The LincPlus LincStation N2 is a network-attached storage device that offers a compact and stylish way to store your data, but an all-SSD experience just isn’t necessary on just about every network in the target market.
The original LincStation N1 was an attempt by LincPlus to create a network-attached storage device that offered speed without sacrificing appearances. Instead of a sizable block meant to be hidden from view in a networking closet, the LincStation N1 did so with a device that looked completely different.
Instead, it was a flash-focused storage appliance that wouldn’t look out of place next to a game console or a DVD player.
The LincStation N2 is the follow-up to the N1, aiming to correct some of the limitations of the original release. This time, it promises better network connectivity and higher performance to potential purchasers.
For the most part it delivers what it promises. There are some limitations to an all-SSD NAS, though.
LincPlus LincStation N2 review – Physical design
On the face of it, the LincStation N2 doesn’t look like a traditional NAS. It’s not an obvious grey or black box made to contain disks, but a more forward-facing network appliance than usual.
At 8.26 inches wide, 5.98 inches deep, and 1.57 inches thick, it’s certainly a different shape than the normal NAS appearance. The wide appearance makes it a fairly easily stackable piece of kit.
At 1 pound 12 ounces without drives, it’s not a massively heavy device. Since it’s really meant to be used in a static location, it’s a bit moot, but it’s not going to be too hard to move it from location to location.
With a black top layer and a lower silver-colored section, it’s also more distinct as a device than before. It’s not trying to hide away or intends to be hidden, but instead is obvious, even if it’s not entirely clear what it is to the casual observer.
There’s even a light strip along the front, which adds a bit more visual interest.
The ports at the rear of the LincPlus LincStation N2
While the front has some LED indicators and a power button, the rear is where the ports are located. That list includes a USB-C port running at 10Gbps, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A connection, a pair of USB 2.0 Type A ports, and HDMI 2.0.
The back also has the usual Ethernet connection, but the 2.5G version of the N1 has been upgraded to the 10Gig Ethernet in the N2. This is a massive improvement for users with high bandwidth requirements, especially if this is used in creative business environments instead of a proper enterprise device.
There’s also a 3.5mm audio port, which could be used with the HDMI to provide video and audio output of content.
We’d rather this be powered by USB-C, versus the brick it ships with, but this is a minor complaint.
LincPlus LincStation N2 review – Drives and processing
Just like the N1, the LincStation N2 is geared towards non-mechanical storage rather than traditional spinning metal.
Its storage options include a four-bay M.2 drive section, with support for M.2 2280 SSDs and NVMe. These are accessed via a pair of panels in the base of the NAS.
Storage covers underneath the LincPlus LincStation N2
There’s also a pair of SATA 3.0 slots for holding a pair of 2.5-inch drives, albeit with a thickness restriction of 9.5mm. Both of these use drive bays at the front, complete with tool-free sleds.
While you could accommodate two notebook hard drives in there, it’s best served by a pair of SSD drives. Given the quantity of ports, M.2 is probably going to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting, but you might as well try for as fast a storage as possible for the extra two drives.
Storage is rounded out by a 128GB eMMC. This isn’t user accessible, and holds the operating system for the unit.
When it comes to processing, LincPlus upgraded from the Intel Celeron N5105 in the N1 to the Alder Lake-N N100, equipped with four threads and a 3.4GHz clock speed. The memory is 16GB of soldered LPDDR5, which is adequate enough for a NAS and some containers. More on that in a bit though.
LincPlus LincStation N2 review – Software setup and interface
After getting the hardware configured fairly easily, sorting out the software is a little bit tougher, and probably a bit too complex for some users.
It ships with UnRAID, which as a NAS platform, is pretty robust. It can be used to run virtual machines and to host Docker containers, much like other operating systems.
A one-year license for UnRAID is supplied with the LincStation N2, after which you will have to pay from $49 upwards per year for OS updates.
UnRAID is like the old board game Othello’s marketing materials. It’s easy to learn, but takes a lifetime to master.
I like UnRAID, but in 2025, with all that entails, I don’t like the annual licensing fee for continued security updates. If you’re not fond of UnRAID, the system is also compatible with our favorite solution, TrueNAS. We’ve switched to TrueNAS for long-term testing, and we’ll get back to you if anything develops here.
And, it does support Docker. The CPU and RAM combo is a little lightweight for running multiple containers, but it gets the job done.
I tested it with Plex and a few add-on packages like Radarr and Sonarr. Plex itself streamed fine, while transcoding to four clients simultaneously. This dropped to three after the addition of Radarr and Sonarr.
I’m not sure if this is a RAM consideration or a CPU one. Just the same, it gets the job done.
Regardless of which OS you choose, networking performance is adequate, and about what the company promises. With a full array of SSDs, you can get to about 70% of your 10-gig network speeds, mostly because of PCI-E lane limitations on the drives. This is more than enough for the target market, and you’ll easily saturate a 2.5-gig or gigabit network.
But here’s the thing. Networks that support 10-gigabit speeds are few and far between — and expensive. There’s no way to expand the NAS with PCI-E cards, so the N2 sits in a strange limbo between high-performance enterprise storage solutions and SOHO ones.
Fortunately, the enclosure is reasonably inexpensive, offsetting this somewhat. Plus, it’s power-efficient
We hit a peak of 20 watts of power consumed when hammering on the enclosure with Plex transcoding in Docker, and doing a big file transfer. Idle, it sits at about 11W.
LincPlus LincStation N2 review – Good enough, and attractive, but not perfect
The LincStation N2 isn’t your typical NAS appliance. On looks alone, it’s something that would be fine in a living room or a stylish small office.
Slotting storage into the base of the LincPlus LincStation N2
The focus on speed is a big one for multi-user environments and creatives, both in terms of supported storage and in connectivity.
However, it would be nice for there to be the option to use older spinning metal drives to capitalize on capacity rather than speed. You can use the USB-C connection to facilitate this, but having an external drive is going to dent the hard work provided by the LincStation N2’s design ethos.
So, in short, if you want minimum latency and absolute maximum performance out of your network attached storage device, the LincStation N2 is a decent choice.
What you’re not going to get is storage density for your dollar, since you’re limited to SSD. A 2TB SSD can be had for about $100, and that same $100 will get you 8TB in 3.5-inch drive storage, and more if you’re willing to go used or refurbished.
How much this matters, is left as an exercise for the reader.
LincPlus LincStation N2 review – Pros
- Not a beige or black box that you need to hide
- Power-efficient
- Decent speed when fully populated, but it doesn’t blow the doors off the place
- Cost-effective SSD enclosure, but…
LincPlus LincStation N2 review – Cons
- SSDs are overkill in a network attached storage device
- Not really necessary to have 10-gigabit speeds on most networks
- Slightly underpowered CPU, and no real upgrade options besides storage
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Overall we like the N2. We’re also going to be looking at the S1, which on paper looks like a better and more flexible choice. We’ll get back to you on that one.
Where to buy the LincPlus LincStation N2
The LincPlus LincStation N2, and its larger brother, the S1, are available to fund on Kickstarter now. The early bird price on the N2 is about $309 and is expected to ship in April.
We do not discuss crowdfunded projects without hardware in hand. This is LincPlus’ first campaign, but not the company’s first product, as the LincPlus N1 shipped some time ago.
As with any Kickstarter product, caveat emptor. Creators may never ship.