The Best Personal Network Attached Storage For 2024

DS220j is an entry-level 2-bay NAS designed to store and share photos, videos, and documents for home and personal users. The private cloud solution is powered by the award-winning DiskStation Manager (DSM) OS, providing an intuitive user interface and safe data protection approaches for easy digital asset backups from computers and mobile devices at no additional cost.

You can easily access files on the Synology NAS over the Internet using QuickConnect. DiskStation allows you to synchronize your files across multiple devices or several locations, so you never have to go without your data. It can centralize and organize your photos and videos in your private cloud for easy sharing and management. DSM makes it easy to back up files for all your devices and avoid accidental data loss. You can even back up data from your DiskStation to other devices or any primary cloud storage provider. Nevertheless, you can find this device difficult to use if you are not a tech savor. 

If you want to simplify your NAS and boost efficiency, look no further than the Synology DS920+. There are two M.2 SSD slots built right in, and with Synology's SSD Cache technology, you can speed up your system's I/O and your apps. Synology DX517's scalable storage architecture allows you to begin with a small initial installation and add additional storage as your data needs increase.

You can quickly and easily organize your digital photo collection, share and sync files between computers and mobile devices, and use lightning-fast web applications. DiskStation enables the entire office to centralize files and collaborate on projects thanks to its support for various network file-sharing protocols. You can also synchronize files across multiple devices or locations to facilitate collaboration among distributed teams. This device ensures that your files are secure with Synology and that you retain data control. Nevertheless, its hardware may sometimes lag a bit. 

If you're seeking a secure and user-friendly personal cloud solution, consider Buffalo's LinkStation 700 series NAS. This NAS server allows you to store all your important files in one location and access them quickly from any device. You can easily back up multiple computers running Windows or macOS and Android or iOS mobile devices to a centralized NAS. Additionally, you can create your private cloud by combining the NAS with services like Dropbox or Microsoft OneDrive, enabling swift data storage, retrieval, and sharing over the internet.

Equipped with a Hexa-core processor and a native 2.5GbE Fast Ethernet port, this NAS storage efficiently handles large data streams at high speeds. You can securely share storage or files with others without compromising privacy by granting specific permissions for accessing particular folders. However, it may experience some slowdowns when multiple users simultaneously handle it, especially during file writing.

Almost every enumerated benefit of this product is excellent. This network-attached storage unit has four M.2 slots that can be used for storage or caching. You can dedicate each space to a specific function or switch things up. With room for four M.2 SSDs, this NAS can adapt to various situations where faster storage is a priority.

Compared to Gigabit Ethernet devices, the performance of the two 2.5GbE ports on this Lockerstor Gen2 is significantly higher. On top of that, the relatively new addition of SMB Multichannel support means that this NAS can pool the bandwidth of multiple Ethernet ports to achieve speeds much more significant than 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet. Moreover, this device provides optimal cooling for the NAS by allowing increased airflow to reach every part of the system. However, people unfamiliar with technology may have trouble learning to use the interface of this product because it is not very user-friendly. 

Are you seeking a versatile, high-performance network-attached storage device for your small office or home? Look no further than the Synology DS218+! This 1-bay NAS packs a powerful 64-bit quad-core processor and 2 GB of DDR4 memory, delivering lightning-fast sequential throughput at over 112 MB/s reading and writing. That means you'll have plenty of bandwidth to handle demanding tasks like 4K video transcoding on the fly so that you can enjoy your favorite movies and shows without lag or stutter.

It also comes with Synology's award-winning DiskStation Manager (DSM), a powerful and intuitive operating system that lets you easily manage and organize your data. Whether you're storing important files, backing up your devices, or streaming media to your TV, the DSM makes it simple and hassle-free. And with support for a wide range of clients and browsers, including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, you can access your data from anywhere, anytime. Plus, it is designed with data security in mind, featuring SSL encryption and a closed system that minimizes vulnerabilities from third-party apps. Unfortunately, this device may make a bit of noise while in operation.

The My Cloud Pro Series offers online storage for managing your digital assets and accessing, saving, and sharing production files from anywhere with an active internet connection. It is compatible with various platforms, allowing you to securely store and organize all your media for use in creative projects.

With its extensive network storage, this device enables easy access to your unprocessed photos and final mixes from a central location. Thanks to its quad-core Intel Pentium processor and 4GB of RAM, streaming high-definition videos and sharing large files is effortless. To ensure data security, the My Cloud Pro Series offers multiple RAID options, password protection, and 256-bit AES volume encryption, safeguarding your data from unauthorized access. Additionally, it provides redundancy during power outages. The only downside is that its manual instructions could be better. 

Buffalo's LinkStation SoHo 200 series is an excellent choice for small and home offices and professional users seeking a reliable and affordable RAID-based NAS storage solution. This simple NAS server delivers dependable performance and high data security, perfect for everyday storage and backup needs.

The pre-configured RAID setup protects out-of-the-box data, allowing easy backup from multiple computers (Windows and macOS) to a secure network storage location. The NAS operates on a closed system, preventing the installation of third-party applications and enhancing security by avoiding potential app vulnerabilities. This 2-bay NAS offers the flexibility of RAID data protection. You can configure a RAID 0 array for maximum storage capacity or a RAID 1 array for data redundancy if one of the NAS drives fails. The only minor downside is that the device's initial setup can be a bit cumbersome.