Table of Content
In addition, I'm using devices from three of the four vendors recommended here on a daily or weekly basis, so I have alotof experience with how well they work. It doesn't matter if it's earthquakes or hurricanes or some other form of disaster; it's likely that your drives will be at risk, at least part of the time. It's kind of odd that Drobo hasn't updated its one NAS storage array since 2017, but that goes to Drobo's main focus as a direct-attached storage solution. Even though it's been around for a while, the Drobo 5N2 has to go into our list of the best NAS devices, chiefly because its RAID functionality is just so good. Overall, the ASUSTOR Lockerstor 6 is a solid offering with a compelling price-per-bay.
ZDNET independently tests and researches products to bring you our best recommendations and advice. It’s easy to use and includes 8TB of storage, but the EX4100 is available in models that run up to 24TB if you need that extra capacity. We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. In my early career, I worked as an editor of scholarly science books, and as an editor of "Dummies"-style computer guidebooks for Brady Books .
Why QNAP TS-230?
The Synology DS220+ is the perfect device for users who have never used an NAS. It goes easy on the pocket, yet it offers all the essential functionalities of a NAS. The lower price tag means it lacks the advanced specifications that a high-performance NAS device offer. Nonetheless, it is an excellent starting point for first-time NAS users. The QNAP 453D NAS comes with it’s version of a private cloud that gives you similar functionalities to Plex.
This was reflected in our first backup, where both the Synology DS220J and DS220+ had the slowest performance of the bunch, taking 90 and 91 minutes, respectively. This wasn’t a huge difference when backing up our 92.3GB test folder, but with a more typical first-time system backup, it could easily stretch out hours, or even days longer than one of the other systems tested. The other complaint we have is the lower RAM expansion limit of 6GB when compared to the QNAP TS-253D and the Asustor AS5304T, both of which can support up to 8GB of RAM officially.
Western Digital My Cloud EX4100
The TerraMaster F5 offers some unmatched advantages over its competitors. It comes with simultaneous dual 4K transcoding and six layers of safety features to keep your file secure. Hence, it is perfect when you want to set up Plex and secure all your precious home videos. The F5 comes with an Intel Celeron J3355 processor (2-Core, 2MB Cache, and up to 2.50GHz). It also features 2GB DDR3 RAM, which you can upgrade to a 4GB DDR3 for customization. And, it offers you the full range of drive storage with support for 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD storage.
While that flexibility is great, it can also make some NAS devices confusing to use. Each NAS has its own manufacturer-specific version of Linux, and some are more approachable than others. Before joining Wirecutter, Joel Santo Domingo tested and wrote about PCs, networking products, storage, and personal tech at PCMag and PC Magazine for more than 17 years. Prior to writing for a living, Joel was an IT tech and sysadmin for small, medium, and large companies. He has professionally backed up data as diverse as news stories on plane crashes and Mariah Carey album art.
Best Desktop Nas 2017 For Mac
We also performed a first backup, using our Windows machine and Windows File History. The chosen folder was 92.3GB of filesl of random types and sizes. Sequential Read/Write tests using 4GiB of files, written in 1MiB blocks. These were tested in single threads with a queue depth of 8 and again with a queue depth of 1. Note, however, that unless you are very comfortable with network security, it’s a good idea to restrict your NAS system’s access to the internet, as they are common targets for hackers and data thieves.
If you want to share and store data on your network, you may not need a NAS. It will also lack data redundancy because you're backing up to only one drive, so you're taking your chances in case of a drive failure. Windows, macOS, and Linux also have built-in file-sharing features that make using your computer as a file server easy. Plus, you get two embedded M.2 NVMe SSD cache slots, and the ability to add 10 more drives via an expansion unit. Every NAS device in this guide supports WD Red hard drives, which are specifically built for NAS use.
However, you must remember that you can use Plex without the transcoding feature and stream content in its native resolution. This is one of the essential features to consider if you intend to view your video files remotely. While on the go, the difference between a 4K video and a 1080p video may not be so apparent. Hence, you can save considerable network traffic by transcoding a 4K video to 1080p. 2.5GbE port with link aggregation delivers up to 5Gbps network speeds.
Its non-web UI hasn't been updated or improved much since I bought my very first Drobo back in 2009. You also can't use the dashboard on Linux, which is an unnecessary limitation. One thing I found particularly interesting was that two of the boxes I'm recommending most highly turned out to be the least expensive on a price-per-bay basis.
It’s compact enough, has support for up to 128GB of DDR5 RAM, supports 12th Gen Intel processors, wireless connectivity, and has a PCI slot for adding a SATA expansion card. It’s larger than the SilverStone DS380B, but Fractal Design’s Node 804 supports motherboards up to Micro ATX, which unlocks additional possibilities with a NAS build. My QNAP (also an 8-drive one) didn’t support NFSv4 either, so it has been downgraded to being an iSCSI storage for my real server . You cannot gradually replace parts and build new servers from old parts. I plugged my laptop into my Gig ethernet port with a hard-wire and copied over 500 GB of stuff.
Synology has a demo version of the operating system available online; it's worth checking out before you make your purchase. Network attached storage devices, also known as NAS devices, come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and price tags. A simple single drive or dual drive system can be had for under $200 while multi-drive systems may cost several hundreds of dollars but can provide much greater capacity, speed, and reliability. By Apple is an excellent solution for Mac users that's also a top-notch wireless router or network extender. It's incredibly easy to set up, and it's sleek-looking, like most products by the tech giant.
