Do it all NAS

[Enquiries]

Hi

I'm looking for a NAS that can do the following:

1. Run VMs that can do web scraping, Minecraft servers, run private websites etc.

2. Backups for 4+ computers

3. Replacement for google docs and dropbox

4. I have a 10gb managed router so it would be great to be able to take advantage of that

5. Run a tor node (I'm guessing I could run this in a VM)

6. Anything else that is fun.

Not really interested in PLEX as I don't want to buy physical media and Apple TV and others are fine for me.

Really appreciate the help. This is a great service you two are providing.

Thanks

Parvez

[TribalHound]

If it wasn't for those VMs you'd have really quite a job on your hands choosing.
I'm going to guess, since you don't mention storage requirements, that 6-10TB might cover everything you need (since there's no Plex movies or mention of media).

Running one VM, or even two (if they're server OS and not PC based) you could get away with a top end Intel Celeron NAS with 2 or 4 bays & min 8GB Ram, but longevity doesn't really come into play.

If you need more VMs, or if there's more than one VM that's windows 10 or 11 then you've really only have a limited choice as a Celeron won't keep up and you'll be needing 16GB Ram minimum.

There's the TVS-x72, TVS-hx88X or latest TVS-hx74 ranges - watch the processor though - the more drive bays, generally the better the processor and some have changed in the same model range over time.. Min requirements will be 16GB with an option to expand from there.

In the Synology range it's really only the DS1621xs+. You might get away with the DS1621+ but you'll need an immediate RAM upgrade.

For 10GBe there's always the PCIe expansion slots if the NAS doesn't natively have one, or Link aggregation for multiple streams to your switch, where since it's managed, you might be able to bond them.

Both brands across all models can comfortably backup cloud and PCs in a variety of ways - and you can even mount your cloud storage as a virtual local drive.

Hope this helps, but look for the NASCompares buyer referral, Prime Deals, and Black Friday deals that are posted on this site.

[penguinspy55]

Would adding several CCTV cameras change the options much?

[TribalHound]

Once you've gone past 'a certain point' - and running multiple VMs is the fastest way to do that - the NAS you end up with will happily add a couple of cameras and not have a major impact, certainly in this performance bracket.

For network traffic, if you're wanting 24/7 recording I'd recommend creating a separate LAN / Virtual LAN. So you have two networks (effectively) - the cameras would go on the second. Avoiding interfering with any other demands.
Since they record to the NAS you can access the footage from either network.

IF, further down the road your NAS starts struggling, or you want to keep the CCTV totally separate, you could get a 2 bay for the CCTV system with an HDMI port you can plug into your TV or a monitor.

Using the Surveillance Station or QVR Pro 'out of the box' means no additional software expense.
You could even utilise an old tablet to live stream the footage that would otherwise have sat in the drawer collecting dust - after all, it would only be streaming data on the same network.

Just watch the camera spec. Avoid Nest & Ring with their cloud option and subscription fees. Make sure what you choose is compatible with your NAS for 24/7 recording (or at least file transfer).
But basically, if it's battery / solar powered it records motion detection ONLY to a micro SSD (which you should be able to copy) - If its mains / PoE it should have 24/7 monitoring and recording, but might not be compatible with your NAS.

Robbie's ventured into some Camera reviews that might be useful, but my personal brand of choice is Reolink.

[penguinspy55]

Thanks. I think I'll wait for the new QNAP TVS-hx74 whenever that's released.

[TribalHound]

It's getting close....

https://www.qnap.com/en-uk/product/compa...t_overview

You might need to change to your region, this is the UK site, but I know they've been listed on the US site for a little while.