The 10 Best Network Drives Of 2024, Researched By Us
The Rundown
1. Best Of The Best: BUFFALO LinkStation Network Drives
The BUFFALO LinkStation Network Drives With lightning-fast transfer rates and easy installation, you can quickly store all your important files and access them from anywhere without worrying about monthly storage fees. Read Review
2. Best For The Price: Synology 2 bay NAS DiskStation
The Synology DiskStation DS213j is a powerful 2-bay NAS that offers sequential read speeds of more than 225 MB/s and sequential write speeds of 192 MB/s. Data can be protected with RAID 1 disk cloning to prevent sudden drive failure. Read Review
3. Best Performance: Asustor Lockerstor Network Drives
Asustor Lockerstor Network Drives provide the performance you need to store your data and multimedia content. With 10-bit 4K hardware decoding, HEVC decoding and 10-bit Profile2 VP9 decoding for an unsurpassed 4K HDR Experience, these drives are perfect for streaming and gaming. Read Review
4. Best Efficient: QNAP 4 Bay Network Drives
This flexible storage solution offers easy capacity expansion and powerful hardware to meet all your storage needs. With support for most RAID configurations, the TR-004 provides reliable protection against drive failure, ensuring that your data is always safe. Read Review
5. Best Reliable: WD 56TB Network Drives
WD's My Book Live network drives combine blistering performance with comprehensive security through password protection and 256-bit AES volume encryption. Combined with a quad-core Intel Pentium processor and 4GB of RAM, you can stream HD video or share content with multiple users seamlessly. Read Review
In the age of digital technology, storing and sharing data has become an essential part of our daily lives. Whether you are a business owner or an individual with a massive collection of files, a network drive can help you keep everything organized and easily accessible. But with so many options available in the market, choosing the best one for your needs can be challenging.
That's why we've compiled a comprehensive guide to help you find the best network drives available today. We've gone through countless reviews, tested various models, and compiled a list of the market's most reliable, high-performing, and user-friendly network drives. Whether you need a network drive for personal or professional use, our guide covers you. So, let's dive in and discover the best network drives that can help you streamline your digital life.
After extensive study and analysis over a 19 hours, We think the best network drives is BUFFALO LinkStation Network Drives. This product is designed with easy installation in mind, allowing you to quickly set up and start backing up your essential videos, music, and photos. With high-performance fast transfer rates, you won't have to wait long for your files to be stored or accessed. You can consider Synology 2 bay NAS DiskStation as an alternative if you're still undecided. Other suggestions on this list are worth considering, and we've put up a helpful shopping guide to help you decide!
RELATED: Explore the best home network storage device on the market today. These devices are perfect for anyone who wants to have a reliable and affordable place to keep files they access frequently.
Our Top Picks
CLOUD INTEGRATION - Sync with Dropbox, Azure and OneDrive to create a hybrid cloud for extra data security, cost savings, and flexible scalability.
24/7 US-BASED SUPPORT - With 2-year warranty, including hard drives.
MADE IN JAPAN - Quality Devices.
Featured dual 1GbE LAN ports to support network failover, and with Link Aggregation enabled, DS220+ provides over 225 MB/s sequential read and 192 MB/s sequential write throughput. Data can be further protected with RAID 1 disk mirroring to prevent sudden drive failure.
Access, share, and sync your data easily across different operating systems and devices.
Intel dual-core processor with AES-NI hardware encryption engine; 2 GB DDR4 memory (expandable up to 6 GB)
By default, two camera licenses are installed; extra licenses can be purchased (CLP1, CLP4, or CLP8)
Average 15% performance boost to photo indexing and other computing-intensive operations, as well as database response time.
Intel Celeron Quad core 2.0 GHz (burst up 2.70 GHz) CPU with 4GB DDR4 RAM (expandable up to 8GB) for power user and business
3 year warranty, best in class
Compatible with 2.5" or 3.5" SATA SSD/HDD drives up to 36TB (18TB x 2). Expand as much storage as needed with ease
2x 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports. 2x M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen2 SSD ports for fast caching. Bringing Double Performance
Features HDMI 2.0a with 10bit 4K hardware decoding, HEVC decoding and VP9 10bit Profile2 decoding for overwhelming 4K HDR Experience
Seagate IronWolf drives include a robust 3-year Rescue Data Recovery Services plan
USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port; Lockable drive Bays
Use the TR-004 as external storage for NAS backup
Supports 4 x 3.5/2.5-inch SATA 3Gb/s
4 x 4TB Seagate IronWolf drives pre-installed and pre-configured with RAID 5. Hassle-free
Hardware RAID supports RAID 0, 1, 5, JBOD, and individual
Includes a USB Type-C to Type-A connector cable
USB Type-C Direct Attached Storage (DAS) for Windows, macOS and Linux
Expand the capacity of your QNAP NAS
Centralized storage to organize media and improve your workflow
Intel Pentium N3710 Quad-Core 1.6GHz Processor with 4GB DDR3L Memory
Quick, easy setup and a robust Device Manager with My Cloud OS 3
Uses 1 GB DDR4 – 40% more efficient
3 year warranty. Asustor will repair or replace any unit that is hardware damaged during the 3-year period so you can feel worry free when using any Asustor product
Transcode 10-bit 4K H.265 media with hardware decoding easily enables smooth video playback
AMD Ryzen Quad-core 2.2 GHz
Fully certified storage virtualization solutions
Ultimate file management and sharing
PEACE OF MIND INCLUDED: 3-year warranty (includes hard drive coverage) with 24/7, award-winning US-based support. (Additional warranty options available.)
REMOTE MANAGEMENT SERVICE - Save time and resources by managing multiple NAS from a single console.
16 TB CAPACITY – 2 pre-tested, NAS-grade hard drives included. Ships in RAID 1 for 8 TB usable capacity; can change to RAID 0 for full 16 TB; 2 empty bays for future expansion.
PURPOSE-BUILT FOR DATA PROTECTION: Features 256-bit drive encryption, a closed system, and flexible replication and backup features to keep your data safe.
FAST DATA TRANSFERS - Native 2.5GbE port for high speeds with no cable upgrade needed
DATA RECOVERY SERVICE – Qualifies for free simple logical data recovery with award winning support when registered
MADE IN JAPAN - Quality made data storage
RELIABLE STORAGE W/ EFFORTLESS SETUP: RAID 1 pre-configured for out-of-the-box protection to save you time and effort.
CLOUD INTEGRATION: Sync with Amazon S3, Dropbox, Azure and OneDrive to create a hybrid cloud for extra data security, cost savings, and flexible scalability.
PROFESSIONAL GRADE NETWORK ATTACHED STORAGE: Optimized to organize, store, share, and back up your important files.
Performance-Oriented and Quiet Hardware Design: 32GB ECC RAM | 8-Core 2.2GHz Intel Atom CPU | 5x 3.5” Hot-Swap SATA Drive Bays | 2x 2.5” Hot-Swap SATA SSD Bays | Dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet | Remote Management (IPMI) | 3x USB 2.0 Ports - 1x USB 3.0 Port | 1x Internal Boot Device | Speed up workflows by adding cache SSDs | Ultra-quiet Nanoxia fans
TrueNAS CORE supports Windows, MacOS, Linux, and Unix clients and syncs with AWS, Azure, Dropbox and more. Supports NFS, SMB, AFP, iSCSI and S3 file sharing protocols.
Built, tested, and supported in the U.S. by iXsystems. Proceeds support TrueNAS development.
Dual M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 3 slots allow implementing SSD cache acceleration, SSD storage pool, or a Coral M.2 accelerator for faster image recognition
8GB UDIMM DDR4 RAM and upgradable to 128GB with ECC support
Create a disaster recovery plan with ransomware protection using QNAP’s storage snapshot solution
What to Look For in a best network drives?
The best network drives is influenced by a multitude of factors, including all those stated below. Depending on the sort of product, the learning process differs. We'll be ready to aid you and propose solutions since we're here to support you.
It's necessary to remember the following factors before selecting best network drives:
Capacity
If your needs are more modest then a two-bay unit is also handy and won't break the bank.
RAID
Whatever RAID you choose, however, don’t consider your NAS to be the only backup of your data. If the box just dies, or if something catastrophic happens like a fire, you’ll still lose all your data. To mitigate this you'll want another external backup, preferably to the cloud.
Transcoding
Form Factor
Apps
Ease Of Use
Ports And Connections
FAQs
How do I set up a network drive?
The process of setting up a network drive varies depending on the type of network and the operating system. Generally, you will need to configure the network settings on each computer that will be accessing the drive, as well as create a shared folder on the computer that is hosting the drive.
What are the benefits of using a network drive?
Network drives allow multiple users to access the same files and documents, reducing the need for multiple copies of the same file. They also provide a secure way of storing files, as the data is not stored on a single computer.
What is a network drive?
A network drive is a type of storage device that allows multiple users to access and share data over a computer network. It is typically accessed through a server or a computer on the same local area network (LAN), and can be used to store and share files, programs, and other resources.
What is the difference between a local drive and a network drive?
A local drive is a storage device that is connected directly to a computer, such as an internal or external hard drive. A network drive is a storage device that is accessed over a computer network, typically through a server or a computer on the same local area network (LAN).
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