Which nas to buy for home

However, the results were close all around. The gap was a bit wider while we were transferring lots of small music files mainly mp3s. Btrfs also features near-instant server-side copying, data integrity checks, and metadata mirroring, which supposedly helps with data recovery in the case of hard-drive damage.

DSM has a toolbar on the top where you can access the main menu, notifications, and login options, search for files, and check on system health. Below that toolbar, you have a desktop where you can access Package Center a store of sorts filled with add-on software , the file browser, the control panel which includes all your settings , and a support area offering video tutorials, FAQs, and more. You can customize the dashboard to include storage, connected users, and more.

DSM also includes handy features for novices. While these commands may be familiar to veteran systems administrators, new users or anyone who has forgotten the server name will welcome the embedded tip.

DSM has an optional cloud service called Cloud Station Server that allows you to access your files remotely. You can set those backups to happen on a schedule and optionally encrypt them before you upload them to another service. DSM packs in numerous security measures. For better or worse, instead of having one big app with tons of features, Synology takes a piecemeal approach to its mobile apps.

Newer apps like Synology Moments and Synology Drive integrate many of the functions in the apps listed above. We also had issues with any 4K video using the DTS audio codec, in which no sound would play. We recommend transcoding your video files ahead of time if you plan on using your NAS as a media server. You can do this with the Offline Transcoding feature in Video Station , though unfortunately you need to manually choose individual videos to convert.

With the NAS running, we pulled the drive out of the second bay and the NAS beeped at us until we acknowledged a drive-failure notification. Logging in to DSM, we found another notification as well as instructions for how to rebuild the drive array in the Storage Manager once we replaced it. You can adjust the LED brightness or set it up on a schedule so the lights dim at night.

Or you can set it to export, say, only video files from a specific folder. In our tests, small-file file transfer in encrypted folders was slowed by about 30 percent compared to non-encrypted folders. Unlike our main pick, the TSD can encrypt whole volumes, not just folders. Design-wise, QTS takes at least some of its inspiration from iOS, loading up all your add-on packages as icons on a desktop.

When we pulled out a drive and inserted a fresh one to simulate replacing a failed drive, it rebuilt its array without trouble. QNAP provides a two-year warranty and excellent support both over the phone and via an online forum, plus a knowledge base and tutorials. For starters, you can opt for RAID 5, 6, or 10; those data storage configurations require three or more disks but provide better data protection and depending on which RAID configuration you choose can offer better performance.

A four-bay NAS also lets you expand your storage capacity more easily since you can start with two drives and add more as needed, whereas the only way to expand the storage space on a two-bay NAS is to replace first one drive and then the other with higher-capacity drives.

Four-drive NAS devices are typically more suited to professional settings—and if you want to use one, having a good understanding of RAID storage management will help.

Very few NAS devices prompt you to change or reset the admin password—doing so, however, is a crucial security step, because the NAS connects to the Internet and is thus a ripe target for threats. So the first thing to do with any new NAS is to change the password on the admin account both Synology and QNAP prompt you to do this during the initial setup.

Creating a unique user account for each person who accesses your NAS is a good idea. You can do so on any of the NAS devices we tested by going into the user settings in the interface. If you want to give someone the ability to upload files to the NAS, give that user write permissions as well as read permissions. If someone should only download files, make them a read-only user. Despite some annoying issues with wireless transfers, we found that the DL's 1.

Combine this with a simple setup and cloud connected web apps, and you have an interesting backup device on your hands.

Read our full review: Western Digital DL review. If you're encountering a problem or need some advice with your PC or Mac, drop him a line on Twitter.

North America. Included in this guide: 1. Investing in the best NAS devices can be one of the best moves you can make, especially if you have a lot of irreplaceable files and folders.

Keep an extra copy of your files online with this cloud storage solution IDrive , the cloud storage veteran, delivers tons of storage online for an incredibly small outlay. Interface: USB 3. Reasons to avoid - Setup can be fiddly - Apps not great. Interface: Gigabit Ethernet. Reasons to avoid - Not that fast - Not that flexible. Reasons to avoid - Expensive - Does not come with hard drives installed.

Reasons to avoid - Lacks some advanced features. The only catch is the price: yes, you get a lot for your money, but for everyday NAS duties, there are much cheaper options. The headline feature is of course the five drive bays, which are cooled by two 82mm fans; it's a little unlikely that you'll fill all five at once, meaning the F is good for an upgrade further down the line.

We did experience a few niggling setup issues, but assuming everything goes smoothly, this is a good NAS for big demands and small wallets. The My Cloud PR looks pretty swish, with its two-line LCD status display and inset navigation buttons that let you cycle through various bits of system information.

The web interface, meanwhile, is clean and accessible, ditching the familiar windowed approach in favour of a simple tab-driven graphical interface. A decent selection of add-ons is supported, including media servers, a surveillance service and a decent selection of productivity and techie extensions. Installing drives is straightforwardly done via the clip-mounted drive bays on the front of the device — no screwdriver required.

From the straightforward setup process to the plethora of supported cloud storage options including AWS, Microsoft Azure, Dropbox and Google Drive the OS rounds out an impressive feature set.

Sign up for our daily newsletter Newsletter. Will Georgiadis. Darien Graham-Smith. Before we begin in earnest, here's a brief index of confusing acronyms and what they mean for the newcomers out there : NAS: Network-Attached Storage — a storage device that is attached to a local network. The first thing to consider when picking the best NAS drive of is capacity: that's how much data your drive can hold, set by the number of bays and the maximum drive sizes you can afford, so check these details carefully.

Go for a NAS that offers as much room as you need — some units come with hard drives fitted, some don't, but all will have a maximum capacity in their specs, so make sure you check.

When comparing prices, make sure you're including the cost of the drives. Several RAID configurations offer some kind of data redundancy, so if one disk fails, another can step up — all of this happens automatically, once you've configured it.

Take your time and use our guide to the best NAS drives of as a starting point. Dave has over 20 years' experience in the tech journalism industry, covering hardware and software across mobile, computing, smart home, home entertainment, wearables, gaming and the web — you can find his writing online, in print, and even in the occasional scientific paper, across major tech titles like T3, TechRadar, Gizmodo and Wired.

Outside of work, he enjoys long walks in the countryside, skiing down mountains, watching football matches as long as his team is winning and keeping up with the latest movies. You can score a solid inch TV to deck out your living room with these Black Friday deals.

Get the latest info on the best Black Friday deals to expect this year, as well as handy tips and tricks. The best portable monitors you can buy right now, with all budgets considered.

The best ultrawide monitors can seriously boost your productivity or transform your gaming experience. Download the best VPN that offers top security credentials, streaming unblocking abilities, and excellent speed performance with our top 10 list right here.

Worry not, we've got the lowdown on the best streaming VPN. These are the best printers for students going to college or university. The best keyboards for working, studying, surfing and light gaming available in Give your computer or console a boost with one of the best SSDs on the market in T3 is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number Select your region.

Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter. Specifications Bays: 2. CPU: Quad-core 1.