Network Attached Storage: Buying Advice, Tips, and News

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Network-attached storage is the most versatile way to store data, but that's just one of the many benefits of a NAS device. We've tested the top models: See which will work best for your home or small business.

The Zettlab D4 AI NAS is a four-bay network-attached-storage device that delivers snappy performance alongside AI-powered search and photo management features. Just mind the app store: It doesn’t offer a lot of choices.

The Asustor Drivestor 2 Gen2 is a dual-bay NAS that's an ideal server for your home network, with quick performance, 2.5GbE connectivity, and plenty of apps at a budget-friendly price.

With blazing-fast performance, dual 5GbE ports, four M.2 slots, and a deep app ecosystem, Asustor's Lockerstor 2 Gen2+ AS6702T v2 packs serious power-user credentials into a compact two-bay NAS.

The F2-425 Plus packs 5GbE networking, triple M.2 slots, and a strong CPU into a compact two-bay NAS. Only a small app ecosystem keeps it from being a NAS-class leader.

The Synology DS425+ NAS offers strong performance, a user-friendly OS, and a nice selection of apps; however, it lacks the robust multi-gigabit LAN and third-party M.2 SSD support that many small businesses need.

The Synology DS1525+ is an excellent five-bay NAS for small businesses thanks to speedy performance, a nice selection of apps, and the ability to expand as your network-attached storage needs evolve.

Our savvy readers are serious about their in-home internet connectivity, routers, modems, and other networking hardware, and these are the manufacturers they trust the most.

The Ugreen DXP2800 is a capable two-bay NAS that offers plenty of USB ports, but a minuscule app catalog limits its versatility, so it's best for simple data backups only.

Not ready to invest in a network-attached storage device? Make your own with a spare Raspberry Pi. Here's how I turned a simple board into the brains of a wireless file sharing system.

The QNAP TS-432X-4G is a four-bay NAS with speedy performance and most of the features small businesses need, though it lacks built-in support for cutting-edge SSD acceleration.

The excellent Synology BeeStation doesn't have the deep feature set of a typical NAS device, but it's easy to use and can help you replace subscription-based cloud storage in a snap.

The ZimaCube Pro is a speedy six-bay NAS equipped with plenty of I/O ports, but it's difficult to set up and gets loud when accessing the drives.

The pricey Asustor AS6804T is among the best four-bay NAS devices we've tested, delivering speedy performance, high-speed I/O ports galore, and an extensive catalog of apps.

The QNAP TS-216G is an excellent two-bay NAS device that offers multi-gig connectivity and multiple USB ports at an affordable price.

The TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus is a compact eight-bay NAS device that uses M.2 NVMe media for storage. It’s a strong performer, but both it and the storage drives it requires are expensive, and it offers only a small selection of apps.

A two-bay desktop NAS drive for enthusiasts and small offices, the Synology DiskStation DS723+ is a good performer and easy to manage, but the lack of multi-gig LAN ports holds it back.

The Ugreen NASync DXP4800 Plus is a four-bay network attached storage (NAS) device that delivers fast file-transfer performance but doesn’t offer the robust app catalog we expect for its high price.

Ugreen's NASync DXP480T Plus is a compact four-bay network attached storage device built for M.2 SSDs, delivering fast performance—but at a hefty startup price.