Author Replaces 17-Year Drobo With $700 Ugreen NAS and 3 WD 4TB Drives
Updated
Updated · CNET · Jun 28
Author Replaces 17-Year Drobo With $700 Ugreen NAS and 3 WD 4TB Drives
1 articles · Updated · CNET · Jun 28
Summary
$700 for a Ugreen DXP4800 Pro and about $160 each for three WD Red Plus 4TB drives became the author's long-delayed replacement for an aging Drobo after its maker shut down.
Less than 30 minutes of setup got the four-bay NAS online, and a 2.5 Gbps network upgrade later cut a file migration that once took days on the old Drobo to under an hour.
UGOS, Docker and Jellyfin added media-server features beyond simple backup, though the author avoided broader internet exposure and AI tools over security concerns.
About $1,300 all-in for the NAS, drives, UPS and switch underscored how higher memory and storage prices complicated the upgrade compared with buying in 2023.
The switch also reinforced a broader lesson: a NAS expands local control and sharing, but it still needs off-site copies under the 3-2-1 backup rule.