What is a nas and what is it for? All you need to know

In its most basic version, a NAS is largely used for storing and sharing files over a network, but newer devices can do much more. So from Professional Review we will help you understand what to look for when you want to buy one of these wonderful devices.

A network attached storage device is primarily a centralized data repository. It differs from a direct attached storage device (DAS) in that instead of connecting directly to a computer, it connects to a network. Most NAS are primarily used to store and share files on a network, but the latest versions can do much more. In fact, they can do so many things that buying one can be confusing. This is what you need to know when selecting the most suitable according to your needs.

A NAS is a server. Most can be used as media servers, as most support UPnP and DLNA protocols. These protocols are for sharing and transmitting multimedia files in real time to devices such as game consoles, tablets and phones on a network. NAS are also multifaceted devices that can often be configured as FTP, web, email and print servers.

Buying your first NAS device can be quite a daunting task. There are so many different manufacturers and models that it can be a bit confusing.

Choosing the right device is something that without a deeper understanding of the different uses of a NAS can lead to spending too much money or ending up with a NAS device that is not fit for purpose.

It is for this reason that we are going to list some factors and tips to check to buy the right NAS.

Index of contents

Storage capacity

The primary purpose of a NAS is to provide centralized and shared storage. Most consumer and small business NAS are compatible with SATA drives, but there are some models that support SSDs. It is not unusual to see NAS for home users that support a storage capacity of up to 8TB. Enterprise-class NAS enclosures tend to scale even higher, with some offering up to petabytes of capacity.

NAS devices aimed at home and small and medium-sized business users often have expandable capacity through USB ports to which users can connect directly attached storage devices or through iSCSI support. The QNAP TurboNAS TS-470, for example, not only has USB ports for expansion, but also has built-in iSCSI support for creating virtual drives for even more storage.

One of the first considerations for anyone buying a NAS is capacity. Not only the amount of space you will need, but also how many hard drives you should buy and if you require RAID, how much space you will lose to redundancy. Typically, you can refer to the following capacity numbers vs. file numbers for more information. What can be done with 1TB:

• 1 TB = approximately 1 million Word documents of 1 MB each, containing images and tables. 1 TB = approximately 200, 000 songs. 1 TB = approximately 250 two-hour movies. 1 TB = approximately 300, 000 standard mobile phone images. However, this number is more than half for professional photographers when some photos can be 10 or 20 MB each.

Never forget that once you install a RAID on a NAS or DAS device, some types of RAID will reduce its full capacity. So always make sure to keep this in mind when purchasing the hard drives for your NAS.

Network connectivity

Most of today's NAS devices have Gigabit Ethernet wired connectivity. Many enterprise-class offerings have two or more Gigabit ports for Port Trunking, providing connection redundancy if one port fails. Multiple Ethernet ports can also be added, combining the link speeds of the ports and thus increasing network performance.

NAS devices that can be accessed wirelessly are still rare. The best we've seen so far is the QNAP WirelessAP Station. For now, when you're working with large files wirelessly, you're likely to experience more latency issues than wired NAS. Still, more and more providers are starting to offer dongles to connect wirelessly.

Performance measurement

Like PCs, NAS drives work better with improved processors and larger memory. Similarly, the better the processor and more memory installed, the higher the price. One of the highest performing NAS is the FreeNAS Mini from ixSystems. This device owes its superior performance to its Intel Core i3 processor and 8 GB of RAM.

If you know that your NAS will handle many I / O operations (for example, that users save and retrieve large volumes of data on a regular basis), you should use a NAS that has an agile processor and maximize memory. Most SMB NAS come with Atom or Intel processors, while cheaper home devices often use Marvell chips.

Backup and recovery

High-end NAS products often have sophisticated management options for configuring redundancy (RAID), as well as some form of integrated monitoring system that can alert you to impending drive failures and other problems. If your data is of utmost importance, these are the types of features you will want to choose.

Another important consideration in disaster recovery on a NAS is hot swapping drives. Many newer HDD-based drives will allow you to hot swap a damaged disk drive for a new drive, without having to shutdown the NAS. Many NAS devices with this capability are targeted at businesses. The DroboPro FS is an example of a hot-swappable NAS.

Some NAS providers are beginning to use the cloud as a backup platform for a local physical NAS. In this scenario, the NAS data is reflected on a cloud server. In turn, several NAS manufacturers are partnering with hosted providers like ElephantDrive or Amazon S3.

This type of solution is often referred to as a hybrid backup solution, and it offers the best of both worlds, as data is stored in two separate locations. The fact that the data resides in the cloud also provides a way to perform a restore in the event of disk failure on local hardware.

NAS devices can also often back up their own settings and configurations. This is especially important in a business environment, where specific configurations may be required. If the NAS has any glitches, it can be painful having to re-create all those settings again.

Remote access and cloud services

NAS devices aren't just for local access, either. These devices have remote access capabilities to manage the device and access the data it contains. Cloud services are also useful for sharing content with friends and family, regardless of where they are. The myNQAPCloud personal cloud service is an example. It is completely free when purchasing a QNAP device.

Protection and security

Security is always a concern, whether for home hardware or business networks. Many of the NAS devices on the market support file encryption. Many also offer a variety of security controls to protect the NAS against intruders with firewall-like access protection.

For example, enterprise NAS devices often have physical security, such as Kensington Security Locks (or K-Slots), which tie this PC (because it is a computer after all) to a wall or desk. The QNAP TS-259 is an example of this as it has K slots in its chassis.

Lastly, all NAS have user accounts and authentication methods that require a username and password to access the device.

How many people will access the NAS

It often happens that when a NAS is configured more than one person accesses it. This device located in the home can be accessed by the whole family, while a company may want to grant access to many more users. So, to make it easier, follow these steps to choose a NAS according to the number of people who will use it:

• 0-5 users = you will need a 2 bay NAS device, ideally a dual core CPU with at least 1.3 GHz frequency and at least 1 GB of RAM. 6-25 users = you will need a solid 4-6 bay NAS device, Quad Core CPU of at least 1.5 GHz and 1-2 GB of RAM (DDR3 preferably).26 users or more = at least an 8-bay device, a 2.0 GHZ + quad-core or more processor or i3 CPU and 4-8 GB of RAM so that everything works with stability. In this case we already recommend computers with an AMD Ryzen processor, which are giving quite a strong business level.

What is it going to be used for the most?

Probably the key point in the search when choosing the right NAS for the task you require is selecting a NAS that can handle the network related work you require. There are literally hundreds of ways you can use and implement it in a person's home or work life, but it can typically be divided into 3 types: software and virtual machines, multimedia distribution, and for surveillance purposes.

These tasks can be performed with 3 very different types of NAS and it is helpful to know which one is best for the job at hand.

For virtual machines and software: You will need a NAS with at least a quad core CPU and at least 2-4 GB of RAM. You will also need a good level of capacity across multiple bays in a RAID environment, at least 4 bays, but for the use of midrange virtual machines you should consider an 8 bay device in a RAID 5 or RAID 6.

We recommend reading the best SSDs on the market

Media Sharing: Again, an x86 CPU with at least 2 or 4 cores to be in a much better position. It can only have 2 GB of RAM but the option to expand to 4 or 8 GB is certainly a recommendation. The amount of storage in terms of hard drive bays is really up to you, but at least 2 is recommended and for future testing of at least 4 bays or the option of a Synology or QNAP NAS expansion.

Surveillance: Just like multimedia distribution, you want to have a CPU that can handle video files on the NAS, but the difference is that while multimedia files are normally accessed by heavy reading of the data, that's why for use For surveillance you will need one that can handle a lot of write operations.

For this, a dual-core or quad-core x86 CPU is recommended, but you can use an ARM v7 CPU if your budget is tight. At least 1GB of RAM for when access is a bit heavier and at least 2 storage bays in a RAID 1 environment. You may be disappointed to lose half your capacity in a RAID 1 environment, but you will be grateful when Your comprehensive CCTV and surveillance data are protected from hard drive failure.

Which one is right for you?

There are many varieties of use cases for these products. Fortunately, there is a wide range of devices available, and many of them are also configurable, allowing you to further customize a solution for your specific needs.

Whether for home or business, security, capacity, backup and file compatibility should be key factors in determining which NAS device to choose. The other features are mainly extras, which will be of more or less importance depending on your particular needs.

Recommended Models

Next we leave you four super interesting network storage devices when you start in this world. We start with a basic range until we reach a mid-range of quite a category. We want to clarify that we have chosen all the devices of the QNAP brand because it is the manufacturer that we work the most at the analysis level and that we have the most experience testing their products. Let's start!

QNAP TS-128A / TS-228A

If you want to start in this world and you don't want to spend a lot. The QNAP TS-128A has a 1.4 GHz quad-core Realtek RTD1295 processor, 1 GB of RAM, USB 3.1 connectivity, a 10/100/1000 network connection, and the ability to install a 3 HDD, 5 or 2.5 inches is an ideal choice. For just 30 euros more you have the QNAP TS-228A that allows us to install a couple of hard drives and already offers us the ability to perform RAID.

QNAP TS-128A NAS Mini Tower Ethernet White Storage Server - Raid Drive (Hard Drive, Serial ATA III, 3.5 ", FAT32, Hfs +, NTFS, ext3, ext4, Realtek, RTD1295). EUR 140.20 QNAP TS- 228A NAS Mini Tower Ethernet White Storage Server - Raid Drive (Hard Drive, Serial ATA III, 3.5 ", FAT32, Hfs +, NTFS, ext 3, ext 4, 1.4 GHz, Realtek), Enclosure Supported storage disk interfaces: SATA, Serial ATA II and Serial ATA III; Processor model: RTD1295 EUR 163.84

It is a simple equipment, that consumes little and that has its QTS operating system. Fairly well shielded against threats and with very constant update support.

QNAP TS-231P2

The QNAP TS-231P2 is a device with greater possibilities than those offered by the TS-128A series. It has a 1.7 GHz quad-core processor, choose between a basic model with 1 GB of RAM or a higher model with 4 GB DDR3L. It also allows us the opportunity to install two hard drives and we have the possibility to take advantage of link aggregation technology (two Gigabit LAN network connectors) to have a plus locally.

QNAP TS-231P2 NAS White Ethernet Tower - Raid Drive (Hard Drive, SSD, Serial ATA II, Serial ATA III, 2.5 / 3.5 ", 0, 1, JBOD, FAT32, HFS +, NTFS, ext3, ext4, Annapurna Labs) To transfer a large number of files; To transmit high-bandwidth multimedia € 279.90

We can also find a couple of models with four hard drive bays and 1 or 4 GB RAM. Without a doubt, a super interesting option with Hot SWAP hard drives.

QNAP TS-328

Soon you will have online the analysis of the QNAP TS-328. This equipment is super complete to cover the needs of any home and especially at the business level. Having 3 bays allows us to mount a RAID 5 of hard drives and thus have a much more complete backup system.

QNAP TS-231P2 NAS White Ethernet Tower - Raid Drive (Hard Drive, SSD, Serial ATA II, Serial ATA III, 2.5 / 3.5 ", 0, 1, JBOD, FAT32, HFS +, NTFS, ext3, ext4, Annapurna Labs) To transfer a large number of files; To transmit high-bandwidth multimedia € 279.90

It is also very interesting since it allows decoding and transcoding using the H.264 and H.265 protocols, offering a better video viewing experience in Full HD and 4K. But beware, it does not have an HDMI output… so we cannot use it as a multimedia center connected to our television or monitor. But for this we have other models. Pay attention that we will soon have the complete analysis on the web! (If you read this article a few weeks later, we recommend that you do a quick web search to see it.)

QNAP TS453Be

Domestically we get a little more serious with the new QNAP TS453Be. It is a NAS with Intel Celeron J3455 processor with 4 cores, with 4 GB of DDR3L RAM (maximum 8GB and it is expandable), 4 Hot SWAP hard drive cabs, two RJ45 connectors for link aggregation, 5 USB 3.0 connections and two HDMI 1.4 connectors ideal for using the equipment as a multimedia center.

QNAP TS-453BE NAS Mini Tower Ethernet Black Raid Drive (Hard Drive, SSD, Serial ATA III, 2.5 / 3.5 ", 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, JBOD, Intel Celeron, J3455) Connectivity Type: Connection NetworkingEthernet 503.35 EUR

As you can see the team is close to 500 euros , but you get an all terrain team. It is also very beautiful visually and offers great possibilities. Personally it is one of my favorite models and I would not mind to analyze it soon.

With this we conclude our article what a NAS is and what it is for. What do you think about the function of a NAS? Do you find it interesting for your business or home? If you have any questions or something is not clear, you can ask us that we will reply to you as soon as possible.