I set up a NAS system at home to keep my data safe - here's my buying advice now

1 day ago 9

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Terramaster F4-425 is disposable connected Amazon for $379
This NAS instrumentality offers tons of imaginable retention and a well-designed, web-based idiosyncratic interface
You bash person to acquisition your ain drives to usage the F4-425.

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Over the years, I've stored files and folders successful assorted ways. I've utilized Samba, NFS, third-party unreality services, interior unreality tools, and everything successful between. Another enactment I've taken vantage of is Network Attached Storage (NAS).

Not definite what a NAS is? Essentially, it's a instrumentality connected your web (whether astatine location oregon successful a business) that is chiefly utilized for storing files. Yes, immoderate NAS devices connection much than conscionable that, but the absorption is connected keeping your files and folders disconnected your desktops, laptops, tablets, oregon phones and lodging them successful a centralized location.

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You tin make your ain NAS, utilizing the Linux operating strategy (which is inexpensive and easy), oregon you tin acquisition a dedicated device, deploy it connected your LAN, and beryllium done with it.

One specified NAS is the Terramaster F4-425 4-Bay NAS. This instrumentality allows you to adhd up to 4 drives for a full of 120 TB of storage. Of course, the F4-425 isn't lone astir record storage. With this device, you tin make an astir Google Workspace-like ecosystem that tin service arsenic a retention device, a multimedia hub, real-time local/remote synchronization, two-way synchronization betwixt unreality and NAS storage, and overmuch more.

Let's dive successful and spot however good this NAS by Terramaster fared.

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My experience

If you've been pursuing maine for a while, you cognize that I person a reasonably coagulated acceptable of tech skills. Thanks to that, I tin beauteous overmuch acceptable up, configure, deploy, and enactment with anything. With those skills, moving with the Terramaster F4-425 4-Bay NAS was a portion of cake. However, I bash person 1 ailment (which I'll get to successful a moment).

To acceptable up the NAS, each you bash is insert your drives (which are not included), link the instrumentality to your LAN (using the supplied Ethernet cable), plug successful the power, and crook it on. While the instrumentality boots, instal the Terramaster app connected your telephone (Android/iOS), unfastened the app, fto it find the device, and travel the user-friendly setup routine.

Once you've taken attraction of this, the NAS is acceptable to use.

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From the app, you tin find the IP address/port fig successful the Device Settings conception of the My Tab space. Point your web browser to that IP address/port fig and log successful with the idiosyncratic relationship you created during the setup process.

Open the record manager from the web UI, and you tin upload files (by clicking the upward-pointing arrow supra the record listing pane) oregon download files (by right-clicking a record and selecting Download).

You tin besides sojourn the app store and instal arsenic galore apps arsenic you want. You tin instal apps for backup, snapshots, containers, photograph management, record sync, and overmuch more. You tin besides download desktop apps for Linux, MacOS, and Windows (more connected that successful a bit).

Immediately, I decided to propulsion the TNAS instrumentality to its limits by uploading a ample fig of video files I'd filmed implicit the past year. To my surprise, the Terramaster handled the uploads without adjacent blinking. The multi-GB files uploaded quickly, and I felt assured that they would beryllium harmless from accidental deletion from the archetypal determination and that I would ever person a copy.

I installed a fewer apps and recovered astir of them to beryllium rather helpful.

However, this is wherever your skills volition travel into play.

A location NAS is lone arsenic bully arsenic its simplicity of use. After all, the mean location idiosyncratic looking for an casual mode to store/sync/share files from wrong their LAN isn't going to privation to person to link their desktops/laptops to the instrumentality via Samba and past make scripts oregon actions to guarantee their files/folders are automatically successful sync with the device.

Also: How to make Samba stock connected Linux for guests to entree connected your network

The Terramaster TNAS instrumentality does person a solution for that, but it's a spot convoluted. Here's what you person to do:

Make definite you person the IP code of your TNAS device.
Install the Sync lawsuit connected the Terramaster device.
Install the Terramaster desktop app connected your Linux, MacOS, and/or Windows devices.
Open the desktop app.
Configure the transportation with IP address, larboard (use the default), username, and password.
Confirm the connection.

Once the transportation is established, you tin past prime your section and distant folders to support successful sync.

With the transportation established, the section and distant folders volition ever stay successful sync, eliminating the request for manual record uploads oregon downloads.

This method works precise good (I had nary problems with it). My lone ailment is that immoderate idiosyncratic without a definite level of cognition mightiness conflict with this. I would suggest to the developers of the TNAS bundle to:

Include the sync lawsuit connected the TNAS disagreement by default.
Add auto-discover to the desktop client.

Also: How to stock a printer connected Linux with CUPS and Samba

Those 2 additions would marque it exponentially easier for those without the required skills to found a connection, truthful they tin get up and moving without overmuch hassle.

Prior to mounting up the two-way sync betwixt my Linux desktop and the TNAS device, I connected it via Samba, which is good for manually moving files backmost and distant (without having to usage the Web UI), but I'm reasonably assured that astir users either won't privation to bash that oregon cognize however to bash that. For me, the bully happening astir connecting via Samba is that I was capable to entree either the Public folder oregon the folders connected my TNAS idiosyncratic relationship location directory.

Personally, I similar utilizing some the TNAS sync instrumentality and Samba, arsenic it gives maine much options. Either way, erstwhile you person the sync enactment up and running, the TNAS is beauteous overmuch a set-it-and-forget-it affair.

ZDNET's buying advice

Selling for $379 connected Amazon, the Terramaster F4-425 4-bay NAS instrumentality is simply a large worth for anyone who needs a batch of LAN-based retention with minimal hassle. The F4-425 makes it reasonably casual to acceptable up a reliable Network Attached Storage strategy that anyone tin use.

This instrumentality tin service arsenic your backup, added storage, record sync, and overmuch more. It's fast, small, casual to use, and tin service aggregate purposes.

The specs

Intel x86 quad-core CPU
4GB RAM
Handles 4K transcoding.
2.5 GB Ethernet port
Compatible with Plex, Emby, and Jellyfin for multimedia.
Automatic photograph and video backups from your mobile devices.
Up to 120TB of retention (drives not included) via 4 SATA thrust bays and 3 M.2 SSD slots.
Supports 50+ idiosyncratic accounts.
Compatible with Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox.
Multiple USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
File strategy BTRFS, EXT4
Max information transportation speeds up to 1010 MB/s

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