after a cheap NAS, which one?

[rjk]

im after a NAS to put on my network, basically i am minimising storage in my main system and would like to have my data externally

i currently use an old rig of mine as a file server in my shed its noisy and old and uses too much power

ideally i want something low power that can do a bit of downloading and has all the key features, ideally i dont want to spend over £100.

i have been looking at western digital green drives for the storage

the two key contenders are:

Edimax NS-2502 2-Bay Gigabit NAS Enclosure

Synology Disk Station DS109j Gigabit Ethernet NAS Enclosure

obviously the edimax has the advantage of RAID1 which could be useful as it will primarily be used for data backup

but the synology seems to have more features

which one would be the best choice?

 

[Tripnologist]

I would go with the Edimax myself. Reason being two bays. You'll have RAID if needed and if not, you would then have space for another drive when/if you fill up the first one.

Then again, my needs are simple and I wouldn't even need most of the features either of them have.

 

[rjk]

would this one be better as it has the dual drive config?

Synology Disk Station DS209j Gigabit Ethernet NAS Enclosure

 

[LeJosh]

If you wanted to RAID then probably, RAID1 giving fault tolerancy. Unless you want RAID0 no fault tolerancy though.

Edit - you don't want to spend over £100 so go for the edimax.

 

[Tripnologist]

would this one be better as it has the dual drive config?

Synology Disk Station DS209j Gigabit Ethernet NAS Enclosure

The only one who can answer that is you. If you think the extra features are worth the bit extra, then yes. If you're not going to use those features, there isn't a whole lot of point in paying more for them.

 

[Deleted member 2277]

I'm also considering the edimax and the synology nas units. I am unable to find any reviews for the edimax so I'm not sure what to do. The synology although only 1 bay does seem to be the better brand and the safer choice.

 

[Zarf]

If you're thinking of spending £100+ Why not build yourself an atom based system (freenas/openfiler are good options) - gives you a lot more performance and flexibility for similar cash.
Quiet and efficient too.

Most of the off the shelf "gigabit" enclosures will struggle to give you 20MB/s. An atom system should do at least 50MB/s and have much better torrenting/media server functionality.
Boards should support at least three SATA drives and If you want more you can just add an extra SATA card. You may also need to buy a gigabit NIC, but that'll hardly break the bank.

 

[Deleted member 2277]

If you're thinking of spending £100+ Why not build yourself an atom based system (freenas/openfiler are good options) - gives you a lot more performance and flexibility for similar cash.
Quiet and efficient too.

Most of the off the shelf "gigabit" enclosures will struggle to give you 20MB/s. An atom system should do at least 50MB/s and have much better torrenting/media server functionality.
Boards should support at least three SATA drives and If you want more you can just add an extra SATA card. You may also need to buy a gigabit NIC, but that'll hardly break the bank.

Can you recommend a board? the cheaper the better