Which NAS?

paullewis323

paullewis323

paullewis323

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Joined
10 Jan 2012
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301
Location
NW UK
Hi guys

Fed up of changing HDD's in my rig for storage (changing for bigger drives) so finally going to purchase a NAS from Overclockers

Main use of the NAS is for:

- For my main file storage and back up
- To access files and folders from my laptop and gaming rig
- To access music files for my high end Naim Audio system (and streaming)
- To access stored HD film files on the NAS via my networked TV and Blu Ray Player

With the above in mind, what NAS would you recommend guys

Was thinking of one of these two:-


NAS 1

NAS 2

Never used or installed a NAS before, so my main questions are:-

1. Which one to go for?
2. Do the ones I mentioned above come with HDD's?
3. Can I access them via wireless from my laptop?

Regards

Lew
 
Hey,

The ones you've mentioned do not come with hard drives.
I wouldn't bother with the WiFi version as you're likely to connect the NAS at the same place as the router which will share the NAS over wired and wireless.
I would suggest a 2 bay and start off with one 2-3TB hard drive.
I personally have a ds212j 2 bay. its fantastic and I'm glad my storage is centralised so all devices can access it.
Although I don't transfer gigabytes of data often. The synology has download features within is bitorrent and such
 
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If you what to media stream your movies then the NAS may need to transcode the media format to that supported by the target ie. SmartTV or Playstation or iPad etc. If this is something you need to do then check that the NAS supports DNLA (uPNP) and it has the correct decoders installed for the target devices? Some times these are extras and add extra cost!

I personally use an old PC running NAS4FREE and there are hundreds of YouTube videos on how to set it up, very easy? It's also FREEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

I recently spotted a video on how to install your 'owncloud' onto NAS4FREE, which is a cool way to store and access photos and files etc.
 
I've been running a NAS from an old machine for the last few years but recently decided to go to a dedicated box.

After researching a lot of the options I've personally settled on the Synology DS1513+. It's a 5 drive smart NAS, that can handle the apps I need plus the redundency I need as well. It's not a cheap option at about £650, but it takes care of all my personal cloud, media streaming (Plex, DLNA) etc needs. Plus its expandable if I ever need to go past 5 drives, although I'm planning on using 5 x 4Tb Seagates, so the 16Tb (after RAID setup) will suffice me for the next couple of years.
 
I too am trying to decide on a NAS device the Synology 213j is one I am considering but I've also come across the zyxel nsa325. This seems a good choice and I can't decide either - I will watch your thread closely
 
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