How to Use a NAS (Network Attached Storage)

Running a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device in your home or office is becoming increasing attractive to users who want to provide redundancy and multimedia features to their data. A NAS can be a full-sized computer with multiple hard drives or a stand-alone unit no larger than a toaster. A NAS is a device that sits on your network and connects via an Ethernet cable. It can be placed in an closet, basement or right beside your PC. Because it does not have a monitor connected to it, there is no need to kep it close by.

There are two main reasons to have a Network Attached Storage Device: The first is data backup. If you run a NAS that that has RAID built in, you can use multiple hard drives to make sure no data is lost if a single drive fails. The entire office or family can use it to store documents, photos and other important data. The second reason is the storage and serving of multimedia--like your iTunes library or movie collection. As downloadable content becomes a mainstream source of home entertainment, these NAS devices are an ideal place to store and share them throughout the network.

You can buy a NAS device or build your own, using an old computer and popular Open Source NAS software like FreeNAS or NASLite.

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