Top Network Attached Storage ( NAS ) Devices in 2020 review
A network attached storage or NAS is a storage device connected to a network with a ability to provide access to multiple authorized users or clients . That means it is like a private cloud network.It is inexpensive, more faster than other cloud based solutions and reliable. NAS storage is great for small business because they are not so expensive and easy to operate. Even we can use NAS in home as a automated backup system . Most of the people got confused with NAS, DAS and SAN. What is the difference between them ? Let’s take a look :
Difference between NAS and DAS :
DAS or Direct attached storage is a storage device that is not connected to a network. i.e. a USB stick, hard drive, flash drive all are DAS. You must have physical access to the device for transferring data. When served over network, NAS devices could have better performance than DAS .
Difference between NAS and SAN :
In both NAS and SAN or Storage Area Network, a centrelized data storage is shared between multiple devices via a network connection like LAN.In NAS, the storage is available to other computers as file-level but in SAN, the data is available as block-level , file system is handled in the client side. Most of the time, SAN uses fibre channel protocol for faster data transfer.
Advantages of NAS :
A NAS can be accessed by a multiple devices at the same time. It is extremely useful if you have a small business with multiple computers. You can use it as a central data backup storage or even as a media storage. You can store all of your movies and musics and access it from any device your computer, smart tv,smartphone or tablet pc. It is same as cloud storage. Cloud storage a re useful but they have many restrictions like storage limit, maximum number of devices can be connected at a same time, etc. Also cloud network speed is totally dependent on your internet network which is much slower than LAN .
Overall, if you are looking for a cheap, reliable ,fastest data storage system for your company or home, go for Network attached storage . In this post, we have picked out top 10 NAS storage available in the market currently. Take a look
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| position | name | Link |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Noontec-TerraMaster F4-220 NAS Server 4-Bay | |
| 8 | WD 2TB My Cloud Personal NAS | |
| 7 | Apple Airport Time Capsule | |
| 6 | Synology DS216j NAS DiskStation | |
| 5 | WD 8TB My Cloud EX4100 Expert Series 4-Bay | |
| 4 | NETGEAR ReadyNAS 212 2-Bay Network Attached Storage | |
| 3 | QNAP TS-251A 2-bay TS-251A personal cloud NAS | |
| 2 | Buffalo TeraStation 5200DN 2-Drive 2 TB Desktop NAS | |
| 1 | Seagate Personal Cloud 2-bay Home Media Storage |
9. Noontec-TerraMaster F4-220 NAS Server 4-Bay :
This 4-bay NAS device is powered by a 2.41 GHz dual-core Intel Celeron CPU and runs on TOS 3 Operating system . It has 2 GB of RAM but it is upgradable upto 4 GB. It supports two 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch SATA or SSD drives. Thanks to the simultaneous job processing power and a read/write speed of more than 100 MB/s , if more than 1000 users connect simultaneously, it will not be slowed down. The drives can be configured in RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID5, RAID 6, RAID 10, JBOD or Single Disk modes. If you are looking for data security, this NAS device can encrypt your data automatically. For backing up data, it supports Apple time machine, Rsync, Dropbox cloud synchronization and external storage backup (via USB 3.0 ). This device is also great for home use . You can setup iTune server or Plex server with this NAS and stream music , photo , videos to your phone , smart tv or any other devices easily.
Pros :
- High transfer speed
- Backup, Encryption supports
- Best for office and home use
Cons :
- Expensive
8. WD 2TB My Cloud Personal NAS :
WD My Cloud NAS is best for personal use . It automatically backs up and centralizes all of your photos, videos and other media files .This network attached storage device can be accessed using internet. Sign in to MyCloud.com and get access to all of your stored data. Mobile and tablet applications are also available for both android and ios. Using these apps, you can take automatic backup of your phone images and videos. This NAS device works with both MAC and windows pc. For windows, .exe setup file and for mac, .dmg image file available to download. If 2 TB is not enough,you can add one additional hard drive to its built in USB 3 .0 port.
Pros :
- Cheap
- Compatible with windows,mac,ios and android
- Data can be save on cloud and access via internet
Cons :
- Little bit slow in speed
7. Apple Airport Time Capsule :
Apple’s time capsule is available in 2 TB and 3 TB format. It offers a seamless options for Mac users, but it is expensive as compared to other NAS devices.It can be wirelessly operate. OSX Time machine can be integrate with this NAS server to take backup automatically. If you have multiple MAC computers in your home or office, all can be integrated with it to automatically take time machine backup. It uses 802.11ac for transferring data. Maximum data rate speed can reach upto 1.3 Gbps , Three times faster than 802.11n Wifi. It is compatible with 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac specifications, i.e. Mac, iphone, ipad and Apple TV, all can be connected. You can share a hard drive or a printer by attaching it with the USB port available. The printer will work wirelessly. If you are a apple fan , then this NAS offers a interesting backup on your hands.
Pros :
- Best for Apple Devices
- High data transfer speed , 802.11ac wifi
- Wireless
Cons :
- Expensive
6. Synology DS216j NAS DiskStation :
Synology DS216j is a 2-bay NAS device powered by a Dual-core CPU with over 112.75 MB/s reading and 97.6 MB/s writing speed. You can create your own private cloud and automatically backup all of your data wheather you are using a mobile phone or laptop. Mobile apps for DS216j is available. You can download on your smartphone and access all of your files. Cloud sync is also available with this NAS. Sync all of your files with multiple cloud providers like dropbox, google drive and one drive. Additionaly, you can add security cameras at your home and sync with Synology DS216j NAS seamlessly to all devices. The maximum capacity of this NAS is 16TB and 2 USB 3.0 ports are available.
Pros :
- Good value for money
- 2 USB 3.0
- Cloud sync
Cons :
- CPU is little bit weak
5. WD 8TB My Cloud EX4100 Expert Series 4-Bay NAS :
Developed by WD, this 4-bay 8TB NAS device is powered by a sophisticated 1.6 GHz dual core Marvell ARMADA 385 processor and 2 GB of DDR3 storage memory .It can deliver transfer speed of 114 MB/s upload and 108 MB/s download , which is great for HD video streaming and accessing data from multiple devices.You can select from multiple RAID options, RAID 0 , RAID 1 , RAID 5 or RAID 10.PLEX Media server is supported with this NAS. Using Plex, you can organize and share all of your photos,videos and music files to your PC, mobile device , TV or any other media players. For backing up data, you can use local,cloud and network backup. Additionally, you can use Milestone ARCUS surveillance software with this NAS and external cameras to get live video feeds of your house .
Pros :
- High speed
- Plex server support
- RAID 0,RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 support
Cons :
- Expensive
4. NETGEAR ReadyNAS 212 2-Bay Network Attached Storage :
NETGEAR ReadyNAS 212 is powered by Quard core 1.5 GHz processor with 2GB of RAM. It can deliver upto 200 MB/s reading and 160 MB/s writing speed. In terms of data protection, you will get automatic RAID protection against disk failure, restore lost data, malware protection, bitrot protection for long lasting data integrity and cloud backup. Without using any extra software , you can take backup of your files from PC and Mobiles. For Mac, time machine backup can be used. If you want to use your media with multiple devices, Plex , itunes or native DLNA can be used. For remote use, Netgear’s Ready Cloud is available for this network attached storage.
Pros :
- Good read and write speed
- Different options for data protection from virus and failure
- Multiple backup options .
Cons :
- ARM Processor but the performance is good
- Little bit expensive
3. QNAP TS-251A 2-bay TS-251A personal cloud NAS :
The QNAP is a powerful drive with Intel Celeron N3060 Dual Core 1.6GHz (up to 2.48GHz) processor and 4GB DDR3L RAM. For first time installation, it provides USB 3.0 quick access ports that quickly completes the installation. Two more transmission mode is supported by this NAS : Ethernet NAS mode and iSCSI SAN block-based mode.For back up, it uses QTS storage manager that can restore data to any point of time in case of data loss. Files can be shared between computers and smartphones using QSync synchronization manager. Even cloud sync is also available to access data from anywhere. You can take backup to any of the cloud services available like Azure , Google cloud , Box, Dropbox, Google drive, onedrive etc.
Pros :
- Powerful
- Ethernet NAS , iSCSI SAN and USB 3.0
- Good operating software, 4K video support
Cons :
- Does not come with Hard drive installed
2. Buffalo TeraStation 5200DN 2-Drive 2 TB Desktop NAS :
Buffalo TeraStation 5200DN is Two-drive network storage with Intel Atom D2550 Dual-Core Processor. The front panel contains a LCD that displays informations like IP address , status of the drives and USB ports are used or not. It has two Ethernet ports, two USB 2.0 ports and two USB 3.0 ports. It offers a video surveillance asset management system with a capability of 16 Real Time Streaming Protocol IP based security cameras to record and store video feeds of your home or office. For data backup, you can set it up with another Buffalo network attached storage device . With WebAccess and FTP/ SFTP servers, you can access to its data remotely from any device.
Pros :
- Good for small office use
- Dual core powerful processor
- Video surveillance setup
Cons :
- No USB port at front
1. Seagate Personal Cloud 2-bay Home Media Storage Device 6TB NAS :
Best for storing personal data, this 2 bay network attached storage device provides double layer of protection by automatically storing each of your files to a built-in second hard drive. You will get free cloud-space to store all of your files . Access these files anywhere with any device and share it securely with your friends and family. Streaming is supported to any device using Seagate Media apps like Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, LG and Samsung TVs, Sonos, and any DLNA certified device. If you use IFTTT( IF THIS THEN THAT ) , then the good news is that this device is compatible with IFFTTT . Additionally , you can transform it into a Plex media server and access all files anywhere using Plex applications. Overall this NAS is a convenient network storage for your home.
Pros :
- Easy to use
- Cloud support
- Compatible with Plex/p>
Cons :
- Not fast enough, but works without any problem