MakeUseOf - NAS

Use Your Old Mac as a Server or NAS Drive: Here's How

Tim Brookes — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 10:15:14 GMT

Instead of letting it collect dust in the drawer, repurpose your old Mac as a file server, network-attached storage (NAS), a Time Machine backup destination, and more.

5 Reasons Why Unraid Is the Ultimate Home NAS Solution

Yusuf Limalia — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 10:30:11 GMT

Unraid is one of the operating systems used by some of the biggest names in the tech YouTube industry, such as MKBHD and LinusTechTips. But what makes it so unique?

NAS vs. the Cloud: Which Remote Storage Is Right for You?

Andy Betts — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 14:05:13 GMT

The benefits of cloud storage are well known. It's an efficient and convenient way of accessing all your files on any of your computing devices.

Asustor Drivestor 2 Review: An Excellent Entry-Level NAS for Your Data

James Hirtz — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 15:05:23 GMT

All the Different RAID Types Explained

Elliot Nesbo — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 15:30:21 GMT

RAID stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks and is a popular data storage technique that has the potential to increase performance, prevent downtime, and protect against data loss.

The 7 Best NAS for Your Home Media Server

Elvis Shida — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 09:45:40 GMT

Network-attached storage (NAS) has emerged as one of the top options for setting up a home media server. With the increasing popularity of Plex and Kodi, you can easily set up your own video streaming service for all of your devices in your home network or over the internet.

Asustor LockerStor 2 NAS Review: Blazingly Fast Networking, Let Down By Poor Software

James Bruce — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 15:00:52 GMT

Looking for some blazingly fast network-attached storage? The LockerStor 2 from Asustor offers incredible performance and unique features at a great price. Retailing at $400 without drives, is this the high-performance NAS you've been waiting for? Maybe, but only if you know what you're doing.

What Is a NAS Drive, and How Do You Set One Up?

Rahul Nambiampurath — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 16:00:04 GMT

A NAS, or Network Attached Storage, allows you to access your files from any computer or mobile device, as long as it's connected to the same network. Fundamentally, a NAS connects multiple storage devices (such as hard drives) to a network.

TerraMaster Launches New 8-Bay Network Storage Server

Gavin Phillips — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 12:48:09 GMT

TerraMaster has been very busy in 2021, and that streak continues with the launch of the new U8-111 8-Bay rack-mounted network storage server. The new enterprise-class unit includes an array of high-quality components and features designed for fast-paced enterprise environments and should slot seamlessly into existing workflows.

Hackers Target QNAP NAS Devices with Crypto-Mining Malware

Gavin Phillips — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 21:49:15 GMT

If you have a QNAP network-attached storage drive, you need to go and patch it now. Earlier in March 2020, security researchers at Qihoo's 360 Netlab identified a vulnerability in QNAP NAS devices under active exploitation.

TerraMaster Launches the Upgraded D8 Thunderbolt 3

Gavin Phillips — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 22:56:34 GMT

World-leading storage hardware manufacturer TerraMaster is releasing an upgrade for its popular D8 Thunderbolt 3 8-bay RAID storage model. The upgraded D8 Thunderbolt will include an upgraded RAID controller, which should increase data throughput and efficiency, providing support for up to 144TB storage while allowing daisy-chaining for increased capacity.

Synology Launches Its Own Line of HDDs Alongside New RackStation Units

Gavin Phillips — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 23:05:57 GMT

Synology has launched a new generation of RackStation units alongside its brand new, company-first HAT5300 enterprise hard drives. Synology's new hard drives are developed specifically for Synology deployments, so they should arrive well optimized.

OWC Announces New Thunderbolt Docks and More for 2021

Dan Price — Thu, 07 Jan 2021 21:21:31 GMT

OWC is one of the most well-known names in the world of memory, external drives, SSDs, docks, and upgrade kits.

Synology DS920+ Review: The Best Power User NAS

James Bruce — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 17:00:10 GMT

Synology's latest four-bay DS920+ model is a powerhouse NAS designed for the pro user. While entry-level Network Attached Storage systems are great for serving files up and acting as a central backup, the Synology Plus series can do so much more. Especially for those looking to move away from cloud services, the DS920+ offers an affordable, scaleable, local alternative.

Synology DS220j Is the Best Beginner NAS (and Great As a Surveillance NVR Too!)

James Bruce — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 16:30:03 GMT

There are very few technology devices that I would consider essential to my life, but a Network-Attached Storage device (NAS) is one of those. The Synology Diskstation DS220j is an incredibly good value 2-bay entry point for beginners to the world of NAS systems.

The 7 Best NAS Hard Drives

Dan Price — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 17:00:00 GMT

Network-attached storage (NAS) drives are becoming increasingly popular. Some meet the needs of business users; others are ideal for home users.

FreeNAS vs. OpenMediaVault vs. Amahi: Which Is Best for a DIY NAS?

Ben Stockton — Sat, 14 Dec 2019 14:05:00 GMT

Whether it's too many family photos or an ever-expanding movie collection, you're going to need enough data storage. If you need a safe place to save your data, using a network-attached storage device is the way to go, but high-quality NAS devices can be costly.

TerraMaster F2-221 Budget NAS: It Even Runs Plex

Joe Coburn — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 17:30:41 GMT

TerraMaster's F2-221 2-bay NAS is capable of transcoding 4K Ultra HD video and serving it over your home network. With support for Plex, along with a multitude of other server applications, join us as we take a closer look at this budget NAS.

What's the Best Way to Back Up Data on a Computer?

Dan Price — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 12:00:00 GMT

We all know that making backups is an essential part of computing. As the October 2018 Windows Update debacle proves, you can lose your data when you least expect it.

Network Drives at IFA 2018: What's New and What's Hot?

Ian Buckley — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 16:00:00 GMT

The were several new NAS systems on show at IFA 2018, along with updated versions of previous systems. Here is a rundown of what we saw.

5 Thunderbolt RAID Systems to Serve Your External Data Storage Needs

Tim Brookes — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 18:00:00 GMT

When you think of external storage, you probably think of clumsy USB hard drives and finicky network shares. But with Thunderbolt 3 cables capable of theoretical transfer rates of up to 40Gbps, external solutions now offer some exciting benefits without a significant transfer rate bottleneck.

Synology DiskStation 418play: The Best 4-Bay NAS For Everyone, with Full Plex Support

James Bruce — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 17:30:22 GMT

pleAre you content to pay through the nose for a measly few gigabytes of cloud storage from Apple, or do you entrust your photos to the great Google overlord? Or even worse, do you backup your data to DVD-Rs, only to find out 3 years later that they're corrupted? (Go check now, I bet they're broken. Sorry about that.)

10 Reasons Why You Should Store Your Data on a FreeNAS Box

Yusuf Limalia — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 20:00:00 GMT

Your data is invaluable and strictly confidential. But which company should you entrust your sensitive data to? Which payment tier should you surrender your hard earned cash? Maybe you want to access your media across all your devices anywhere in the world?

Network Storage Solutions Explained: Cloud vs. NAS vs. SAN vs. DAS

Joel Lee — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 17:00:00 GMT

Throughout most of the 90s and 2000s, most computer-owning families only had a single PC with a single hard drive. If you needed to store things beyond your hard drive's capacity, you typically burned it to a CD. But that was slow, cumbersome, and a waste of physical space.

TerraMaster F2-220 NAS Review

Joe Coburn — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 17:30:05 GMT

The F2-220 2-bay NAS enclosure by TerraMaster is a sub-$200 personal backup and storage solution. It has a dual core Intel CPU, and can handle up to 16TB of storage. As it comes without any drives, the big question is: is it any good?

Amazon's Two Week Black Friday Sale Starts Today! [UK]

Amazon UK Deals — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 12:00:06 GMT

Another Monday morning - or is it? Amazon has decided that in order to spread out demand for Black Friday deals, they will be offering daily savings and discounts from today until 25th November. Last year, Amazon.co.uk sold 86 items per second, totalling more than 7.4 million items in one day. There are deals to be had - so let's dive into today's best.

Monday Deals: Huge Discounts on Smart Home Security, Home Networking, and Accessories (UK)

Amazon UK Deals — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 17:00:25 GMT

How better to start your week off than a roundup of some of the best deals Amazon has to offer. There are huge savings on smart home products, battery packs, and home networking so if you're in the market for some new tech it's worth checking out.

Thecus N5810 Pro NAS Review and Giveaway

James Bruce — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 18:30:22 GMT

A Networked Attached Storage device is a critical component of a high performance home network and secure storage solution. The 5-bay Thecus N5810 Pro is aimed at prosumers and small-businesses with demanding data needs, who want a Network Attached Storage that will scale with them, providing value and security for many years to come. It retails for around $800 without any drives.

Turn Your NAS Or Windows Share Into A Time Machine Backup

Justin Pot — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Use your NAS, or any network share, for backing up your Mac with Time Machine. Apple's backup software officially only works with supported devices, but with a little work you can trick it into backing up to any network drive!

ASUSTOR AS7004T NAS and Media Center Review and Giveaway

James Bruce — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 17:30:59 GMT

Convergence happens often in the world of technology, where one product category is subsumed by another – remember those phones that only made voice calls? Or the dedicated mp3 player that didn't even have an internet connection? Me neither. Network Attached Storage however has generally remained as just that - a big box with some hard drives inside, plugged into a network. Asustor bucks that trend with a range of prosumer-grade NAS devices that also serve as a media center, plugging straight into the HDMI port of your TV. Does this provide a capable media center and eliminate the need for two separate devices, or does end up doing a substandard job of both functions? Read on to find out - and win your own Asustor AS7004T NAS, complete with 2 x 1TB drives so you can get started right away.

Asustor AS-202TE NAS Review and Giveaway

Jackson Chung — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 16:30:49 GMT

Every perfect home media center needs a network attached storage. How else are you going to store your favourite TV shows and movies?

Thecus N2310 2-Bay Network Attached Storage Review and Giveaway

James Bruce — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 16:30:45 GMT

In the modern home, a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device is essential. Smart TVs, tablets and ultra-portables all work best when paired with a common storage solution - the days of simply plugging in an external drive to your desktop are long gone. Today, we're taking a look at the Thecus N2310, a two-bay NAS with an abundance of features.

Save Space On Your Mac By Storing iPhoto & iTunes Libraries Remotely

James Bruce — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 22:00:25 GMT

With my head held low with shame, I publicly admitted last week that I'm a digital hoarder. My once blazingly fast Mac is now left with just 100GB of a 1TB drive left. I've already shifted all my downloads onto a NAS, but now I'm left with a legacy of nearly 20,000 photos and MP3s, which together add up to at least 200GB of space.

Corsair Voyager Air and Patriot Gauntlet 320 Comparative Review and Giveaway

Danny Stieben — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:20:48 GMT

Portable hard drives are much more today than a simple enclosure with a wimpy USB 2.0 connection. Modern portable hard drive enclosures support numerous wired interfaces such as USB 3.0, eSATA, or even Thunderbolt; as well as Wi-Fi and ethernet, making sharing even more convenient. We wanted to review a pair of portable external hard drives which support networking, so we picked up the $200 Corsair Voyager Air 1 TB and the $110 Patriot Gauntlet 320. At the end of this review, you'll be able to enter for a chance to win either of these portable hard drives, plus 3 additional Corsair Voyager Air 500 GB units!

Synology DiskStation DS413j NAS Review and Giveaway

James Bruce — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:20:36 GMT

To call the Synology DiskStation DS413j a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device is a degrading understatement - but yes, it serves files over the network. To say it has RAID functionality is also somewhat unfair - the Synology hybrid-RAID is superior technology. To say it comes with a few additional features is just plain wrong - this thing is packed full of features and even has an app store. Not only will it serve up your movie files either raw or through Plex, but you can make them available on your own cloud server. It'll download your torrents, and handle security recordings from your networked video cameras. This thing is immense, and incredible value for money.

Need Network Storage? Here’s How To Build Your Own NAS Box

Matt Smith — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 21:30:02 GMT

NAS stands for Network Attached Storage. As Windows became easier to use with network attached devices, and hardware prices fell, this term started to be used in the consumer market. Today there’s a wide variety of off-the-shelf options that can provide storage for a home or small business network.

What Is The Best Backup Solution? [Geeks Weigh In]

Matt Smith — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 20:31:06 GMT

Ten years ago an external hard drive – or even a physical disc such as a CD-ROM – was the only practical way to back up files. Consumer-grade network storage solutions were primitive, expensive and hard to use. Cloud storage? What's cloud storage?

QNAP TS-419P+ Turbo NAS Review and Giveaway

Jackson Chung — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:00:24 GMT

Yesterday, we looked at Netgear's ReadyNAS Ultra 4 and were impressed with its throughput performance. The day before, we loved how Synology's DS411j and its gorgeous GUI stole the limelight. And before that, we were all taken with the Drobo FS and its ease of use. So today, how about we feature a NAS that does all of this collectively?

Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra 4 Review and Giveaway

Jackson Chung — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:00:36 GMT

Yesterday, we reviewed Synology's DS411j and were greatly impressed by its intuitive GUI. And while the DS411j is mostly geared towards average home users, the NAS device that we will be looking at today is targeted at power users who demand higher performance over ease-of-use.

Synology DS411j NAS Review and Giveaway

Jackson Chung — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:00:26 GMT

Yesterday, we looked at the Drobo FS. While that network-attached storage (NAS) looked easy to upgrade and practically future-proof, it didn't come with an intuitive GUI.

Data Robotics Drobo FS NAS Review and Giveaway

Jackson Chung — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:30:33 GMT

The advent of broadband, with speeds you wouldn't even have dared to imagine 10 years ago is truly a blessing and a curse. Hundreds of movies, TV series, songs and other media are all at your fingertips. The only problem is storage.