BUFFALO TeraStation 3420 4-Bay NAS — 16TB Desktop Network Storage with Included Drives

Experience dependable, enterprise-grade storage in a compact desktop form factor with the BUFFALO TeraStation 3420. This 4-bay NAS delivers a total of 16 TB of storage right out of the box, powered by two pre-installed 8 TB drives, and it’s designed to meet the everyday needs of small and medium-sized businesses. Whether you are consolidating shared work files, hosting a growing media library, or protecting valuable business data, the TeraStation 3420 offers reliable performance, flexible data protection, and straightforward administration. It’s engineered to simplify IT tasks while providing fast, secure access for employees across Windows, macOS, and Linux environments. With robust RAID options, multi-protocol sharing, and a web-based management interface, this NAS helps teams collaborate more efficiently and safeguard critical information without overwhelming IT resources.

• High-capacity, ready-to-use storage: The BUFFALO TeraStation 3420 ships with a total of 16 TB across four hot-swappable bays, including two 8 TB drives that are pre-installed for immediate deployment. This configuration supports rapid setup for file sharing, backup, and collaborative workflows, so teams can start working with centralized data from day one. The flexible hardware design means you can grow capacity by upgrading drives later while keeping downtime to a minimum.
• Flexible data protection and reliability: Protect your data with multiple RAID configurations designed to balance performance and redundancy. Options typically include RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10, letting you tailor storage efficiency and fault tolerance to your business needs. Hot-swappable bays enable maintenance without powering down the unit, and built-in drive health monitoring helps you spot issues early so you can replace drives before failures affect access or backups.
• Cross-platform sharing and compatibility: The TeraStation 3420 supports a range of network protocols to ensure seamless access across devices. SMB/CIFS enables fast Windows file sharing, while NFS supports Linux clients and AFP/WebDAV options cater to Mac environments. Centralized shares, user accounts, and per-folder permissions allow precise access control, making it easy to manage file access for teams, departments, and contractors from a single platform.
• Easy setup, centralized management, and remote access: A web-based management console guides administrators through network configuration, storage pools, shares, and security settings. Features such as automated backups, scheduling, and email alerts help maintain data protection with minimal manual intervention. Dual LAN ports support link aggregation or failover for stable network performance, while remote access options enable file access from offsite locations.
• Quiet, energy-efficient desktop design for office and home environments: The TeraStation 3420 is built for continuous operation in busy workspaces, delivering reliable performance without excessive noise or power consumption. Its compact desktop footprint makes it suitable for a desk, rack, or shelf, while its efficient hardware choices help keep operating costs predictable as your storage needs grow.

Technical Details of BUFFALO TeraStation 3420 4-Bay SMB 16TB

• Storage capacity: 16 TB total (2 x 8 TB drives included) across a 4-bay desktop NAS
• Bays: 4 hot-swappable drive bays designed for easy upgrading or replacement
• Drive type: 3.5" SATA hard disk drives (pre-installed in this kit)
• Networking: Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports with support for link aggregation or failover
• Interfaces: USB ports for external storage expansion or backup
• Protocols: SMB/CIFS, NFS, FTP (and other standard NAS protocols supported by Buffalo OS)
• Operating system: Buffalo NAS OS with a web-based management console
• Power consumption and form factor: Desktop NAS designed for office use with compact footprint and low noise

How to install BUFFALO TeraStation 3420

• Unbox the unit and place it on a stable, level surface in a central location within your network. Ensure there is adequate ventilation and space for cable routing.
• Connect the NAS to power and to your network router or switch using standard Ethernet cables. If your environment supports it, connect the second Ethernet port for link aggregation or failover to improve network resilience.
• Power on the device and allow it to boot. Use a computer on the same network to locate the TeraStation with Buffalo’s discovery tool or by entering the device’s IP address into a web browser.
• Open the management console (usually accessed via http://nas-ip or through the Buffalo Discovery utility) and follow the setup wizard. Configure basic network settings, set up the RAID level for the included drives, and create initial shared folders for your team.
• Create user accounts and assign group permissions to control access to each share. Define quotas if needed to prevent any single user from exhausting storage resources and to keep workloads balanced.
• Initialize the storage array by selecting the desired RAID configuration (for example, RAID 1 for redundancy with two drives, or another level if you plan to add more drives later). Run a quick health check to confirm drives are healthy and begin a first backup or data transfer to your new shares.
• Set up backup tasks, remote access, and any cloud integration as needed. Enable email alerts for drive temperatures, health events, or network issues so you receive timely notifications when action is required.
• Map the newly created shares on Windows or Mac clients and perform a test transfer to verify read/write performance. Monitor performance and drive health from the admin dashboard to ensure ongoing reliability and smooth daily operations.

Frequently asked questions

• Q: Does the BUFFALO TeraStation 3420 come with drives included? A: Yes — this package includes 16 TB of total storage across two 8 TB drives pre-installed in a 4-bay desktop NAS.
• Q: What RAID options does the TeraStation 3420 support? A: The system supports multiple RAID configurations (typical options include RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10) to balance capacity, performance, and protection. Always back up important data before changing RAID settings.
• Q: Can I access files from Windows, macOS, and Linux? A: Yes. The device supports common network protocols (SMB/CIFS for Windows, AFP/WebDAV for macOS, and NFS for Linux) and can host shares accessible by all major platforms.
• Q: Is there remote access for offsite file access? A: Yes — you can enable secure remote access via Buffalo management tools or integration with supported cloud backup options, depending on firmware and feature availability.
• Q: How do I upgrade storage in the future? A: The TeraStation 3420 features hot-swappable drive bays and expandability; you can replace or add drives to grow capacity while maintaining uptime, with attention to the RAID level you choose and data protection needs.