NAS

If you have a computer, or some other smart device like a tablet, a connection to the Internet though a modem or whatever, then you may find a NAS useful.

If you know what NAS is, or have one, then don’t bother about the rest of this. If you don’t, then…

First off, just to say, I am not paid or sponsored by anyone, no advertising, nothing. Just want to share my personal experiences. There are other products out there that may be better, or worse but I am happy with mine.

So, what is a NAS? Well, it’s a NETWORK STORAGE DEVICE.

I am sure you know that if you create some kind of document, take a picture whatever, you have to save it somewhere if you will need it later. In your computer there will be some kind of disk drive (mechanical or whatever), you may use a memory stick, you may even post things to the cloud.

You can buy add on external disk drives for saving work and backing up for not a lot of money.

A NAS gives you basically a small computer with disk drives in of some type that you attach not to your computer, but to your home modem, router or switch and onto which you can save files, backup machines or many other things.

Mine is a Synology. That’s just the manufacturer, and there are many others. It looks like this:

Inside are two large capacity disk drives. You can get smaller or bigger ones, but this seems just fine for my purposes. It is attached to my modem, always on, burbles away and gives me no problems.

Because it is on the network, any home device that is on the same network can have access to its contents. So, I have copied all my cds onto it, plus some bought and downloaded music. My hifi music player can play directly from it, with control using my tablet or phone. I store all my digital photos on it, too. I have attached a tv dongle and can even record basic tv from it. I can watch them on my tv or on my phone.

People I know around the world can have log on details and also access my pictures wherever they may be. It’s secure. I don’t do work, but if I did, even work files can be shared.

It cost a few hundred pounds, came with the discs though you can get the basic box and add your own, was dead easy to set up and just works.

The point of more than one disk is that they work together. Data is duplicated, automatically. If one drive fails, and they do, it can be replaced and no files are lost.

Anything that help protect your stuff is good.

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