What Is Network-Attached Storage (NAS) and Why Do I Need It?

Data usage is on the rise, and network-attached storage (NAS) are now becoming more used prevalent for data storage and backup due to a number of features they offer, not least of which their storage capacity. Unlike traditional computers or file servers, NAS systems are incredibly flexible, which is why they are just at home just as often as at an office.

If you need a simple and secure data storage and backup solution, a NAS can be your best bet.

What Is NAS?

At its heart, a NAS device is just a computer that is optimized for data storage. NAS hardware is comprised of a motherboard with RAM and CPU, with typical interfaces like USB, LAN, and wireless internet, and has hard drives (or solid state drives) for storage. Each NAS on a network is an independent node, with its own unique IP address.

However, NAS devices typically don’t have a keyboard or display—instead, they are managed through UI displayed over a web browser. And NAS are often designed to be run 24/7, providing stable, reliable data storage and access without needing constant shutdowns and startups.

NAS come in a wide variety of sizes and prices, from streamlined to all-encompassing. Depending on the features included, you can use a NAS system to handle databases, video content, communication systems, and more. You can even mix and match NAS storage with cloud services, which can potentially optimize cost and security for your data.

Key NAS Features and Benefits

NAS will also provide other benefits over a typical computer, such as increased security, reliability, and comprehensive data storage and backup features.

Storage Capacity

While NAS devices can often operate as both file servers and data storage, their primary functionality will revolve around storage and backup. NAS often utilize 3.5-inch hard drives that are specifically designed to run within an always-on storage device, with a wide range of available storage capabilities to meet your data needs. With a NAS, you can easily start with anywhere between 8TB to 40TB. That storage is centralized in one secure but easily-accessible location, instead of having to contend with stacks of portable hard drives.

One of the key aspects of a NAS is the number of drive bays a device offers, as this determines how many hard drives the device can hold. As a benefit, you can often choose to purchase a NAS device with or without drives included, giving you unmatched flexibility.

As an example, Buffalo NAS often offer partially-populated models where not all drive bays are filled. This gives you the flexibility to have the storage you need now at a lower cost of entry, and then scale up by purchasing additional drives down the line as you need it.

RAID

A larger number of drive bays affords more storage and more flexibility in how you configure your NAS for a balance of performance and protection against drive failure, which brings us to RAID.

RAID is the striping scheme of a shared storage volume, based on the number of available hard drives. With RAID, you can replicate data from one drive to another so the data is still available should the first drive fail.

For example, if your NAS system has two drives, you can enable RAID 0, which is when a volume is “stretched” across two drives, making a single, larger. Alternatively, you can also enable RAID 1, which gives you the option to mirror the same set of data across two drives. With RAID 0, you get better data performance, but the loss of one drive means that data on the entire volume is lost. On the other hand, RAID 1 effectively cuts your storage capacity in half, but if one drive fails, you lose no data, as the same data is available on the other drive.

With more available drive bays, you can enable more complex RAID configurations with sophisticated redundancy that protects your data even if several drives fail. Even though it’s not a standalone backup solution, RAID does provide another layer of data protection, as keeping your data in a single physical location is risky at best.

Security

Security is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to data storage, regardless of whether it’s business or personal data. NAS devices will often offer multiple native data security features, ranging from broad measures such as anti-virus to more granulated features such as snapshots.

Buffalo NAS are purpose-built to measure against the highest security standards, providing multiple security features on every level. Buffalo NAS run on closed systems, which means that this precludes 3^rd party apps from being installed on them, therefore shutting down the possibility of cybercriminals breaching your NAS through 3^rd party app vulnerabilities and thereby mitigating common threats such as ransomware.

Other features include two-factor authentication (2FA), which adds another security layer in addition to passwords when you log in to your NAS; drive encryption, which prevents data on your drive from being accessed when the drive is removed from the NAS; and a myriad of online and offline backup and replication features, including the cloud, so you can always recover your data should something go wrong.

Reliability

One of the reasons NAS solutions are considered great data storage options is because they offer great reliability, offering 24/7 data availability and access. The typical computer runs desktop hard drives, which only operate when computers are on and therefore likely to fail when used under long-term constant operation. However, NAS hard drives are purpose-built for continuous operation, so they can withstand 24/7 operation.

Buffalo’s Commitment to NAS Quality

Network storage is more complex than computer storage or portable storage, but its benefits are well worth it. Having a secure but flexible centralized data storage location means you and approved users can easily and securely access, share, manage, or back up data with peace of mind. And if you are a small, home-based business, having a professional but affordable NAS as your central data repository can help you take your business to the next level without straining your IT budget.

Buffalo prides itself in providing data storage solutions that offer the security, stability, and simplicity you need so you can store and manage your data with peace of mind. Responsible for many industry firsts and technology standards, Buffalo has four decades of networking and computer peripheral manufacturing and design experience. Contact us today to learn more about our secure network storage solutions and how they can benefit you.