Top 5 Reasons to Own a NAS



Top 5 Reasons to Own a NAS


Here are some of the best things you can do with a NAS

NAS boxes today are faster than ever. Many are more powerful than desktop computers from just a few years ago. When you consider their small footprint, quiet operation and huge storage capacity, a NAS is the perfect replacement for a large and obnoxiously loud media server.


best reasons to own a NAS
If you read our last article, Qnap Vs Synology - Best NAS for 2017 hopefully you had a chance to play with the online demo software to see just how far NAS boxes have come in recent years.

The things a NAS can do these days is pretty amazing considering their small size. When you consider a Synology DS1813+ is capable of holding up to 32TB of disk storage and can provide 100Mbps transfer speeds, it's easy to see why many people would rather own a NAS than a large ugly computer tower to use as a media server.

 After UPS delivers your new NAS box, here are our top favorite things to do with it once you remove it from the box. 

Synology best NAS

Use a NAS as a Private Cloud


While free private clouds may make sense for certain files, to store your priceless family photos or company secrets maybe not so much.   Many people still value privacy and when you upload and entrust your private files to a 3rd party, you are giving up peace of mind. These private clouds are not always free and as your data storage needs increase, their prices often can increase dramatically as well. 

By storing and backing up your files to your own private NAS at least you know your files, or trade secrets are safe from a data administrator's snooping eyes. Want to make sure they are safe from hackers, you can simply disconnect the network cable to the internet. To protect your data from fire or theft, encrypt it and store a backup drive offsite.

Media Server for the Family

The home computer is becoming less popular these days often being replaced by a tablet, mobile phone, laptop and even smart TV's and media streamers. All these devices connect to your home network and can share files from a central media server. A NAS makes perfect sense to serve in this role. Load it up with terabytes of music and videos and any family member can access these files from any device on your network.

Synology offers an app on their NAS boxes called Video Station. Much like Plex or XBMC it can organize all your videos and even transcodes your files making them compatible with a wide range of devices. It can search online looking for cover art and provide a synopsis of each movie or TV show. Plug in a digital tuner like the excellent HDHomeRun and it can even record and schedule over the air broadcast TV shows. Think of this as your own DVR minus the monthly fees.

Video Surveillance Station 

Video cameras are everywhere. Many home security systems are now using cameras to not only alert to an intruder, they also record the perpetrators in the act to be used as evidence for later prosecution. A NAS offers a lower cost solution to video surveillance for your business or home than many commercial alternatives. 

Host your on Website on a NAS 



 Since your NAS is on all the time why pay extra web hosting fees. You can upload your files to your NAS and use it to host your website. It can even provide database applications using many 3rd party apps and provide your customers with a shopping cart. 

 If you own a Synology NAS, here is their tutorial on How to host a website on a NAS.

Use your NAS as a Download Station



If you are a download addict, NAS drives make perfect sense. Many boxes will run software like Sickbeard that will help manage and even automate this process.  This software can even discover new TV shows as they become available and download them just like a DVR. Just be sure to hide your IP address at your router to keep the internet police from knocking on your door.

 A NAS is always on. Using a NAS to download files takes the load off your laptop or computer, and makes newly downloaded files automatically available to all your devices on your local network. Or, even remotely access all your files from anywhere in the world. 

 Synology NAS drives offers a special software app called Download Station which is built-in. It will help make your download tasks much easier by organizing all your downloads and letting you watch their progress from a single window. Click here to learn how to setup Download Station on a Synology NAS or watch the video below to learn how to automatically Download, Unrar, Store and Seed your Torrent files.










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