Network Attached Storage

What is Network Attached Storage (NAS)

What do you do when you’ve outgrown your desktop data storage and want shared access to files and media from multiple computers, mobile phones and tablets? For prosumers, creative professionals, small businesses, and families, the solution is a network attached storage (NAS) device, the easiest to set up and most affordable option for shared storage.

Instead of plugging a device directly into your computer via a USB cable, NAS systems are connected to the Ethernet port on your Wifi router or network. This enables multiple computers and mobile devices on a network to wirelessly share and access files, stream video and audio, and backup computers and mobile devices from one central device. An easy-to-use NAS solution is comprised of several elements, including the hardware – one or more hard drives housed in an enclosure, a processor, and RAM – and the software comprised of an Operating System (OS) that manages access and the network connection.

WD offers My Cloud™ NAS solutions that are ideal for home and small business use, available with one, two, or four hard drives dedicated to storage ranging in capacity from 4TB to 28TB¹.

Understanding NAS Solutions

NAS systems are available in many different sizes; they act as a family’s central media hub and scale up to the largest datacenters. NAS systems can be offered preconfigured with drives or an unpopulated enclosure with open bays where hard-disk drives can be inserted to add to the total storage capacity or replace drives.

Network storage systems are useful in multiple operating system environments, letting several devices access files regardless of their OS. Normally NAS operates on IP/TCP Ethernet networks and easily provide controlled access to your data over Wifi and the Internet.

NAS devices with more than one hard drive often have RAID capabilities for data redundancy and are the most reliable backup solution. RAID stands for “Redundant Array of Independent Disks” and with this feature enabled your data is duplicated across multiple hard drives; if something were to go wrong with one drive you can simply replace it and your content would repopulate the new drive automatically.

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The Benefits of NAS

Since NAS systems can store, manage and access content locally or remotely from all your devices – NAS is a secure personal cloud for your data and is the best solution for users who are looking for:

Affordable large storage capacity, My Cloud has no monthly fees
Easy to set up and configure, uses standard Ethernet connection
Remote access and streaming of all your content
File sharing across multiple devices
Backup multiple computers within your network automatically
Multi-bay NAS drives provide hard-drive RAID redundancy to protect your data
Set up user permissions, folder privileges and restrict access to documents

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Choosing the Best Network Attached Storage Solution

Understanding your storage needs can help you select the best way to set up a NAS solution for your family, home office, or small business. Ask yourself:

What are my storage needs now? In the future?

When making a NAS system decision, consider not only today’s needs but what your storage demands look like 6, 12, and 24 months out. It may be more cost effective to consider an expandable option.

What do I want to store?

NAS systems can be the right solution for needs both small and large, from home media libraries to multi-user small businesses. The right solution is a balance between storage capacity, number of users, and cost.

How much support will I want with setup?

WD provides support during setup with WD Concierge service. In addition, our website has extensive support resources, including an online Learning Center with detailed lessons and videos.

How important is storage performance? What’s my budget?

When making a NAS system decision, consider not only today’s needs but what your storage demands look like 6, 12, and 24 months out. It may be more cost effective to consider an expandable option.

How many people need access?

One thing to be aware of is that NAS solutions are limited in the number of users or devices that can access them at the same time; be aware of the connectivity limitations when making a decision about which system is best for you.

How important is data redundancy? Can I afford a drive failure?

NAS products can have sophisticated management options to configure redundancy (RAID), as well as built-in monitoring system that can alert you of impending drive failure and other problems. If your data is important, you'll want to consider a device with two or more drives with RAID integration.

WD My Cloud NAS OS Overview

Get up and running in minutes with the intuitive, web-guided setup.WD’s software will auto-detect your NAS drive to get you going quickly. The web-based interface enables easy file sharing, access management, and a beautiful photo gallery view. During setup, easily and quickly move all your files to your My Cloud device. Start, pause and stop file transfers for a rich management experience.

NAS For Media Libraries

The Plex application that can be installed on the My Cloud OS organizes your entire collection of music and movies with one simple interface. Plex automatically includes content descriptions, plot summaries, posters and album covers before streaming to other devices within your home.