Why Do You Need a NAS Device?

To Increase Your Storage Space

One of the primary reasons to add a NAS device to your home network is for more storage space. PC manufacturers have widely adopted SSDs over HDDs in modern PCs and laptops, meaning that although they’re faster and more reliable, they often come with less storage. External hard drives may help solve data storage problems but it’s a physical object that you’ll need to keep connected to your laptop and PC, the files on them can’t be shared as easily, and they often don’t have features built-in to offer additional protection for your data.

External hard drives may help provide more storage but misses a number of benefits you get with a NAS

NAS drives offer always-on storage, can serve multiple devices at once, and has features for added security

A NAS drive, on the other hand, offers expanded file storage that is always on, can serve multiple devices at one time, and has built-in features to offer extra security and convenience. For expandability, NAS drives offer up to 24 bays, though most home or small business users will likely only need two to four bays.

Additionally, some NAS devices offer great features that help you manage your hard drive disk space even easier. ASUSTOR's Lockerstor Gen2 NAS devices, for example, support the full suite of Adobe software so you can edit videos and photos directly on Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Lightroom or Final Cut Pro without taking up any space on your hard drive. 

For Data Back-Up and Protection

A NAS device will play an active role in protecting your data and minimising the chances of it getting lost. They often have features built-in that protect your data and provide some peace of mind in the case of natural disasters, hard drive failure, theft, and even just human error. Many NAS drives come with multiple bays or disks which you can set up with the exact same data. When you have two bays available with the same data, this is known as a RAID 1 configuration. With this in place, if one drive fails, your files are still safe on the second drive. Depending on the device you purchase and the number of bays available, other RAID configuration options may become available offering further backup and protection.

If you’re still concerned about losing data on your NAS, some devices have extra features in place to safeguard your data, such as remote storage and cloud integration, ensuring your data is still safe and secure, even in the event of natural disasters or flooding. Synology also offers a three-year hardware warranty on their NAS to back their devices and assure you that your data is reliably backed up. 

Access Files From Various Devices

Your NAS can be accessed from any device on your home network.

Some NAS devices let you access files over the internet so your data is available to you from anywhere.

One of the key advantages of a NAS drive is that it can be accessed from anywhere on your WiFi network, meaning you can download, view, and upload files from all of your devices. Some will even let you access your files over the internet so your data is always available to you, even when you’re jet-setting or at the office – just double check that your NAS drive has a remote feature for this. Ultimately, this makes a NAS the ideal solution for households where multiple users and/or devices need easy access to the same set of files, whether they’re photos, documents, media files, or whatever else you might need.

For a Multimedia / Entertainment

With files being easily accessible to any device on the network, NAS drives are a great home multimedia solution. In fact, streaming video and audio is one of the most common uses for a household NAS. Just connect to the NAS drive from your TV or any other devices on the home network, select what movies or music you’d like to play, and you’re good to go!

Perfect for streaming video and audio from any of your devices, including the TV.

You can use Plex Media Server to stream media files to your devices.

ASUSTOR NAS users get a 30-day free trial of Plex Pass. Once downloading Plex Media Server in App Central, users can apply for an upgrade to a premium account to receive more Plex features. After installing Plex Media Server and Plex Pass, you’ll be able to watch live TV and record your favorite TV shows with Plex DVR. The high capacity of an ASUSTOR NAS and user-friendly interface storing and managing audio and video entertainment easy.

Benefit from Snapshots and Versioning

To provide you with some additional peace of mind and protection, NAS drives take snapshots or versions of your data. Snapshots help protect your data by fully recording the system status and metadata. If files are accidentally deleted, modified, or compromised by ransomware, you can use snapshots to quickly restore previously-recorded data. Snapshots on QNAP’s TS-251D are block-based and only record modified data. This saves storage space and also reduces the time required to back up and restore data.

Choosing your NAS device

Once you decide to add a NAS drive to your home network, you’ll need to think about what NAS is best for you. There are plenty of NAS devices designed specifically with the home user in mind which already makes choosing one easier.

If you merely plan to use your NAS to backup your PC, you can opt for a pretty basic NAS. It may pay to choose a NAS with two bays or more, however, so that you can have more than one copy of the same data in case of disk failure, and/or one with additional cloud storage integration. 

If you plan to use your NAS to stream multimedia to various devices and your TV, or to store high-resolution photos, videos, or other large files, you’ll want a NAS with higher specifications for memory and processor.

If you plan on using your NAS to store a collection of high-resolution images, photos, or design work, you’ll also need a NAS with plenty of power.

Here's a quick summary of some key factors to keep in mind:

• Storage Needs - Consider how much data you have and how fast you expect it to grow.
• Number of Users -More users may need a NAS device with a more powerful processor and more RAM.
• Compatibility - Ensure it's compatible with your current devices and operating systems.
• Intended Usage - If you want to use the NAS for media streaming or other intensive tasks, you'll need a device with a more powerful processor.
• Security - Ideally, look for NAS devices that support RAID levels for data protection.
• Expandability - Ability to add additional hard drives is a good feature if you anticipate needing more storage.
• Backup Features - A NAS that supports automatic backups will be beneficial.
• Support and Warranty - Look for good customer support and warranty period to guarantee the longevity of your investment.

For more info on what to consider, along with three recommendations based on use case, check out this article.