You might thing your home web is complete after you buy a good router , but that ’s not straight ! There ’s a lot of way to to improve it , and how you compute . But the best gadget to invest in after a solid router is a internet - Attached Storage , or NAS crusade . If you ’re novel to the thought of drive , they ’re basically hard drives that plug in directly to your router rather than one of your computers — and that gives them a number of advantages to the local hard drive you might have install inside your laptop computer or desktop . Here ’s why you might require to countersink up a NAS drive yourself .
We ’re not drop dead to go through an blanket buyer ’s guide here , but you ’ll findplenty of optionsonline . Prices depend on the features and capabilities you take ( commonly in damage of compatible apps and plug - IN that influence with the NAS ) , as well as storage capacity — some NAS drive are sell with concentrated drives included , and some are not , so verify you double - check .
1) Access data remotely
Many ( but not all ) NAS drive have the option to arrange up distant access , which means you’re able to get at your significant file from anywhere in the world , without having to leave a computer running all the prison term or get by with any complicated distant accession software .
Typicallythis involvesa few minutes of setup on the NAS end and then logging in with a username and password in a simple internet interface that works in your internet browser .
You ’re not going to get blistering transfer speeds , unless you have a fantastical broadband apparatus at home , but it ’s certainly going to be useable . If you need remote admission to your files , double - check it ’s included as a feature before buy a NAS .
2) Increase your storage
A freestanding NAS ride can instantly increase the storage outer space usable to you , just like plugging in an external hard movement . It may be a spot more expensive , but you get all the extra benefits we ’ve mentioned here , besides the boost of all those additional GB .
Getting an extraneous campaign is simpler , but you ca n’t share files from it around all your family computers as easily , and it does n’t come up with some of the data point redundancy features we ’re going to talk about below . Plus , if you necessitate your files on the go , then you have to convey your drive around with you .
Having more distance available on your NAS mean you do n’t ask to spend so much on the storage inside your laptop or screen background . You canget a Chromebookfor home use , dependable in the knowledge that you may still get at your files at any fourth dimension through a entanglement web web browser window .
3) Data backup and redundancy
Many NAS driveway come with RAID options make - in , which means you’re able to double data across multiple drives rather than just one — and that in turn think of if one drive should suddenly give way down and exit , you ’ve already got an exact written matter quick and waiting .
You do have to pay extra for additional drives to produce this data redundance , but it does minimize your downtime if a drive should suddenly fail — perhaps it ’s an option to consider if you ’ve got a family office frame-up or important oeuvre files at home .
This does have an impact on disk upper ( as you ’re writing double the data ) but it should n’t be hugely obtrusive for most undertaking . What ’s more , most modern NAS unit will make the RAID apparatus so simple that it ’s largely inconspicuous as far as day - to - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. tasks go .
4) Switching between computers
Most of us have now grown used to enlisting the help of divine service like Dropbox or Google Drive to keep files synced between machines , but a NAS does the same line of work : It makes all of your datum available to every machine that you use , no matter where you are in the Earth .
You ’ll have to pay up for the NAS unit of measurement and your phonograph recording to begin with , but after that there are no recurring subscription fees as there might be with a cloud sync service . Even better , you own all the data , so you ’re not passing it on to a third company .
If you do rely on cloud storage as well , though , most modern NASes canwork alongsidethese religious service if necessary . For instance , you might want to combine the good feature of both Dropbox and a NAS and keep yourself covered with backups in the swarm .
5) Stream your videos around the house
One of the most common reasons for getting a NAS drive is to be able to pelt movies , TV show , medicine , and photos around the theatre , to multiple motorcar and displays , without having to keep one computer running all the sentence to serve up the content to other devices .
Plex , for exercise , one of the best solutions for arrange upyour own secret Netflix , work very well with NAS drives : you’re able to get at your movies and shows from pretty much anywhere , as long as the NAS is online .
you may even plug in an feeler using something likeHDHomeRunand have not just your own individual YouTube , but your own secret YouTube TV as well .
This does require a bit of horsepower on the part of the NAS ( because it ’s attend to up media without the avail of a data processor ) , so component that in when you ’re making your selection — you should n’t go incorrect if you specifically look for a unit thatworks with Plexor whatever media waiter app you prefer .
6) Sharing and collaboration
We ’ve just mentioned how using a NAS drive instead of a cloud storage solution make life soft for you , but it can make life wanton for other people too — you could divvy up files with acquaintance , family , and fellow worker direct from your NAS box rather than a separate service .
Plus , if you ’re work on projects together — whether that ’s a presentation with colleagues or a vacation photo gallery with the family — a NAS can make it super - straightforward to get everyone enter the correct files and folders , without synchronize everything via the World Wide Web first .
you’re able to either grant people extensive admission to sure pamphlet on the NAS or just manoeuvre them towards a download link — for them it will just be like downloading any other file from the World Wide Web . Again , the NAS software should handle all the tough work for you .
7) Control your internet
We ’ve already touched on some of the third - party plug - ins and consolidation you may take vantage of with a dedicated NAS box , likePi - holefor example : An effective ad - blocking agent that works across your whole web to keep out intrusive advert on sites you do n’t confide .
Getting something like Pi - Hole up and running play does take a bit of meter and effort , but it gives you more ascendance over the internet as it come in into your home . Just retrieve to whitelistthe sites you want to patronage .
There ’s enough more app support , include Dropbox and Plex , and apps for setting up your own email waiter on your NAS , or storing footage from a machine-accessible surveillance photographic camera . Most data that can be stored in the cloud can also well be stored more privately on a NAS box alternatively .
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