Help me build a NAS

[Guest]

So I've made a similar thread on the NCIX forums but I want to get as much input as possible before I decide to pull the trigger.

 

I'm in need of a data storage solution with some redundancy to store semi-important data, but I don't need an offsite backup, my really important data is already backed up and it's about 1GB in size so it's not too much of a hassle.

 

I need a convenient, simple NAS solution and I'm too lazy and inept to build the box myself as I don't want to fiddle with FreeNAS or any linux distro. So I've decided to build a 5BAY NAS running RAID6 with 5x 3tb WD Red drives, giving me roughly 9TB of storage.

What I need:
-Fast enough transfer speeds for at least 2x 1080p streams at the same time
-Damaged array warnings on my desktop
-Convenient and simple enough UI (doesn't need to be stupidly easy, but it needs to be somewhat user friendly)

 

I've looked at a few units that are available locally and obviously as usual the more highly regarded Synology units are very expensive. However there's the Thecus N5550 that's available for $400, which is half the price of some of the other units, and it's a bit slower and apparently a bit less user friendly. So I was thinking of picking that one up, seeing how the 5BAY Synology and QNAP units are like $650+. Please note that I don't need a monstrously good unit, I want something nice enough but I'm not necessarily a power user either.

 

Suggestions, ideas, insults? Let me know what you think! Thanks.

[Valandil]

http://www.amazon.com/Drobo-Storage-Gigabit-Ethernet-DRDS4A21/dp/B00AMAJGOO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405785328&sr=8-1&keywords=drobo

 

drobos are good

 

the gigabit lan will be fast enough for 2 1080p streams

 

its about $480 but simple to setup and use, supports both apple and windows

 

its also has a built in battery to protect against power failures

[Valandil]

drobo website

http://www.drobo.com/storage-products/5n/

[Guest]

My concern with Drobo is that I've seen a lot of negative feedback for their products and there's a concern that if the unit itself fails it's really hard to get the data back. Any opinions?

[IdeaStormer]

My concern with Drobo is that I've seen a lot of negative feedback for their products and there's a concern that if the unit itself fails it's really hard to get the data back. Any opinions?

 

They can be bad, but they are also super flexible and the new model's with SSD caching add the performance you want, the drives you plug into it also affect its performance, buy cheap drives expect cheap performance. Also, you should plug it all in to a good switch (not hub) with 1 gig ports, something decent that won't drop down to 100 mb due to being lame, something some people forget.