With a name like Icy Box, you might expect to find a manufacturer of refrigerated computer cases or self-contained water chillers, but in fact all they make is hard drive enclosures. While there's not really anything "icy" about them, the majority of their products are made out of aluminum which does help to keep enclosed hard drives running cooler. Last year we reviewed another of Icy Box's model lineup, the IB-266StUS-B, a combination internal dock / external 2½" drive; great for storage on the go.

Today I have for review one of their multi-drive NAS offerings, the IB-NAS4220-B or NAS-4220. NAS is short for Network Attached Storage, and unlike a typical external hard drive enclosure which must be connected directly to a host computer in order to access, a NAS device uses a network client to allow access across a shared medium, like Ethernet. Control of the device is typically done through a GUI and as such uses some sort of built-in interface or OS. In the case of the NAS-4220, it's a flavor of Linux, and like many things Linux, this particular model has drawn quite a following. It has become so popular overseas in fact that there is an entire website devoted to the use and customization of the NAS-4220.


The NAS-4220 arrives in a colorful box with pictures and detailed specs printed on the outside. The contents are carefully packed inside and protected by soft foam padding.

Join me as I take a closer look at the Icy Box NAS-4220.