Best NAS devices of 2021: top Network Attached Storage for the home and office

Date:
Tue, 19 Oct 2021 18:31:45 +0000

Description:
Optimise your data storage with the best NAS devices on the market.

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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.

Unlike the best external hard drives and external portable SSDs , NAS devices can connect to the internet, which means you can access them remotely, as
well as connecting them to other devices in your local network. This gives them a flexibility that other storage solutions lack, as you can access your files and folders no matter where you are in the world.

You can securely access the files on the drive from any internet-connected device, which is quick and convenient, and is also safer than lugging an external hard drive or USB memory stick around.

It also allows you to store the NAS device in another building, which is a good disaster recovery consideration, as if something happens to your home or office, an offsite backup of your files will at least ensure that you don't lost your important data.

Of course, a NAS can sit in the center of your work or home network, and act as centralised storage. Every PC on the network can use it as if it was an internal hard drive, and if one PC fails, you know that all the data is
safely secured in the NAS drive.

Many of the best NAS drives are able to hold more than one hard drive and can mirror that hard drive in case of failure. So, if one hard drive does go,
your files are still intact on another. Since price is also a factor, know that some hold multiple hard drives that you can buy separately. This doesnt just give you more flexibility, but can also potentially save you money if
you bargain hunt.

The best NAS devices are your ideal storage solutions if you want access to your files when you need them, wherever you are, while keeping them secure. Take a look at our picks. Take a look at the best mesh Wi-Fi systems if you need to update your network

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. 5TB for $3.98 for the first year is unmatched till now and so is the support for unlimited devices and the extensive file versioning system available. WD My Cloud Personal NAS drive is one of the
best NAS drives and starts at 2TB of storage. (Image credit: WD) 1. WD My Cloud Personal NAS drive

Simple, yet fast Capacity: 2TB, 3TB or 4TB | Interface: USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet | Features: Remote file access, DLNA, iTunes Server Easy to set up Good price Setup can be fiddly Apps not great

WD has attained quite significant success with its unashamedly consumer-friendly My Cloud products, which can stream to any DLNA-compliant device and be accessed via mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Advertised as a 'personal cloud,' this WD is one of the best NAS drives by
any other name and starts at 2TB of storage (you can also get it in 3 or
4TB). Because it's a one-bay unit, it can't back itself up since there's only one drive. However, it can back up to an external hard drive thanks to a USB port on the back.

Read the full review: WD My Cloud Personal Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay NAS drive mirrors the files from one hard drive to a second one. (Image credit: Seagate) 2. Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay NAS drive

Convenient network storage Capacity: 4TB, 6TB or 8TB | Interface: Gigabit Ethernet | Features: Remote file access, media server software, RAID support Easy to use Good looking Not that fast Not that flexible

Continuing with the 'personal cloud' theme, this unit from Seagate takes its lead from My Cloud, while offering 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 from one hard drive to a second one, securing your files in case one of those drives fails.

We also appreciate the no-fuss appearance of this unit, meaning it fits
easily under a router or on a shelf. Plus, it can work with cloud accounts like Dropbox and Google Drive and you can also use an app to share content
to streamers, such as Chromecast and Roku.

Read the full review: Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay The QNAP TS-251A NAS
drive has more features than you can shake a stick. (Image credit: QNAP) 3. QNAP TS-251A NAS drive

Feature-packed media NAS Capacity: N/A | Interface: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 | Features: Remote file access, HDMI out, 4K media transcoding, DLNA Powerful hardware Loads of features Expensive Does not come with hard drives installed

The QNAP TS-251A is an extraordinary NAS device that has more features than you can shake a stick or the included remote control at. It includes dual Ethernet ports, an HDMI out for connecting it to a TV and respectable
hardware like the dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Celeron CPU and 4GB of RAM for hardware transcoding media files.

The QTS OS also lets you effortlessly install a variety of apps, from the
Plex Media Server and file sharing apps to, surprisingly, a karaoke app, as well as running Ubuntu Linux for added flexibility.

Long story, short: this is an incredible NAS device, even if you do have to purchase the hard drives separately. Just factor that in to the overall cost. The Buffalo LinkStation LS220D NAS drive can integrate directly with BitTorrent. (Image credit: Buffalo) 4. Buffalo LinkStation LS220D NAS drive

A decent dual-bay NAS with built-in BitTorrent Capacity: 2TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB | Interface: Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0 | Features: Dual bay, WebAccess apps, Apple Time Machine support Good security features Smartphone apps for easy configuration Lacks some advanced features

As one of the best NAS drives out there, this 2TB dual-bay unit (also available in 4, 6, and 8TB capacities) comes courtesy of Buffalo, the company that also produces the TeraStation line of advanced NAS units.

The key selling point of this model is that it can integrate directly with BitTorrent, which means that it can download files for you even when your PC is not on. You wont need to worry as much about your downloads getting interrupted. Like many of the other devices listed, 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 The Synology DiskStation DS1817 NAS drive lets users
fill the included eight drive bays with whatever they desire. (Image credit: Synology) 5. Synology DiskStation DS1817 NAS drive

A beginner NAS with room for expansion Capacity: : N/A | Interface: : 2 x
1GbE LAN, 2 x 10GbE LAN, 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x eSATA | Features: : Quad-Core CPU, Compatibility with up to 18 drives, 1,577 MB/s sequential read Performance over 10GbE Expandable Not enough USB 3.0 ports External drives use eSATA

Every now and then, a product comes along 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 breaks the norms by letting users fill the included eight drive bays with whatever they desire, so that you can get as much (or
as little) storage as you want. On top of this massive expandability, which helps rank it as one of the best NAS drives available, the 10GbE LAN and Quad-Core CPU also mean that youll never be left wanting for performance.

Read the full review : Synology DiskStation DS181 The WD My Cloud Mirror NAS drive can produce a mirrored backup of your data. (Image credit: WD) 6. WD My Cloud Mirror NAS drive

A unit that backs itself up Capacity: 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 16TB | Interface:
Gigabit Ethernet | Features: Automatic backup, two hard drives, My Cloud mobile app Easy and secure backup RAID 1 support to protect against data loss Expensive

This two-bay unit can produce a mirrored backup of your data, duplicating
your files on both drives, using RAID configuration. That's quite an advanced feature for a consumer unit. Just keep in mind that you end up paying quite a lot for that capability and WD's user-friendly presentation, including an easy-to-master, browser-based control screen.

This is a 4TB unit, though 6, 8 and 16TB units are also available. For extra peace of mind, you can also back up the contents to Dropbox. The Synology DiskStation DS1517 NAS drive can reach sequential speeds of 111.4 MB/s write and 110.3 MB/s read. (Image credit: Synology) 7. Synology DiskStation DS1517 NAS drive

Expensive, but packs a punch Capacity: : Up to 60TB, 180TB with expansion
unit | Interface: : 4 x 1GbE LAN, 4 x USB 3.0, 2 x eSATA | Features: : Quad-Core CPU, Up to 15 drives with expansion units PCIe slot upgrades High-end performance Add-on cards are expensive Default 2GB RAM a bit under specced

Anyone looking at purely technical specs 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 any trouble. Combining that raw performance with the DS1517s expandability, and you have a formula for a NAS device that has undeniably earned its spot among the best NAS drives on the market. Just know that the DS1517 isnt cheap, and unless youre a creative professional, or youre looking for a NAS for a small business, it might be a bit too much.

Read the full review : Synology DiskStation DS1517 WD's My Cloud EX2 Ultra NAS drive is designed for small business use. (Image credit: WD) 8. WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra NAS drive

The small business version of the My Cloud Mirror is now even better
Capacity: 4TB, 8TB, 12TB, 16TB | Interface: Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 | Features: Remote file access, RAID features, My Cloud OS 3 software Dual core CPU Dual bay for RAID setups Operating system is simplistic Lack of app support

Featuring RAID capabilities found in pricier and more intricate NAS devices, as well as offering Microsoft Active Directory support, this box is designed for small business use. Thats without mentioning that it can also act as a file server, FTP server, backup server and P2P download server.

In addition, WD's EX series is available in diskless variants, though this price is for the 4TB version. 8TB, 12TB and 16TB units are also available to purchase. If you don't need any of this extra stuff, then go with the My
Cloud Mirror. Western Digital DL4100 is one of the best NAS drives to help manage your backup needs. (Image credit: Western Digital) 9. Western Digital DL4100 NAS drive

Excellent backup for a wide variety of users. Capacity: 8TB, 16TB, 24TB | Interface: 2x Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB 3.0, USB 2.0 | Features: Dual LAN, 2GB RAM (expandable up to 6GB), NTP Client Small and semi-portable Ease of setup No computer-to-NAS connection via USB Difficult web interface

If you're looking for one of the best NAS drives to help manage your backup needs, the DL4100 might be worth a look. One of the coolest features of this device is its web dashboard, which provides users options for backing up to cloud services such as Dropbox and Box. Additionally, it has the ability to set up SMS and email alerts in case the system fails for whatever reason.

As far as storage options go, the DL4100 is equipped with four drive bays and comes with your choice of four configurations. Despite 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) performs admirably. 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 DL4100 review 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



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