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Which NAS Is Best For You?

When selecting a NAS device, there are several key factors to consider-

1. Your Total Storage Capacity Needs TODAY and TOMORROW - When choosing a configuration, or even the device itself, knowing how much storage space you need can help determine which device is best for you.  If you have 1.5tb of music and pictures, a 2-drive NAS device isn’t going to be what you are looking for.  A 2-drive NAS device, based on current hard drive sizes, will only give you 1tb of redundant storage space.  A 3 or 4-drive NAS device will cover your space requirements, and give you room to grow.  When selecting a NAS device, it is always best to buy a "little big", so that it isn’t filled to capacity as soon as you start using it.

2. What Network Services Are Needed? - Some NAS devices give you basic and reliable network storage, where others offer a list of network services and streaming services, as well as other "extras" that you may or may not need.  If all you are looking for is a reliable and redundant storage location to park your data and give everyone on the network access to, then you don’t need to worry about or spend extra money on a device that does much more.  Alternatively, if you want to stream the family pictures, video, and several thousand MP3 files to your living room using a media player, your NAS device needs are somewhat different.  Some NAS devices even take this one step farther, and allow hosting of pictures and media on the internet, for access from around the world.

3. How much money do you want to spend? - This certainly is a determining factor.  If you know what you want to do, how much space it will take to do it, and know you have $xx to spend on it, that will certainly help to narrow your choices.

Other considerations might be physical size and cosmetic appearance of the device.  If you have a corner of a desk, and want a small NAS device to sit neatly there, a 2-drive unit might be your best choice.  If you plan on parking all of your multimedia for your home theater, perhaps a 4 or 5-drive unit sitting on a shelf somewhere, or even a rack-mount unit, might be your best bet.

Yet another thing to consider, which plays along with what services you want the device to perform, is what operating system the device is based on.  If you want to get your feet wet, but know that someday you want to be able to "get in there" and hack away, add custom and third-party modules, and tweak your NAS as far as it can go, then perhaps a linux/unix based device would be your best bet.  These devices have very good end-user support, as well as very active user forums.
 
When choosing a NAS device, definitely examine each of the factors outlined above carefully.  Read as much as you can about a particular device that you are considering, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.