Network-attached storage isn’t just for big businesses. In most homes today you’ll find a plethora of desktops, laptops and mobile devices – so a central repository for your important files makes sense. It ensures that you can access your data from wherever you happen to be, even if you’re out on the road, thanks to the easy-to-use remote-access services that come as standard. And if one of your hard drives fails, it’s good to know that a multi-disk RAID array is keeping your data safe.
More than this, modern NAS appliances can also run all sorts of useful network applications, from media servers to databases, wikis and security-camera management systems. No matter what your needs, a NAS can help – so read on to find out which is right for you.
How to choose the right NAS for you
What type of NAS should I buy? And how many bays do I need?
NAS drives all come with a different number of drive bays, with consumer models generally coming in 1-, 2-, 3- or 4-bay variants.
A sensible minimum is a two-bay system, using two matching hard disks in a mirrored RAID1 configuration. That way, if one drive fails, you’ll still have a copy of all your data. Don’t be tempted to use JBOD or RAID0 configurations, however: these offer more capacity, but lack fault tolerance – if one drive fails, all your data is lost.
If you’re willing to spend a bit more, a four-bay NAS drive is more versatile. With four disks, you can set up a RAID5 array, which offers a better balance of capacity and data security. In this arrangement, a portion of each disk is reserved for parity data from the other three drives (which makes it possible to rebuild the array in the event of a failure). For example, with four 1TB drives, you can store up to 3TB of data, and if any single drive should fail, you can simply drop in a replacement and carry on working.
Four-bay NAS appliances also tend to have additional features, such as more ports and LCD displays. But they’re naturally noisier, and more power-hungry – and they’re generally quite a bit more expensive.
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What connections should I look out for?
Most NAS appliances offer one or more USB 3 ports, so you can hook up an external hard disk and share files over your network. There’s also often a connector at the front for one-touch copying: simply plug in a USB hard disk and press the copy button, and the contents of the external drive will be copied onto the NAS. If your data is currently scattered across a selection of external drives, it’s an easy way to consolidate all your files into one place.
You may also see HDMI and audio sockets, for connecting a monitor and speakers directly to your NAS box. These let you use built-in apps to turn your appliance into a video player or audio jukebox. You may even be able to plug in a keyboard and mouse and run desktop apps on the NAS appliance – but don’t expect blazing performance, though, as NAS hardware is quite lightweight by desktop PC standards.
How do I get the best performance?
Your NAS drive should be connected to a Gigabit Ethernet port on your router. If your router only offers 100Mbits/sec Ethernet, your speeds will be severely limited: upgrading your router would be your first step to getting the best performance.
Even with a Gigabit connection, don’t expect superfast file copies all the time. Speeds can top 100MB/sec for a single big file, but for a folder containing lots of small files, the file system overhead will mean things go a lot more slowly.
Which disks should I use?
All the NAS drives we’ve recommended below can be bought diskless. The manufacturers normally recommend you populate them with specialist NAS disks such as the WD Red series, which are designed for heavy use and high-temperature environments. For a home NAS though that’s probably overkill – feel free to buy cheap consumer drives, or to reuse disks from decommissioned PCs. Just make sure you have spares on hand for when one inevitably gives up the ghost.
What do I need to know about add-on apps?
Most modern NAS systems include all the basic services you need to work with Windows, macOS and Linux clients. They’ll also integrate with Apple’s Time Machine backup service, and for corporate roles many support Active Directory and iSCSI too.
On top of this, it’s well worth having a browse at the apps available, as these can greatly extend the capabilities of your NAS appliance. Most units come with a built-in “app store”, offering dozens or even hundreds of apps which you can install with a click. These invariably include a selection of media server apps, enabling your NAS to stream audio and video to smart devices in your home. You’ll also find business and development tools, surveillance apps that work with IP cameras, and even content management systems such as WordPress.
One caveat: if you enable a whole load of apps and services. the hardware might start to struggle. If that’s a concern for you, pick a model with a powerful Intel processor and plenty of RAM, or one where you can fit extra memory as needed. If you’re not sure how much headroom you have, there’s normally an activity monitor within the appliance’s web interface, exposing what’s using its CPU and RAM, so you can spot any services that might be overtaxing your hardware.
Can I access my files remotely?
With the correct setup, you can access your NAS appliance from anywhere in the world. It’s a great alternative to cloud services such as Dropbox and Google Drive, with no monthly fee and a heck of a lot more storage. Every provider offers a bespoke service, typically web-based, which makes it effortless to securely access your files from a web browser.
Many providers also offer some degree of integration with third-party cloud services, so that the files in a certain folder on your NAS appliance can be automatically synchronised with your Dropbox account – and vice versa. This is handy if, for example, you want to use a printer or scanner that features Dropbox integration, as it saves you having to mess around moving files back and forth between services.
Is the data on my NAS completely safe?
Even RAID isn’t infallible. Your NAS box could be fried by a serious electrical fault, or stolen in a break-in. Many NAS systems come with integrated support for offsite backup systems such as Amazon S3 or ElephantDrive, although these ain’t free. Alternatively, if you have access to a NAS appliance in a second location, most units will let you automatically replicate your data over the internet.
The other thing to remember is that a modern NAS is effectively a small computer, which means it’s vulnerable to hackers and malware just like any other computer. Install system updates as soon as they become available – most NAS appliances can do this automatically in the middle of the night, to minimise disruption – and make sure your apps and services are up to date. That goes for all the other computers in your home too; we’ve seen PC-based ransomware that specifically targets NAS appliances, and you definitely don’t want to get caught by that.
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The best NAS drives to buy
1. Asustor AS6404T: Best do-it-all NAS appliance
Price:£570 (diskless)
The AS6404T is a high-end appliance, with a two-line LCD display on the front and a powerful quad-core Intel Celeron J3455 inside. It’s easy to use too, thanks to Asustor’s slick ADM web interface, and it supports all the important network protocols and services. We had no problem accessing our music library through iTunes, nor streaming Full HD video through Plex – although there are plenty of alternative video playback options for those who prefer them, including DLNA, Kodi and Apple AirPlay. Remote access is handled by Asustor’s own Cloud Connect service, while the Surveillance Center app will monitor up to four IP cameras for free.
Thanks to HDMI and twin USB connectors at the rear, it’s even possible to use this NAS as a standalone audio and video centre, or run a full Linux desktop. The 8GB of RAM isn’t huge for this sort of role, but it’s enough for lightweight computing.
The only catch is the price: yes, you get a lot for your money, but for everyday NAS duties there are much cheaper options. Still, there’s nothing wrong with buying more power and flexibility than you need right now – and with its four drive bays and two Gigabit Ethernet ports, the AS6406T should serve your needs for a very long time.
Key specs – CPU: Intel Celeron J3455 (1.5GHz, 2.3GHz burst, quad-core); RAM: 8GB; Drive bays: 4; RAID modes: Single, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10; Gigabit Ethernet connectors: 2; Data connectors (rear): 2 x USB 3, USB Type-C; Data connectors (front): USB 3; Other connectors: HDMI, S/PDIF; Dimensions (WDH): 170 x 230 x 186mm; Warranty: 3yr RTB
2. Synology DS216j: Best-value basic NAS
Price:£158 (diskless)
The Synology DS216j is a very cheap two-bay NAS appliance which – it must be said – scores low on glamour. The good news is, it runs the full version of Synology’s latest DSM 6.1 operating system, with all the same features as the company’s high-end appliances, including a rich, window-based web interface, and an extensive set of companion apps for Android and iOS. There’s integration with every major cloud storage service, plus easy remote access, and it works with iTunes and Time Machine too.
The 1GHz dual-core 32-bit Marvell processor is more than powerful enough to keep up with everyday file-copy operations – but you can’t upgrade the 512MB of built-in RAM, so if you run lots of services and apps at once, the DS216j may start to struggle. Your video server options are limited too: Plex will work, but you’ll need smart clients that can handle video decoding for themselves. Alternatively, Synology’s Video Station app can serve up 1080p H.265 video over DLNA (or through Synology’s own video app).
Clearly, the DS216j isn’t the most flexible appliance on the market. However, if you’re not in the market for an all-singing, all-dancing NAS unit. The Synology DS216j covers all the basics and more besides, at an excellent price.
Key specs – CPU: Marvell 385 88F6820 (1GHz, dual-core); RAM: 512MB; Drive bays: 2; RAID modes: JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, Synology Hybrid RAID; Gigabit Ethernet connectors: 1; Data connectors (rear): 2 x USB 3; Data connectors (front): None; Other connectors: None; Dimensions (WDH): 100 x 226 x 165mm; Warranty: 2yr RTB
3. Drobo 5N2: Most user-friendly NAS
Price:£487 (diskless)
The Drobo 5N2 aims to make the world of network-attached storage accessible to non-technical users. All talk of RAID levels is banished: the unit automatically configures your installed media to provide the best balance of capacity and security, asking you only whether you want to be protected against a single disk error, or against two simultaneous failures instead.
Drobo also eschews the conventional web-based interface, in favour of a desktop client called the Drobo Dashboard. This isn’t a bad idea, as the software handles all the fiddly business of discovering the NAS, logging on and mapping a drive in Windows.
A respectable range of apps and services is supported: iTunes, Time Machine and Plex are all here, along with a selection of developer tools such as Node.js, Ruby and Subversion. However, if you want to get hands-on with technical settings, or interface with other devices and systems, a more conventional NAS unit might suit you better. Still, for a casual home user who just wants a fuss-free repository for their files, the Drobo 5N2 is ideal.
Drobo 5N2: Network Attached Storage (NAS) 5-Bay Array, 2X Gigabit Ethernet Ports (DRDS5A21)
Key specs – CPU: Marvell XP (1.6GHz, quad-core); RAM: 2GB; Drive bays: 5; RAID modes: Automatic (1/2 disk redundancy) ; Gigabit Ethernet connectors: 2; Data connectors (rear): None; Data connectors (front): None; Other connectors: None; Dimensions (WDH): 150 x 262 x 185mm; Warranty: 2yr RTB
4. Qnap TS-251A: Best two-bay NAS appliance
Price:£299 (diskless)
The TS-251A crams a lot of features into its compact two-bay frame. The front panel offers USB 3, plus a micro-USB 3 port and an SD card reader – and at the rear there’s two HDMI sockets, capable of driving a pair of 4K displays, so the TS-251A can happily act as a media station in its own right. There’s even a free remote control in the box.
For those with more serious work to do, every network protocol and service you could ask for is here, including Time Machine, AirPlay, iSCSI and Active Directory. A wide range of cloud and backup services is supported, and the included Surveillance Station licence lets you control two IP cameras. It’s even possible to turn the TS-251A into a fully featured desktop PC, using the free Linux Station app.
Not every user will want or need all of the TS-251A’s features, but if you’re tempted by Qnap’s ambitious, expansive approach to network-attached storage, then at £299 it’s a great choice.
Key specs – CPU: Intel Celeron N3060 (1.6GHz, 2.48GHz burst, dual-core); RAM: 2GB; Drive bays: 2; RAID modes: Single, JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1; Gigabit Ethernet connectors: 2; Data connectors (rear): 2 x USB 3; Data connectors (front): USB 3, micro-USB 3, SD card reader; Other connectors: 2 x HDMI, 2 x audio jack; Dimensions (WDH): 102 x 219 x 169mm; Warranty: 2yr RTB
5. WD My Cloud Pro PR4100: Best-value mid-range NAS
Price:£469 (diskless)
The My Cloud PR4100 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. If you want to get ambitious you can upgrade the RAM to 16GB if you wish – although there’s no way to play media locally, however, nor any support for desktop apps or virtualisation, which does raise the question of what WD thinks you might need all that memory for.
For a four-bay appliance, £469 is an extremely competitive price, but we’ve one word to the wise: pre-populated models can work out more expensive than buying the bare enclosure and picking your drives separately, so investigate your options before buying.
Key specs – CPU: Intel Pentium N3710 (1.6GHz, 2.56GHz burst, quad-core); RAM: 4GB; Drive bays: 4; RAID modes: JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10; Gigabit Ethernet connectors: 2; Data connectors (rear): 2 x USB 3; Data connectors (front): USB 3; Other connectors: None; Dimensions (WDH): 170 x 232 x 192mm; Warranty: 2yr RTB (diskless), 3yr RTB (populated)