Instead of equipping your PC or Mac with a new, larger hard drive, the purchase of a Networked Attached Storage (NAS) is a smart alternative. Why? The network storage devices allow for the immediate deployment of storage space on the network. All connected computers in the network have more storage capacity in one hit. The storage space can be divided into different folders, which are available as network folders or drives for users. Many NAS systems are also accessible via a smartphone app and browser over the Internet. Data and files can also be retrieved while out and about and, for example, newly created photos and videos are stored.
NAS systems also provide videos, music, pictures and other data centrally for all network-enabled devices such as smart-TVs. But that is not all: Many current NAS systems are also used as print, backup, and web servers and provide additional functions.
The differences in NAS systems
The prices for NAS systems start at around 150 euro and easily go beyond 1000 euro. The same as for cars, the price differences are usually down to the performance and the equipment:
- Hard drive slots: The price depends on the number of slots. In addition to the potentially higher storage capacity, several hard drive slots have a further plus point: Data security. Even when a NAS system uses particularly robust server hard disks, a hard disk can become faulty and suddenly all of the data saved on it is lost. NAS systems with at least two slots offer an easy backup method for this scenario in the form of data mirroring (RAID 1). This is where the recorded content is automatically saved on both disks, i.e. “mirrored”. If one of the two hard disks fails, all of the data is still available on the second hard disk. The catch: Only half of the capacity is left. For example, if the housing has two hard drives, each with four terabytes, only four terabytes will be available for data storage instead of eight terabytes.
- Performance: A gigabit interface alone does not make a fast NAS. The higher the processor is clocked, the larger the memory and the higher the quality of the individual hard disks, the faster the NAS system. However, this also increases the price. Slow NAS systems even achieve transfer rates of 40 megabytes per second. This is still enough to stream a HD video. If multiple users access the NAS at the same time, it can lead to waiting times.
- USB ports: Via USB you can dock additional hard disk drives on the network storage. It is easy to expand the storage space. It is also possible to connect a printer which is then available to each computer on the network. Tip: Anyone who values absolute top speed with an external hard drive needs a NAS system with eSATA or UBS 3.0 port.
- Safety: The majority of NAS providers develop Linux-based operating systems for their own devices. For these operating systems, regular updates are developed, which are automatically executed and activated on the NAS depending on the setting. This ensures the NAS—and all of the data on it—is optimally protected from hacker attacks from the Internet.
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