Having a backup of your important files, be it photos, videos, or documents, is very important. Losing important files, which in many cases can be memories, can be quite unpleasant. There is a solution and it is to have a NAS storage system at home and these are the seven reasons to buy one.
For those who do not know what a NAS is, we are going to explain it in a simple way. It is basically a specialized computer designed for data storage. We install the hard drives extremely easily and offer different ways to “combine” the hard drives to protect your data as much as possible.
Yes, you should have a NAS at home and leave the Google cloud
Currently, the most common is to use Google Drive on Android or, failing that, Apple iCloud for iPhone users. Windows offers us OneDrive, although this system is not widely used. We also have specialized services such as Dropbox or Mega. These systems are fine, but the data is no longer yours, it becomes the “property” of a company. We could find that we do not have access to the data, at any given time.
You will want reasons to buy and configure a NAS and they are these:
- Centralized storage: You have all your files and data in one place, making it easy to access and organize. The NAS connected to the home network, allows access from any device connected to this network
- Remote access: modern NAS systems allow data to be accessed without needing to be on the same network. Most have an application for smartphones or PCs, which allow access to the storage system from anywhere without problems. We can also make backup copies at any time
- Security: they add important elements such as user authentication, data encryption, and permissions management. They offer us greater security than external hard drives or cloud services
- Backup: allow you to schedule unattended file backups. All NAS allow you to schedule the date, time and folders to be copied periodically to avoid data loss
- Cost savings: It represents a significant saving of money compared to paying for storage in cloud systems. In the medium and long term, savings are important.
- Flexibility: They provide great flexibility in terms of configuration and customization. We have different possible RAID configurations, as well as adding or removing storage units at will
- Scalability: They are open systems that allow storage capacity to be increased as needed and at any time.
Not all that glitters is gold
Indeed, NAS storage systems have many strengths, but also their weaknesses. These are:
- Certain knowledge is required: Although configuring a NAS is not complicated, it can be complicated for some users. In addition, it requires knowledge about current and future needs, types of storage units that we can install and RAID configuration.
- Price: these systems come at a high price, even in fairly simple models. In addition, we must add the cost of the storage units that we are going to need
- Setting: the creation of access credentials through the Internet, RAID configuration or internal file structure, requires certain knowledge. Although all this has been simplified, it still presents certain difficulties
What NAS can be interesting at home?
Finally, we want to leave you with some options that we find interesting for configuring a home cloud.
Zyxel NAS326
Pretty simple two bay home system for home use mainly. This NAS supports drives up to 16TB, allowing a maximum capacity of 32TB. It allows us to create RAID 0 / 1 and JBOD configurations. It integrates an RJ45 connector for network connection, as well as a USB 2.0 on the front and two USB 3.1 Gen1 on the back.
It has its own application that allows remote access through the Internet in a simple way. The truth is that it is not the brand that I like the most, since its application is quite limited and for my taste, it lacks functions.
Synology DS220j 2 Bay
We are now going with a solution from a well-known brand in this field that offers high-quality products. This Synology NAS is characterized by having a very careful and elegant design. It has two bays that allow a maximum capacity of 32 TB. It allows the configuration of RAID 0 / 1 and JBOD systems, in addition to Synology’s own Hybrid RAID system.
This system has an RJ45 and two USB 3.2 Gen1, all of them in the back. It has a very complete and good quality software that allows access to files on the network and also through the Internet. It is one of the best options in terms of quality / price.
QNAP TS-231K 2 Bay
We are leaving now with a brand with a long history in this segment and a product with a classic design. This NAS developed by QNAP has a recognizable design that has been on the market for many years. Obviously, it has been updated over time to offer the best possible benefits for the user. It integrates two hard drive bays, which support 16TB drives for a maximum of 32TB capacity.
It supports, as usual, RAID 0 / 1 and JBOD configurations, which is typical for two-bay drives. It has two RJ45 ports and two USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, one of them on the front. Something interesting is that it has “Wake-on-Lan” which is basically that we can turn it on remotely.
It has a very complete application, software that is easy to use and configure, and years of experience. For me, it’s confidence at its best.
Asustor Drivestor 2 Pro AS3302T
Finally, we bring a much more advanced option, a hybrid between home and professional use. It should be noted that Asustor is the specific division of ASUS for network storage systems and has considerable prestige in the industry. This system offers us two bays that support hard drives of up to 18 TB, for a maximum capacity of 36 TB.
This unit allows us RAID 0 / 1 and JBOD configurations for this system. Regarding connectivity, it has a 2.5G Ethernet port and three USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, one of which is on the front. It has advanced security features and comprehensive, easy-to-configure software. It is a very good brand and highly recommended.
