The very best residence community hooked up storage (NAS) server provides you the flexibleness to retailer all of your valuable knowledge in a single location, and it has highly effective instruments that allow you to take advantage of your media assortment. NAS servers are significantly helpful when you’ve got a big music or media library; you may simply stream content material to all related gadgets, and the accessibility makes it extremely handy.
There’s a lot extra you are able to do with a NAS; the servers highlighted beneath make it effortlessly simple to again up images and movies from your whole telephones, again up paperwork and another knowledge out of your Home windows or macOS machines, and a lot extra.
So if you happen to’ve already dabbled on this section or need to get your fingers in your first NAS, you will discover loads of nice selections beneath. I highlighted servers which might be ideally fitted to residence customers, whether or not that is media streaming by way of Plex, backing up knowledge, or getting began with a finances NAS that has the necessities.
At a look
1. Synology DiskStation DS224+
Greatest total
The DiskStation DS224+ continues to be the only option if you happen to want a house NAS in 2024. It has terrific {hardware}, the perfect software program on this section, and loads of helpful additions. If you happen to want a dependable 2-bay NAS with an in depth feature-set, you can’t go improper with the DS224+.Â
2. Synology DiskStation DS223j
Greatest finances NAS
The DiskStation DS223j is a terrific alternative if you happen to want a value-focused NAS that also excels on the fundamentals. The NAS has related software program options as its costlier siblings, and whereas the {hardware} is not probably the most highly effective, it’s sufficient for many residence utilization eventualities.
3. Synology BeeStation 4TB
Greatest newbie NAS
The BeeStation is an all-in-one unit comes with a 4TB arduous drive, and it effortlessly backs up images and movies, in addition to another knowledge. It would not have media streaming or any of the software program options that you simply get with most different NAS servers, however if you happen to simply want native storage, it’s best.
Greatest {hardware}
If you happen to want a house NAS with the perfect {hardware}, ASUSTOR’s AS5402T must be on the high of your record. This 2-bay NAS has 4 M.2 slots, twin 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, and highly effective Intel {hardware} that makes it a terrific media streamer.
5. Synology DiskStation DS423+
Greatest for media streaming
The DiskStation DS423+ is a 4-bay NAS that’s ideally fitted to Plex media streaming. The highly effective {hardware} is nice for transcodes, you get twin M.2 slots so as to add SSD storage, and the DS423+ has the perfect software program options on this section.
6. TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus
Greatest SSD NAS
TerraMaster did all the fitting issues with the F8 SSD Plus; the NAS is smaller than an everyday 2-bay unit, however you get eight M.2 slots in whole, and there is 10GbE connectivity. The software program is significantly better than earlier years, and if you happen to’re prepared to modify to SSD storage, that is the NAS to get.Â
Greatest total
The DiskStation DS224+ continues to be the perfect residence NAS round, and that is not more likely to change anytime quickly. It is not a single factor that provides the DS224+ an edge; as a substitute, it is a mixture of {hardware}, software program options, and positioning. The {hardware} is not the perfect you will discover on this section because it would not have any 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports or M.2 SSD slots, however these are minor limitations that finally have a bearing in each day use.
That mentioned, the remainder of the {hardware} is terrific; the DS224+ is powered by the Intel Celeron J4125, and it’s the default alternative for the finest Plex NAS servers. It even has the power to transcode Plex content material, making it that rather more engaging. So when you’ve got a big media library and need to arrange a NAS, it is best to decide up the DS224+. The two-bay NAS has 2GB of RAM out of the field, twin Gigabit Ethernet ports, and two USB 3.0 ports.
The most important differentiator for the DS224+ is the software program; the DiskStation Supervisor interface has a refined design and loads of options, and better of all, it is easy to make use of. You’ll be able to arrange Synology Photographs and have a Google Photographs various that shops knowledge in your personal home, and the utility by itself makes the DS224+ worthy. In an analogous vein, you may again up knowledge from nearly any machine routinely, entry your media library once you’re away from your property, and a complete lot extra.
Finally, the DS224+ has the requisite {hardware} and software program to really stand out, and it’s a straightforward alternative if you happen to want a robust residence NAS server.
Greatest finances NAS
Do not want all of the extras that the DS224+ has to supply? You then’ll need to try the DiskStation DS223j. That is additionally a 2-bay NAS, but it surely would not have the identical caliber of {hardware}; it’s powered by a Realtek RTD1619B chip, has 1GB of reminiscence, and a single Gigabit Ethernet port on the again.
The upside is that it prices underneath $200, and that makes it extremely engaging. You continue to get many of the software program options which might be current within the DS224+, and whilst you miss out on containerization and digital machines, these aren’t options that make a distinction to residence customers anyway.
Whereas there are many finances NAS servers, I all the time advocate the DS223j for the confirmed software program. It’s considerably simpler to make use of, and Synology’s cellular apps can help you stream your media from wherever on this planet. And the perfect half is that it has a local Plex consumer, so you may arrange a media server with none points.
If you happen to simply want a NAS to retailer knowledge in a single location and stream media on a finances, the DS223j is the only option accessible at the moment.
Greatest newbie NAS
You want a dependable technique to retailer images and useful knowledge, however do not need to put money into a full-fledged NAS. That is the place the BeeStation is available in; that is an all-in-one unit that homes a 4TB arduous drive (a HAT3300 Plus), so you may get began immediately. The purpose with the BeeStation is to focus on shoppers that do not but have a NAS and need to get inexpensive native storage that is related to the community.
Subsequently, you do not get a whole lot of software program options; there’s the power to again up images and movies, and information from any of your related machines. That is it. You do not get the standard DiskStation Supervisor software program, and the interface is as barebones as it could get. That mentioned, the BeePhotos cellular consumer makes it simple to again up images and movies, and within the 4 months that I used the BeeStation, it has confirmed to be dependable.
The most important limitation is the shortage of media streaming. You’ll be able to retailer your media library on the machine, however you may’t do a lot with it. The BeeStation is as a substitute designed as a non-public cloud answer; as a substitute of storing images and paperwork on Google Drive and different public cloud suppliers, the concept is that you simply again it as much as this machine.
To that impact, the BeeStation integrates with Google Drive and different storage suppliers, and you may switch the information from these companies to the BeeStation simply. So if you happen to want a straightforward technique to again up images and movies and do not want many further options, the BeeStation is an efficient alternative.
Greatest {hardware}
ASUSTOR is doing all the fitting issues with its residence NAS servers, and the AS5402T is a testomony to how far the model has come within the final two years. The two-bay NAS has the perfect {hardware} bundle on this class; it’s powered by Intel’s Celeron J5105, has 4GB of RAM with the power to improve to 16GB, 4 M.2 slots in whole, two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports.
There’s additionally an HDMI port on the again that allows you to join the AS5402T to a TV, and the Intel {hardware} makes the NAS a standout alternative if you happen to want a robust Plex server. It simply handles transcodes and playback with none points, and in my testing, it did a greater job than simply about another 2-bay NAS.
However it’s the connectivity that permits it to face out; with two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports, the AS5402T is future-proof, and also you needn’t change to a different NAS once you improve your property community. ASUSTOR’s software program nonetheless is not as polished or simple to make use of, but it surely has gotten higher over the past two years, and it comes with significantly better safety this time round.
Greatest for media streaming
The DiskStation DS423+ is much like the DiskStation DS920+, however there are a number of minor adjustments. It’s powered by the Intel Celeron J4125, has 2GB of RAM, 4 drive bays that maintain a complete of 72TB of storage, twin Gigabit Ethernet ports, and two M.2 slots that means that you can add SSD storage.
In brief, the DS423+ is the go-to alternative if you happen to want a robust Plex media server. I desire it to the DiskStation DS923+ because it comes with the power to deal with Plex transcodes, and that’s its greatest benefit. It does a improbable job enjoying again excessive bitrate 4K content material by way of Plex or another media streaming answer, and the 4 drive bays provide you with loads of room to improve drives down the road.
You get the identical nice software program options because the DS224+, and whereas I’d have appreciated to see multi-Gigabit connectivity, the DS423+ is a good alternative nonetheless.
Greatest SSD NAS
TerraMaster is altering its technique, with the Taiwanese model turning its consideration to the high-end class. The result’s the F8 SSD Plus, an SSD-only NAS that’s the finest you may get at the moment. The NAS is not as extensive as an everyday 2-bay unit, however you get the power to fit a complete of eight M.2 SSDs — 4 on all sides — making it a improbable alternative if you happen to’re prepared to modify to quick SSD storage.Â
It’s powered by Intel’s i3 N305 and comes with 16GB of DDR5 reminiscence, and it is among the quickest NAS fashions I used this 12 months. You get 10GbE connectivity as commonplace, and whereas there is not Thunderbolt 4, the USB-C port permits a whole lot of extensibility down the road.Â
The software program is significantly better than earlier years as effectively, with TOS 6 offering a refined interface with loads of helpful options. There is a native Plex consumer, container administration, and a number of utilities to again up knowledge.Â
SSDs are inexpensive sufficient you could legitimately construct a NAS with solely M.2 storage, and if you happen to’re excited by going that route, you might want to get the F8 SSD Plus.Â
How to decide on
If you happen to’re searching for the perfect NAS for residence use, the DiskStation DS224+ is the perfect total alternative proper now. The upgraded {hardware} makes it a perfect choice for nearly any use case, and with DSM 7.2, you get probably the most polished software program interface of any model on this section.Â
Want extra drive bays? The DiskStation DS423+ is the perfect alternative. If you’d like a NAS with an HDMI port to attach on to your TV, the AS5402T is a improbable alternative. The two-bay NAS has highly effective {hardware} and offers you nice worth in your cash.Â
What’s the finest NAS drive for residence use?
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As a NAS server is designed to run 24/7, you may’t use a typical arduous drive. Fortunately, there are drives designed only for NAS use, and I’ve rounded up the finest arduous drives for NAS in a standalone article.Â
At a high-level overview, you will want to purchase both Seagate’s IronWolf or IronWolf Professional collection or Western Digital’s Pink Plus or Pink Professional arduous drives. I’ve used all of those drives for practically a decade now, they usually’ve confirmed to be dependable.Â
If I needed to counsel a drive for residence use, it could be the Seagate IronWolf. I’ve over 50TB of IronWolf drives in numerous servers, and it’s hands-down probably the most dependable NAS drive that I’ve used. It begins off at 2TB and goes as much as 18TB, and for residence use, something over 4TB must be a perfect alternative.Â
