Best NAS 2024: Upgrade to Network Attached Storage Today

ign.com:

Maybe you’ve got one of the best gaming PCs or best laptops, and you want something to easily back up or transfer all the precious data stored on them. Sure, they might be equipped with the best SSDs, or you’ve got solid external hard drives hanging around holding files, photos, and content. But nothing compares to a great NAS (network-attached storage) drive, like our favorite, Synology DiskStation DS224+.

The best NAS drives offer significant storage opportunities and hook into your home network, letting you quickly transfer data to and from your devices. Smartphones, tablets, desktops, and laptops can be connected to the same network simultaneously, and it's easy to sync them up, making NAS ideal for media libraries. However, NAS doesn’t come cheap, so choose carefully. Luckily, we’ve narrowed your search to eight excellent options for various use cases.

If you want to avoid fooling around with overly complex software or settling for simple hardware, the Synology DiskStation DS224+ gets you up and running with a highly capable but straightforward NAS. It features two drive bays, letting you opt for increased storage—up to 32TB, depending on the drive you select—or a RAID 1 configuration to protect your data through redundancy. The two Gigabit LAN ports allow for higher speeds with Link Aggregation or network failover support, though we wish there were a 2.5GB or 10GB LAN support for an even quicker connection.

Using this NAS is simple thanks to Synology's versatile apps and software available on an easy-to-use interface. You can set it up for storing security camera footage, use it as a Plex server, or keep files and photos safe and accessible. Even if you want to transcode 4K media, quickly manage files, or smoothly