Buy a NAS for the Hardware, Not the Operating System

Are you trying to fig retired if it's worthy it to bargain a premium NAS? What if I told you the hardware was mostly the aforesaid crossed astir units, and determination was lone 1 main quality betwixt astir brands? Here's wherefore you shouldn't absorption connected NAS hardware, and alternatively should absorption connected the OS.

Most NAS Units Have Similar Hardware

When it comes to NAS hardware, astir of the carnal hardware betwixt brands is rather similar. Whether you bargain a Synology, UGREEN, TerraMaster, QNAP, oregon different marque NAS, they'll each person a akin processor, akin RAM, and akin backplane.

The main quality erstwhile it comes to assorted NAS brands is successful the software, not the hardware, truthful you tin (typically) remainder assured that a NAS is simply a NAS, truthful agelong arsenic it has the powerfulness and upgradability that you want.

Some brands let you to swap retired RAM, others don't. Some travel with PCIe lanes, others don't person that feature. Some enactment NVMe, immoderate don't. Really, conscionable marque definite that the halfway hardware checks the boxes you want, and that should beryllium bully capable for astir scenarios.

Buying a Cheaper NAS Can Sometimes Come With One Main Drawback

The main downside of going with a cheaper NAS implicit a much costly 1 is typically the operating system. Synology, for example, is considered a premium NAS, and comes with a reasonably robust operating system. You'll get Docker support, galore RAID options (including SHR which is an in-house developed redundancy system), and large support.

However, going with a institution similar UGREEN oregon TerraMaster could prevention immoderate cash, portion delivering a (potentially) subpar idiosyncratic acquisition done the operating system.

Another happening to see is the information and information of the NAS itself. While the hardware mightiness beryllium the aforesaid crossed assorted manufacturers, the operating strategy could pb to imaginable backdoors to your information oregon adjacent your full network.

When it comes to NAS brands, it's hard to cognize who to spot successful presumption of privacy. I've adjacent known radical who aerial spread their NAS from the internet, and marque it accessible lone by LAN devices for added security, conscionable due to the fact that they don't cognize who does (or doesn't) person entree to it done unsecured backdoors.

Just Replace the Operating System connected Your Affordable NAS

So, if hardware is majorly the aforesaid crossed each brands and the lone main quality is the OS, past it seems beauteous straightforward to level the playing field: regenerate the operating system.

This sounds straightforward, and, for immoderate NAS units, it is. UGREEN, TerraMaster, QNAP, and Asustor each enactment loading your ain operating systems connected the NAS units. Most of the brands won't void your warranty (at the clip of writing), but it's ever champion to double-check the warranty notes that shipped with your circumstantial portion earlier proceeding.

Synology, sadly, doesn't enactment sideloading immoderate operating strategy different than Disk Station Manager.

To sideload a caller OS connected your NAS, you'll archetypal request to verify that there's an progressive HDMI oregon different show output. This is due to the fact that you'll request to summation entree to the BIOS of the NAS to alteration immoderate settings. I'm not going to locomotion you done those steps present due to the fact that they'll beryllium antithetic for each NAS. Just cognize that you'll request entree to BIOS to sideload your ain OS successful a immense bulk of circumstances.

Sideloading a caller OS does a fig of things for you. For starters, it shores up immoderate information holes you mightiness person been disquieted astir successful the erstwhile operating system. It besides could adhd features to your NAS that weren't determination before, similar Docker oregon ZFS. It besides allows you to get updates for your NAS acold aft the shaper has deemed your portion end-of-life, arsenic the assemblage often supports hardware for a overmuch longer time. In the end, replacing your OS could beryllium precisely what you request to get other beingness retired of your much affordable NAS.

So, you've decided to regenerate the OS connected your NAS and person a exemplary that allows you to bash so. What OS bash you choose? There are 3 superior ones to look at: TrueNAS, Unraid, and OpenMediaVault. Of the three, TrueNAS and Unraid are my 2 favorites. Of those, Unraid is my idiosyncratic choice.

Whichever way you go, here's a speedy breakdown of what each OS has to offer:

TrueNAS Scale Delivers High-Performance With ZFS

TrueNAS Scale is designed arsenic a high-performance and high-redundancy NAS OS based connected the ZFS record system. With up to RAIDZ3 available, and each the benefits of striping your drives unneurotic successful a RAID, TrueNAS volition beryllium a large prime for many.

It's wholly free, good documented, and adjacent has Docker enactment now. You tin besides grow your Z pools now, truthful agelong arsenic the drives are the aforesaid size (or you're consenting to suffer immoderate other country the thrust has available).

Unraid Is Great for Beginners and Advanced Users Alike

Unraid, my preferred NAS OS, is large for those who are some beginner and advanced. The mode its parity works resembles Synology's SHR system, allowing you to harvester aggregate thrust sizes into 1 ample retention pool.

Unraid besides has fantastic Docker support, a ample pre-configured app library, and is overmuch simpler to usage than TrueNAS, successful my opinion. The 1 drawback to Unraid is that it's a paid-for software. Licenses commencement astatine $49 if you request six retention devices oregon less, truthful it's inactive affordable, but it does outgo much than the $0 TrueNAS runs.

OpenMediaVault Dominates With File System Options

OpenMediaVault is based connected Debian Linux, overmuch similar TrueNAS Scale. In fact, they're rather akin operating systems. However, OpenMediaVault has a overmuch wider scope of record systems than TrueNAS Scale offers.

OMV is besides free, similar TrueNAS, truthful it's a contender for those who don't privation to wage a licence interest for their OS. Overall, OMV is going to beryllium rather akin to TrueNAS with ZFS arsenic the superior record system, conscionable sporting a overmuch antithetic wide idiosyncratic interface.

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Still connected the obstruction with whether to regenerate your NAS OS? Here are three reasons wherefore you should, and 3 reasons wherefore you shouldn't regenerate your OS. Also, don't hide to cheque retired the nine hidden costs of owning a NAS to beryllium definite you're acceptable for what each it brings to th table.