You’re spoilt for alternative in relation to Western Digital’s My Cloud vary, with a number of fashions accessible for dwelling customers and small companies, in addition to a variety of Knowledgeable and Professional fashions for bigger organisations.

The unique single-drive My Cloud is getting a bit outdated now, nevertheless it’s nonetheless round and intensely inexpensive. Nevertheless, you’re in all probability higher off getting the newer My Cloud House mannequin proven right here, which is a bit more costly, however is quicker and supplies extra options akin to help for the Plex Media Server software program (though that’s in all probability not vital for Mac customers).

It comes with a variety of storage allocations; 8TB needs to be greater than sufficient for many properties, in addition to small places of work and self-employed customers. The slimline white-and-silver unit is neatly designed, and solely measures 2in vast, so it’ll sit simply in your desk or on a shelf near your router with out taking over an excessive amount of house.

There’s additionally a bigger dual-drive mannequin, known as the My Cloud House Duo, which homes two matching drives and gives significantly extra storage. That gives RAID 1 mirroring for additional knowledge safety, however in order for you extra refined RAID options, in addition to the power to put in and take away drives your self, you’ll have to step as much as the My Cloud Knowledgeable or My Cloud Professional fashions.

Western Digital at all times does a great job with Mac help, and the My Cloud House is not any exception, with apps that deal with a variety of duties shortly and simply. The iOS app can carry out automated backups of your photographs and movies, whereas the Mac app helps you to use Time Machine to your backups (and there are Mac and Home windows variations of the apps accessible too).

There are some good touches too, akin to the power to right-click a folder in your Mac and mechanically sync the contents of that folder on to the My Cloud House. That shall be useful for individuals who need an additional backup of their present work information or initiatives along with the essential Time Machine backup. It’s also possible to right-click any file that’s saved on the My Cloud House and ship a obtain hyperlink to be able to shortly share that file with mates or colleagues.

And, if you happen to additionally use a web based backup service, akin to Dropbox, then you may sync the contents of your Dropbox account on to the My Cloud House too. You possibly can even again up photographs and albums from Fb on to the drive for safekeeping if you wish to.

There are a few tough edges. You possibly can’t merely double-click the drive’s icon on the Mac desktop to be able to open the drive after which drag-and-drop to repeat folders or information on to the drive. For some cause it’s important to open the app’s pulldown menu and think about the contents of the drive via the app as a substitute. You possibly can’t create particular person person accounts on the Mac both, so that you’re pressured to make use of the app on an iPhone or iPad if you wish to invite another person to create their very own private folders on the My Cloud House drive.

Most Mac customers could have an iPhone or iPad, in fact, however we’d prefer to see the Mac app up to date to permit you full freedom to regulate the My Cloud House together with your Mac as nicely.

Synology is greatest identified for its high-end community and storage techniques for enterprise customers, nevertheless it does have a worth vary for dwelling customers and small companies. The 2-bay DiskStation DS218 is the successor to the DS216 that has impressed us up to now.

Many individuals now depend on cloud storage, akin to Apple’s iCloud Drive or Dropbox, for private use or working from dwelling, however Synology is among the few firms that also makes typical NAS drives that present bodily storage for dwelling networks and small places of work. The most recent addition to its vary is the Diskstation DS723+, which supplies an inexpensive and easy-to-use storage system that may be additional expanded sooner or later if required.

The compact drive enclosure measures simply 166mm excessive, 106mm vast and 223mm deep, so it’s straightforward to arrange in your desk or any handy shelf. There are two bays for onerous drives on the entrance, together with two small slots for SSD drives which can be positioned on the underside of the unit. Superior customers who need to configure their very own system can purchase the DS723+ as an empty enclosure (unpopulated) for round £575/$450 after which present their very own alternative of HD or SSD drives. Or, if you happen to’re searching for a easy, all-in-one storage system then a few of Synology’s specialist sellers additionally promote the DS723+ with drive models already put in (populated). The value for ‘populated’ drives will clearly  depend upon the quantity of storage you require, however the 8TB mannequin that Synology supplied for our overview ought to value round $800/£850. Costs do range broadly on-line, although, so it’s undoubtedly value purchasing round to search out the perfect worth (the beginning worth quoted above will rise relying on the storage choices.)

There’s a Gigabit Ethernet port on the again of the for connecting to your private home or workplace community, however the DS723+ additionally has two growth ports that let you improve to 10 Gigabit Ethernet if required, and even to attach some extra drive bays as a way to add much more storage sooner or later. Synology’s manuals could look a bit daunting for individuals who haven’t used a NAS drive earlier than – there’s a 50-page PDF only for the preliminary set-up course of, and one other 80-page guide overlaying all of the options supplied by Synology’s DSM software program (Diskstation Supervisor). Nevertheless, you don’t should memorise all that information immediately, as there are fast and simple apps for iOS, Android, Mac and PC that may provide help to with the set-up course of, and we had no hassle in any respect connecting the DS723+ to our workplace community after which utilizing the apps to attach our Mac and iPhone to the drive.

Western Digital’s My Cloud House drive supplies a fast and simple possibility for dwelling customers who aren’t acquainted with NAS drives and networking know-how. In truth, the corporate doesn’t even name it a ‘NAS drive’, choosing the extra user-friendly ‘private cloud’ label as a substitute. (For those who really feel a bit extra comfy with jargon akin to NAS and RAID, you may need to step as much as WD’s ‘skilled’ vary with the My Cloud EX2 Extremely as a substitute.)

The EX2 Extremely is a no-compromises NAS drive with extra options and customisation choices, whereas remaining inexpensive sufficient for dwelling customers or self-employed individuals, akin to photographers or designers, who want a very dependable backup drive for vital work information.

It’s a ‘two-bay’ drive that holds two separate onerous drives, and permits you to take away the highest panel so you may take away the drives for repairs or including extra storage sooner or later. You should buy the EX2 Extremely with a pair of drives pre-installed, with a variety of costs relying on the storage you choose.

WD consists of its high-performance Pink Drives and 1GB of reminiscence to assist the EX2 Extremely multi-task when totally different individuals are utilizing the drive on the community on the similar time. There’s a Gigabit Ethernet port for connecting to your community, and the EX2 Extremely additionally has two USB ports that let you join an exterior USB drive for added storage.

Alternatively, you’ve the choice of shopping for the EX2 Extremely ‘unpopulated’ – with no drives in any respect – after which offering your individual drives to fit your specific wants. That is the most suitable choice if you happen to suppose you may need to add additional storage sooner or later, and set up is very easy: the highest panel merely pops open on the press of a button to disclose the inner drive bays.

Utilizing two separate onerous drives additionally means the EX2 Extremely can work as a ‘RAID’ drive, with both RAID 0 – which improves efficiency by splitting information throughout each drives (known as ‘striping’) – or RAID 1 ‘mirroring’, which makes separate copies of your information on every drive for additional reliability. If you need much more safeguards to your vital information, there’s additionally an choice to again up knowledge from the EX2 Extremely on to an exterior onerous drive linked to one in every of its USB ports.

Regardless of all these additional options, establishing the EX2 Extremely remains to be very simple, because the drive helps Time Machine for mechanically backing up information out of your Mac. There’s additionally a My Cloud app for iOS/iPadOS and Android that permits you to again up and share information utilizing non-Apple units as nicely.

The app supplies distant entry to the drive over the web, and there’s an internet browser interface additionally accessible for Macs and PCs, which permits extra superior customers to configure RAID settings and options such because the FTP server – and even to make use of it as an ‘iTunes Server’ for streaming music throughout your community.

It’s value testing the adjustments made by the
My Cloud OS 5 software program replace, nevertheless; this provides a number of new options, however reduces compatibility with some net providers.

A five-bay drive such because the 5N2 may be pointless for dwelling customers, however Drobo has a well-deserved popularity amongst skilled and artistic customers who want a flexible and dependable NAS drive.

The 5N2 is costlier than most of its rivals. However whereas the nondescript black field isn’t a lot to have a look at, it’s completely filled with options designed to maintain your knowledge protected and can earn its maintain in your workplace.

Drobo claims to supply “the advantages of RAID with out the complexity”, and the corporate does a very good job of serving to newcomers to get began and exhibiting you the right way to use the 5N2.

Even earlier than you flip it on or set up a single onerous drive you’re instructed to go to the Begin web page on the Drobo web site. This reveals how one can merely slot the drives into the 5N2 after which join it to your router – and the 5N2 even has two Gigabit Ethernet ports, which could be ‘bonded’ collectively to offer larger efficiency for units such because the iMac Professional, with its 10GB Ethernet interface.

After the preliminary setup, you’re prompted to obtain Drobo’s Dashboard app for Macs and Home windows PCs. This installs a pulldown menu into the principle menu bar on the high of your Mac’s display, offering on the spot entry to the drive’s primary options.

Nevertheless, you in all probability received’t want to make use of Dashboard fairly often, as most of the drive’s options work mechanically. As soon as the drives have been put in there’s a sequence of lights on the entrance panel that point out the standing and well being of every drive, together with a row of blue lights that act as a capability gauge to let while you’re operating out of storage.

The 5N2 additionally permits you to ‘hot-swap’ drives, eradicating and changing defective drives, or just including some additional storage with out having to restart the unit. It even has a small built-in battery that may defend the 5N2 from energy failures, conserving it operating lengthy sufficient to finish the present activity after which shut down with out shedding any knowledge. And, quite than providing typical RAID modes the 5N2 makes use of Drobo’s personal BeyondRaid software program to mechanically defend your knowledge (which is useful if, like me, you may by no means keep in mind the distinction between RAID 0 and Raid 1).

In truth, most individuals will in all probability solely use Dashboard to arrange person accounts for different individuals who additionally want to make use of the 5N2 for community storage, or to arrange Time Machine backups to your Macs – which you are able to do concurrently establishing the ‘share’ for every person. If you wish to discover additional, Dashboard additionally permits you to set up extra apps, such because the Plex media server, or Drobo Entry, which supplies distant entry over the web. There are iOS/iPadOS and Android variations of Drobo Entry accessible too, so you may view and edit information saved on the 5N2 together with your cell units, together with a DroboPix app that permits you to again up your photographs and movies.

It’s in all probability too costly for many dwelling customers, however the admirable ease of use supplied by the Drobo 5N2 makes it an excellent alternative for small companies and artistic customers who could not have used a NAS drive earlier than. And, with failsafe options akin to its inner battery, the 5N2 can supply rock-solid reliability for safeguarding your most vital knowledge.

The one downside is that Drobo says that it has been “severely impacted” following Coronavirus and associated manufacturing delays. Because of this there are inventory shortages.

Buffalo’s LinkStation 220D is a flexible and inexpensive NAS drive that’s appropriate for each dwelling and enterprise customers. However, as we’ve seen with Buffalo up to now, its merchandise generally lack the simple ease of use that Mac and iOS customers take without any consideration.

The LinkStation 220D is a dual-bay NAS drive that homes two separate onerous drives. You should buy it ‘unpopulated’ – with no drives in any respect – after which present the drives that you simply need to use for your self. Alternatively, you should buy it with 2TB, 4TB or 8TB.

There’s additionally a costlier mannequin known as the 220DR that’s designed to be used with Western Digital’s high-speed Pink drives, however the usual 220D mannequin that we overview right here needs to be completely satisfactory for many properties and small companies.

The twin-bay setup additionally means you should use the LinkStation as a RAID drive, supporting both RAID 0 for optimum efficiency, or RAID 1 for optimum knowledge safety (storing separate copies of your knowledge on each drives). Future upgrades are easy as nicely, as you may shortly take away the entrance panel of the LinkStation and pull out the drives by their handles, with no screws or instruments required. There’s additionally a USB port on the again of the LinkStation that can be utilized to make extra backups to an exterior USB drive for additional security.

Getting began is sort of simple, because the 4TB LinkStation that we examined mechanically confirmed up on our workplace community as soon as we linked it to our router with an Ethernet cable. That allowed us to easily drag-and-drop information on to the LinkStation for fast backups, however issues get a bit extra difficult while you begin to transfer past the fundamentals. The LinkStation does work with Time Machine as a way to again up your Macs over the community, however establishing Time Machine and a ‘shared folder’ to your backups proved quite difficult.

Buffalo’s NAS Navigator app for Macs permits you to view the LinkStation in your community and shows fundamental data, akin to its IP handle. Nevertheless, utilizing some other options requires you to open up an internet browser to be able to view the LinkStation’s net interface.

This does embrace quite a lot of helpful options, together with Time Machine help, distant ‘net entry’ for while you’re away from dwelling or the workplace, BitTorrent downloads, and the power to make use of the LinkStation as an iTunes server for streaming your music throughout the community. However this browser interface may be very difficult and received’t be straightforward for non-technical customers to know – and Buffalo’s 125-page jargon-heavy PDF guide doesn’t actually make life any simpler.

And neither do Buffalo’s cell apps. Buffalo supplies two separate apps for iOS units: Smartphone Navigator for fundamental setup, and WebAccess to offer entry to your information through Wi-Fi while you’re out and about.

These apps are getting on a bit, and a few customers have complained that they’re unreliable. In truth, the apps appeared to run on our workplace iPhone and iPad with none issues, however they’re nonetheless fairly difficult and unhelpful for individuals who aren’t acquainted with NAS drives and networking know-how.

So whereas the LinkStation is an effective possibility for extra skilled dwelling or enterprise customers who already know a bit about NAS drives, it’s in all probability not the most suitable choice for first-time customers who’re nonetheless studying the ropes.