Why should I use a NAS?

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A NAS is a device that sits on your home network, and it allows your to have a centralized location for all your files to sit.  NAS stands for Network Area Storage, and that’s exactly what it does.  It is a self contained box that plugs into your home netowrk, normally into your switch or router, and it provides a place to dump common files.

People use NAS devices for storing Photos, Music, Movies, and other programs.  Some NAS devices will allow you to have access to the files from remote locations as well.
These devices can be used in a variety of configurations, and normally hold atleast 2 Hard Disks.  They will allow for RAID configurations, such as:
RAID 0 – Striping – Faster Data access as data is written across both disks.
RAID 1 – Mirroring – copies the files from Disk 1 to Disk 2
RAID 5 – Striped Disks with Parity – Copies the information across the disks, but keeps one for parity information.  Requires 3 disks at a minimum.
RAID 1+0 – Mirrored Data Set which is Striped – Minimum of 2 Disks needed.
Most NAS devices will only allow for 2 Disks (drive bays) to be added to the unit, but there are 3 disk versions which are normally a lot more expensive.
Having a NAs in your network is a great way to not only share files across multiple computers, but also to have a place to store files, so they are not residing on your personal pc.  The best application is to use the NAS to store images of your hard drive, so if you ever experience a crash, your data can easily be recovered.
So what do you use your NAS for?  Do you have a favorite manufacturer?

A NAS is a device that sits on your home network, and it allows your to have a centralized location for all your files to sit.  NAS stands for Network Area Storage, and that’s exactly what it does.  It is a self contained box that plugs into your home netowrk, normally into your switch or router, and it provides a place to dump common files.

People use NAS devices for storing Photos, Music, Movies, and other programs.  Some NAS devices will allow you to have access to the files from remote locations as well.

These devices can be used in a variety of configurations, and normally hold atleast 2 Hard Disks.  They will allow for RAID configurations, such as:

RAID 0 – Striping – Faster Data access as data is written across both disks.

RAID 1 – Mirroring – copies the files from Disk 1 to Disk 2

RAID 5 – Striped Disks with Parity – Copies the information across the disks, but keeps one for parity information.  Requires 3 disks at a minimum.

RAID 1+0 – Mirrored Data Set which is Striped – Minimum of 2 Disks needed.

Most NAS devices will only allow for 2 Disks (drive bays) to be added to the unit, but there are 3 disk versions which are normally a lot more expensive.

Having a NAs in your network is a great way to not only share files across multiple computers, but also to have a place to store files, so they are not residing on your personal pc.  The best application is to use the NAS to store images of your hard drive, so if you ever experience a crash, your data can easily be recovered.

So what do you use your NAS for?  Do you have a favorite manufacturer?

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