Looking for a new NAS/Storage Solution


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Hi Guys,

So I've had a Windows Home Server for the past 2.5 years and it's served me well (no pun intended)

However I've been having issues with the software on the server, having had to format it twice in the last 6 months, so I've decided to retire it, and buy a new NAS.

So I'm looking for some advice on what to buy. My budget is around ~$600 CAD, plus tax

I already have drives (4x 2 TB, 1 x 1 TB, 1 x 750 GB) so that's not a concern. I'm looking for a Diskless box that I can get up and running quickly

Here's what I'm looking for:

Essential

4+ Drive Bays

Support for 4K sector 2 TB Drives (WD Caviar Green)

Fast Network Throughput for File Transfers (I have a wired Gigabit Network and am transferring HD Blu-Ray and DVD files)

USB Port and/or eSATA Port for Backup from the NAS to external drive

Easy Backup Client (Ability to Quickly Configure Backup and let it run without user intervention)

Nice to Have

Mutliple Ethernet Ports with NIC Teaming

Hardware-Based RAID (Not Software Based)

Support for iSCSi

Thanks in Advance Guys!

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HP N40L

http://www.ebuyer.co...back-658553-421

?100 cashback if your in the UK so works out at ?139 for the server. I have 1 and its a solid little machine. Currently got 2 x 3TB drives in waiting for a 3rd to RAID it. Upgraded the RAM to 8GB as its pretty cheap at the moment.

Mines running OpenMediaVault which is also a pretty decent lightweight NAS OS. OMV has an active community creating plugins for it, one of which is iSCSI and i beleive NIC teaming is built into the OS, although it is software RAID i think it will support a hardware RAID card although there are only 2 PCI-E slots and space inside is limited.

There are 4 sata bays, an on board SATA and an ESATA port all of which can be unlocked to run at full speed with a modded BIOS. My OS drive is currently running off the eSATA port with a cable routed back into the case.

Mike

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I like the Synology NAS's. Very good functionality. Lots of avaiable apps. And I can use it to stream all of my videos through my PS3. I got mine thru Amazon.

Info:

http://www.synology.com/us/index.php

Some of the models:

http://www.synology.com/products/choose.php?lang=us

Demo of the operating system (several functions disabled, but a basic idea of the way it looks in a browser):

http://www.synology.com/products/dsm_livedemo.php?lang=us

Hope that helps.

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You could build you own NAS. Buy the case, motherboard, CPU, RAM, power supply, RAID card etc with the $600 and then install and configure FreeNAS on the machine :)

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I just got my N40L up and running - replaced my old server that died. $269 at newegg, bumped it to 8GB and added an extra nic because running esxi 5 on it and replaced my old router box. Now file server, router are virtual. Getting sweet speeds to and from it for virtual boxes - just did a RDM to the disks for my file server, etc.

I would highly recommend the little box for real cheap. And you could get 6 sata drives running on it I believe, but it has a 4bay then have to add the other 2 drives where the optical would go, plus then esata and usb, etc. Got 4 usb in the front, and then one on the board you can use to run your NAS os or ESXI from, etc. Not going to beat that price for many 2 bay nases.

So I grabbed a 2TB drive while I was at it. So I spent $426 for N40L, 8GB Ram, 2TB drive plus then $35 for extra 10/100/1000 nic for grand total of $461 -- pretty budget minded for sure!

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You could build you own NAS. Buy the case, motherboard, CPU, RAM, power supply, RAID card etc with the $600 and then install and configure FreeNAS on the machine :)

This. SInce you've already got a WHS server, you could try FreeNAS on that before you decide to shell out for a new NAS.

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