT 5e Ethernet cable, a 6-foot long AC adapter and a zip-lock baggie that contains four rubber self-sticky feet for the bottom of the unit as well as screws for mounting the HDD. The only thing that would make this bundle even better would be the inclusion of a hard drive. However, because the SST-DC01B represents an affordable entry into the NAS arena, adding an HDD would increase the cost of an already well-priced NAS unit.