The Best Home Network Storage Device For 2024

Dan Simmons By, Dan Simmons
Updated
Best Home Network Storage Device
Best Home Network Storage Device

The Rundown

1. Best Overall: Seagate Internal Hard Drive – Network Storage ST8000VNZ04/N004)

The Seagate NAS is the perfect storage solution for multi-user environments craving powerhouse performance, increased file-sharing performance, and much more. With its high-speed connectivity to multiple computers and servers, this durable drive can even boost your network's performance. Read Review

2. Best Bang For The Buck: Western Digital Ultra Network Storage - WDBVBZ0080JCH-NESN

Western Digital Network Storage - Centralized network storage and access, automatic file synching across your computers. With High-performance, Centralized network storage and access, this reliable information management solution provides the speed and reliability you need to keep your business running smoothly. Read Review

3. Best Reliable: BUFFALO Network Storage Device

The Buffalo Network Storage Device is the perfect storage solution for your home or office. With an easy setup and subscription-free personal cloud, this device has a focus on security and speed with data encryption to ensure your data stays protected. Read Review

4. Best Capacity: QNAP 4 Bay NAS TS-453D-4G-44R-US

QNAP 4 Bay NAS TS-453D-4G-44R-US is the first NAS to provide modern businesses with an excellent model with pre-installed and pre-configured, 4K media playback and hardware transcoding, wireless network connections, providing businesses an excellent choice of storage. The TS-453D is equipped with four USB 3.0 ports for expanding your storage capabilities. Read Review

5. Best Adjustable: Asustor Drivestor 2 AS1102T - Network Attached Storage

The Asustor Drivestor AS1102T is the result of Asustor's efforts in designing a storage system with the best performance and speed possible for the professional and home user. With the increased efficiency in hardware decoding, smooth video playback can be experienced without compromise. Media files can also be stored at home or work and transferred anytime to any other computer or mobile device. Read Review

Everyone has their own ways of storing data. Whether it’s photos, videos, music, or documents, everyone has a need to organize their digital content in some way. In order to store all your digital content, you need a device that can provide the necessary storage.

In this article, we will explore the best home network storage devices on the market today. These devices are perfect for anyone who wants to have a reliable and affordable place to keep files they access frequently. There are many different types of storage media available and most of them come with pros and cons.

For example, a hard drive will last you an extended amount of time but can cost more than other options. A flash drive also costs less than a hard drive but won’t last as long because it must be rewritten every time you use it.

Following extensive study and analysis, we think the best home network storage device of 2024 is Seagate Internal Hard Drive – Network Storage ST8000VNZ04/N004).  With security in mind, this storage device has a data protection focus. Consider Western Digital Ultra Network Storage - WDBVBZ0080JCH-NESN as an alternative if you're still undecided. Other suggestions on this list are definitely worth considering, and we've put up a useful shopping guide to help you decide!

Our Top Picks

Easily monitor the health of drives using the integrated IronWolf Health Management system and enjoy long-term reliability with 1M hours MTBF

Store more and work faster with a NAS-optimized hard drive providing 8TB and cache of up to 256MB

Purpose built for NAS enclosures, IronWolf delivers less wear and tear, little to no noise/vibration, no lags or down time, increased file-sharing performance, and much more

IronWolf internal hard drives are the ideal solution for up to 8-bay, multi-user NAS environments craving powerhouse performance

TOP Choice #2 Western Digital Ultra Network Storage - WDBVBZ0080JCH-NESN
Our Score:
9.5
Western Digital

High-performance 1.3 GHz dual-core Processor for lag-free streaming

Automatic file synching across all your computers

Simplified file and folder sharing

1GB of DDR3 Memory to multitask with ease

Centralized network storage and access from anywhere

TOP Choice #3 BUFFALO Network Storage Device
Our Score:
9.3
BUFFALO

24/7 US-based support, with 2-year warranty, including hard drives.

BACK UP MULTIPLE COMPUTERS & DEVICES – PC backup software included, and you can set up automated backups of data on your computers and mobile devices.

SUBSCRIPTION-FREE PERSONAL CLOUD – Store and back up videos, music, and photos and access them from anywhere without paying any monthly storage charges.

4TB capacity – 1 Drive bay, HDD included.

PURPOSE-BUILT STORAGE WITH DATA SECURITY FOCUS – Storage designed to keep your data safe, the NAS features a closed system to reduce vulnerabilities from 3rd party apps and SSL encryption for secure file transfers.

ORGANIZE AND SECURE YOUR DATA – Use NAS as an easy-to-access central storage location. No more searching through different external drives or cloud accounts.

SECURELY SHARE FILES WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS – Create individual access of folders to ensure your data remains private while securely share storage space or files with others.

Made in Japan – Quality Devices.

HASSLE-FREE INSTALLATION – Hard drive included, and no computer needed for setup. Simply connect the NAS to your router for instant shared network storage for all your devices at the same time. Product is compatible with PC, macOS, Android, and iOS.

4K media playback and hardware transcoding

4GB SO-DIMM DDR4 RAM (Max 8GB)

Seagate IronWolf drives include a robust 3-year Rescue Data Recovery Services plan

Four 4TB Seagate Iron Wolf drives pre-installed and pre-configured with RAID 5. Hassle-free!

1 x PCIe Gen2 x2 slot for 10GbE/5GbE/1GbE or QM2 M.2 SATA/NVMe SSD adapter

Uses 1 GB DDR4 – 40% more efficient

Superfast 2.5-Gigabit Ethernet

Transcode 10-bit 4K H.265 media with hardware decoding easily enables smooth video playback

Realtek RTD1296 Quad-Core 1.4 GHz CPU

3 year warranty. Asustor will repair or replace any unit that is hardware damaged during the 3-year period so you can feel worry free when using any Asustor product

Use the TR-004 as external storage for NAS backup

Expand the capacity of your QNAP NAS

Hardware RAID supports RAID 0, 1, 5, JBOD, and individual

Seagate IronWolf drives include a robust 3-year Rescue Data Recovery Services plan

Supports 4 x 3.5/2.5-inch SATA 3Gb/s

Includes a USB Type-C to Type-A connector cable

USB 3.2 Gen 1 Port; Lockable drive Bays

4 x 4TB Seagate IronWolf drives pre-installed and pre-configured with RAID 5. Hassle-free

USB Type-C Direct Attached Storage (DAS) for Windows, macOS and Linux

Centralized storage to organize media and improve your workflow

Comprehensive security through password protection and AES 256 bit volume encryption

Quick, easy setup and a robust Device Manager with My Cloud OS 3

Built-in video transcoding for HD streaming through Plex

Intel Pentium N3710 Quad-Core 1.6GHz Processor with 4GB DDR3L Memory

8 Buffalo Network Attached Storage
Our Score:
8.5
BUFFALO

SECURE YOUR PRECIOUS DATA - Storage designed to keep your data safe, the NAS features a closed system to reduce vulnerabilities from 3rd party apps and SSL encryption for secure file transfers.

24/7 US-BASED SUPPORT - With 3-year warranty, including hard drives.

MADE IN JAPAN - Quality Devices.

16 TB Total capacity – 2 Drive Bays ships with RAID 1 (Automatic Backup) = 8 TB usable capacity. Set to RAID 0 to use the full 16 TB.

SMALL OFFICE / HOME OFFICE NETWORK ATTACHED STORAGE: Optimized to organize, store, share, and back up your important files.

BACK UP MULTIPLE COMPUTERS & DEVICES – PC backup software included, and you can set up automated backups of data on your computers and mobile devices.

SUBSCRIPTION-FREE PERSONAL CLOUD – Store and back up videos, music, and photos and access them from anywhere without paying any monthly storage charges.

DIRECT COPY - Back up your devices via USB. Copy photos/videos/files without a computer.

2X AS FAST TRANSFER SPEEDS - 2.5GbE gives you twice as fast transfer speeds as 1GbE without needing special cabling.

HASSLE-FREE INSTALLATION – Hard drives included, and no computer needed for setup. Simply connect the NAS to your router for instant shared network storage for all your devices at the same time. Product is compatible with PC, macOS, Android, and iOS.

9 WD 3TB My Cloud Home Personal Cloud
Our Score:
8.0
Western Digital

2-year manufacturer's limited warranty

One central place to store all your photos, videos, music and files

Quick and simple setup from your phone

Auto backup for photos and videos on your phone

Backup for all your PC and Mac computers

10X AS FAST TRANSFER SPEEDS: 10GbE gives you 10X as fast transfer speeds as 1GbE with CAT 6A or higher rated cabling.

RELIABLE STORAGE W/ EFFORTLESS SETUP: NAS-grade hard drives included with RAID 1 pre-configured for out-of-the-box protection. No CALs required to save you additional integration costs.

FREE DATA RECOVERY SERVICE: Qualifies for free simple logical data recovery with award winning support when registered.

LEVERAGE WINDOWS SERVER FEATURES: Leverage native Windows Server features such as Shadow Copy, Azure Sync, and Active Directory to use NAS as optimized file server.

SEAMLESS INTEGRATION WITH ALL WINDOWS-FRIENDLY APPLICATIONS: Native Windows Server IoT 2019 for Storage Standard Edition - a binary equivalent to Windows Server 2019.

EXPANSIVE VIRTUALIZATION CAPABILITIES: Reduce hardware costs, optimize storage utilization, and enable more streamlined and secure remote work.

PEACE OF MIND INCLUDED: 3-year warranty (includes hard drive coverage) with 24/7, award-winning US-based support. (Extended warranty options available.)

16 TB CAPACITY: 4 pre-tested, NAS-grade hard drives included. Ships in RAID 5 for 12 TB usable capacity; can later change to RAID 6 for more redundancy, or RAID 0 for full 16 TB capacity.

CLOUD INTEGRATION: Sync with Dropbox, Azure and OneDrive to create a hybrid cloud for extra data security, cost savings, and flexible scalability.

STRENGTHEN YOUR BACKUP AND DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN: Build a comprehensive BDR plan with ability to back up to and from the cloud, replicate data across servers, ot restore VMs to any hardware.

Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

What Are The Most Critical Factors Of best home network storage device That You Should Consider?

To make a significant purchase, you are supposed to know the best home network storage device. There are a number of other difficulties that need to be investigated and evaluated. Every product has its challenges. Thus, you might count on us to provide you with detailed advice and guidance.

Based on what people and technical innovation have co-operated to analyze and build the following qualities, it’s helpful to look into the following criterial before selecting best home network storage device:

Transcoding

What type of processor does your NAS need? NAS drives run dedicated OSes that require a lightweight processor and more RAM. A faster processor and more memory will enable features such as transcoding, which means that any media files can be converted on the fly into a format that's playable by your TV or set-top box. It can also be useful if your videos are a higher resolution than your TV can handle, so look out for the ability to transcode 4K to Full HD in real-time.

Ease Of Use

A NAS is a great option for small businesses that need a solution that can run without much maintenance. Choosing a NAS that can be set up quickly with minimal labor is always a wise decision. For enterprise solutions, higher labor and administrative costs are insignificant when compared with the benefits that a NAS can bring.

Form Factor

The form factor of a computing device affects the design of hardware components that go into the larger unit. For NAS storage devices, form factor usually comes in two variations: rack-mount, and tower type cases. Choosing between these two options is straightforward. For example, rack cases would be suitable for enterprise networks since they have an expandable capacity. Tower type casing is better for consumers or small-to-medium businesses.

Ports And Connections

Don't overlook connectivity. If your priority is to use your NAS as a home video server, it might be worth picking one with an HDMI output like the QNAP TS-251B so you can connect it directly to your TV. And if your TV can't play video from a network source, you'll need a separate media streamer.

RAID

RAID stands for redundant array of inexpensive disks. RAID can be quite complex but at a basic level, you’ll want to use it to provide redundancy so if a disk fails your data is still safe. Three of the most popular variants are RAID 1, 5, and 6.
Whatever RAID you choose, however, don’t consider your NAS to be the only backup of your data. If the box just dies, or if something catastrophic happens like a fire, you’ll still lose all your data. To mitigate this you'll want another external backup, preferably to the cloud.

Capacity

In simple terms, the more drives you can cram into a NAS the greater its potential storage capacity. In most cases, we suggest something with four or five bays like the Synonology DS-1511. Loaded up with a swag of 1TB or 2TB drives it offers plenty of capacity.
If your needs are more modest then a two-bay unit is also handy and won't break the bank.

Apps

After storage, the next main concern is software and features. We prefer NASes that have an app store where you can download popular apps such as Plex instead of forcing you to use the manufacturer's own media software. NASes also offer apps for Android and iOS, which make it easier to get to your photos, videos, and music from your phone or tablet.

FAQs

What is a home network storage device?

A home network storage device is a device that is used to store and share data over a home network. It typically includes a hard drive, which stores the data, and a network connection, which allows the device to be connected to other devices on the network. The device can be used to store files, photos, music, and other data, and can be accessed from any device that is connected to the home network.

What are the benefits of using a home network storage device?

The main benefit of using a home network storage device is that it allows you to easily share files and data between multiple devices on the same home network. This means that you can access files stored on the storage device from any device that is connected to the home network, without having to move the files around. It also allows you to back up important data on the device, which can be very useful in the event of a computer crash or other data loss.

How do I set up a home network storage device?

Setting up a home network storage device is relatively simple. First, you will need to connect the device to your home network, either via a wired or wireless connection. Once the device is connected, you will need to install any software that is necessary for the device to function correctly. Once the software is installed, you can then begin adding files to the device, and sharing them with other devices on the home network.

What types of files can I store on my home network storage device?

You can typically store any type of digital file, including photos, music, videos, documents, and more. Some devices may have restrictions on certain types of files, so it is important to check the device specifications before buying one.

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About Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons is a writer who loves home theater and HiFi audio. As the editor of TheAudioInsights, he has helped countless people enjoy the best possible sound quality in their homes. He is an audiophile who takes great pleasure in helping others find the perfect audio equipment for their needs. When he's not writing or editing, Dan enjoys listening to music and spending time with his family.