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Upgradability is also an important factor to consider. For example, if you need a NAS to transcode 4K video or edit video files directly over the network, it needs the hardware horsepower to make that possible. The NAS has a CPU, RAM, specific Ethernet port speeds, and maximum drive specs that you’ll need to be aware of. Performance specifications on NAS devices are as important as those of a personal computer when choosing a product. Going beyond two drive bays comes down to your desired mix of maximum capacity, speed, and redundancy. A two-bay model allows for disk mirroring and is a better choice ensuring your data stays intact. However, with just one bay, all data is lost should the drive fail. A single-bay NAS (or even a simple external hard drive) is fine for users who only want to stream media, create basic backups, or have fast local shared storage. The number of drive bays is the first decision you need to make. The key aspects you need to consider before buying one can be broken down into a few broad categories. A NAS hard drive is essentially a specialized computer and, like all computers, comes in many varieties. While every NAS fulfills the basic function of attaching storage to your network, that’s where the similarities end.
Best nas for home server for mac#
What to Look for in a NAS in 2022 Best NAS Overall: Synology 2 Bay NAS DiskStation DS220+ (Diskless) Best Budget NAS: Synology DS120j 1 Bay NAS DiskStation Best Home NAS: WD 4TB My Cloud EX2 Ultra Best NAS for Business: Synology 4 bay NAS DiskStation DS920+ Best NAS for Plex and Media Streaming: Asustor AS5202T Best NAS for Mac: WD Diskless My Cloud EX4100 Update, : We’ve reviewed our recommendations and have replaced the Best NAS for Mac recommendation due to the original pick, the Drobo 5N2, being out of stock. ✗ Gamer aesthetic and features may not appeal to some ✗ Requires a paid Plex Pass to get the most from the hardware ✗ Might be a little too expensive upfront for very small startups ✗ Some user reviews cite reliability issues and trouble accessing the NAS over the internet ✗ CPU and RAM aren't up to media transcoding or any heavy lifting ✗ Having just one drive removes any redundancy ✓ RAM is expandable if needed down the line ✓ Good specifications to handle media encoding ✓ Listed in the Plex database for up to 4K hardware transcoding ✓ Lots of room to grow with RAM and M.2 SSD cache drives
Best nas for home server trial#
✓ Supports Plex Media Server and comes with 3-month trial ✓ Plug-and-play solution with included storage out of the box ✓ A feature-complete NAS for very little money ✓ Read/Write speeds are actually pretty good for the money ✓ Extremely cheap, especially if you use it with a drive you already have ✓ Surprisingly powerful CPU and upgradable RAM ✓ Dual Gigabit LAN with either failover or link aggregation ✓ Offers RAID 1 disk mirroring for the basic redundancy most people require ✓ The best jack-of-all-trades NAS with a fair price

The Diskless model is a bargain if you can get a good deal on drives, though the pre-populated models feel a little overpriced. Great features, with native support for Time Machine. This NAS allows 4K transcoding at a great price point. If you're looking for a NAS mainly for media and Plex, you can make it easy with the Asustor AS5202T. If you're looking for a NAS for business, you need something that will scale as you grow. This one includes storage right out of the box and is compatible with Plex servers. WD's My Cloud NAS is perfect for many home setups. Provided you're not doing any media transcoding, this is a solid NAS choice. Getting a NAS set up for just $100? That seems too cheap, but the DS120j is anything but. It's good for archiving data, can be used with Plex, and is relatively inexpensive. Synology's DS220+ is one of the best NAS devices around, and perfect for most anyone's needs.
