Just a short decade ago, network attached storage was a big word in the realm of IT professionals. Today, network attached storage appliance is a common consumer item.

If you have a router at home and you are using a home network to share an internet connection amongst the laptops, desktops, and iPhones, then you owe it to yourself to consider including a network attached storage appliance into your network as well.

Advantages of Network Attached Storage Appliance

For just a few dollars more, you could upgrade your external, laptop or desktop attached hard drive into a network storage appliance. By simply doing that, you would be able to quit attaching and detaching your disk from the laptop or desktop whenever you move it. Second, you would be able to share your hard drive amongst the home network users, thereby increasing its utility. And lastly, but not least, you would end your endless copying of videos, music files, and documents, across the network, as needed. You would replace this highly chaotic activity with simply knowing where all your data is - on the always-on, always-accessible network attached storage appliance. In fact, you could even attach non-storage appliances to the network attached storage appliance. Such as your printer, turning it into a network attached storage print server.

What Kind of Network Attached Storage Appliance is Best For Me?

It really doesn't matter much what level you want to jump in at when you are buying your first network attached storage server. Either way, you will be blown away with the simplicity of your storage-related tasks. You will be amazed at how much time you will be able to save when you know exactly where your documents and media are.

Nevertheless, we've subdivided the three levels you can choose when buying your network attached storage appliance. Entry Level, Intermediate Level, and Advanced Level.

Entry Level Network Attached Storage Appliance - Western Digital WD TV Live Network-Ready HD Media Player

This single-drive unit can be easily expanded by attaching additional USB drives to it. Based on numerous buyers feedbacks Western Digital has taken what worked wonderfully in the predecessor model and improved on it. By purchasing WD TV Live Network-Ready HD Media Player you will get a super easy access from your media players such as HD TV, to your stored videos and audio files. You will be able to play back your full 1080p HD videos. You will be able to backup your laptop and desktops without a second thought, automatically as your WD TV will be on, always.

Before you go ahead and buy it, I highly suggest perusing the 300+ customer reviews. You will find a lot of enthusiasm for the WD TV Live there. Who wouldn't want to finally put an end to endless decisions of where to store your media?! And if you decide that you are ready to buy it (while the discounted price has been pushed under $100), you can go through this link directly to the manufacturer's review on Amazon.

Get More Storage And/Or More Secure Storage in a Network Attached Storage Appliance

If all of the above sounds good, but you want more data security, and protection from hard disk failure, then you want a Redundant Array of Independent Disks, RAID appliance. RAID 1 configuration with two disks mirroring each should make sense. You will need a network storage appliance with two bays. We recommend Netgear ReadyNAS Duo 2-Bay Desktop Network Attached Storage RND2000 unit available at a discount at Amazon. Be sure to read the enthusiastic and not so enthusiastic buyer's reviews before you buy, especially the reviews reporting on the RAID configuration surviving a hard disk crash, gracefully.

Advanced Users, Go With Multi-Bay NAS

When even more disk space is important to you, then getting a multi-bay Network Attached Storage Appliance is the way to go. Based on customer testimonials, we decided to recommend (for advanced users only) to review the Synology DiskStation 4-Bay Network Attached Storage DS410j. For (much) less than 400 dollars, you get a secure, RAID 5 mirroring and fault tolerant system, from a manufacturer who specializes in Network Attached Storage. You can take a closer look at this NAS Appliance at Amazon. Just be sure to read buyer reviews first.