Spec me a simple NAS please

SexyGreyFox · 23 Jun 2019 at 10:24

For at least a decade I've been using a Seagate GoFlex 2TB and it still does what I want it to however it is very slow at transferring files to and back. It's old technology and it has no USB so I'm thinking about going up to 4TB and something faster.

My uses:
It has got to be seen in Windows Explorer (or Directory Opus)
It has got to be seen in Kodi (I have no interest in Plex, installed it at least 5 times and don't get on with it)
Getting files from my PC HD to the NAS has got to be a lot quicker than my current Seagate GoFlex
I don't want to spend a fortune on electricity
Anything else is icing.

I was originally looking at the WD My Cloud Home but I think everything has to be done through an App or Web Browser.
I then saw this https://www.overclockers.co.uk/wd-m...storage-4tb-wdbvbz0040jch-eesn-hd-523-wd.html this looks like it will do what I want however I know the majority will say Synology or Qnap.

So will the WD My Cloud EX fit my purpose or am I better getting this https://www.overclockers.co.uk/syno...ork-attached-storage-enclosure-hd-0as-sy.html and a 4TB WD Red NAS drive?

Thanks for any advice

BigT · 23 Jun 2019 at 10:45

Any NAS these days should allow you to provide SMB shares which is what let’s the data be seen by Windows Explorer.

The only other requirement to ensure sufficient file transfer performance, in theory, should be that the NAS is equipped with a gigabit Ethernet port. However not all NASs are created equal. The first one you linked to should be just fine for what you want but I have little experience of Off the Shelf NAS so maybe someone who has one can comment on the performance. I know QNAP and Synology will make enclosures that will definitely meet what you need (like your second link) but a solution based around those will be a little more expensive.

Edit: I just read the specs in more detail of both and the WD seems to have the same processor and twice the memory of the Synology so if you don’t need the features of Synology’s software then the WD I would guess will be great for your needs - certainly cheaper once you factor in the costs of the disks.

Quartz · 23 Jun 2019 at 11:00

Find yourself a HP Microserver Gen 8 and set that up with a suitable Linux distro or Windows Server Essentials.

Whichever solution you choose, make sure you buy drives in pairs so that they can be mirrored in case of failure.

SexyGreyFox · 23 Jun 2019 at 11:28

BigT said:
Edit: I just read the specs in more detail of both and the WD seems to have the same processor and twice the memory of the Synology so if you don’t need the features of Synology’s software then the WD I would guess will be great for your needs - certainly cheaper once you factor in the costs of the disks.

Great reply

After more research I'm favouring the Synology with a 4TB WD Red

StevieP · 23 Jun 2019 at 12:16

If you are after a simple solution then I would go with Synology of Snap - the Synology UI is really friendly (and after all, it is the UI that you are really paying for!)

Having said that I use to have a Synology and it ended up being suffering from a lack of support (ie. Plex support just stopped all of a sudden!) so I went on to a Microserver with UnRAID and I've never looked back!

SexyGreyFox · 23 Jun 2019 at 15:41

If I bought a Synology DS218j with a 4TB WD Red could I add another 4TB at a later date and have a Raid1 NAS without starting again?

StevieP · 24 Jun 2019 at 00:04

SexyGreyFox said:
If I bought a Synology DS218j with a 4TB WD Red could I add another 4TB at a later date and have a Raid1 NAS without starting again?

I believe so yes - I think you get something called "hybrid raid" which does let you add additional volumes if memory serves!

edit

Info here

SexyGreyFox · 24 Jun 2019 at 07:30

Thanks

WJA96 · 24 Jun 2019 at 07:34

SexyGreyFox said:
If I bought a Synology DS218j with a 4TB WD Red could I add another 4TB at a later date and have a Raid1 NAS without starting again?

Yes, Raid 1 is a duplication of the original data so it would be very straightforward to expand a single drive volume into a RAID 1.

I wouldn't do it that way though. RAID 1 hints at a 'backup' and it's not. I would suggest you buy two Buffalo 4TB Linkstations and use one as the primary drive and the second as your backup. They come with the NAS drives already installed and because Buffalo aren't as big a brand as QNAP or Synology they tend to be overlooked and are significantly cheaper. If you read the various reviews and watch the videos about them on YouTube they get a good write-up as reliable and stable devices.

You should be able to get the pair of fully populated 4TB units for under £360 if you shop around.

labcoattech · 24 Jun 2019 at 13:09

SexyGreyFox said:
If I bought a Synology DS218j with a 4TB WD Red could I add another 4TB at a later date and have a Raid1 NAS without starting again?

You could but your data wouldn't be protected from drive failure until you add a 2nd hard drive.

This would be setup as a Synology hybrid raid.

UberTiger · 24 Jun 2019 at 13:21

Jumping in on this, I'm thinking about getting one of these https://www.overclockers.co.uk/syno...ork-attached-storage-enclosure-hd-0as-sy.html

I've got two 5TB drives I want to put in it that I can't fit in my mini itx case to have as an extra storage location in Windows.

Would I connect the NAS to my router and store it next to that? Or could I connect it direct to my computer?

Would transfer speeds be reasonable over the network if I use wifi for my Windows PC and a modern Virgin SuperHub?

I'm a noob with regards to all this.

bremen1874 · 24 Jun 2019 at 13:43

You'd connect it to the router.

The speed over wireless will depend on what speed you actually get over wireless (it'll depend on various factors) and what you think is reasonable. If you want it fast as possible use a wired connection.

Installing your drives into a NAS will wipe them.

labcoattech · 24 Jun 2019 at 13:43

Connect the Synology NAS to your router, this will allow all the devices connected to your network to see the NAS.

Transfer speeds will depend on how your PC / device connects to the network.

Over wired gigabit ethernet I get 110MB/s (1000Mbps)

bremen1874 · 24 Jun 2019 at 13:46

labcoattech said:
Over wired gigabit ethernet I get 110MB/s (~~1000Mbps~~ 880Mbps)

UberTiger · 24 Jun 2019 at 13:47

bremen1874 said:
You'd connect it to the router.

The speed over wireless will depend on what speed you actually get over wireless (it'll depend on various factors) and what you think is reasonable. If you want it fast as possible use a wired connection.

Cool, thanks, the specs say: Over 113 MB/s reading, 112 MB/s writing

How would that compare to if the drives were fitted as normal internal SATA drives?

bremen1874 said:
Installing your drives into a NAS will wipe them.

That's okay, there's nothing on them at the mo.

bremen1874 · 24 Jun 2019 at 13:51

They’d be faster connected locally. How much would depend on the drives.

You aren’t going to see those speeds over wireless.

labcoattech · 24 Jun 2019 at 13:53

I was stating it's hitting the upper end of gigabit, max is around 125MB/s, transfer speed will also depend on the speed of the device e.g. are you transferring from / to internal HDD / SSD, USB 2, USB 3

bremen1874 · 24 Jun 2019 at 13:56

labcoattech said:
I was stating it's hitting the upper end of gigabit...

Just in a pedantic mood.

labcoattech · 24 Jun 2019 at 13:57

UberTiger · 24 Jun 2019 at 14:02

Thanks guys, I think I'll pick one up. My 500GB NVME drive is nearly full so I need to offload some space!