Expanding Home network - Network Access Storage

Post by **Surprised** » 23 May 2016, 17:59

I want to expand my home network as more and more devices get added. ie phones, tablets, games consoles, Tvs, central heating boiler etc.
Most are wireless but I still need extra ethernet ports so I assume I will need a network switch. That's the easy part as I can get a gigabit switch and plug things into that so they all talk to each faster over the switch than they can via the 300mbs router. ( I know it will not increase internet speed)

2nd thing I want is network storage and there are a number of things I need it to do.

1. Act as storage media for all devices and all types of files
2. Perform scheduled full back up of all devices on network and itself
3. Ideally multi disk and with USB ports to add external drives
4 Able to partition hard drives and create dedicated drives for individual users (this is not critical though)
5 Personal cloud service so I can access content of NAS from anywhere and on any device.
6 Not expensive.

Does anyone use NAS and able to offer advice or even say what I want wil cost 000's

Post by **Zimmerman** » 03 Jun 2016, 20:09

I've got a Synology NAS and it does all those things.

It's only me and the Mrs, so not sure if it's likely to be as heavily used as what you're proposing.

Mine is pretty much used as a back up for photos, films and music. I don't even connect to it remotely (although I can if I want).

Can't really remember what I paid.
Might have been £300. It's got 2 x 1Tb disks.

Post by **Surprised** » 05 Jun 2016, 14:11

Synology was the way I was thinking of going but will need to be bigger than 2TB. I was thinking a RAID system but that halves the disk space and isn't a back up method.
So I will probably go for a system that gives 4-8tB of storage and that would more than enough to store my music, films and photos and back everything up on daily basis

FISO