Network attached storage devices are also known as NAS devices and NAS drives. They are primarily used to back up your files to a central external hard drive, so if you have multiple PCs, the files can still be accessed directly instead of having multiple copies of each file stored on each PC. This prevents you from getting into document synchronization hell. But NAS drives are much more than an external hard drive; it’s where you and your family can share files like pictures, music, documents, and more.

The flexibility of some of these NAS devices has the ability to increase storage capacity by adding additional hard drives and also reduces the risk of losing all your valuable files if the hard drive of the NAS device fails. These are available in the market now, but they can be priced. Personally, I use a single-drive solution and use online backup to store my valuable photos and documents, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an option for people and businesses to pay a little more to get devices from. network attached storage with RAID capability. More and more small and medium-sized businesses are buying them instead of buying expensive servers and having to configure them as file servers. Some NAS devices can also be print servers, but most of them need to be connected directly to the printer, so be sure to read the technical specifications before purchasing.

For those individuals or businesses that need a little more than a standard NAS drive, there are some that have more features and richer functionality. Some are capable of joining AD domains, others are capable of streaming movies to DNLA compliant devices, so they are capable of wirelessly streaming your movies to devices like PS3 and Xbox.