If you’re looking for a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device to house all your essential files (in addition to stream media) in your house network, or in an office, then you’ve come to the right location, as we have actually put together a list of the best NAS devices money can buy right now.
The Best NAS Drives for Homes and Small Offices
NAS devices essentially connects a hard disk to your router by means of an Ethernet cable television (typically quick Gigabit Ethernet), therefore developing a storage share that can be accessed by your desktop PC, your tablet and in some cases even remotely.
They tend to be platform-agnostic, able to deal with nearly any device you connect to your wireless network– including DLNA-compatible devices (a standard for sharing media) such as smart TV.
Think about them as supercharged external hard disks; mini servers, if you like. Indeed, many small businesses are now using NAS drives as an alternative to the pricey, power-hungry server they used to need to have in the cupboard.
1. WD My Cloud Personal
Basic, yet quick
Capability: 2TB, 3TB or 4TB|Interface: USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet|Functions: Remote file gain access to, DLNA, iTunes Server, Price: $199.99
WD has achieved rather considerable success with its unashamedly consumer-friendly My Cloud products, which can stream to any DLNA-compliant device and can be accessed via mobile apps for iOS and Android.
Identified as a ‘individual cloud’, it’s a NAS box by any other step and begins at 2TB of storage (you can also get it in 3 or 4TB). As it’s a one-bay system, it can’t back itself up to a drive inside the unit, however it can support to an external hard disk drive by means of a USB port on the back.
2. Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay
Hassle-free network storage.
Capability: 4TB, 6TB or 8TB|User interface: Gigabit Ethernet|Functions: Remote file access, media server software application, RAID support, Price: $1217.00
Picking up on the ‘personal cloud’ theme, this system from Seagate takes its lead from My Cloud, but it offers far larger capabilities, together with double bays for two hard disk drives. This enables the Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay NAS device to mirror the files on one hard disk to a 2nd one, giving you defense in case among those drives fails.
We also like the no-fuss look of this unit, indicating it can sit nicely under a router or on a shelf. It deals with cloud accounts, consisting of Dropbox and Google Drive, and you can likewise use an app to share content to banners, including Chromecast and Roku.
3. QNAP TS-251A
Feature-packed media NAS.
Capability: N/| User interface: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0|Functions: Remote file gain access to, HDMI out, 4K media transcoding, DLNA, Price: $293.99
The QNAP TS-251A is an amazing NAS device that features more features than you can shake the included push-button control at. You have actually got double Ethernet ports, a HDMI out for linking it up to a TV and husky hardware including a dual-core 1.6 GHz Intel Celeron CPU and 4GB of RAM (that can be expanded to 8GB) for hardware transcoding media files.
The QTS operating system permits you to easily install a range of apps, from Plex Media Server, file sharing apps and even a karaoke app, as well as run Ubuntu Linux for even more versatility.
In other words – this is a wonderful NAS device, though you’ll need to purchase the hard drives separately, so element that into the total cost.
4. Buffalo LinkStation LS220D
A decent dual-bay NAS with built-in BitTorrent.
Capability: 2TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB|Interface: Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0|Features: Dual bay, WebAccess apps, Apple Time Machine support, Price: $99.99
This 2TB dual-bay NAS (it’s also available in 4, 6, and 8TB capabilities) originates from Buffalo, the company that likewise makes the TeraStation line of innovative NAS units.
The essential selling point of this model is that it can integrate straight with BitTorrent, implying it can download things for you even when your PC is switched off. Like many of the other devices here, you can also stream to it through various devices, it’s platform agnostic and you can use it as an iTunes server.
5. Synology DiskStation DS412+
4 bay for optimum defense.
Capacity: As much as 32TB|User interface: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0, eSATA|Features: Quad bay, can be broadened, wake on LAN, Price: $319.00
If you want a flexible and feature-rich NAS that performs well, then the Synology DiskStation DS412+ is certainly worth considering. It comes with 4 bays, each able to hold hard disks with capabilities approximately 8TB for a combined overall of 32TB of storage space. If that’s in some way inadequate, you can even more expand this NAS device with Synology’s expansion chassis, adding an additional 5 bays and boosting the optimum capacity to 72TB.
This is plainly a NAS device that would fit both a home network and a little to medium sized business, and it includes plenty of tools to make sure your crucial files are safe and secure. If you’re looking for a NAS to be used as a media server, then the Synology DiskStation DS412+ has you covered with a variety of features that permit 4K and 1080p video transcoding. If you do not mind paying a premium, this is an exceptional NAS device for whatever your needs are.
6. WD My Cloud Mirror
An unit that backs itself up.
Capacity: 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 16TB|User interface: Gigabit Ethernet|Functions: Automatic backup, two hard drives, My Cloud mobile app, Price: $21.47
This two-bay system can produce a mirrored backup of your stuff (replicating your information on both drives), using RAID configuration. That’s quite an advanced feature for a customer box and you do pay quite a lot for that ability and WD’s easy to use discussion, including an easy-to-master, browser-based control screen.
This is a 4TB system (6, 8, and 16TB units are also readily available). For additional piece of mind, you can also back up the contents to Dropbox.
7. Synology DiskStation DS216j 2 Bay Desktop Network Attached Storage
An effective two-bay enclosure.
Capability: N/| Interface: Gigabit Ethernet, 2 x USB 3.0|Functions: Double core CPU, DskStation Supervisor OS, remote cloud access, Price: $135.99
This fantastic NAS is a two-bay device with a DLNA media server on board. Similar to the QNAP enclosure, there’s no storage included from package, and you’ll need to buy your own drives.
While this means it takes a bit more time to set up, the flexibility of choosing your very own drives implies you’ll get the capability and speed you need, while staying with your budget. The DiskStation software application will likewise sync with Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and others, as well as different DiskStations.
8. WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra
The small business variation of the My Cloud Mirror is now even better.
Capability: 4TB, 8TB, 12TB, 16TB|Interface: Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0|Functions: Remote file access, RAID functions, My Cloud OS 3 software, Price: $159.00
Along with the RAID capabilities discovered in more pricey and complex NAS devices, this box is implied for small company use and supports Microsoft Active Directory. It can likewise act as a file server, FTP server, backup server and P2P download server.
WD’s EX series are likewise available in diskless versions, though this price is for the 4TB variation. 8TB, 12TB and 16TB are likewise available. If you do not need any of this additional stuff, then get the My Cloud Mirror.
9. Western Digital DL4100
Excellent backup for a wide range of users.
Capability: 8TB, 16TB, 24TB|User interface: 2x Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB 3.0, USB 2.0|Features: Dual LAN, 2GB RAM (expandable up to 6GB), NTP Customer, Price: EUR400.95
If you’re searching for a NAS device to assist manage your backup needs, the DL4100 may be worth. taking a look at.
Among the coolest features of this device is its web dashboard that uses users options for backing up to cloud services such as Dropbox and Box. Additionally, we actually liked the capability to establish SMS and e-mail notifies in case the system failed for whatever reason.
As far as storage choices are concerned, the DL4100 features 4 drive bays in your choice of 4 setups. Aside from some bothersome concerns with wireless transfers, we found that the DL4100’s 1.7 GHz dual-core Atom processor and 2GB of RAM (configurable approximately 6GB) performed admirably. Integrate this with an easy setup and cloud linked web apps, and you have an intriguing backup offering on your hands.
10. Apple AirPort Time Capsule
An expensive option any way you look at it, however it is wireless.
Capacity: 2TB, 3TB|Interface: 3x Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0|Features: Automatic wireless backup, easy setup, printer and hard disk drive sharing, Price: $299.00
While the Time Pill provides a smooth option for Mac users, its 2 and 3TB storage choices are very pricey compared to other alternatives.
It may be wireless itself, however the absence of wireless isn’t really a problem for any of the other devices here due to the fact that you will usually wire them into a router … a wireless router. You access content in precisely the very same method.
Similar to much of the other devices here, you can use the USB port on the back to share a USB printer or external hard drive.
What the Time Pill does well is make it easy to setup and set up automated backups for Mac and iOS users. If you’re an Apple fan that does not like entering into the nitty gritty of technology, this is a great option.
