Nov 29, 2018 - After testing five new two-bay network-attached storage (NAS) devices and comparing them against our previous picks, we found that the.
Buying the best NAS device for your needs doesn't need to be complicated and confusing, and we're here to help with straightforward advice. In this guide, we list the best NAS devices money can buy in 2018. But first, we need to explain what a NAS is.
The best NAS devices are network attached storage – these devices are basically external hard drives that connect to your network, rather than your PC. This lets you access the NAS through basically any device you feel like.
The best NAS setups will also allow you remote access, so you can access your files from the other side of the globe if you feel so inclined. The best NAS devices will also be platform-agnostic, so you can access them from every device, regardless of OS. So, now you don’t have an excuse – read on to find the best NAS devices for both the home and office. If you’re looking to increase the storage capacity of your NAS, you can check out our list of the.
WD My Cloud Personal. Apps not great WD has achieved quite 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. Labeled as a 'personal cloud,' it's a NAS box by any other measure and starts at 2TB of storage (you can also get it in 3 or 4TB).
As it's a one-bay unit, it can't back itself up to a drive inside the unit, but it can back up to an external hard drive via a USB port on the back. Read our full 2.
Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay. Not that flexible Picking up on the 'personal cloud' theme, this unit from Seagate takes its lead from My Cloud, but it offers far larger capacities, along with dual bays for two hard drives. This allows the Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay NAS device to mirror the files on one hard drive to a second one, giving you protection in case one of those drives fails. We also like the no-fuss appearance of this unit, meaning it can sit nicely under a router or on a shelf. It works with cloud accounts, including Dropbox and Google Drive, and you can also use an app to share content to streamers, including Chromecast and Roku.
QNAP TS-251A. Does not come with hard drives installed The QNAP TS-251A is a fantastic NAS device that has more features than you can shake a stick – or the included remote control – at. It offers dual Ethernet ports, a HDMI out for connecting it up to a TV and respectable hardware including a dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Celeron CPU and 4GB of RAM for hardware transcoding media files. The QTS OS lets you easily install a variety of apps, from Plex Media Server, file sharing apps and even a karaoke app, as well as run Ubuntu Linux for even more flexibility.
In short - this is a fantastic NAS device, though you'll need to buy the hard drives separately, so factor that in to the overall cost. Buffalo LinkStation LS220D. Lacks some advanced features This 2TB dual-bay NAS (it's also available in 4, 6, and 8TB capacities) comes from Buffalo, the company that also makes the TeraStation line of advanced NAS units. The key selling point of this model is that it can integrate directly with BitTorrent, meaning it can download stuff for you even when your PC is turned off. Like many of the other devices here, you can also stream to it via various devices, it's platform agnostic and you can use it as an iTunes server. This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay 5.
Synology DiskStation DS1817. External drives use eSATA Once in a while, a product comes around that challenges the conventions of their product category. The DS1817 is one such product. Most NAS devices that occupy the ‘value’ space tend to be underpowered and have little to no room for expansion. The DS1817 flies in the face of those conventions, and allows users to fill the included eight drive bays with whatever they choose, so that you can get as much (or as little) storage as you’d like. Plus, on top of this heaping expandability, the 10GbE LAN and Quad-Core CPU mean that you’ll never be left wanting for performance.
Read the full review: 6. WD My Cloud Mirror. Default 2GB RAM a bit under specced Anyone looking at purely technical aspects will instantly fall in love with the Synology DiskStation DS1517. Thanks to its quad-core CPU and up to 8GB of RAM, this NAS can reach sequential speeds of 111.4 MB/s write and 110.3 MB/s read without even breaking a sweat. When you combine that raw performance with the DS1517’s expandability, you have a recipe for a NAS that can stack up against the best NAS devices on the market. However, be aware that the DS1517 isn’t cheap, and unless you’re a creative professional, or you’re looking for a NAS for a small business, it might be overkill.
Read the full review: 8. WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra. Lack of app support As well as the RAID capabilities found in more expensive and complex NAS devices, this box is meant for small business use and supports Microsoft Active Directory. It can also act as a file server, FTP server, backup server and P2P download server. WD's EX series are also available in diskless variants, though this price is for the 4TB version. 8TB, 12TB and 16TB are also available.
If you don't need any of this extra stuff, then get the My Cloud Mirror. Western Digital DL4100. Difficult web interface If you're looking for a NAS device to help manage your backup needs, the DL4100 might be worth.
Taking a look at. One of the coolest features of this device is its web dashboard that offers users options for backing up to cloud services such as Dropbox and Box. Additionally, we really liked the ability to set up SMS and email alerts in case the system failed for whatever reason. As far as storage options are concerned, the DL4100 comes with four drive bays in your choice of four configurations. Aside from some annoying issues with wireless transfers, we found that the DL4100's 1.7GHz dual-core Atom processor and 2GB of RAM (configurable up to 6GB) performed admirably.
Combine this with an easy setup and cloud connected web apps, and you have an interesting backup offering on your hands. This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra. Read our full 10. Apple AirPort Time Capsule.
Expensive While the Apple AirPort Time Capsule does offer a great experience for Mac users, its 2 and 3TB storage options are very expensive compared to their competition. But, then this is Apple we’re talking about. Now, while it’s entirely wireless, other NAS devices don’t really need to be wireless, because you’ll always wire them directly into a wireless router for optimal performance, so the wireless functionality here doesn’t affect the way you access your files.
However, the Time Capsule feature does make it easy to setup and configure automatic backups for Mac and iOS users. So, if you’re an Apple fan that doesn’t like getting into the fine details of tech, this is a good buy despite all of the nagging flaws. Read our full.
Network Attached Storage (NAS) drives have been around for decades, allowing homes and businesses to create their very own storage solution, without having to hook up hefty hard drives by cable to their laptops and desktops. They are commonly used for multiple people to access, whether an entire organisation uses them or just a few people in a shared residence.
What's so flexible with NAS drives is that the data stored on them can be accessed by anyone at any time, from any place around the world. Commonly though, the power of NAS drives is underestimated. The applications that accompany NAS drives are hugely powerful for helping to manage huge reams of data, whatever their role. For example, they can be used to boost collaboration across an organisation, to make backups of your data, or allowing you to save space on your computer by removing files in an automated fashion from your computer. NAS drives are similar in concept to cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive.
They allow multiple people to add to change or create new shared files that can be accessed in real time. However, because NAS drives are not hosted on the cloud, but on a physical device, meaning you maintain ownership of the information stored on them, you can decide who else has access and you can choose exactly where to store the data. NAS drives can also boast a huge storage capacity versus similar cloud services - usually terabytes worth of storage against modest upper capacities with the latter - and they tend to be more affordable in the long-term, despite a sizeable initial cost; the subscription fees of cloud services add up when looking at the bigger picture. We've picked out the latest NAS drives you should consider - regardless of whether you're an SMB, large organisation, or even running a home office - if you're looking to bolster your IT infrastructure with a network storage device.
Best personal NAS appliances Not everyone needs the mammoth storage capacity and advanced management features of business-grade NAS devices. If you're self-employed or have a micro-office, chances are one of the more consumer-friendly appliances will be perfectly sufficient for your needs. Extra bells and whistles are all well and good, but for affordable, no-frills network storage, it's hard to do better than Synology's DiskStation DS216j.
The performance was very capable (if not outstanding) and it's got all the same capabilities as more expensive offerings like the DS418j. Best of all, you can pick it up for under £120. CPU 1.2GHz Marvell Armada 385 RAM 512MB DDR3 Drive bays 2 RAID options 0, 1, JBOD, Synology Hybrid RAID Price when reviewed: £119 (ex VAT) Read our full review for more information. If you're looking for seamless syncing features, quick performance and good value, WD's second-generation My Cloud Mirror is hard to beat. To top it all off, it's also wrapped in an aesthetically pleasing package that won't make your home or office look like a server farm. CPU 1.2GHz Marvell Armada 385 RAM 512MB DDR3 Drive bays 2, hot-swappable RAID options 0, 1, JBOD Price when reviewed: £292 (ex VAT) Read our full WD My Cloud Mirror Gen 2 review for more information. This quirky product from Qnap offers speedy performance, strong data protection features and support for Linux.
What's more, it also includes two microphone jacks and support for karaoke apps - perfect for livening up the office party. Who's up for a rousing chorus of 'Total Eclipse Of The SCART'? CPU 1.6GHz Intel Celeron N3150 RAM 8GB DDR3L-1600 Drive bays 8, hot-swappable RAID options 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, hot spare, JBOD Price when reviewed: £584 (ex VAT) Read our full Qnap TS-853A-8G review for more information. Reliable, and simple to set up and use, the WD My Cloud Pro PR2100 lacks the bells and whistles of its competitors but does exactly what it says on the tin.
It may not be the fanciest, or flashiest, NAS drive around but if you want something solid, with a host of essential features, then it's a fantastic option at a fairly reasonable price. CPU 1.6GHz Intel Pentium N3710 RAM 4GB DDR3 Drive bays 2 RAID options 0, 1, JBOD Price when reviewed: £324, diskless (exc VAT) Read our full for more information. Best SMB NAS drives Once a business grows above a certain size, its IT needs demand more specialised equipment and the same is true of storage. Carrying more drive bays than a typical consumer NAS appliance, these units offer more sophisticated capabilities along with greater raw power.
Not only does Buffalo's 8-bay TeraStation TS5810DN boast a battery of clever security and data protection features to help customers stay ahead of GDPR, it's also superb value for budget-conscious SMBs, offering a huge 32TB capacity and a 10GbE port for less than GBP1,800. It's lacking some of the more advanced and esoteric capabilities offered by rival devices from the likes of Synology and WD, but the security pedigree and keen price are enough to make up for it. CPU 1.7GHz quad-core Annapurna Alpine AL-314 RAM 4GB ECC DDR3 Drive bays 8 RAID options 0, 1, 10, 5, 6 Price when reviewed: £1,799.99 (ex VAT) Read our full for more information.
AMD's revamped Ryzen CPUs have done wonders for PC performance, and based on the Qnap TS-1277, they're set to do the same for NAS drives too. Transfer and backup speeds are exceptional, and Qnap's excellent suite of software tools offers all the capability that SMBs could ask for.
To top it all off, the design - both internal and external - is superb. A winner all round. CPU 3GHz AMD Ryzen 7 1700 CPU RAM 16GB DDR4 (max 64GB) Drive bays 8 RAID options 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60 Price when reviewed: £2,514 (ex VAT) Read our full for more information. For businesses that prize data protection capabilities above all else, this powerful and high-performance NAS appliance is tough to beat. It may not feature the same broad variety of apps as NAS drives from rival manufacturers, but what it lacks in versatility it makes up for in backup tools and value for money.
CPU 2.1GHz Intel Atom C3538 RAM 4GB DDR4 Drive bays 6, hot-swappable RAID options 0, 1, 5, 6, 50, 60, X-RAID2, global hot-spare Price when reviewed: £609 (ex VAT) Read our full for more information. When it comes to specs, the Qnap TS-563 is a seriously kitted-out machine. Not only does it have a quad-core 2GHz AMD CPU, you can fit it with up to 21 drives - in addition to the four internal ports - for a total of 25. Add that to the fact that it's 10GbE-ready, and you've got a very capable machine. CPU 2GHz AMD G-Series RAM 8GB DDR3L Drive bays 5, hot-swappable RAID options 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, hot spare, JBOD Price when reviewed: £484 (ex VAT) Read our full for more information. While it's not quite the biggest desktop NAS in the world anymore, the Synology DiskStation DS3617xs's 12 hot-swappable bays still offer a terrific amount of storage potential.
The fact that it's very nippy and amazingly versatile in terms of DSM apps is an added bonus. CPU 2.2GHz Intel Xeon D-1527 RAM 16GB DDR4 Drive bays 12, hot-swappable RAID options 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, hot spare, JBOD Price when reviewed: £1,865 (exc VAT) Read our full Synology DiskStation DS3617xs review for more information. It's hard to beat the Qnap TVS-1282-i7-64G-450W for capability. Excellent data protection and virtualisation options combine with top-class backup functionality to create a NAS appliance that works as a superb all-rounder for businesses that need one device to do many jobs. CPU 3.4GHz Intel Core i7-6700 RAM 64GB DDR4 EEC Drive bays 8 x LFF, 4 x SFF, hot-swappable RAID options 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, hot spare, JBOD Price when reviewed: £2,284 (ex VAT) Read our full Qnap TVS-1282-i7-64G-450W review for more information. It's not the most easily upgradeable NAS drive in the world, but if your business has strong data protection needs then the Synology DiskStation DS916+ is the one for you. Cloud support is also a highlight, with support for no less than 18 different public cloud providers.
CPU 1.6GHz Intel Pentium N3710 RAM 8GB DDR3 Drive bays 4, hot-swappable RAID options 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, hot spare, SHR Price when reviewed: £410 (ex VAT) Read our full Synology DiskStation DS916+ review for more information. Best rack-mounted NAS appliances If you're looking for enterprise-grade network storage, then chances are you're looking at a rack-mounted appliance. These units offer the maximum amount of capacity, with all the management options a sysadmin or IT manager could ask for. Rack-mounted storage appliances don't need to break the bank, as evidenced by Synology's RackStation RS2818RP+. The removal of both 10GBase-T ports and one Infiniband expansion port has shaved the price down compared to Synology's more expensive models, but it retains the impressive storage capacity thanks to 16 hot-swap drive bays, as well as boasting heaps of cloud connectivity features.
CPU 2.1GHz Intel Atom C3538 RAM 4GB DDR4 (max 64GB) Drive bays 16 x LFF/SFF hot-swap SATA RAID options 0, 1, 10, 5, 6, SHR, hot-spare, JBOD Price when reviewed: From £2,308 (exc VAT) Read our full for more information. Shooting for blazing performance for mid-size organisations, the Synology RackStation RS18017xs+ is a fast and powerful rack NAS. On top of this, it's also got a generous five-year warranty, as well as an assortment of apps and backup features, making it well-suited to SMEs looking to scale up their storage. CPU 2.2GHz Intel D-1531 Xeon RAM 16GB DDR4 Drive bays 12, hot-swappable RAID options 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, hot spare, JBOD Price when reviewed: £3,922 (exc VAT) Read our full for more information. Perfect for the business on a budget, the Qnap TVS-EC1280U-SAS-RP is an enterprise storage appliance at an SMB price. On top of great value, it offers heaps of support for cloud backup apps, an embedded SAS 3 expansion port and a superb management console.
CPU 3.5GHz Intel Xeon E3-1246 v3 RAM 16GB DDR3 Drive bays 12, hot-swappable RAID options 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, hot spare, JBOD Price when reviewed: £1,399 (ex VAT) Read our full Qnap TVS-EC1280U-SAS-RP review for more information. Data protection and cloud integration are the strong suits of this NAS, with the Synology RackStation RS2416RP+ offering staggering restore speeds from snapshots.
It won't be able to keep up with some of the most powerful enterprise-grade NAS appliances on the market, but it's ideal for smaller businesses. CPU 2.4GHz Intel Atom C2538 RAM 2GB DDR3 Drive bays 12, hot-swappable RAID options 0, 1, 5, 6, SHR, hot spare, JBOD Price when reviewed: £1,399 (ex VAT) Read our full review for more information. Businesses looking for versatility will be pleased to note that this storage array includes support for two operating systems: QES for mission-critical storage, and QTS for general-purpose NAS tasks. There's no hot-swapping between OSes, and you'll have to do a complete reset and re-installation if you want to switch, but fast speeds and good value paired with great flexibility make this rack device a real winner. CPU 2.2GHz 6-core D-1531 Xeon RAM 128GB DDR4 Drive bays 12, hot-swappable RAID options 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60, RAIDTP, Triple Mirror Price when reviewed: £5,730 (exc VAT) Read our full Qnap TES-1885U review for more information.
Not only does it have boatloads of storage capacity, Boston's Igloo 2U-60T-STOR also supports NAS, IP SAN and FC SAN, giving enterprises a huge amount of choice. It's also great value when compared to its competition, especially given the unlimited capacity license that's included for the price.
CPU 2.4GHz Intel Xeon E5-2630 RAM 64GB DDR4 Drive bays 16, hot-swappable RAID options 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60 Price when reviewed: £7,999 (exc VAT) Read our full for more information. What really singles Qnap's TS-1263U out from its competition is the support for 10GbE - even taking into account the fact that you'll need to source a transceiver separately, there are very few rivals offering the same functionality at this price bracket. Complemented by robust features and solid performance, that makes the TS-1263U excellent value. CPU 2GHz AMD GX-420MC RAM 4GB DDR3 Drive bays 12, hot-swappable RAID options 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, hot spare, JBOD Price when reviewed: £1,221 (exc VAT) Read our full for more information. The Infortrend EonStor GSe Pro may lack dual controllers, but delivers plenty of storage capabilities for its price - meaning it's a fantastic choice for SMEs.
Besides the NVR app, the appliance provides an impressing array of cloud-enabled features and tools to ensure data protection, coupled with excellent NAS and IP SAN performance. CPU 2.2GHz Intel Xeon D-1531 RAM 8GB DDR4 Drive bays 16, hot-swappable RAID options 0, 1, (0+1), 3, 5, 6, 10, 30, 50, 60 Price when reviewed: £4,400 (exc VAT) Read our full for more information.