What’s a NAS, and is it really necessary? Patrick Campanale is a tech expert who has worked in the industry for over 10 years. He specializes in PC/gaming reviews and news, along with maker-focused product to help build small business. Patrick Campanale began his career in the technology industry in 2010, focusing on Palm/webOS. He spent those formative years creating mobile apps and blogging for different publications. In 2014, he launched his own website. He left his role as a blogger to focus on high-end PC building and manufacturing, and YouTube video production. Then, six years ago, Patrick joined the 9to5Toys team as an editor/writer/reviewer with over 14,000 articles being published there there, ranging from deals and roundups to in-depth reviews on the latest technology, video games, 3D printers, and more. Patrick enjoys creating wood projects using a variety of robots, methods and technologies, such as CNCs and Lasers. Patrick’s workshop is where he can be found when he’s not working or playing games on his computer. Patrick also serves as a youth minister at his church, where he believes God called him. He loves it. You’re looking to buy a NAS but don’t know what it is.
Do you have any idea about a NAS? Here, I will explain what a NAS actually is and what it’s not. Also, whether or not you need one.
It’s easier than you think to understand.
Patrick Campanale /How-To Geek Credit
NAS is a term that you’ve likely heard a lot around the web, but exactly what does it mean? NAS is short for Network Attached Storage. NAS is most often used to refer to a server that has network access. It can be as simple as a hard drive connected to the network (like the Synology BeStation) or it could be an enterprise-grade appliance, such as I use in my lab.
A NAS can be defined as any storage device that’s accessible via the network. You can run a NAS if you are able to access storage over the network without having it directly connected.
What is the difference between a NAS and a USB SSD or HDD?
Network access baby.
Patrick Campanale /How-To Geek.
If you have a couple of USB HDDs and SSDs, it’s likely that you think “How can a NAS be any different than what I already own?”. This was a recent conversation with a childhood friend. She is a professional wedding photographer who buys 10-15TB USB SSDs every year to run her business. The USB drive must be connected to your computer in order to use it. If you leave the drives unplugged for a long time, they can suffer from bit rot. USB HDDs and USB SSDs are convenient for taking with you, but they can’t replace a NAS.
A NAS allows you to access your data from anywhere in your network, without the need for a hard drive. In my spare time I enjoy woodworking, laser engraving and even have a YouTube Channel dedicated to it. Sometimes I want to edit a video while in the workshop. Since I store all my footage in my NAS at the office, it is easy to remotely transfer the files and begin editing my video on my MacBook Pro.
Once I’m finished, I simply push the files to the NAS and they are no longer stored on my MacBook Pro. It would be a hassle if I had to use a USB stick for this. I would have to go out of the store, get the drive and bring it back to the store to do the transfer. This is so much easier with a NAS.
NASs also offer much greater storage capacity than USB drives. It’s not even close to being full. My primary storage server is 60TB. It would be possible to have two drives redundant with the 24TB drive (this is expensive but still feasible), or one drive redundant with 264TB. This man is unaware of any USB drive with this type storage capacity. If you want to store large amounts of data at home, a NAS will be the most suitable solution.
You can’t just plug in a HDD into the router.
Technically, yes.
Hannah Stryker /How-To Geek Credit
You have an 8TB hard drive that you want to connect to your Wi-Fi router so it can be network-accessible and, therefore, a NAS. It’s fine and it is a NAS. But let me explain why this may not be the best option.
A dedicated NAS, such as a QNAP or UGREEN server, is a redundant system. It’s the same with smaller 2- or 4-bay systems.
The hard drive or SSD plugged into the router is a NAS. This is Network Attached Storage . If the drive breaks, there is no backup. Data is lost. You can configure a NAS dedicated server so you have redundant backups in case of drive failure. This is not a backupbut it can prevent data loss. RAID, or parity depending on which system you are using, works by distributing the data to ensure that if one drive fails, you will still be able to access the same data with the help of the remaining drives until you install a replacement drive. The redundant function is what makes a NAS different from a USB drive or SSD. This is why a dedicated NAS device is superior to plugging a hard drive into your router. If you are on a budget and have a USB drive, can you use a router that has a USB slot to share files? This is a good place to begin! You can move those files down the line to a dedicated NAS, and you may even remove the hard drive from its casing to include it in the NAS array.
Are you sure that you need a NAS system?
What you need depends on your situation. Credit: Jordan Gloor /How-To Geek.
As an internet writer, it’s difficult for me to say if you need a NAS. What if my photographer friend spends $2,500 per annum on external SSDs of 10TB to 15TB? She does need a NAS. (And she will be purchasing one soon). A friend of mine who owns a small CNC and 3D printing business does not need a NAS because the files are so small. He stores his data in Google Drive. The only time a NAS will be useful is if there are a large number of files to store. I have 60TB usable space on my NAS, and about 70% is being used right now. It’s impossible to have 60TB of cloud storage at a reasonable price. It wouldn’t be much use to me to have it on the cloud if it took a long time to transfer it across the network. Do you really need a NAS then? Your own needs will determine what you choose. You need a large amount of data to be stored at home. Do you want to have the option to add more storage and redundancy in case the drives fail? You will need a NAS if you answer yes to these questions. You may only need to add a few more gigs of storage, and you do not need it accessible anywhere else on your network. Get a portable SSD, like the Crucial X10.
While a NAS can be a useful tool, it is not worth the money when it sits in your system unused. Synology DS425+ (19659019)
Synology (
Synology]
]CPU
Intel Celeron
]This 4-bay NAS is great for small offices and homes. It comes with a 3-year Synology warranty.