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Forum Discussion
anirudha
Feb 05, 2019Follower
Is ready nas an economical storage solution
Hi, I looking into Ready NAs and Is ready nas an economical storage solution
StephenB
Feb 06, 2019Guru - Experienced User
anirudha wrote:
Hi, I looking into Ready NAs and Is ready nas an economical storage solution
That's a bit like asking if an automobile is economical. The answer depends on your transportation needs.
The main reason for my NAS is that it allows me to consolidate my storage. I used to have files scattered across various PCs and on various USB drives, optical media, etc. The NAS lets me put everything on one device that I can access conveniently from everywhere. Consolidation also simplifies my backup - since I have only one central repository (the NAS) to back up.
There are three other options for storage consolidation that I know of:
- Cloud Storage (google drive, one drive, etc)
- Connecting a USB drive to a PC or a router
- Using a PC as a file server
Current Google prices for 10 TB of cloud storage is $100US per month. You can purchase a ReadyNAS that gives you the same storage (with RAID protection) for about $900 - an RN212 and two 10 TB drives. So if you need that much storage, the ReadyNAS would pay back in less than a year. Note I'd actually recommend an RN214 or an RN424 for that amount of storage, and they would also pay back quite quickly.
Connecting USB drives to a router cheaper than a NAS, but also won't perform as well, and wouldn't support RAID.
If you have a suitable desktop PC already, then it could be cheaper to use as a file server. But an entry-level ReadyNAS (RN200 series) would be less expensive if you don't.
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