INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Welcome to our list of the best NAS devices of 2018
NAS - which stands for network attached storage - are external hard drives that (as the name suggests), plug into a network, rather than a
PC.This allows the NAS device - and whatever files are held on it - to be accessed by any device on the network
Most of the best NAS devices also allow you to remotely access them over the internet, so you can be on the other side of the world, and
still have quick and easy access to your essential files.The very best NAS devices can be a godsend for anyone looking for a way to optimize
their data storage in the home or office
There's simply no better way to store your essential files
However, you may be wondering how to pick out the best NAS
Fortunately we here at TheIndianSubcontinent have put our storage expertise to use and created this list of the best NAS devices you can buy
created this list of the best NAS devices on the market in 2018
Read on to find out our pick of the top NAS devices for the home and office.1
WD My Cloud PersonalCapacity: 2TB, 3TB or 4TB | Interface: USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet | Features: Remote file access, DLNA, iTunes ServerEasy
to set upGood priceSetup can be fiddlyApps not greatWD has achieved quite considerable success with its unashamedly consumer-friendly My
Cloud products, which can stream to any DLNA-compliant device and can be accessed via mobile apps for iOS and Android.Labeled as a 'personal
cloud,' it's a NAS box by any other measure and starts at 2TB of storage (you can also get it in 3 or 4TB)
As it's a one-bay unit, it can't back itself up to a drive inside the unit, but it can back up to an external hard drive via a USB port on
Seagate Personal Cloud 2-BayConvenient network storageCapacity: 4TB, 6TB or 8TB | Interface: Gigabit Ethernet | Features: Remote file
access, media server software, RAID supportEasy to useGood lookingNot that fastNot that flexiblePicking up on the 'personal cloud' theme,
this unit from Seagate takes its lead from My Cloud, but it offers far larger capacities, along with dual bays for two hard drives
This allows the Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay NAS device to mirror the files on one hard drive to a second one, giving you protection in case
one of those drives fails.We also like the no-fuss appearance of this unit, meaning it can sit nicely under a router or on a shelf
It works with cloud accounts, including Dropbox and Google Drive, and you can also use an app to share content to streamers, including
QNAP TS-251ACapacity: N/A | Interface: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 | Features: Remote file access, HDMI out, 4K media transcoding,
DLNAPowerful hardwareLoads of featuresExpensiveDoes not come with hard drives installedThe QNAP TS-251A is a fantastic NAS device that has
It offers dual Ethernet ports, a HDMI out for connecting it up to a TV and respectable hardware including a dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Celeron
CPU and 4GB of RAM for hardware transcoding media files.The QTS OS lets you easily install a variety of apps, from Plex Media Server, file
sharing apps and even a karaoke app, as well as run Ubuntu Linux for even more flexibility.In short - this is a fantastic NAS device, though
you'll need to buy the hard drives separately, so factor that in to the overall cost.4
Buffalo LinkStation LS220DA decent dual-bay NAS with built-in BitTorrentCapacity: 2TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB | Interface: Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0
| Features: Dual bay, WebAccess apps, Apple Time Machine supportGood security featuresSmartphone apps for easy configurationLacks some
advanced featuresThis 2TB dual-bay NAS (it's also available in 4, 6, and 8TB capacities) comes from Buffalo, the company that also makes the
TeraStation line of advanced NAS units.The key selling point of this model is that it can integrate directly with BitTorrent, meaning it can
download stuff for you even when your PC is turned off
Like many of the other devices here, you can also stream to it via various devices, it's platform agnostic and you can use it as an iTunes
server.This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing
Synology DiskStation DS1817A beginner NAS with room for expansionCapacity: : N/A | Interface: : 2 x 1GbE LAN, 2 x 10GbE LAN, 2 x USB 3.0, 2
x eSATA | Features: : Quad-Core CPU, Compatibility with up to 18 drives, 1,577 MB/s sequential readPerformance over 10GbEExpandableNot
enough USB 3.0 portsExternal drives use eSATAOnce in a while, a product comes around that challenges the conventions of their product
The DS1817 is one such product
The DS1817 flies in the face of those conventions, and allows users to fill the included eight drive bays with whatever they choose, so that
WD My Cloud MirrorA unit that backs itself upCapacity: 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 16TB | Interface: Gigabit Ethernet | Features: Automatic backup, two
hard drives, My Cloud mobile appEasy and secure backupRAID 1 support to protect against data lossExpensiveThis two-bay unit can create a
mirrored backup of your stuff (duplicating your data on both drives), using RAID configuration
That's quite an advanced feature for a consumer box and you do pay quite a lot for that capability and WD's user-friendly presentation,
including an easy-to-master, browser-based control screen.This is a 4TB unit (6, 8, and 16TB units are also available)
For extra peace of mind, you can also back the contents up to Dropbox.7
Synology DiskStation DS1517Expensive, but packs a punchCapacity: : Up to 60TB, 180TB with expansion unit | Interface: : 4 x 1GbE LAN, 4 x
USB 3.0, 2 x eSATA | Features: : Quad-Core CPU, Up to 15 drives with expansion unitsPCIe slot upgradesHigh-end performanceAdd-on cards are
expensiveDefault 2GB RAM a bit under speccedAnyone looking at purely technical aspects will instantly fall in love with the Synology
Thanks to its quad-core CPU and up to 8GB of RAM, this NAS can reach sequential speeds of 111.4 MB/s write and 110.3 MB/s read without even
WD My Cloud EX2 UltraThe small business version of the My Cloud Mirror is now even betterCapacity: 4TB, 8TB, 12TB, 16TB | Interface: Gigabit
Ethernet, USB 3.0 | Features: Remote file access, RAID features, My Cloud OS 3 softwareDual core CPUDual bay for RAID setupsOperating system
is simplisticLack of app supportAs well as the RAID capabilities found in more expensive and complex NAS devices, this box is meant for
small business use and supports Microsoft Active Directory
It can also act as a file server, FTP server, backup server and P2P download server.WD's EX series are also available in diskless variants,
though this price is for the 4TB version
8TB, 12TB and 16TB are also available
If you don't need any of this extra stuff, then get the My Cloud Mirror.9
Western Digital DL4100Excellent backup for a wide variety of users.Capacity: 8TB, 16TB, 24TB | Interface: 2x Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB 3.0,
USB 2.0 | Features: Dual LAN, 2GB RAM (expandable up to 6GB), NTP ClientSmall and semi-portableEase of setupNo computer-to-NAS connection
via USBDifficult web interfaceIf you're looking for a NAS device to help manage your backup needs, the DL4100 might be worth
taking a look at.One of the coolest features of this device is its web dashboard that offers users options for backing up to cloud services
Additionally, we really liked the ability to set up SMS and email alerts in case the system failed for whatever reason.As far as storage
options are concerned, the DL4100 comes with four drive bays in your choice of four configurations
Aside from some annoying issues with wireless transfers, we found that the DL4100's 1.7GHz dual-core Atom processor and 2GB of RAM
(configurable up to 6GB) performed admirably
only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing
Apple AirPort Time CapsuleAn expensive option any way you look at it, but it is wirelessCapacity: 2TB, 3TB | Interface: 3x Gigabit Ethernet,
USB 2.0 | Features: Automatic wireless backup, easy setup, printer and hard drive sharingFast 802.11ac Wi-FiRemote access to disks3 Ethernet
ports may not be enoughExpensiveWhile the Apple AirPort Time Capsule does offer a great experience for Mac users, its 2 and 3TB storage
options are very expensive compared to their competition
Capsule feature does make it easy to setup and configure automatic backups for Mac and iOS users
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