All technological innovations are born to supersede their predecessors. No sooner have we adopted the latest technology, another manufacturer will explode the markets with an even better one. With each passing day, new technology replaces the older, and it keeps evolving. There is no turning back again. Hard disks are not an exception. They have been with us for over two decades now, and they’re getting evolved in storage capacity, size and flexibility.
It’s a good idea to de-duplicate Network Drive and System files with the industry’s top duplicate finder, Clone Files Checker. Try it free here.
Network Attached Drives (NAS) are recently gaining tremendous popularity, especially after two big players Western Digital and Seagate shook up the markets. They’ve been in the discussion occurring on the Internet forums to the deep corridors of corporate meetings. If you’re curious what are the top 10 NAS Drives to buy, we’ve compiled this list only for you. Continue reading…
1. Western Digital DL4100 NAS Drive
- Storage capacity: From 8 TB upto 24 TB
- Processor: Intel 1.7 GHz Dual-Core
- Ethernet: Two Gigabit Ethernet ports
- USB Ports: Two USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0
- Random Access Memory (RAM): 2 GB (expandable upto 6 GB)
- NTP Client
- Web Dashboard
- Compatible with popular cloud platforms- Dropbox and Box.
- Automatic backup fail alerts by SMS and emails whenever scheduled backups interrupted
- 4-drive bays
Prices: (Approx)
- Standard diskless model: $529
- 8 TB: $849.99
- 16 TB: $1,169.99
- 24 TB: $1,529.99
Important: Don’t confuse Gbps (Gigabits per second) with GBPS (Gigabytes per second). GBPS is around 8 times faster than Gbps. 1 Gbps = 0.125 GBPS, i.e. 1 GBPS = 8 Gbps
2. QNAP TS-251B-4G
- Intel Dual-Core NAS
- PCIe slot
- Random Access Memory (RAM): 4 GB (Expandable up to 8 GB)
- RAM type: DDR-4
- Processor: Intel Celeron JS4005 Dual-Core 2.0 GHz
- Ethernet Port: 1 Gigabit RJ45 port
- USB Ports: Two USB 3.2 Generation 1 and One USB 2.0 port
Prices: (Approx)
- Celeron J4005 (2020): $300
- Celeron J3355 (2019): $400
3. WD My Cloud Personal NAS Drive
- DLNA-compliant (Digital Living Network Alliance)
- Available in various storage capacities: From 2 TB up to 4 TB
- USB Port: USB 3.0
- Ethernet: Gigabit
- No of hard disks: 1
- Supports connectivity with external hard disk via USB
Prices: (Approx)
- 2 TB: $139
- 6 TB: $229
- 8 TB: $279
4. Seagate Personal Cloud 2-Bay NAS Drive
- Storage: 4 TB, 6 TB, 8 TB and 20 TB
- Ethernet type: Gigabit Ethernet
- RAID compliant
- Remote file access: Available
- Media server: Available with a software that comes with your purchase
- No of hard disks: 2 (dual bays)
- Cloud compatibility: Supports Google Drive and Dropbox
- Streaming: Supported using Chromecast and Roku
Prices: (Approx)
- 4-bay 20 TB: $1,999
5. Buffalo LinkStation LS220D NAS Drive
- Storage capacity: From 2 TB up to 8 TB
- Ethernet: Gigabit Ethernet
- Easily configure with smartphone apps
- Storage capacity: 2 TB and 8 TB (dual-bay unit)
- Supports direct integration with BitTorrent which enables file downloading even if your computer is turned off
- Music streaming: Supported with iTunes
Prices: (Approx)
- 4 TB: $189
- 8 TB: $309
- 12 TB: $389
6. Synology DiskStation DS1817 NAS Drive
- Speed: 10 GbE
- Processor: Intel Quad-Core
- Local Area Network: Two 1GbE LAN and two 10 GbE LAN
- USB Ports: Two USB 3.0
- Hard Disk: Two e-SATA HDDs
- Automatic failover and real-time protection to secure your data in case of disasters
- Easily organize and transfer your files using the Web-based File Station tool
- Sync files across Windows, Mac, Android, Linux and iOS
- Compatible with FTP, SMB, AFP, WebDAV, ISCSI and NFS.
- Version History: Easily restore previous file versions
Prices: (Approx)
- 8-bay: $923
7. WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra NAS Drive
- Available in different storage capacities from 4 TB up to 28 TB
- Ethernet: Gigabit Ethernet
- Processor: Intel Dual Core
- USB Port: USB 3.0
- Compatible with Microsoft Active Directory support
- Supports remote access to your files with My Cloud OS 3
- Compatible with RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive/ Independent Disks)
- Dual bay
- Preferable for small businesses that act as an FTP server, data backup server, P2P download server.
Prices: (Approx)
- 4 TB: $299
- 8 TB: $369
- 16 TB: $795
- 28 TB: $1299
8. Asustor AS5202T
- You can use it as a $K Ultra HD media box for your TV
- Ethernet transfer speed: 2.5 Gigabits per second (2.5GbE)
- Link aggregation speed: 5 Gbps
- User interface: Web-based
- 4K Ultra HD (UHD)
- HDMI port is available
- Total USB Ports: 3
- USB Port Type: One Type-A 5Gbps port. Two additional USB 3.2 (Generation 1) ports
Prices: (Approx)
- $299
9. WD My Cloud Home 4TB Personal Cloud
- Automatic scheduled backup protects your data against unforeseen situations
- Easily import stuff from a USB device
- Compatible with Windows and Mac
- Quickly import files from your USB devices
- Includes My Cloud Home application
Prices: (Approx)
- $239
10. QNAP TS-251D 4G US
- Quickly watch media on your TV
- Designed while keeping home users in mind
- Supports media playback without multimedia playback
- Processor: Intel Celeron J4005
- RAM: 4 GB (expandable up to 8 GB)
- HDMI output
- 1 GbE port
- USB Ports: Two USB 3.2 Generation 1 ports, three USB 2.0 ports
- Power Cord: 1
- Accessories
- PCI-E expandability
- Ethernet Cable: 1* Gigabit
Prices: (Approx)
- $300
IMPORTANT: Delete Duplicates from your Computer Before Transferring Files to your New NAS Drive
After buying a new NAS Drive, it’s important to keep the files organized. Regularly organizing files will help you store more files and they will be accessible when you need them the most. It’s highly recommended that you scan your computer’s hard disk for duplicate files before transferring them to your new NAS drive. Scanning your computer’s hard disk for duplicates will eliminate unwanted junk and make the transfer process quicker and smoother. Thankfully, you don’t have to go through each file and compare it yourself. Clone Files Checker could be a good assistant.
What’s a Clone Files Checker?
Clone Files Checker is an industry-leading duplicate finding software with a powerful search engine and multiple file hashing algorithms. If you’ve tens of GBs of files accumulated over years of usage, scan them for duplicates at least once in a week. Regularly cleaning duplicates will free-up your storage and improve your NAS drive’s performance.
Clone Files Checker features:
- Algorithm-based powerful search engine
- 100% scan accuracy
- Move duplicate files to another folder, or delete them permanently
- Shows a history of all past scans, actions taken
- One-click files restore (Available only if you’ve backed up duplicates before deleting)
- File size filters allow you to customize the scan based on different factors such as file size and file type
- Flexible program options: Choose whether to scan files from hidden folders or not
- Wizard-based interface makes it super easy to take uniform action on thousands of duplicates in just 2-3 mouse clicks!
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Vikas is a technology enthusiast who loves writing articles on computers and technology. He writes on various topics related to software, software reviews, troubleshooting and tips & tricks to make people's digital lives better.