NAS Storage Suggestions

So I have a 3TB hard drive that is constantly running out of space.  This drive serves files to 5 different computers.  So I thought that maybe NAS might be a good way to go, but don't know much about it.

From what I heard, I can configure it so that if 1 drive fails, you just remove it and throw in a new 1 and you're good to go with no data loss.  I very much like this!!!

So in my early research it looks like this one is very good:

http://www.amazon.com/Synology-DiskStation-Diskless-Network-Attached/dp/B0078RETQE/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

And I also found this:

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/nas/nas-charts/view

I'm a little partial to Seagate drives, but that won't totally keep me from going another way.

So, since I'm new to all this NAS stuff, I wanted to check with the experts before I pulled the trigger.
hrolsonsAsked:
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Gary CaseConnect With a Mentor RetiredCommented:
The Synology unit you linked to is very nice, but a 4-bay unit is likely all you need:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822108161

With modern 4TB drives, a 4-bay unit would let you build a 4-drive RAID-5 with 12TB of fault-tolerant storage (i.e. if one drive fails, you don't lose anything ... you just replace the drive and let the system rebuild it).    Or you could build an 8TB RAID-6, where you wouldn't lose anything even if 2 drives failed !!  (RAID-6 protects you against the situation where a 2nd drive fails while you're rebuilding a drive)

Of course the 8-bay unit you linked to would allow even larger arrays ... up to 28TB in RAID-5 or 24TB in RAID-6.
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rindiConnect With a Mentor Commented:
Using RAID is good (that's what you were talking about with a drive failing without data loss), but you will still have to make backups to some other location besides the NAS. After all, the NAS itself could break, or you could loose data another way. So a good backup is still the most important thing.

Synology make very good NAS, I can recommend them. Always make sure you use disks that are recommended in the manual of the NAS. The manufacturer doesn't make much difference (seagate, WD etc.), but rather whether you use desktop disks or disks that are optimized for RAID arrays and NAS.
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Gerald ConnollyCommented:
Just make sure that you use the appropriate RAID level, DON't use RAID-0, Use either RAID-1 or RAID10, if you can't live with the 50% Utilisation go for RAID-5.

But Note. RAID isnt a substitute for Backup
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hrolsonsAuthor Commented:
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rindiConnect With a Mentor Commented:
On the Synology site the ds412+ is under the small and medium business section, while the ds414 is under the home to business workgroup section.

That indicates that the ds412+ has more features included, like tools to connect to an active directory environment, or to use it as storage for hypervisors, while the ds414 probably doesn't have those features.
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Gerald ConnollyCommented:
The DS214+ 2 Bay and only does RAID 0, 1 & Synology Hybrid (what ever that is)
The DS414   4 Bay and does RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, 6 & Hybrid

That probably means that the 214 is too small as RAID-1 means that you will only get the equivalent capacity of one drive. ie 3TB

The 414 will give you using 4 x 3TB drives, either 6TB (in RAID10) or 9TB (in RAID-5)
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rindiCommented:
The ds214+ isn't in any of the links he posted. It was the 414 and 412+ that were on those links.
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Gerald ConnollyCommented:
@rindi, You are right! I was very tired when i was looking through the specs on the Synology website as Amazon didnt carry the relevant details.
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