Featuresĭepending on what you intend to do with the NAS, you should pay extra attention to this section: for example, if you want to back up your computers overnight, or easy access to Word docs and spreadsheets, the most basic NAS model would do the job with flying colors. If you have more than 2 drives, RAID5 and RAID6 comes into play truth be told, there are several other RAID configurations, including the hybrid RAID10, but these are the most common, so we’ll keep as simple as possible for now. In such a configuration, 2x 1TB drives will provide you with 1 TB of storage. RAID1 means you have 2 drives on which data is automatically written at the same time, so if one of them fails, you’ll not lose any data. That scenario stands true in a RAID1 configuration, as opposed to a RAID0 config.
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another drive can step up to the plate and save the day. RAIDĪ top-notch NAS device will allow you various RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) configurations for the drives you’re installing, in order to help with data back-up for example, if one drive dies on you (these happenings are almost inevitable, especially in enterprise environments), you’ll have data redundancy, i.e. And as we all know, there are only 2 types of hard drives in this world: those that have failed and those that will fail.
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Generally speaking, consumer-grade NAS devices have 1 or 2 bays, while office versions come with 4 or more however, try to avoid single-bay NAS drives, as this translates into a severe lack of redundancy. To make it real simple, the more HDDs you can cram into your NAS, the better the device is in terms of storage capacity. Ideally, you should choose maximum capacity, even if some NAS models come with HDDs built-in, while others do not, yet all of them mention how much data they can hold in their specifications. Unlike a regular hard disk drive, NAS capacity translates into the amount of data your NAS can hold, which is determined by the number of bays and also the drive-size(s) you can afford. Let’s begin with the most important issue: Capacity How do you get the best NAS money can buy? Think along the lines of choosing the best gaming hard drive, because a NAS is just a glorified hard disk drive after all (just kidding): storage capacity (the bigger, the better, the merrier), RAID configuration options, then think about the extra features. Okay, so you have like a million models and brands to choose from. On top of that, you’ll be able to use a NAS the same way you use a flash drive, provided you have an internet connection available.īasically, if you’re looking for a cool device which allows you to store/back up your data, but in the same time you want to be able to access your files from basically any computer, anytime and anywhere, on demand, today’s article will help you choose the best NAS drives available on the market.
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Well, it’s pretty straightforward: a NAS drive is smarter than a regular hard drive, as it connects directly to your router, hence even if your computer/network is switched off, you’ll still be able to access your files (photos, music, documents) via the magic powers of the “interwebz”. it works both as a media server and a personal cloud service of sorts. What does it mean, you asked? Well, unlike a regular external hard drive, a NAS does quite a bit more, i.e. And we’re not talking about the rapper either, as NAS is an acronym that stands for Network Attached Storage. If you’re on a network and looking to keep your data safe and secure, you’ve landed in the right place, as today’s article is about choosing the best NAS, whatever devices you use and wherever you go.