Simple NAS recommendations

Can anyone recommend a simple NAS i could buy - maybe while the ebay 20% is still going ?

would look to have it located next to router with a wired connection and shared throughout the house.

cheers.

Comments

  • I'd love to hear thoughts on this too. I was thinking of WD My Cloud (not exactly a NAS per se I guess) but still swaying ;)

    • +1

      I've just recently bought a my cloud, and its great. No problems so far although I haven't tried out everything. Very easy setup and management though.

      • thanks! I've decided to go for an old fashioned desktop storage drive and to use my RPi to attach it to the network when needed ;)

  • +1

    You can buy routers for about a hundred bucks that have a USB port for media server and NAS functions.

    The TP Link Archer series for example, all of them have USB ports. However you'll be limited by a slower transfer speed as USB2.0 is a bottleneck.

    • My old netgear was useless with a usb ReadyNAS connected. Not just USB 2 slow it crawled. I recommend doing a search on your specific router first to be sure it works well in this manner. It would also be good to browse forums like the whirlpool forums for advice as they have heaps of information.

  • +2

    I have been more than happy with my synology. Very easy to use,minimal configuration required. Very user friendly

    • +1 for Synology.

    • +1

      which synology would be better for a starting user? Thanks!

      • depends what you need it for. I'm using the 4 bay DS-413j with 3x4TB WD reds. I love it, though it would have been better with an intel processor. so if you can afford it the faster processor is definitely worth it.

    • +1 for Synology. It helps to have a bit of cash as their higher end models will be faster.

    • Yep, Synology is great. I have a DS415play with 3 x WD 3TB drives. 6 months in, going strong. My wife finds it really easy to use too, which makes it terrific for when she wants to watch something when I am not home.

    • Happy with my synology.

      http://xpenology.com/forum/

      is a home made synology NAS if you decided to make one yourself.

  • If budget is not an issue then Synology DS play is good option. If not I finalised Synology DS 215j which will be approx $550 with 3 TB hard drive

  • something cheap and cheerful like this for $76 (with 20%) off - just need to add drives

    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Lenovo-Iomega-IX2-200d-Network-St…

    • It would do the job, performance wise it may struggle, compared to Synology (all low end NAS do due to lower specs) but it should be alot faster than plugging a hard drive into a modem.
      I have an older Netgear duo and I really like that you can shutdown and bootup on a timed schedule to save power.
      I don't know if you can access your lenovo remotely keep that in mind.

  • +1

    Why not build your own using an old computer? Many Linux based NAS softwares available online like Amahi, FreeNAS

    • -1

      Probaly because what it would cost you for a year of running an old PC would more than cover the cost of this box, let alone the heat created and space lost.
      For anyone who wants good performance, they're better off with a Synology. For those who are OK with less than high performance this is a good option.
      I wonder if the click & collect voucher option applies to this item (if bought with other item to meet min. purchase)?

  • I just bought a 4TB WD My Cloud. So far so good. Very easy to use.
    I'll update again in a while once I've used it some more if you're interested?

    • Thanks therog1, I would like to get more feedback.

  • I've got a qnap ts451 - one of the best purchases I ever made
    Can access it from anywhere, transcoding on the fly, upgradable ram.

    It's perfect out of the box but still has some options to help future proof it

  • A few years ago, I bought a Synology DiskStation DS212j. It's been great. Constant new updates to the firmware help to breathe new life into it, and it's kept my files super solidly. Access anywhere with apps and web interface.

    If I were to buy one now, it would be the DS214play, similar but with a faster processor so it can do media transcoding on the fly. For now, my desktop PC (plugged into the TV) is set up as the Plex Media Server and it accesses the files on the NAS.

    • How frustrating that you need the PC connected TV. All my TV's are smart TV's, so dont need the pc with my synology 413j. Hoeever, one of my TV's is a Toshiba, as well as being very slow generally, it doesn't transcoded the audio on some files. I have never had a problem with the Samsung TVs though.

      • The PC is connected to the TV as it's how I play games. Until I built it last month, I used DLNA, but having the PC there is just fine.

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