First NAS nothing too expensive?

[random2234]

So i have 2 hard drives lying around so im looking at setting up a NAS for the first time? Im not really interested in any special features just something simple to access my files from multiple computers. So i have a couple of questions. Is it best to go for a used NAS system or a new one? I found a used Netgear ready NAS Duo V1 would this be ok if all im interested in is just streaming media files etc from it. Or am i better going with new like a Synology DS220j 2 Bay Desktop NAS Enclosure? Also does it matter what router i have? Asking because my router is an ASUS RT-AC86U and apparently it only supports upto 4tb hard drives maximum although im assuming this limitation only applies if plugging the hard drives directly into the router and not if using a NAS? 

[doomsriker]

Router won’t matter. Just make your own NAS out of an old office pc like a Dell optiplex you can pick up cheap

[jwwagner25]

I went with DS220j for my first one and used it for about four months before realizing I wanted more (storage). It is a great option for beginners though, I liked it. Personally I think going for a ready-made solution like this is preferable unless you really like to tinker. People will say you are better off making your own, i.e. the above post. By going this route, you should be ready to spend hours setting everything up both from a physical and software standpoint, such as truenas/freenas whatever it's called. Compared to synology/qnap box which has all the software baked in, with easy guided setup that can be further tweaked for power users. 

 

edit: yes as you say, if you want to go REALLY simple, you can just plug a drive into your router. I did that too before getting the first NAS. You just set it up via router management page and access it like any other network share.