The Importance of NAS (Network Attached Storage)

By Samuel Wilson

I previously discussed how important it is to keep all your data safe and secure, along with some different ways to store and backup your files. Another great option, is to use a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device because it’s not ideal to store files on multiple devices all over the place.

A NAS device, can essentially store your files in one location and allow the devices in your home, office, and/or building to access this data through the network. Security measures can be put in place to restrict file and folder access based upon user defined settings.

A NAS device should be considered when multiple computers/devices in an environment need to share and access data. Another great feature of a NAS device, is that multi-drive and multi-bay NAS server units, give the user the ability to mirror files or back them up, so data won’t be lost if one of the drives fail. Depending on the NAS device, a personal cloud may be setup in order to access files on the go.
NAS servers can be built or purchased, but for most users, a pre-built NAS server will probably be the best option. Building a NAS server on your own, requires careful planning, a bit of time, some know-how, and requires a lot of configuration to get it to do exactly what you want. This is a task, that isn’t for everyone. Not everyone has the time or know how to tinker and try and figure out a “custom NAS solution”.

A company like Synology, has taken and done all that work for you, they produce pre-built NAS servers that are easy to use. For the most part, all that’s needed to get going is for the user to purchase and install the correct hard drives for the unit, since most NAS Servers are disk-less (they don’t come with hard drives). Hard Drives should be purchased from a quality manufacturer like Seagate.

Seagate NAS or Enterprise Hard Drives are designed to be used in these types of devices, so use these. Traditional Desktop Hard Drives (from any manufacturer) should not be used in a NAS Server because they aren’t designed for this type of use. Installing an incorrect drive into a NAS Server can result in data corruption and or device failure. Installing the drives is extremely easy and takes almost no time.

Synology NAS servers are available in different configurations and each model can accept a different number of hard drives, the smallest generally being a two bay (two hard drive) unit. One such unit, is the DiskStation DS716+, its a 2-bay compact server that accepts 2 hard drives.

After the hard drives are installed, all that needs to be done, is to connect the device to the network and run the configuration process. Synology’s units, run on their own Operating System called DiskStation Manager. It’s a great OS, that is very easy to use and navigate.

The device has dual LAN ports, eSata port, Kensington lock slot, and three USB 3.0 ports (to attached various devices, including additional storage). The Synology Diskstation DS716+ can support encryption, multiple file systems, and can act as an all in one server. Some of it’s many features are: the ability to be used as a personal cloud, print, FTP, web, and email server, along with the ability to stream multimedia to multiple devices. Visit synology.com for a full list of features. Along with all these great features, Synology offers free software that allows the user to sync files, organize an online photo library, and much more.

Having a NAS server like a Synology Diskstation DS716+, can make life much easier. This device, can allow for easy access to the files in your life and can back them up as well. This type of a solution is worth looking at.

Visit newburghtechgroup.com for more information.