Do you often encounter the awkward situation of a full hard drive? After downloading many high-definition movies, even a 1TB or several TB hard drive can be filled up quickly. Have you experienced the hassle of repeatedly transferring files between hard drives? When you need to copy files from one hard drive to another, it can be time-consuming and laborious, especially if you have multiple computers…
At this point, one hopes for a better solution to integrate all these hard drives with “storage” functions and create a home network storage server. Initially, NAS was only used for office purposes, such as file sharing, data backup, and network printing, etc. In recent years, with the surge in storage needs for homes and individuals, many home NAS devices have become popular, gradually acquiring new features like multimedia file sharing, media servers, web hosting, and FTP server capabilities.
So, do you know what the main functions of a home network storage device are?
1. Capacity: No worries about storage space
In fact, a home network storage device serves as an “integrated storage” solution, professionally known as NAS. Technically, it is a way to consolidate scattered, independent data into a large, centralized data management center; simply put, it is a device that can connect to the network and has storage capabilities. It primarily addresses the issues of insufficient storage or overly scattered storage that needs to be consolidated.
Many people often complain that their phone or computer does not have enough storage to hold all the photos and videos taken outside. This is where home NAS comes into play. Generally speaking, most NAS devices come with built-in hard drives and can support up to four hard drives. Assuming each hard drive is 2TB, that totals 8TB of capacity, which is more than enough for an average family.
For example, if a family of four has at least two computers, there will be situations where Computer A wants to access files from Computer B, or files from Computer B need to be transferred to Computer A. The normal approach is to transfer files back and forth one by one, but there may be cases where one computer does not have enough capacity, and the import/export process can be cumbersome. If all storage is placed in a dedicated NAS, not only does it expand storage capacity, but any machine can access it at any time, making it much more convenient.
External Access: Networked storage
Some NAS devices come with built-in file server capabilities, allowing photos and videos to be stored in designated directories on the NAS, which can be accessed and managed via a web browser, enabling HTTP uploads and downloads, just as conveniently as accessing a software download site.
If you want to take it a step further, utilizing dynamic DNS functionality allows us to publish the NAS’s web services, FTP services, etc., on the internet, making it accessible to everyone. With external network access, even when traveling, you can upload photos and videos taken while away directly to the home network storage device. The photos taken by travelers can quickly be shared with friends and family at home, achieving a “togetherness” effect even when far apart—of course, this requires sufficient bandwidth. Fortunately, high-speed fiber networks and 4G wireless networks make this possible.
Access: Store and retrieve freely after networking
Once files are downloaded to the NAS, it acts as a small server. After connecting the NAS to the home WiFi, every computer in the house can access the NAS through “Network Neighborhood” to retrieve needed videos and files. The advantage of this is that through network sharing, individuals can complete their work or entertainment without interfering with each other, and every computer in the house can open the NAS’s multimedia sharing website in a browser.
Currently, NAS products suitable for home and personal users generally have streaming media capabilities. They can be discovered by devices like PCs, tablets, Xbox360, and PS3 over the network, allowing direct playback of multimedia files stored in the NAS. For instance, in a family of three, the husband can access stored data to help with his work, while the wife can watch movies stored in the NAS on another device, and the child can use another device to access educational resources or cartoons stored in the NAS.
Downloads: Auxiliary functions enhance usability
NAS also has many auxiliary functions, such as data backup/disaster recovery, just in case. It can perform local backups (backing up data from the computer to the NAS via a local area network), remote backups (backing up data from a remote computer to the NAS via a wide area network), and NAS-to-NAS backups (copying data between NAS devices), etc. Some NAS devices even have USB one-click backup functions, allowing you to back up to a flash drive or external hard drive with the press of a button.
With the networking capabilities of NAS, we can also set up an FTP server for uploading/downloading files or connect to Apple iTunes servers, allowing iTunes software and devices like iPods to access music and videos from the NAS. Moreover, we can achieve network printing by connecting a USB printer to the NAS for shared use within the local area network.
Some advanced NAS features also include downloading capabilities, allowing you to initiate HTTP, FTP, and BT download tasks in the NAS via a browser or dedicated download software, enabling you to shut down your computer while the NAS downloads on its own. Of course, you must first understand the download methods supported by the NAS.
More about Home Network Storage Devices
1. Price
There is a wide variety of NAS devices on the market, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand yuan. Devices supporting four hard drives are priced around 2500-3000 yuan.
2. Brands
NAS devices can be divided into two main camps: one dominated by hard drive manufacturers, and the other transitioning from enterprise-level storage solution providers. The differences between products are not very significant, but each has its own characteristics that require further exploration.
3. Hardware Configuration
The mainstream NAS uses ARM architecture processors with dedicated SoC chips that encompass almost all functions. If a SoC chip does not support certain functions, performance can be significantly compromised.
