looking for hdd enclosure to create a NAS


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I have 2x 2TB Red WD hdds that I want to use for back up (obviously). I'm looking for an enclosure that can be a NAS instead of just an external hd, is that possible? I want to be able to use Time Machine as well. Any ideas? 

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I have 2x 2TB Red WD hdds that I want to use for back up (obviously). I'm looking for an enclosure that can be a NAS instead of just an external hd, is that possible? I want to be able to use Time Machine as well. Any ideas? 

Search NewEgg bro. There are 2 - 4 Bay Enclosures you could use as NAS Storage. If you're willing to spend a little more to complete a RAID Array. Not sure what Time Machine is.

I just bought a 24 Bay Super Micro SAS. It supports up to 6TB Drives.

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Search NewEgg bro. There are 2 - 4 Bay Enclosures you could use as NAS Storage. If you're willing to spend a little more to complete a RAID Array. Not sure what Time Machine is.
I just bought a 24 Bay Super Micro SAS. It supports up to 6TB Drives.

Thanks. I should've elaborated. Time Machine is the backup method in OSX. I have 2 macs and 2 pc's, so I want to be able to use it for both platforms.

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I am interested, what other SOHO NAS products have you owned and compared it to?

Various other Western Digital "Cloud" devices, or generic NAS enclosures. Along with enterprise level NAS devices.

The Synology has a bunch of apps that you can use, it's not just like it is a standalone NAS. See - https://www.synology.com/en-us/dsm/app_packages/all_app

It has UPS support, AD support, e-mail notification support. All kinds of stuff, check the reviews on Amazon also.

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Various other Western Digital "Cloud" devices, or generic NAS enclosures. Along with enterprise level NAS devices.

The Synology has a bunch of apps that you can use, it's not just like it is a standalone NAS. See - https://www.synology.com/en-us/dsm/app_packages/all_app

It has UPS support, AD support, e-mail notification support. All kinds of stuff, check the reviews on Amazon also.

I'd have to agree with you on this. If you aren't looking for massive storage amounts, 60TB+ then Synology is the way to go. Though, that little 2 bay drive will do well for anyone but me :p

I just wish their 4 and 5 bay SOHO NAS weren't so bloody expensive. $400 + $200 / drive can be painful.

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If you are going to buy and off-the-shelf NAS product, then you would do well to stick with one of the three established vendors in this area.  These are: QNAP (I have one, and can vouch that it is a solid device), Synology, and Thecus.

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If you are going to buy and off-the-shelf NAS product, then you would do well to stick with one of the three established vendors in this area.  These are: QNAP (I have one, and can vouch that it is a solid device), Synology, and Thecus.

Would Dlink be any good?

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B008HNRD4I?keywords=nas&qid=1448101066&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

 

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Hello,

 

I have been using a 2-bay Seagate NAS with 2×4GB for several months now.  It seems to work okay, however, next time I will be purchasing a NAS with more bays (4-6).  The device is used strictly for backing up and archiving data, so my "app" requirements are rather light.  I suspect Synology, QNAP or even rolling your own solution via FreeNAS might be a better alternative if you're looking for something that's more than just a file server.

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

Edited by goretsky
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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for the suggestion guys. I know this is not one of the recommended brands, but since I cannot find anything in the $150 CAD mark, I found this: http://www.amazon.ca/WD-Cloud-Diskless-Personal-Storage/dp/B00I2P53NY/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1449063033&sr=1-3&keywords=nas

Most 2-bays are around $200 CAD. Is WD any good or should I just get the Synology?

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4 minutes ago, ultimate99 said:

Thanks for the suggestion guys. I know this is not one of the recommended brands, but since I cannot find anything in the $150 CAD mark, I found this: http://www.amazon.ca/WD-Cloud-Diskless-Personal-Storage/dp/B00I2P53NY/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1449063033&sr=1-3&keywords=nas

Most 2-bays are around $200 CAD. Is WD any good or should I just get the Synology?

Listen to xendrome :-)

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I'm following advice from Jared- and xendrome.

 

  1. Don't go cheap - You get what you pay for, D-Link is NOT known for having quality NAS Products.
  2. Buy what you need + a little extra.
  3. LISTEN TO WHAT OTHERS SAY! READ COMMENTS!

Jared tried to discourage me from buying a rackmount, and getting a desktop. The problem I find is, 8 Bay Desktops are just as expensive, and they require more space in my house. I'm not sure how bad the sound is, but my lab equipment stays in my garage. Older servers aren't known for being quiet.

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You can get a full tower case pretty cheap and load it with drives a crappy mobo, crappy proc, add a little ram and you are as good as any soho nas solution.

9 bays under 100 http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8589217&CatId=1510

cpu, mobo, mem bundle under 100 http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9640847&Sku=M69-00230

go a little higher end for 150:http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9083278&CatId=14

freenas os: http://www.freenas.org/

 

For 300 or less, you have a nas with 9 bays...just need to buy the drives.  You want to get cheaper, get the case and get old core 2 duo box or i3 box and rip the parts out to put into the case.

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18 minutes ago, sc302 said:

You can get a full tower case pretty cheap and load it with drives a crappy mobo, crappy proc, add a little ram and you are as good as any soho nas solution.

9 bays under 100 http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8589217&CatId=1510

cpu, mobo, mem bundle under 100 http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9640847&Sku=M69-00230

go a little higher end for 150:http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9083278&CatId=14

freenas os: http://www.freenas.org/

 

For 300 or less, you have a nas with 9 bays...just need to buy the drives.  You want to get cheaper, get the case and get old core 2 duo box or i3 box and rip the parts out to put into the case.

Never thought about doing that. Wonder if you could even go 12 bays?

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may have to do a little more research with the boards and how many drives they support, but you get the idea.  You can make your own nas box on the cheap. 

 

As far as getting 12 or more bays, keep an eye on the cases...some support more, some support less, some support hot swap, some do not.   most do not have a backplane, some you can order a backplane with....all depends on how crazy you want to get.

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  • 3 months later...

It's me again. I finally decided on this Synology. Might not be a beast but something that I can afford.

https://www.amazon.ca/Synology-DS216se-DiskStation-Diskless-Attached/dp/B014SKVQR8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458688325&sr=8-3&keywords=synology

 

 

Question, though. I'll obviously use it for backups, what if I want to host my website or have an ftp to make some files accessible via the web, wouldn't that put the entire nas at risk? Is there  a way separate my backups from my website, for example?

Edited by ultimate99
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I also just read a review that the Synology DS214se is better in power efficiency and stand by thatn the DS216se. :s

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220$ CDN -- if your worried bout price why not just DIY as sc302 suggests with multiple examples??  You can put together a NAS box for a lot cheaper than that for sure..

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2 hours ago, BudMan said:

220$ CDN -- if your worried bout price why not just DIY as sc302 suggests with multiple examples??  You can put together a NAS box for a lot cheaper than that for sure..

peace of mind. After all, many people recommend Synology and it's compatible with Time Machine as well.

So I decided on the DS216se, but read that it's less power efficient than the older DS214se with the same performance. 

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well.. I would just buy commercial product, like Synology NAS 2/4-bay.. The filosofy behind is absolute reability and trust towards the solution due to a nature of the material at hand: priceless and irreplaceable.  RAID-1 (mirror) for two-drives is the mandatory setup with email-notifications if SMART runs during pre-determened time starts to fail... think.

 

Synology solutions will defenately satisfy ALL your IT needs because it can do ANYTHING. I Have DS413J and will NEVER change the brand.

Edited by Jerhamenes
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