I want help to build a Budget ZFS NAS Device

[Delisa]

I have to provide a solution for budget ZFS NAS drive. My client wants a easy to use NAS drive with WiFi support on it. I am looking for a very basic and simple NAS which is not too much costly. There can be around 2/3/5 drive support is more than enough. I had tried to find some products but I am not able get a proper figure what is needed and what is not. The NAS device will be use for media streaming at clients hotel. As per the plan there will some numbers of LED wifi TV's and monitors connected to the rooms and staff. All will be managed from one location. So going for a complex Linux based NAS can be tough also and he might need to hire a expert for the same. Leaving the software thing behind, I need recommendation for budget NAS device.

[Hymavath]

If talk about a budget NAS device then the first model that appear in mind is Synology DS211 NAS device. It can meet the exact requirements that you are looking for. It is said that this is a excellent device with company support on the end. There are more models available under this. Like Synology DS211j which provides you 1.2GHz, 128MB and 3x USB 2.0 configuration. Or else for more lower config you can go for Synology DS211 NAS which offers 1.6GHz, 256MB RAM and 3x USB 2.0.The only difference lies is in the hardware configuration. A easy to use 4 bay disk station allows you to add around 4 drives at a time. Very comfortable for commercial use. Remember that for any additional upgrades you will need to pay more. The price lies around £225. You can try having a look on other sites which can offer you a good deal.

[Amadou]

I can give you a small list of best NAS drives. I am not sure about the price but this can surely guide you.

• Synology DiskStation DS712+
• Synology DiskStation DS1511+
• NetGear ReadyNAS NV+
• Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 (2TB)
• QNAP TS-259 Pro

There is a old model that my friend is still using. Luckily I found the review on this site. It is D-Link DNS 323 NAS. Just have a look on this also.

[Dabert]

In my view you must go more economical. Like you might be having a PC with you or you can get a new one. It am not saying you to bye a high end system just for the data transfer. Under this you have more choices to choose than NAS. Like I have a old system. I reused it as a media server. It has for 2 hard drives which offers me a storage space of 2TB maximum capacity with FTP server. I had temperature monitors which specify me in email when the temperature exceeds or just raise a alarm. Now I can add more drives because of excess sata ports. Under pc the maintenance remains much more easier. If you have a cool air conditioned room then you can let the system run for 24x7. In NAS upgrades will surely cost you in future. While in pc the same budgets allows to get a more higher system config.

[Gameli]

In order to take take the full advantage of a NAS interface and Gigabit that is can around 1000 Mbps you must must of course use a router or a switch. It is very important to have a suitable hardware for the same so that the multiple devices can easily access your storage on common interface. Or else the bandwidth can be affected.

[JErastus]

I am not sure that if you go for branded NAS device it will fit your budget or not. But if you have enough hardware overview then you can build your own. All you have to do, is either upgrade a old NAS drive or buy a good case. In my case I had added something more to make my NAS better. I have a Zotac M880GITX-A-E board with 8GB ram support and a Mini Atx cabinet. The best thing is that in a custom build you have option to choose the best product. While on branded NAS the hardware power is limited. Because of onboard wifi you get more help to share content easily around the network. If you buy a high end system you have to spent only at a single time. Another important thing to look out properly is to find a appropriate power supply. Check that power supplies comes with limited number of sata power connectors. And using extension for bifurcating can reduce the performance. Get a good mount which is not really costly. You can run FreeNAS to configure the drive and attach the same on network. You can use a multiple brand of hard drives also.

[ErikaGeek]

NAS can be found easily over web. There are ample of companies which are selling the same. You can define them easily between low/mid/high range nas devices. If you are not planing to have any kind of backup thing, then any mid or low range NAS can work here.

[phunsuk]

Simply use your pc. Connect a pc with 4GB or higher ram support and attach 4 to 5 drives to it. The best thing to do this, is you can easily manage your data. You do need to login on NAS interface and play with the settings.

[Mallory c]

Buy any low budget brand. The implementation of a NAS is quite simple. Simply connect to the network on which other computers are connected. Then, just go to the IP address of the NAS to access the configuration interface. For less sophisticated users, a small utility is responsible for the detection of IP and the launch of the interface in a browser.