The continued moves by Synology to prioritize 1st party hardware and software services may put some users off CPU and RAM: We prefer a multicore Intel Celeron or AMD Ryzen processor. We looked for 2 GB of RAM at minimum. That defeats the object of having a NAS in the first place: having a central and secure place to store all of your data. Most devices will have a couple of USB ports allowing you to connect a printer or external storage device, for example. This allows you to essentially make these devices available on your home network through the NAS itself. DiskStation models come with a propriety Linux-derived operating system, known as DiskStation Manager. DiskStation Manager comes with a very intuitive web-based interface that feels like you're using a desktop computer, complete with easy to identify icons, well laid out menus, and abundant help files. In addition to core NAS features like file management, you can add a large array of custom plugins that handle things like organizing your family photos, torrenting files, and everything in between. The end result is a multi-function device that can perform the tasks of a full size computer, but without the energy consumption. (Even the beefiest DiskStation models consume less than half what a desktop computer or full size home server would.)

Compatibility Across Multiple Operating Systems**: Each NAS system should work seamlessly with Windows, Mac, Android, and Linux. CPU: Intel Celeron J4125 | Drive bays: 4 | RAM: 4GB DDR4 (max 8GB) | Features: 2x 1Gb LAN, 2x USB 3.0, upgradable RAM Synology SNV3400 series M.2 NVMe SSD drives can be installed through the built-in M.2 slots to enable SSD caching or create SSD storage pools. Drives are sold separately. If you want a 4 bay NAS to simply plugin and start using, the Buffalo TeraStation is a good option, but you may find purchasing a diskless NAS and then buying the hard drives separately offers better value for money and potentially better performance. My thoughts: We’re pushing things up a notch with the Synology DiskStation DS920+. This enclosure has a great processor, four drive bays, and some other notable features that make it ideal for Plex.The Surveillance Station tool provides intelligent monitoring and video management tools such as the ability to manage multiple IP cameras with live streaming to help safeguard the most important areas of your home. Since a NAS device is, at the simplest level, just a container for a hard drive or drives (with some added intelligence), the number-one spec for any NAS unit is its maximum potential storage capacity. That's determined by the number of drive bays it includes and to a lesser extent what kinds of drives it can carry. Most consumer-grade and home-office NAS units have one or two bays, while models designed for the office have four or more. But that's not an absolute guideline, especially now that newer NAS devices are showing up with support for 2.5-inch laptop-style drives, both platter-based and solid state. These drives will allow NAS makers to fit more drives into their chassis, which means more long-term storage capacity. It’s powered by a quad-core Realtek RTD1296 processor, which won’t win any awards for performance. What this CPU does allow for is a lower price, so too does the 512MB of RAM that you cannot upgrade yourself. Many thx if someone far more intelligent then me , possible a bit younger while containing much more knowledge then me could help me.

I think it would be fair to say that, when it comes to users who are making the jump professionally from Cloud to their own private server, the 4-Bay NAS market is often their first choice! Aside from the obvious benefits in capacity (NAS hard drives are now available at 22TB and 24TB is just around the corner) and redundancy (i.e safety nets), 4 disk servers tend to be where NAS brands introduce better hardware internally and externally. As NAS technology has improved year on year, the standard of the average prosumer/small-business 4-Bay NAS has increased quite substantially – all the while with the price point largely remaining the same at each tier (give or take a few %). So, today I want to discuss the very best 4-Bay NAS drives that you can buy right now at the end of 2022 and into 2023. I have reviewed hundreds of NAS devices in the last few years, and I can comfortably say that 2022/2023 has easily been the most competitive. We have seen the evolution of M.2 NVMe SSD use in these systems extending to caching and storage across all NAS brands, the continued growth of 2.5GbE, a new generation of processors arrive that open the doors to larger bandwidth internally and all the while, the software that all these devices arrive with become incredibly diverse and capable! So, let’s get down to it, what are the best 4-Bay NAS drives of 2022 and 2023? Let’s go. What Have All the Best 4-Bay NAS Drives Have in Common? The NAS manufacturers who also produce hard drives will favor selling NAS devices with pre-populated drives as it is a sale for both the NAS and hard drives in a single transaction.

Take your data management to the next level

I want to keep away from a four bay Nas. I have the idea that it is not good for me in the future. Want to start with 2 x 12 Tb. And then in the future upgrade to another 2 x 12 Tb. It is worth remembering that although there are ALOT of different 4-Bay NAS drives available to buy, they are by no means created equal! With numerous super-budget brands popping up online, it can be tempting to consider these alongside the premium NAS brands. However, all too often they offer solutions righty seem ‘too good to be true’ and then are gone from the web before your warranty even gets cold! So, whether you are looking at the three best 4-Bay solutions that I am recommending below OR are looking at another 4-Bay NAS you saw on offer/recommended elsewhere – the best NAS system ALWAYS includes the following software and services:

The built-in Virtualization Station feature allows you to run multiple virtual machines, be them Windows, Linux, UNIX or Android. This allows you to have a play around and do some testing with operating systems you may not be used to in a controlled environment without affecting your main workstation. Usable capacity for each volume will be lower than the maximum volume size and is dependent on the filesystem and the amount of system metadata stored. If you are looking for a more budget-friendly, entry-level NAS to use within your home network, the TerraMaster F4-210 is a very affordable option to consider. One benefit of this is that you no longer have to rely on another service such as Google Drive, DropBox or iCloud which charge you a monthly fee whilst offering less storage capacity. The Synology DS420+ is essentially the same as the DS220+, but with a few notable differences. Instead of the front plate, you've got full access to the drive bays without having to detach anything. This NAS also has four bays instead of two. Then there are the smaller differences, like the addition of M.2 SSD cache support and an eSATA port.The Marvell Armada 3700 88F3720 isn’t a brilliant processor, but it’s more than enough to handle file storage and some other lighter apps — you could even run Plex Media Server and stream music. The 512MB RAM isn’t enough for more intensive tasks, but it won’t cause any issues for the aforementioned tasks. If you’re just starting out with your very first NAS enclosure, I’d recommend either the Synology DiskStation DS120j or DS220j as Synology’s more affordable servers. They won’t win any awards for performance, but they’re excellent for storing files. My thoughts: This is a no-brainer. The DS220+ is not only my favorite Synology NAS, but also my all-time favorite enclosure period. It has everything you need for a solid mid-tier, great-value server. The Synology DiskStation DS420+ is a brilliant NAS enclosure. For starters, we’ve got the same Intel Celeron J4025 processor that’s found in the DS220+. This CPU is more than happy to run more intensive tasks on the NAS, such as transcoding 4K movies through Plex.

That being said, this NAS by QNAP does deliver strong performance for the price and is good value for money, in my opinion. The Synology DiskStation Manager is an excellent operating system and is what you’ll find on all branded enclosures. It truly shines on the DS220+. The two 1Gb LAN ports can be linked together for additional network bandwidth too. But not everyone can splash out such funds on a NAS, which is where the Synology DS220j comes into play. This handy enclosure doesn't cost much, which is great if you're new to NAS, but it'll gladly store terabytes worth of data for you. Choosing some hard drives for your NAS

Actual maximum storage pool and volume sizes vary depending on drives used, the number of drive bays available, and the RAID configuration. The NAS devices we cover in this article will come with enough storage to fit the needs of most people, but you still want to look ahead and consider how much storage you will need not just now, but also in the future. A few models will also come with an HDMI port; this would let you use the NAS as a media server with a direct connection to your HDMI-equipped HDTV.