The Drobo 5N 5-Bay NAS Storage Array with Gigabit Ethernet is the optimal solution for small network needs. It features 5 carrier-less, tool-less drive bays that can hold anywhere from a single 200GB to 4TB drives in each bay, for a total maximum capacity of 20TB (drives sold separately). The 3.5" SATA II/III drives can be of mixed capacity, spindle speed and/or cache size, which makes replacing and hot-swapping drives a breeze. It also accommodates one mSATA solid state drive for quick access to any program you need, and allows you to keep the five 3.5" drive bays open for business.

Other features of the Drobo 5N that will command your attention are the features in the proprietary BeyondRAID technology of this unit. BeyondRAID supports RAID 1, 5, and 6 modes (single and dual redundancy for one to four or more drives), but additionally includes Thin Provisioning (the ability to swap a smaller drive with a larger one) Automatic Protection Levels (which uses the best algorithm to protect from drive failure depending on the number of drives that are inserted, without any user configuration) and many more.

Passing all of that data through a USB 3.0 port may be effective, but transmitting over a Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/100MBps port allows you to easily connect to your network without the hassle of transferring, moving a drive, and transferring again. It also keeps the form factor down to a desktop square, convenient for offices short on space. And with the new large, tuned variable-speed cooling fan, it's much quieter than previous Drobos.

When considering consolidating your data, you have to look at cost, space and reliability. Many solutions can offer extras you don't need, and many more don't reach far enough to protect your assets. The Drobo 5N offers you expandability, security and design efficiency. Moreover, Drobo apps are available to provide additional features and capabilities for this Drobo 5N RAID enclosure.