How long is an NAS good for?

[Evil_Overlord]

By that, I mean, how long might a reasonable person expect between upgrades?

I have a ReadyNAS NV+, now 5 years old. Works fine, except that it's pretty slow on transfers. Normally that's not a problem, since my needs (home use, backups, music streaming) are minor. The device was (for me) expensive - about $1,000. Still, at some point, I'll want to upgrade.

The obvious answer is "Dude, if it's working, leave it alone." Well and good, but what's a reasonable replacement schedule, just FMI? For example, I buy good laptops, and expect them to last 5 years or so. What's a rule of thumb for an NAS (the device, not the drives)?

[mdgm-ntgr]

5 years is a good run. At some point I'd suggest shifting the NV+ to backup duties (to extend its useful life) and using a new primary NAS.

If it still works and you keep up to date backups there is no need to rush into getting a new NAS though

[Evil_Olverlord]

Thanks. I'll keep this for at least a couple more years, and probably longer, but it's good to know I'm on plus time, so to speak.