Network-Attached Storage (NAS) (Shared)

What is Network-Attached Storage?

Network-Attached Storage (NAS) is a type of dedicated file storage device that provides local-area network (LAN) nodes with file-based shared storage through a standard Ethernet connection. 

NAS devices, which typically do not have a keyboard or display, are configured and managed with a browser-based utility program. Each NAS resides on the LAN as an independent Network node and has its own IP address.

7 BENEFIT OF OWNING AN NAS SERVER

 

1. Adding Storage Space

One of the primary reasons people choose to add a Network Attached Server to their home or office is to simply add more storage to their computer's capacity. NAS servers can range in storage capacity from 100-250 gigabytes (GB), all the way up to 8 or more terabytes (TB). With this wide range of storage options, nearly any need can be met, from storage of huge program or video files for groups of people, or just creating a central server, giving multiple users a little extra hard drive space.
Storage space is important, especially for those thinking about their future needs, and an NAS server addresses that need for a group of users working in a small office. This is a much more efficient way to provide storage for people, and resists the need to purchase extra individual hard drives for each computer on the network.

2. Efficient Data Transfer and Reliable Network Access

A Network Attached Server provides the area or group of computers attached to it with a method for efficient data transfer, and also ensures reliable network access. If one computer dies, or has an unexpected outage, a NAS will continue running and still allow the other computers on the network to access shared data. Also, NAS servers create a central hub for a group of computers that allow people to share folders and large files with little to no effort. Simply dragging and dropping a sizable file into the shared network folder will allow any other computer connected to the network server access to that data. Computers in one shared network can connect to the main NAS server either wirelessly or through an ethernet cable. This can change the speed with which data is transferred. Also, the added storage space and compartmentalizing of data can add overall speed to the network of computers, which is another great benefit.

3. Ease of Accessibility from Multiple Locations

Along the same lines of transferring data, Network Attached Servers make information and files accessible from multiple different locations. This can be extremely efficient and helpful in a small office setting, when multiple people need to consult a single document, or even edit it as a team. Many programs have a feature that allow multiple users accessing data from different channels to edit a document together at the same time, but this can only be done through an NAS server. This can also be helpful for accessing a printer. Many offices or homes only have one printer attached to one computer that can print. Implementing a Network Attached Server allows users to have a file on their base computer, that they can also access from the printing computer. There are many more situations in which this same type of accessibility is made fast and easy with an NAS server.

4. Sharing Capacities 

One of the reasons many homeowners consider implementing a Network Attached Server in their house, is to share entertainment capabilities from room to room. If one person in a home has a CD on their computer, but they want to listen to it on the family computer in the living room, a NAS server allows for this functionality. This same capability applies to sharing videos with each other, or viewing a movie in one room that is originating in a file on a computer in another room. Creating a hub where multiple people can access and share media files like music, movies, images, and more, is an efficient addition to the entertainment setup in any home. NAS servers also allow a group of people in one home to access one game, so for those who want to participate in online gaming with a group of visiting friends, a NAS server would allow them to share their gaming experience, as well.

5. Protecting Small Network of Data

A NAS server often features encryption software, and is a good way to protect smaller networks of data, as they are more difficult to breach than the average computer. Also, anything stored on the Network Attached Server is kept safe from not only outside attacks, but also from corruption of files in a computer or hardware malfunctions. On the off chance that a computer gets dropped or has water spilled on it, the data on the computer will not be lost as it has been safely stored on the NAS. While an external computer can manipulate a file, the file itself is stored on the NAS, not on the external computer.

6. Automatic Backing up of Files

Many NAS servers come with configurations that allow for the automatic backing up of files. A copied folder can exist both on an individual computer, and on the server hard drive, and when an individual file within the folder is changed on the computer, the copy too can be changed on the server hard drive. This can be done either through a connective ethernet cable, or in some cases wirelessly as well. The automatic backing up of files is a huge benefit of owning an NAS server, and adds a great deal of functionality, security, and peace of mind. This idea goes along with the previous step, but is an important distinction, because there are few external memory options that provide automatic back-up capabilities, and none accomplish backing up of files automatically throughout a network of many different computers in one location.

7. Fast Configurations with Low Complications

One of the major benefits that many consumers enjoy about a Network Attached Server, is that they take very little technological knowledge to set up and use. Even though they may seem to be complicated and different than anything the average computer user has been involved with in the past, they are fairly simple to configure and use. Most NAS servers do not have their own screen or keyboard, and most are set up and managed through an online, web browser-based software application. This allows the users of the server to configure things like running time, power usage, bandwidth usage, password protection, encryption, allowed users, and more.