QTS Accessibility

[MeeryM]

Dear QNAP,
I would much appreciate it if you would consider making the QTS interface accessible to people using screenreading software like, JAWS for Windows, NVDA etc. At the moment managing and customising the NAS is not user-friendly and is done with much difficulty. To be fair, the most accessible page I found was the initial configuration screen when setting up the NAS for the first time. Accessibility issues include: unlabled buttons, and lack of information shown to screenreaders thus far. I'm afraid in the QTS 4.2.1 Beta accessibility has taken a turn for the worst to the point that performing simple tasks like turning on or off services as an example cannot be accomplished. Should accessibility be improved I am sure sales would increase by those who are interested in your products. Keep in mind that no information concerning accessibility was given to me when I decided to purchase my NAS. I hope you would read my topic and implement accessibility in to your product please.

At this moment, SSH is my only solution for advanced management for a first time user getting in to Linux.

Kind Regards

[luca.davanzo]

hi, i second this feature request; currently i do not own a qnap nas, would be interested in buying a ts-251 but will not buy it till i am sure that a blind person using a screenreader can fully use it; Meery can you tell me what you can and cannot do with the web interface at the moment?

[MeeryM]

Hello there,

I am sorry for the late reply, I've not been to this forum in months because I did not have any chance to use my NAS.

Firstly, I did not setup my NAS the original way.
I connected the NAS to my pc via the lan cable and used QFinder.
There are some unlabelled buttons, but if all is connected correctly, you should be able to login to your nas where the setup screens are very accessible.

However, once all is setup is where the probloems begin to show up.
Secondly, if you're using a screenreader, use firefox. You might be able to get away with Chrome but you will not have a good experience.

On the main screen you find there are many unlabled buttons.
You do also find various options which will take you to the control panel, applications etc. but you need to click on them a number of times.
I'd say you can do a lot with this interface only if you have the patience as it is not straight forward at all with regard to accessibility.

The file station is not accessible at all. While you can look at the various folders the unlabled buttons don't make the app worthwhile using.

It all just depends what you want to do with the nas. I use a combination of:
a. the bad web interface design, for installing and removing apps, changing most of the settings in control panel, starting various servers under applications and setting up the my QNAP cloud. But even though I am able to accomplish these things, sometimes not all information on the screens are accessible.
B. SSH, for commands.
c. SMB, for file management.
d. QManager, a mobile app for viewing logs, shutting down, sleep, and restarting the nas, creating and deleting users, groups, file shares, setting permissions and checking resources.
e. QFinder for updating firmware, network interface management and configuration, NAS details.

Again sorry for the late reply and thanks much for supporting my post.

[Zatoichi526]

I just purchased the Ts 451 and found the interface almost unusable with a screen reader. I have tried both the JAWS and NVDA screen readers with all 3 major web browsers. My investment for the NAS with the 4 hard drives is over $1000.00. I have noted that no one from QNAP has responded to this thread so it would seem that they are not interested in making their products accessible. They have built some good hardware but the software and documentation is severely lacking. I hope that I do not have to return the NAS.

Zatoichi

[raotor]

I own a QNAP NAS, an old one, the TS-509. It's firmware, v3.11 I think, uses a largely accessible web interface. I use NVDA on Firefox and am able to mostly do what I want with it.

I was very disappointed to learn that QNAP, like so many others, have actually gone backwards with the web based UI in terms of accessibility, instead favouring more customized UI elements that are not "standard" to web pages. I can see no need for this, other than the manufacturer attempting to go beyond regular HTML type pages in order to have more graphical elements and aesthetic appeal. This is all fine and dandy, but for those out there like me, it makes their product unusable.

I've owned my TS-509 since 2009 and have not updated its firmware since for fear of the ever less accessible web UI design creeping into their interfaces. I was seriously about to purchase a TS-653D, but am now halting that line of enquiry based on what I've read here.

However, since its been around six years since the original poster's plea to QNAP, I am wondering if anyone out there can inform me of the current situation with QNAP's interface.

I am hoping their latest releases of QTS have turned this situation around, but knowing the way the industry operates, I am not hopeful.

Anyone with a QTS 4.4.2 system and above please come back to me and bring me up to speed as to whether I will have a hope of using the current generation of QNAP NAS's.

[dolbyman]

Thread closed

Necroposting and failure to read the sticky

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=161411