NAS Newbie....

0The microserver makes for a very powerfull NAS if tweaked, mine has a full hardware RAID controller in one of its slots with a low profile bracket.
The drive cage connecter which goes to the mobo goes straight to the controller, mine has 8gb ram and runs windows 7 Enterprise.

It has 2x2tb drives with full mirroring, runs the hubic service so everthing is backed up to the cloud, it also runs twonky a DLNA product.

I RDP on to it to do stuff and check its ok and it just sits there.

Microservers are the dogs

To add the Microservers support the P410 and the P212 RAID controller, with cache module and battery.
 
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I have an ILO card in mine as well :) and 16GB on memory which esxi likes a lot. Boot it off the DOM. They are great devices, and have a purpose.
 
I've used both Qnap and Synology from single to 8 bay units with work. They both produce extremely good kit...

Assuming you want to stream to multiple device simultaneously I'd go for a unit with a decent spec. dual-core CPU and at least 1GB RAM as the lowest spec. units tend to run out of steam very quickly when given anything challenging to do. It seems from the amount of data you have that a 2 bay unit with decent sized hard drives will be sufficient unless you expect this to grow significantly. There also seems to be some confusion about what RAID1 is for - it is not for backup, it is to provide resilience. I'd never use RAID0 for any data you care about, unless of course this is also backed up elsewhere. Additional backup is always a good idea, whether to an external drive or offsite using a service like Hubic.
 
You should always consider the threat of Dalek's - especially now they've mastered stairs! Even 'the cloud' isn't safe anymore! :runaway:
 
Simon Lund said:
Fortunately they still struggle with narrow gaps!
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I seem to recall Dalek plans put them around the size of your average wheel chair (nothing to do with the operators inside, honestly), so a narrow door is ok.

So too is the loft hatch, they can now fly, but their eggbeater can't point up at that acute angle to exterminate it.

Or so I am told. ;)
 
Neilc28 said:
You can, but most implementations I've seen recommended on here are utilising windows.

OP only stated 2-bay NAS's in the list too so was comparing size to a DS21x ;)
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Mine runs server because I've a couple of other apps on there as well.
However I've another running open e. I've also tried Freenas
Quite a versatile bit of kit, but check the memory limitations.
 
jimgallaher said:
I wouldn't worry about daleks, just keep your NAS upstairs !
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Haven't you heard Jim? The latest ones can fly! :runaway:

Back on track...

I see that the QNAPs are 'expandable,' meaning (I think) that a two twin bays can be connected to make a 4-bay. Is this also true of Synology?
 
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No problem :) I might also be expanding my NAS in future, so certailyn worth considering as not all models support expansion.
 
Also worth looking at pricing. The expansion units can be quite expensive, often quite a bit more than the price difference between a 2 and 4 bay unit for example.
 
neil_g said:
true they aren't currently offering any new models. the earlier models are available second hand pretty reasonably N40L @ £90 and N54L @ £120 which are perfectly fine for most things. for example my N40L runs Win2008R2, with 3 Hyper-V machines running various tasks. They only thing I found it struggled with was transcoding media on the standard GPU.

dont know what you mean about "the less easy recommendation" though.
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Just that when they were cheap and had cashback they were a no-brainer to recommend but it's not so automatic now.
 
OK - just bought a DS215J (just to dip my toes in the water) plus two WD Red 2TB drives. Let the techie mayhem commence....:woot:
 
I hope not! As with most purchases, I've researched the options to the point where I've almost convinced myself not to do anything! In the end I decided I could go all out (either the QNAP 251 or the Synology 215+) or spend £100 less and just give the Synology 215J a try... It seems to be 'the little engine that could' in the range, so I'm hoping our needs are not too much for it!
 
I have been researching which NAS to buy since before Christmas and now beginning to feel a bit brain dead. I have decided on Synology but not sure which model. Firstly, was going for DS215j but not sure if powerful enough or future proof. Then thought DS215+ but the new DS216+ was due out at the start of February but now has Unknown release date. Alternatively, the DS716+ but maybe to expensive for what I need. I am getting a bit impatient. Intrigued by the idea of " dip my toe in the water " thinking. Question is, should I just go for the DS215+ now or wait for the DS216+?
 
What exactly are you after? If you want power but not bothered by multiple LAN ports, look at the DS216play. 1Gb of memory and dual-core processor for less than £200, can't fault it really!!
 
TerryH said:
I have been researching which NAS to buy since before Christmas and now beginning to feel a bit brain dead. I have decided on Synology but not sure which model. Firstly, was going for DS215j but not sure if powerful enough or future proof. Then thought DS215+ but the new DS216+ was due out at the start of February but now has Unknown release date. Alternatively, the DS716+ but maybe to expensive for what I need. I am getting a bit impatient. Intrigued by the idea of " dip my toe in the water " thinking. Question is, should I just go for the DS215+ now or wait for the DS216+?
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I think I was at the same stage as you Terry. I have a tendency to overspec when buying things, and in the end thought that the DS215J - given all of the good reviews - may well be good enough for our modest needs. The DS215+ is over £100 more, and even then you don't get a machine that is upgradeable in terms of RAM. To have this flexibility, you have to go to QNAP (the TS-251) and I just thought I was suffering from spec-creep.

In the end, I've found that our Apple TV (2nd generation - £59) will wake the MAC over LAN, and so we can use this to stream movies to our primary TV. Another £59 and we will be able to do so for the one in our bedroom too. This just leaves music, which I guess that the DS215Js' spec will be able to handle - either using the Synology apps or iTunes.

The drives arrive today, and the enclosure will be here by Tuesday. I'll get things up and running, and report back after a few days.
 
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Interested to see how you get on with installing the drives. I think it is easier on the black boxes also interchangeable. Speed is my main concern. Going for the Synology as I really like the software. Best of luck with the installation and set-up
 
TerryH said:
Interested to see how you get on with installing the drives. I think it is easier on the black boxes also interchangeable.
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From what I've seen, the casing for the non-hot-swap units split, and the drives are installed the same way as you might in a PC. It's not too tricky, and you only lose the ability to swap out a drive with the unit working. I'm not too worried about this, as I may well not run the enclosure as a RAID configuration. I've considered configuring two separate drives, and manually backing-up every so often. As someone on this thread correctly stated before, RAID is not a real backup - more of a live copy. If the primary drive becomes corrupted, so does the secondary.... This is the other reason for going for a DS215J. In time, I may buy another (higher spec) NAS, and then run the second as a RAID, with the DS215J as a backup. Just an idea really....
 
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Not sure I'm with you Terry - do you mean the speed of the processor?
 
I have an older Synology DS212j and they are a brilliant platform - quiet, good performance and an excellent range of features with regular software updates.

You can also use a USB wifi to move the NAS around the house, with performance barely taking a hit
 
I would also comment on the amount of apps you can get on your Android/IOS device to access the NAS remotely. The built in software also allows you to connect webcam and it can record video motion.

If you're looking for a bargain, look for some older used ones on ebay as these things are built to last
 
Hi Roy, yes the processor speed. I intend to use the NAS for backup, data storage and also to share data both within the home and external if possible with family across a number of devices, PC, iMac, tables and mobles. I also want to development my technical understanding/skills (networking). Don't need a business solution, too view users but there is nothing worse than data access speeds being very slow. I recognise broadband speed limitations but your idea about "putting toe in the water" is right. If successful, then I can build a bigger system later. Hell, I should just buy the ds215j but my heart wants the DS215+, can't take the money with me when I'm dead which is where I will be if the wife finds out!
 
If you want to wait for a week, I'll let you know how the DS215J performs.... Far better than risking domestic violence!
 
wakarimasen said:
If you want to wait for a week, I'll let you know how the DS215J performs.... Far better than risking domestic violence!
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Scratch that - everything just arrived! Looks like an evening of geeking awaits....
 
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