Best NAS 2024: Upgrade to Network Attached Storage Today
05.01.2024 - 18:07
/ ign.com
/ Best
Maybe you’ve got one of the best gaming PCs or best laptops, and you want something to easily back up or transfer all the precious data stored on them. Sure, they might be equipped with the best SSDs, or you’ve got solid external hard drives hanging around holding files, photos, and content. But nothing compares to a great NAS (network-attached storage) drive, like our favorite, Synology DiskStation DS224+.
The best NAS drives offer significant storage opportunities and hook into your home network, letting you quickly transfer data to and from your devices. Smartphones, tablets, desktops, and laptops can be connected to the same network simultaneously, and it's easy to sync them up, making NAS ideal for media libraries. However, NAS doesn’t come cheap, so choose carefully. Luckily, we’ve narrowed your search to eight excellent options for various use cases.
If you want to avoid fooling around with overly complex software or settling for simple hardware, the Synology DiskStation DS224+ gets you up and running with a highly capable but straightforward NAS. It features two drive bays, letting you opt for increased storage—up to 32TB, depending on the drive you select—or a RAID 1 configuration to protect your data through redundancy. The two Gigabit LAN ports allow for higher speeds with Link Aggregation or network failover support, though we wish there were a 2.5GB or 10GB LAN support for an even quicker connection.
Using this NAS is simple thanks to Synology's versatile apps and software available on an easy-to-use interface. You can set it up for storing security camera footage, use it as a Plex server, or keep files and photos safe and accessible. Even if you want to transcode 4K media, quickly manage files, or smoothly stream videos, the DiskStation DS224+ is up to task and blazing fast thanks to a powerful Intel Celeron J4125 2.0GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of DDR4 RAM, which you can always upgrade.
The Asustor Drivestor 2 Pro AS3302T provides a nice balance of quality hardware, a stylish design, and a modest price that won’t make you shy away from adding a NAS to your home. It’s got plenty of oomph thanks to the Realtek RTD1296 ARM quad-core 1.4 GHz processor and 2GB of RAM, so this NAS is ready for a high-quality video library, including decoding for 10-bit 4K video. The comprehensive OS and apps make for an easy setup, so you’ll be backing up files and creating your own cloud server in no time.
This NAS delivers dual-drive bays, giving you room for plenty of storage or letting you opt for extra security by running two drives in RAID for redundancy. You’ll be sticking to SATA drives in the Asustor Drivestor 2 Pro AS3302T, though, as there are no M.2 slots. But if you’re looking for speed, using