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Thank you for your timely answer.
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OK, please answer this question for me. I have looked all over the Internet and can't find a best practice solution. There probably is no best answer.<br />
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The scenario is a six PC peer-to-peer network with an application on one computer that the users on the other clients access. The database is SQL Express. Everything works well. The person who owns the office wants to move the database and is going to purchase a Netgear RND 4425 NAS to put the database on. Most articles I have read have stated that while you can configure SQL on an NAS, it can be problematic and best practice would be SAN if one were not going to just use a Server/Client setup. <br />
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Given that the Netgear runs about $900, wouldn't it just make more sense to cough up a couple more grand and get a server. Even if it did do OK on the NAS, you would still have much more functionality with a server with Active Directory, etc.<br />
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Any opinions.
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OK, please answer this question for me. I have looked all over the Internet and can't find a best practice solution. There probably is no best answer.

The scenario is a six PC peer-to-peer network with an application on one computer that the users on the other clients access. The database is SQL Express. Everything works well. The person who owns the office wants to move the database and is going to purchase a Netgear RND 4425 NAS to put the database on. Most articles I have read have stated that while you can configure SQL on an NAS, it can be problematic and best practice would be SAN if one were not going to just use a Server/Client setup. 

Given that the Netgear runs about $900, wouldn't it just make more sense to cough up a couple more grand and get a server. Even if it did do OK on the NAS, you would still have much more functionality with a server with Active Directory, etc.

Any opinions.

SQL Express and NAS/SAN

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is a suite of relational database management system (RDBMS) products providing multi-user database access functionality.Component services include integration (SSIS), reporting (SSRS), analysis (SSAS), data quality, master data, T-SQL and performance tuning. It includes support for managing XML data and allows a database server to be exposed over web services using Tabular Data Stream (TDS) packets encapsulated within SOAP (protocol) requests.

Microsoft SQL Server 2005

Networking hardware includes the physical devices facilitating the use of a computer network. Typically, networking hardware includes gateways, routers, network bridges, modems, wireless access points, networking cables, line drivers, switches, hubs, and repeaters. But it also includes hybrid network devices such as multilayer switches, protocol converters, bridge routers, proxy servers, firewalls, network address translators, multiplexers, network interface controllers, wireless network interface controllers, ISDN terminal adapters and other related hardware.

Networking Hardware-Other

Network design and methodology, also known as network architecture, is the design of a communication network. It is a framework for the specification of a network's physical components and their functional organization and configuration, its operational principles and procedures, as well as data formats used in its operation. In telecommunication, the specification of a network architecture may also include a detailed description of products and services delivered via a communications network, as well as detailed rate and billing structures under which services are compensated.