Netstor Thunderbolt 3 enclosure for 2 M.2 NVMe SSDs

Netstor NA611TB3 Thunderbolt 3 two-slot M.2 NVMe SSD storage

The Netstor NA611TB3 is a compact, palm-sized external enclosure that turns two M.2 NVMe SSDs into fast Thunderbolt 3 storage for 4K editing, post-production and data archiving. Each M.2 slot gets PCIe 3.0 x2 lanes (up to 16 Gbps), and the two SSDs can be used as separate volumes or combined by the operating system in RAID 0 for speed or RAID 1 for redundancy.

In Netstor's AJA test in RAID 0 the unit reached 1940 MB/s write and 2369 MB/s read. A variable-speed fan keeps the NVMe SSDs cool, and the second Thunderbolt 3 port lets you daisy-chain further Thunderbolt devices and a monitor. SSDs are sold separately.

Key features

• Two M.2 M key slots for PCIe NVMe SSDs, each with PCIe 3.0 x2 bandwidth
• Supports 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110 SSDs
• Thunderbolt 3 at 40 Gbps; AJA test in RAID 0: 1940 MB/s write, 2369 MB/s read
• Single volume, two separate volumes, or RAID 0 / RAID 1 created by the operating system
• Bootable from a single NVMe SSD on macOS 10.13 or later
• Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports for daisy-chaining up to 6 devices
• Variable-speed cooling fan, which can be disconnected if the SSDs do not need active cooling
• Aluminum housing, 0.6 kg

Compatibility

• macOS High Sierra 10.13 or later, on Apple silicon (M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra) or Intel Macs
• Windows 8 and Windows 10
• M.2 NVMe SSDs in 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110 sizes; on Windows all standard M.2 NVMe SSDs work, for macOS Netstor publishes a list of tested SSDs on the product page
• Boot disk: supported on macOS 10.13 or later with a single, non-RAID NVMe SSD; not supported on Windows

Notes

• NVMe SSDs are not included.
• PCIe 4.0 SSDs work, but their speed is limited to about 2750 MB/s by the PCIe 3.0 bandwidth of Thunderbolt 3. For the Samsung 970 EVO Plus on macOS, Netstor recommends updating the SSD to the latest Samsung firmware.
• Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 run at the same 40 Gbps: according to Netstor, this Thunderbolt 3 unit can be connected to either a Thunderbolt 3 or a Thunderbolt 4 port on the host computer.
• Performance figures are from Netstor; actual performance may vary with system hardware and configuration.

In the box

• Enclosure
• 60 W power adapter
• Thunderbolt 3 40 Gbps cable, 0.5 m
• Power cord

Specifications

• Host interface: dual Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports for host connection and daisy-chain, 40 Gbps, compatible with Thunderbolt 4 host ports
• Data transfer rate: 40 Gbps
• NVMe interface: two M.2 x4 M key slots (two PCIe 3.0 x2 electrical)
• Supported SSDs: 2242 / 2260 / 2280 / 22110 PCIe NVMe
• RAID mode: JBOD (RAID 0 or 1 provided by the operating system)
• LEDs: standby orange, power on blue, NVMe access flashing white
• Power: external adapter, AC input 100-240 V 50-60 Hz, DC output +12 V / 5 A, 60 W
• Cooling: one 20 x 20 x 10 mm fan
• Daisy-chain of up to 6 Thunderbolt devices
• Dimensions: 125 (D) x 150 (W) x 35 (H) mm
• Weight: 0.6 kg (without adapter)
• Housing: aluminum
• Environment: operating 0 to 40 °C, storage -10 to 50 °C, relative humidity 20-80% non-condensing