NAS questions

[OmarM89]

hello

 

i want to build a NAS , i have a couple of questions

 

* Which is the best among the current NAS devices ? i already know there is Qnap and synology ( and i know there is drobo as well , but im not into the drobo thing ) ?

 

* if the NAS fails or i decided to take out take the drives out for a replacement or to put in a rack will the data be unreadable directly ? 

 

* Why does not Qnap or synology have the option to connect my PC via USB? i really want this option if available because i have to upgrade my network to Gbit ethernet capable router and even with that i will not benefit from the whole bandwidth since the best pc around is using only 150mbit connection to the router , meaning transferring large files will take ages ?

 

i want the nas to be very robust , do you think i should go with either Qnap or synology? or build a Rig from an existing stuff from an old build? i have a LGA 775 pentium processor and RAM , all i need is a solid MOBO , and is there a case dedicated for nas builds?

[lani100]

hello

 

i want to build a NAS , i have a couple of questions

 

* Which is the best among the current NAS devices ? i already know there is Qnap and synology ( and i know there is drobo as well , but im not into the drobo thing ) ?

 

* if the NAS fails or i decided to take out take the drives out for a replacement or to put in a rack will the data be unreadable directly ? 

 

* Why does not Qnap or synology have the option to connect my PC via USB? i really want this option if available because i have to upgrade my network to Gbit ethernet capable router and even with that i will not benefit from the whole bandwidth since the best pc around is using only 150mbit connection to the router , meaning transferring large files will take ages ?

 

i want the nas to be very robust , do you think i should go with either Qnap or synology? or build a Rig from an existing stuff from an old build? i have a LGA 775 pentium processor and RAM , all i need is a solid MOBO , and is there a case dedicated for nas builds?

I have a synology that does everything I want even advanced stuff but if you really want almost the best of the best get a Qnap or drobo if you want to go full out since they have Thunderbolt.

If you want to copy things fast you should consider getting a good router or get a usb/e-satat hdd enclosure.

[TheGeekster]

It really depends on how much storage you want, what your budget is and what features you want.

 

In my opinion anyway, I've never had a NAS work as well as a computer/small server repurposed as a nas. They are much more powerful and allow much more expansion, but, they are bigger, use more power and if you don't have fanless/quiet fans, are louder than a small nas.

 

For reading data off a failed NAS, it's hit and miss, some will use a standard readable raid config, others will leave you with no hope, such as drobo's own version of raid.

 

Most NAS's will already assume you have a gigabit network as it's quite common, and unless you get one which works with external hard drives, there's very few (infact none that I know of) that will allow you to copy things over USB.

 

If you want to build your own, I can't recommend the HP Microserver G7 enough really, I've used one myself and we have several at work, very cheap, server grade hardware and 4 bays, perfect for installing freenas onto a USB stick internally and having 4 bays for the drives.

Cases for NAS's is another fun thing I've looked around for ages at, while there are some, they are limiting to ITX builds and really require you to build an entire system from scratch, with the right parts and bits, any computer case will do as tbh you aren't going to be looking at it very often.

[Captain_WD]

hello

 

i want to build a NAS , i have a couple of questions

 

* Which is the best among the current NAS devices ? i already know there is Qnap and synology ( and i know there is drobo as well , but im not into the drobo thing ) ?

 

* if the NAS fails or i decided to take out take the drives out for a replacement or to put in a rack will the data be unreadable directly ? 

 

* Why does not Qnap or synology have the option to connect my PC via USB? i really want this option if available because i have to upgrade my network to Gbit ethernet capable router and even with that i will not benefit from the whole bandwidth since the best pc around is using only 150mbit connection to the router , meaning transferring large files will take ages ?

 

i want the nas to be very robust , do you think i should go with either Qnap or synology? or build a Rig from an existing stuff from an old build? i have a LGA 775 pentium processor and RAM , all i need is a solid MOBO , and is there a case dedicated for nas builds?

 

 

Hey OmarM89,

 

You have a couple of options: either build your own NAS/Server or purchase a pre-built one.

Here are some pros and cons of both options:

Pre-built NAS devices are easier to set-up and configure, come with many features and supported third party apps and they have good support, but they can be costly and hard to upgrade.

Self-built NAS systems can be cheaper, very customize-able, in some cases have longer warranty, easier to expand and upgrade and give you the freedom to choose your own parts for it. The down sides are that you don't get any support on the hardware, larger chance of compatibility issues, trickier to set up and configure and more complicated UI. 

 

Here's a recent topic that's on this subject that you might find interesting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/274764-nas-vs-homeserver-need-some-advice/

 

I could suggest giving a look at Western Digital's NAS products and see if any of them meet your requirements, budget and fit your needs: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/catalog/default.aspx?segment=4#jump5.

 

If you decide to take out the drives from a NAS and use them separately, they should be formated before that as they won'twork properly without the same RAID card. In some cases that would be possible but in most cases you have to wipe the drive before using it elsewhere. 

 

NAS stands for Network Attached Storage meaning it connects over a network and not a cable. In order to have this option, you will have to get a DAS which is basically an external drive (portable or not). Some DAS devices have the option to be connected with a network cable.

 

Feel free to ask if you have any questions

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Captain_WD.

[OmarM89]

 

Hey OmarM89,

 

You have a couple of options: either build your own NAS/Server or purchase a pre-built one.

Here are some pros and cons of both options:

Pre-built NAS devices are easier to set-up and configure, come with many features and supported third party apps and they have good support, but they can be costly and hard to upgrade.

Self-built NAS systems can be cheaper, very customize-able, in some cases have longer warranty, easier to expand and upgrade and give you the freedom to choose your own parts for it. The down sides are that you don't get any support on the hardware, larger chance of compatibility issues, trickier to set up and configure and more complicated UI. 

 

Here's a recent topic that's on this subject that you might find interesting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/274764-nas-vs-homeserver-need-some-advice/

 

I could suggest giving a look at Western Digital's NAS products and see if any of them meet your requirements, budget and fit your needs: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/catalog/default.aspx?segment=4#jump5.

 

If you decide to take out the drives from a NAS and use them separately, they should be formated before that as they won'twork properly without the same RAID card. In some cases that would be possible but in most cases you have to wipe the drive before using it elsewhere. 

 

NAS stands for Network Attached Storage meaning it connects over a network and not a cable. In order to have this option, you will have to get a DAS which is basically an external drive (portable or not). Some DAS devices have the option to be connected with a network cable.

 

Feel free to ask if you have any questions

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Captain_WD.

 

 

thanks for you captain and thanks for every one commented here ,