Any advice on a new NAS please?
Posted by: patjb39 on 07 February 2011
Hi,
just bought a UnitiCute and have decided to invest in a NAS drive with an integral UPnP server. Not only will this stream music to the Cute but it will also be used as a central repository for photos and laptop data backups.
The list of tested NAS drives is about a year old and I was wondering if anyone had any advice on which of the following two NAS drives would be best to tie in with the Cute:
Buffalo LinkStation Duo 4TB version (with 2 x 2TB disks in Raid 1)
Synology DS211J (also with either 2 x 1.5 or 2 TB disks in Raid 1).
If anyone has any experience of either models streaming to a UnitiCute I'd be very grateful to hear of it.
Thanks
PatQNAP frequently hit the top marks. Very good devices.
Hope it helps,
Rich
thanks very much for the comments. I hadn't thought of QNAP but having checked out the experts' website, the TS-219P + comes out at almost double the price. Is a QNAP really worth the extra over the Synology? I do like the idea of the experts building and testing it for me before it ships and at no extra cost.
Truthfully, I hadn't thought of spending that much on a NAS but I only want to buy it once (in the near future anyway), and having spent a small fortune on the Cute and it's loud speakers, I don't see the point in being stingy with it's back-office systems. However, I don't want (nor can afford) to waste our hard earned cash on a device which doesn't reallly pull it's weight.
Just been listening to the Cute's radio. I honestly didn't expect it to sound quite that different to (better than) the 20yr system we're about to shunt out the door.
Once again, thanks for the suggestions/comments and if you've anything to add about the worthiness of the QNAP, please don't hold back.
cheers
Pat
I don't know how easy the other two are to configure, as a good web interface is definitely worth spending a little extra on.
I wouldn't have thought that twice the price is likely to buy you twice the reliability though (not talking about disk reliability here, but the reliability of the NAS itself).
It also looks like in the rankings the QNAP is a little faster than the Synology and a lot faster than the Buffalo.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com...n,com_nas/Itemid,190
The one think that I would recommend is not going cheap on the disks. Just google the brands and models and look at their 'mean time to failure'.
So there are a few things to weigh up or to have a look into.
Hope it helps,
Rich
A lot of software is pre-installed on the machine. For instance, mine came with Twonky Media server already installed on it.
I am using about 5% of the available features on the Qnap, but I have been able to do exactly what I wanted: streaming and organizing music in a very simple way, defining folders with access rights for the diffferent people in the family, storing files. As indicated, the administration is really easy with the browser based interface.
So far, I am satisfied. It has worked without any issues.
In my case, when something works satisfactorily, the price paid is quickly forgotten.
(Installing new software on Linux machines may or may not be your preferred hobby)
Hello Pat
Another possible option might be a WHS box. Install Asset UPnP on it and you have a very reliable server for the Qute. Others are reporting good results with this set-up. I installed Asset on a PC to test functionality and it worked faultlessly.
I have a ReadyNAS but it is not without issues. Strangely, it will not send WAV files to the Qute via its built-in server, it’s as if they don’t exist. Occasionally albums become un-playable without any apparent reason.
Regards
Peter
Either install onto old pc - or buy one of their NAS appliances.
Regular updates - can be administered via iPad or PC. Brilliant!
But ssh ...you didn't hear from me, I wasn't here!
Tog
Could not be arsed with vortexbox in the end. Put XP on it and gave it to my sister. To complicated, to geeky, to flaky.
Gents
thank you all for your suggestions, now I'm even more confused than when I started. I hadn't even considered WHS but thinking about it, I'm much more familiar with supporting Windows than anything linux which I've never used.
I wouldn't want to run anything on an "old pc", basically I want it to have reliable hardware and low power consumption as it'll be on most of the time.
The only thing with a WHS is that I'd want to back it up a lot more frequently than a NAS drive. There is just soooooo much more potential for "quirky" behaviour with Windows.....
I will have to spend this weekend costing out various options I think.
Glad I didn't buy anything in a hurry last Sunday/Monday. Pretty sure I would have regretted it.
If anyone else has any other suggestions to throw in, please feel free.
Thanks
Pat
So much easier to just grab a disc and plonk it into a CD player.
Regards,
Frank.
All opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of any organisations I work for, except where this is stated explicitly.
Note that a new WHS version is due out in 2011 (if you can wait).
Qnap support is great, regular and easy to install updates of the firmware (no geeky stuff), and the configuration of the NAS is easy also, but you will have to put some effort into it to get it working the way you want it,
Bart
Sorry you found Vortexbox such a pain - if you install it on old hardware it usually does it's best to identify the myriad of possible bit and pieces you might have and is pretty good considering the obscure cards and chips we all have lurking in any kit more than a few years old. It will throw up messages about the network card on my current TogServe... Mutters to itself and comes up with the lovely message "network finally up" as if it's my fault - brilliant.
For me it's rock solid and on kit like VB's appliances where the hardware has been checked for
compatibility it is pretty hard to beat.
Tog