Which NAS drive - 2014 edition

April 22, 2014 11:10 AM

Hi folks, looking for recommendations for a new NAS drive to replace our dying Iomega drive. Snowflakes inside.

We've had an Iomega Home Network Hard Drive for a few years now that's had daily use for streaming media and Windows backups. Mrs Peteyjlawson has noticed that it's making a clicking noise that, to me at least, implies impending disk failure doom. So, we need a new one sooner rather than later.

Specific requirements:

• Available fairly readily in the UK
• Can't justify a lot of money in one go
• Needs an integrated DLNA media server that works with XMBC and an LG smart TV
• I'd prefer a RAID solution but it's not a dealbreaker
• Some hackability would be nice to while away a Sunday afternoon

Aside from that, I'm open to suggestions. So, what would the lovely denizens of the green advise? Thanks in advance for any help.

posted by peteyjlawson to Technology (5 answers total)

Best answer: You can't go far too wrong with a Synology DS214 using WD Red drives.
posted by jacobean at 11:32 AM on April 22, 2014

Best answer: Synology is the go-to inexpensive RAID solution. If you want to get your hands dirty UnRAID is another popular option.
posted by contraption at 11:37 AM on April 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Synology, specifically these models, is probably what you want. Or you could go with a cheaper and simpler Synology model if you have lighter needs.
posted by RedOrGreen at 12:34 PM on April 22, 2014

Response by poster: Synology it is then. Thanks for the input folks!
posted by peteyjlawson at 2:36 PM on April 22, 2014

Do make sure you use drives that are designed for use in RAID, drives meant to go in workstations can fail in ways that make RAID recovery more difficult or impossible.
posted by contraption at 7:05 PM on April 22, 2014