It needs an accessible GUI enabling the owner to easily make changes or add new applications without expert help. The final part of the NAS jigsaw is the mature NAS operating system.

And having the network bandwidth to move files from the host PC to NAS and back quickly is also crucial. The ability to transcode content into formats that network-attached devices, like computers, phones, and tablets, will be vital. To achieve that requires sufficient memory to run multiple applications and enough processing power to multi-task those effectively.īeyond RAM and CPU power, the other essential home requirement is working with audio-visual media. Doing more than one job provides a better return on the investment. Probably the most critical aspect of a NAS is its flexibility.

Many cheaper NAS are bought by both businesses and home users, so what makes a NAS more suitable for being in the home than in an office or machine room? It’s the flexibility of the modern NAS that has made them such a huge success, and an investment in the right one can enable the owner to easily reconfigure the NAS as their needs change.įor this guide we’ll be focused entirely on the best NAS for home, breaking down what makes a home solution different from something a business might deploy. How we picked the best NAS for Home in 2022Ī good NAS can record from security cameras, provide a live backup of a running PC, transcribe video for mobile devices, be a web server and provide dozens of other useful functions.

Best nas for home users