ASUSTOR DRIVESTOR 4 (AS1104T) four-bay NAS review

The ASUSTOR DRIVESTOR 4 (AS1104T) is an earlier-generation four-bay desktop NAS with four 3.5-inch SATA HDD positions, one built-in 2.5GbE port and fixed 1 GB DDR4 memory. It is distinct from the newer DRIVESTOR 4 Gen2 (AS1204T): both have four bays and a single 2.5GbE link, but the AS1104T has two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports rather than three and a different processor. This is a source-based assessment, not a hands-on review; no unit, disk, setup or transfer workload was tested.

Four internal HDD positions, with a diskless base setup

ASUSTOR's model-specific hardware table names four native 3.5-inch SATA HDD bays and does not list M.2 positions. These are the storage positions inside the enclosure; a USB disk or optional expansion unit is not another native bay. The manufacturer advertises up to 12 total drive positions with an expansion unit, but that is an add-on configuration, not four more bays in the AS1104T or included equipment. Confirm the exact compatible expansion model and its separate-storage behavior before using it in a capacity plan.

The AS11XXT guide's AS1104T column lists power and network cables, cord bracket, 16 screws for 3.5-inch HDDs and the guide; it does not list data drives. The installation diagrams show opening the case and securing disks with screws, so do not assume a preloaded array or hot-swap tray. Check the exact seller package. ASUSTOR's hardware table illustrates 72 TB raw from four 18 TB drives, but that is not installed or usable RAID space and does not guarantee a particular drive/firmware combination. Check the live compatibility list for the intended disks; no exact pair was verified.

One 2.5GbE port needs a matching network path

The built-in interface is one 2.5G/1G/100M Ethernet port. It meets a 2.5-Gbps individual-port floor, not 3.0 Gbps. Its link rate is not a file-copy result: the client adapter, cable, switch or router, storage, protocol and workload affect transfers. It is one port, not two independent 2.5GbE links; check every network hop before treating it as a reason to buy.

RAID is an owner-created arrangement, not a backup

ASUSTOR lists Single, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6 and RAID 10. Its calculator includes AS1104T and caps one RAID 1 volume at two disks. A two-drive mirror can leave two bays open, but the owner must supply compatible disks and create the pool; no array is preconfigured. The guide recommends equal-capacity disks and warns initialization erases existing data. A mirror may help through a member-drive failure, but it is not a separate backup against deletion, theft, fire or loss of the NAS. Keep another copy and test recovery.

Hardware generation and fixed-memory tradeoffs

ASUSTOR's 2025 product comparison identifies the AS1104T's Realtek RTD1296 quad-core 1.4 GHz processor, non-upgradeable 1 GB DDR4, four 3.5-inch SATA III bays and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. The later AS1204T keeps the four 3.5-inch positions and 2.5GbE link but uses an RTD1619B at 1.7 GHz and three USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. Those are documented specification differences, not a performance ranking: no workload test was done. Neither unit's 1 GB memory can be expanded, so compare the actual software requirements of planned apps before assigning the NAS a heavier multi-service role. The AS1104T's model table lists internal EXT4; do not assume it inherits a file-system feature merely because a later sibling advertises it.

There is also a current software caveat for media and peripherals. The product page still uses 4K-transcoding language, but ASUSTOR's dated feature-support notice says hardware-accelerated transcoding is no longer supported after upgrading the Realtek-based Drivestor family, including AS1104T, to ADM 5.0. The notice warns that commonly used formats may not transcode properly unless a browser supports them natively. It also says USB IP-printer support ends on ADM 5.0 for this model; network printing remains available. Buyers who want media transcoding or a USB-attached printer should verify the exact current ADM version, app and formats for their use rather than treating launch marketing as a current guarantee.

Space, power, support and purchase checks

The hardware table lists a 165 × 164 × 218 mm chassis, 90 W adapter, 120 mm fan, 1.57 kg weight, 22.8 W operation and 9.41 W during disk hibernation. These are manufacturer figures, not measurements from this review. Leave ventilation space and use the specified adapter. ASUSTOR's current support table lists AS1104T as Generally Available, with software and technical support Supported and a three-year warranty field; this is not seller-stock evidence or a promise about a particular U.S. offer.

The AS1104T makes sense to compare when four native 3.5-inch bays and one 2.5GbE port fit the network, an owner is comfortable with fixed 1 GB memory, and the intended drives have been checked against ASUSTOR's compatibility table. Its two-drive RAID 1 plan can leave two positions unused; a larger layout can use more of the four bays. Look elsewhere if you need memory upgrades, a multiport network design, a confirmed compatible drive pair before selecting a seller, or hardware-accelerated transcoding on ADM 5.0. The exact U.S. seller suffix, current price, stock and any seller-created disk bundle were not established by the sources reviewed.

Manufacturer references: AS1104T product page, its hardware and software specification, the ADM 5.0 product comparison, the AS11XXT installation guide, ASUSTOR's RAID calculator, the drive compatibility list, the support-status table and its feature-support notice. Exact drive/firmware compatibility, current seller package terms and actual performance remain checks rather than assumptions.