CHOOSING CORRECT NAS

[Enquiries]

Looking for the correct NAS w/ upgradeable Ram, connections, SSD, PCI slots etc. Pri use for organizing, sharing files, photos, media here at home & remotely between 3 laptops (Windows OS), 2 phones (Android), 2 tablets & 2 Smart TV's (all 4 Samsung) Have researched QNAP, ASUSTOR & SYNOLOGY units but leaning towards one w/ HDMI to connect directly to the TV's & avoid a streaming box as we do NOT subscribe to cable. Also a unit that can utilize additional expansion units as required.
Is it possible to populate a 4-6 bay NAS w/ just 2 X 8TB drives to start then add more or larger drives later? (assuming Raid 5 setup) Will admit to a good general knowledge of computers BUT I'm not an IT wizard so any & all info, suggestions/tips are welcome.
Can you also verify that I will need to run ethernet cable all over my home 4 this to work OR my current mesh Wi-Fi will allow this new hardware to work as I wish?

[ed]

Based on your requirements, you can consider QNAP and Asustor NAS devices. You mentioned a preference for HDMI connectivity to connect the NAS directly to your TVs, and QNAP's TS-464 supports this feature. Additionally, you would like a unit that can accommodate expansion units, and both QNAP and Asustor have this capability.

Regarding populating a 4-6 bay NAS with two 8TB drives, you can certainly start with just two drives, but if you are using a RAID 5 setup, it is recommended to have at least three drives for redundancy. You can add more drives or larger ones later, and the NAS will automatically rebuild the RAID array. But you can start also with 1 drive.

To connect the NAS to your devices, you will need to use an Ethernet cable. Mesh Wi-Fi may not provide sufficient data transfer rates required for smooth media streaming and remote access, so using Ethernet cables would be the best option.

In terms of upgrading the NAS with RAM, SSD, and PCI slots, most NAS devices support RAM upgrades, and some models may offer SSD and PCI slots. However, you will need to check the specifications of the NAS device to confirm if it has the features you need.