If you're looking to keep your data safe and accessible, NAS servers are an ideal choice for your home or business network. With so many options to consider, understanding what NAS servers are, and a little about their features, can help you make an informed decision.

What's a NAS Device?

Network attached storage devices, or NAS devices, are file storage devices that are connected to your network, and are always on. The data on them remains accessible to anyone on the network who has the permission to access it. You can also, set your data to back up continuously.

NAS Devices vs. External Hard Drives

Many routers allow you to connect an external hard drive for shared access, but NAS drives offer more—they're computers, not just hard drives. NAS drives can be used as streaming servers, as host storage for remote users, to back your data up onto cloud storage servers, and to run apps.

NAS Backups and Data Redundancy

NAS servers often contain multiple NAS drive trays that house individual hard drives. The NAS device's operating system can use the trays to make copies of your data automatically. This redundancy ensures that there's no loss of data in the event of the failure of one drive.

Choosing a NAS Drive

As with all hard drive purchases, you'll want to consider how much data you need to back up, and decide on storage size. Fortunately, many servers allow you to switch out hard drives and increase the size of your server in the future. You can also opt for a NAS enclosure only, and add drives to your setup yourself. Having more drives available allows for greater redundancy in the event of a hard drive failure. The more precious your data, the more drive bays and drives you'll want to have available for data redundancy.

If you want to access the server using phones or tablets, you'll want to make sure it supports that protocol. Some servers also offer extra precautionary features, such as waterproofing, fireproofing, and theft protection to safeguard your data further.

If you want to ensure your data is both easy to access and well protected, B&H Photo and Video has a wide selection of NAS servers to consider.