USB drive or NAS

[Zonkd]

I've used Synology 2 bay in different models for years.
It may have been that I'm used to the Synology way of doing things, but I tried a QNAP for just under the return window, then returned it.

What did you not like about the QNAP?

 

[GHammer]

What did you not like about the QNAP?

Mainly it wouldn't use the drives in the way the Synology does. Plus, learning a different OS/software seemed silly since the Syno did what I wanted it to do. The drive issue may have changed, I don't know since I decided to go with Synology.

About the only other thing I'd consider at this point would be openmediavault should I have to get a new/different NAS.

 

[L&LD]

Why did you decide to return Synology?

Just didn't have the features and feel of quality that I am used to in a QNAP product. I too am used to the way I've learned from the first QNAP I used.

 

[Zonkd]

Just didn't have the features and feel of quality that I am used to in a QNAP product. I too am used to the way I've learned from the first QNAP I used.

Which features? Do they require enabling internet access for the QNAP? I keep my Synology disconnected from the internet so I can't use the best features it offers I have remote access via OpenVPN server on my router, but I cannot do cool stuff like create Shared Links to files so that I can include them in emails for the recipient to securely direct download files from the NAS

 

[L&LD]

Which features? Do they require enabling internet access for the QNAP? I keep my Synology disconnected from the internet so I can't use the best features it offers I have remote access via OpenVPN server on my router, but I cannot do cool stuff like create Shared Links to files so that I can include them in emails for the recipient to securely direct download files from the NAS

I didn't look for anything specific. Just an overall way of how things get done. You need internet access for any device to keep proper time, IMO.

Sharing links on my QNAP is not a cool feature to me (it is locked down), that is something I would never be swayed by.

 

[Zonkd]

I didn't look for anything specific. Just an overall way of how things get done. You need internet access for any device to keep proper time, IMO.

Sharing links on my QNAP is not a cool feature to me (it is locked down), that is something I would never be swayed by.

You’re right those features are bad to use on a main NAS containing important data. Its prudent to block internet access and sync to local NTP server. I do this.

But suppose you really wanted to use those kind of internet connected features on a spare non-essential NAS with terabytes of storage, containing no important data. Suppose you’re required to do port forwarding so it’s possible to establish peer-to-peer connections for full speed data transfer. How would you do this safely? What protections could you put in place?

Skynet already blocks connection attempts from many countries so that makes open forwarded ports safer right?

Im sick of relying on 3rd party cloud storage. The free plans usually only give a few gigabytes capacity without any security features like sharing links with password protection, setting download limits or URL time expiry. The paid plans are too expensive especially for large storage capacity. Using a spare NAS would be far far better. I just need to find the safest way to do it... probably with port forwarding. I’m also going to isolate it from the main LAN.

 

[L&LD]

You’re right those features are bad to use on a main NAS containing important data. Its prudent to block internet access and sync to local NTP server. I do this.

But suppose you really wanted to use those kind of internet connected features on a spare non-essential NAS with terabytes of storage, containing no important data. Suppose you’re required to do port forwarding so it’s possible to establish peer-to-peer connections for full speed data transfer. How would you do this safely? What protections could you put in place?

Skynet already blocks connection attempts from many countries so that makes open forwarded ports safer right?

Im sick of relying on 3rd party cloud storage. The free plans usually only give a few gigabytes capacity without any security features like sharing links with password protection, setting download limits or URL time expiry. The paid plans are too expensive, especially for large storage capacity. Using a spare NAS would be far far better. I just need to find the safest way to do it... probably with port forwarding. I’m also going to isolate it from the main LAN.

If the data really isn't important, then that is exactly what cloud storage is for. You can get a great price on a lifetime subscription for a tenth to a quarter of the price of a NAS+HDD's and the maintenance needed to keep those TB's of data 'live' over a few decades of use.

Just being saved from the headaches of not having to be up to snuff as the security/internet/network landscape changes day by day and year to year are worth a few hundred dollars to me. Especially for non-important data.

For actual data, the opposite of the above is true, of course.

 

[Zonkd]

If the data really isn't important, then that is exactly what cloud storage is for. You can get a great price on a lifetime subscription for a tenth to a quarter of the price of a NAS+HDD's and the maintenance needed to keep those TB's of data 'live' over a few decades of use.

Just being saved from the headaches of not having to be up to snuff as the security/internet/network landscape changes day by day and year to year are worth a few hundred dollars to me. Especially for non-important data.

For actual data, the opposite of the above is true, of course.

Lifetime subscription to cloud storage? That sounds like an unviable business model and too good to be true. Do they sell a 10 terabyte lifetime subscription?

The NAS is already paid for sitting idle with disks and energy isn’t an issue.

 

[RAH-66]

HP Microserver Gen8

 

[L&LD]

Lifetime subscription to cloud storage? That sounds like an unviable business model and too good to be true. Do they sell a 10 terabyte lifetime subscription?

The NAS is already paid for sitting idle with disks and energy isn’t an issue.

The NAS may be paid for, energy is very cheap, but your time and the hard costs to maintain this model will still spiral out of control and well above a lifetime subscription to a cloud provider like pCloud, for example.

https://www.pcloud.com/lifetime/

I'm sure there are others too.