I am looking for a NAS that can do it all,

I need PLEX, loads of storage, but also camera for Surveillance, probably 4 to 6 cameras. I would like to know what switches to use and how many.

I also need a backup NAS/JBod

It's for a sailboat (catamaran) so will not be able to easy purchase new hdd's if running out.

Will need intrigated graphic cad.

Thanks
Benny

In your video to setup Plex Media Server on an Asustor NAS you say to create a new user account to limit what Plex Media Server can access but don't mention how to use it. How do you get the Plex Media Server to run using that account?

Thank you,
Ed

I have a Zyxel NSA325 2 bay with 2x2TB drives and it has been in service over 10 years now. Looking to replace with a 4 bay 4x2TB drive NAS. The main feature I am looking for is a easy user interface as I was never able to utilize the features of my Zyxel fully because it was too complicated to sort out. I will probably invest in a 2.5gb network interface as well while at it. Can you recommend 3 choices that might fit my needs?

I am upgrading from a Drobo before it dies, and want something that works with the Mac OS and programs as well as Time Machine.

No experience with NAS

Tech literate and interested home user, however no NAS experience. Other members of home not skilled with technology. Have been using external hard drives but would like network level solution. Primary needs are photo backup from multiple mobile devices, automated backups from 3+PCs, long term storage of documents and media (videos, music) without streaming. Potential need for sharing photos with family in future.

Primary motivations are data security and data redundancy. Currently running Unifi home network setup (UCG-fiber) and I am familiar with that UI. However, Ubiquity offerings do not seem to meet needs in regard to software support. Synology is not being considered due to hardware lock issue. Considering a UGreen device with TrueNAS. Looking for recommendations on best path forward. Budget is flexible.

Thank you.

Good day,

Is there any way to quiet hdd vibration noise on Jonsbo N6 case? I have 3 Western Red drives and it's insaenely loud. I added tiny pieces of foam on drive trays but it didn't help. thanks

Hi,

Currently, I have around 8TB of data spread across various external HDDs. To centralise it and make it easily accessible from multiple devices, I am looking for the right NAS solution. I have been reading your site for some time, but the question remains what my first NAS should be.

First, here is an overview of the needs:
- Media server (Plex or Jellyfin) for films and series (and music)
- Hardware transcoding for out-of-home streaming to mobile devices
- Free private cloud service
- Good mobile apps for photo backups/synchronisation
- Home surveillance system (in the future)
- Good protection (VPN, anti-malware, etc.)

Next, a few questions:
- Does 12 TB of storage seem sufficient to start with?
- Would you recommend a 2-bay or 4-bay NAS?
- Should I buy SSDs for the OS and software? If so, how many MB/TB and 1 or 2 units?

Finally, my budget for this is at a maximum of €1,200. If I can meet my requirements with a smaller budget, that's always better

Thank you in advance.

I have the Ds220+ for picture storage and videos on plex, local use only. I also have Home assistant running on a VM.
I am also running surveillance station with 5 Riolink cameras feeding into it.
The drives are 2 off 4gb iron wolf, so I don't think I can easily go to the DS225+ but the 224+ does not seem much of an upgrade.
the drives are only 1 year old so I would ideally just like to transfer them to the new system.
I have total 10Gb ram installed
I was looking to see improved performance of home assistant.
Thankyou in advance Ken

Hi

I currently have a QNAP TS-453D (model number TS-453D-8G-UK) populated with 2x6TB WD Red HDDs (model number WD60ERFX-68MYMN1 build date 12 Dec 2014), in RAID 1 (mirrored). (The HDDs used to live in a TS-251 until I upgraded to my current NAS in 2022.)

The capacity of my NAS has recently triggered the 80% warning, so it's time for me to think about expanding my space before it fills up too much more.

I'd like to stay mirrored so thinking about buying two more drives for my NAS to have something like RAID 5. Wondering whether to just get another pair of 6TBs, or whether to go for something like 2x12TB drives (restricting them to 6TB each for now), with the future option of replacing the 2x6TB ones at a later date.

My use case is mostly storage (photos and videos) with limited streaming.

What would your view by on my two suggestions? Which would you go for, or are there other options I should consider? Are WD HDDs still the best trade-off for value against reliability?

Thanks.

I currently have a Synology DS920+ NAS with about 64 TB of raw storage, which I’ve been using to host my Plex media server. I’m running into space limitations much sooner than I anticipated — I’m down to roughly 20 % free — largely due to the number of shows and movies I store, many of which are in 4K.

At this point I’m considering a larger solution, potentially an eight-bay NAS, that would give me more room and also support hardware transcoding for 4K content.

I’d really appreciate your feedback on what you think would be the most suitable NAS to select:

What brands/models should I be considering?

Are there specific CPUs or features you recommend for smooth Plex hardware transcoding?

Any advice on drives (capacity, RAID configuration, hot spares, etc.) for a setup like this?

Thanks in advance for your help — looking forward to your recommendations.

Best regards,

Chike