Top 10 Personal Cloud Storage Solutions

With faster broadband speed, unlimited fibre optic broadband packages (up to 100Mbps going and up to 300Mbps sometime this year) and higher uplink speeds on offer , it’s easy to see how one can benefit from setting up their own personal cloud rather than relying on a free or fee based and limited cloud storage service from the likes of Microsoft, Google and Amazon.

Setting up your own Personal Cloud Storage may sound daunting in the past. One would need to install and configure a NAS (network attached storage) server, lease an IP or use a dynamic IP service to route back to the machine sitting at home and configure their router to make it work. These days, there are off the shelf products with software wizards that helps you do just that.

Why Personal Cloud Storage

So what are the benefits of choosing a Personal Cloud. Here are 10 good reasons for considering a Personal Cloud Solution for your home or office.

1. No usage or subscription fees
2. Bigger storage options (1TB to 16TB)
3. Faster access when on the same network at home / office
4. Remote access using web browser when out and about
5. Remote backup so you always have a copy at home / office
6. Option to use apps to access your personal data (files, music, video, photos)
7. Get to choose your storage sizes, number of bays and size of hard disks
8. Unlimited storage space, expand this easily with external USB drives
9. Stream your own videos and music wherever you are
10. Easy setup with Cloud services offered by manufacturer

Steps to Setup Your Personal Cloud Storage with Off the Shelf Storage Devices

Typically, the wizard will take you through the following steps:

1. Follow the manual to connect and power up your device and to connect this to your router.
2. Setup a secure remote access account so you can log in to your device via the cloud.
3. Sign-up with Dynamic DNS service, some manufacturer offers DDNS service as standard (company NAS portal), others allow you to sign up for free DDNS account(s) with third party. Read more about Dynamic DNS below.
4. Update your router to point external traffic looking for this resource to your storage device. This is sometimes known as port forwarding. This may not be necessary when using manufacturer’s own NAS portal.
5. Test out your remote connecting by accessing your network storage via the memorable name you registered with the DDNS service (or NAS portal) over the Internet.

Please note that the process may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer depending on the software used.

Dynamic DNS (Domain Name System)

In order to connect to the Internet, your broadband router will be given an IP (Internet Protocol) address from your service provider. This IP address changes so in order to connect to resources behind your router, you will need what is called a dynamic name resolution service.

Typically, when you browse to a web resource, the domain name you use e.g. www.company.com is resolved to a fixed IP. Because your broadband IP is dynamic, a software on your device communicate your current IP address to a third party service, the Dynamic DNS service.

By registering for a memorable domain name offered by DDNS, you can connect to your Personal Cloud Storage without worrying about your IP address having changed. There are many free DDNS services that you can sign up to. Most devices here would support some if not all the DDNS services out there.

Others would include the service as port of their product and allow you to access an authentication portal where you sign in and connect to your storage without the hassle of configuring a separate service.

Network Attached Storage (NAS)

These dedicated network storage devices or sometimes known as Network Attached Storage is a file server appliance that not only provide ample storage for your local network but comes with secure web portals built and with some configuration, create and support your very own Personal Cloud Storage so you can access your files from anywhere over the Internet.

We looked at a convergence device in the form of WD MyNet N900 Central that marries a NAS and a wireless network router, effectively providing you with Internet connection and network storage in one box. You can find out more about the routers with storage or support for attached storage (USB drives) in the same article.

The Top 10 Personal Cloud Storage Solutions

Here’s a look at the Top 10 Personal Cloud Storage Solutions:

• Connected Data Transporter
• WD My Cloud and WD My Mirror
• Lacie CloudBox
• Seagate Central
• Synology DiskStation series – OUR FAVOURITE
• D-Link ShareCenter
• QNAP TS series
• NetGear ReadyNAS
• Buffalo LinkStation
• Lenovo Iomega

For the latest prices on Amazon, use the links in our line-up above.

Update: A lesser known but equally impressive Personal Cloud Storage (PCS) or Network Attached Storage (NAS) is now on offer from a subsidiary of Asus, the people that brought us motherboards, display adapters, the Transformer and Google Nexus tablets. Asustor, a relatively new name in the storage scene brings us 2, 4, 6 and 8-bay storage and media solutions complete with a barrage of features and accompanying apps. Learn more about Asustor offerings for Personal and Home Storage solutions at the bottom of this article.

• Asustor 2 Bay NAS: AS-202T and AS-202TE
• Asustor 4 Bay NAS: AS-204T and AS-204TE

Connected Data Transporter

Connected Data has two products that support Private/Personal Cloud Storage:

• Connected Data Transporter Sync
• Connected Data Transporter Private Cloud Storage (enclosure/1TB/2TB)

Designed with ease of use and to look good and pleasing to the eyes, both Transporter Sync and Transporter PCS have received raving reviews from the likes of the Mac Observer, PCMag and Wired.

The first option is a media hub that turns any external USB drive into your own personal cloud storage. It is a simple small form factor hub with a single USB port and single Ethernet port. Once configured, you can use the connected USB drive locally or remotely to sync, access and back up your files.

The second option, the Connected Data Transporter Private Cloud Storage is a single bay enclosure that you can buy either on its own or with 1TB or 2TB hard disk installed.
Both uses the same Transporter Library application that allows you to access a collection of folders stored on the Transporter(s). The Sync Folders can be used for files that require frequent access and the other folders for big files or files that you are less likely to use.

You can also assign different folders on your system such as the desktop, documents, movies, music and picture as Special Folders so the files in them are sync back to the transporter effectively creating a backup copy.

The software also lets you pick specific folders that you want to sync to your computer using Selective Sync. This allows you to keep more frequently used files on your computer. Additional features such as the Mobile Camera Auto-Upload will be available soon.

Manufacturer Website: Transporter

Colour My Learning says:

Tranporter Sync is a low cost solution to turn your existing USB hard disk into a NAS but you can probably do this with your router. Transporter Private Cloud Storage is not your typical brick design with its slender top and sturdy base.

Check Price on Amazon: Connected Data Transporter

WD My Cloud

We reviewed WD’s cloud enabled product, the WD MyNet N900 Central not long ago. The WD My Cloud is a NAS that uses the same software to support Personal Cloud Storage (PCS). Some of you may be more familiar with WD My Book Live which also supports PCS. The WD My Cloud offerings are as follows:

• WD My Cloud (Single Bay 2TB, 3TB, 4TB)
• WD My Cloud Mirror (Dual Bay 4TB, 6TB and 8TB)

The later supports RAID 0,1; JBOD & spanning (different configuration for hard disks for extra performance or mirroring)

In the same fashion as most of the manufacturers featured here, WD has supplied a range of free applications; My Cloud desktop app, My Cloud mobile app and WD Photos app to access, sync and backup your files and photos. For backup, if you are on PC, use WD SmartWare Pro. If you are on Mac, WD My Cloud supports Apple Time Machine right out of the box.

Both single and dual bay My Cloud comes with a single Gigabit Ethernet port and USB 2.0 port(s) for expansion to allow you to add additional external storage. These device are also DLNA and uPnP compatible to support media streaming to smart TV or set top boxes.

It is worth noting that at the time of writing, the WD My Cloud 4TB and WD My Cloud 2TB are well established NAS in the market.

Previous Model: WD My Book Live Personal Cloud Storage 2TB, 3TB, 4TB

Manufacturer Website: WD

Colour My Learning says:

While it is easy to setup, early versions of the firmware and apps is a little buggy but WD is getting there with new releases and updates.

Check Price on Amazon: WD My Cloud

Lacie CloudBox

The Lacie CloudBox is again designed to be user friendly. With its one plug and one click installation, you can start to share music, photos, movies and files with family and friends and access it from anywhere on any devices over the Internet. Designed by Neil Poulton, it comes in a shiny and glossy white in a brick profile with blue LED lights illuminating from the front bottom of the device.

• Lacie CloudBox (Single Bay 2TB, 3TB or 4TB)

Use Lacie MyNAS  to access your Personal Cloud Storage remotely via mobile, tablet, PC or Mac. A secure cloud service by Lacie called Wuala with 5GB of storage to start you off can be used to share files securely.

For backup, it supports Time Machine, Windows backup, NAS-to-NAS and backup to cloud. For streaming media, the CloudBox is iTunes, Windows Media Server, uPnP and DLNA compatible.

As with all NAS boxes featured here, it comes with a single Gigabit Ethernet port.

Manufacturer Website: Lacie

Colour My Learning says:

Cool white glossy box design and blue lights completes the designer look, otherwise not much else to talk about here. App lacks imagination.

Check Price on Amazon: Lacie CloudBox

Seagate Central

The Seagate Central is designed to sit in your living room, with its single Ethernet port and USB expansion slot, the NAS box is clean and easy to configure. Once connected to the WiFi router, you can start to load it up with photos, videos, music, files and backup. Then, stream music and videos from your very own centralised media library to your gaming consoles, media players, DLNA-certified devices and smart TVs (with unique support for Samsung Smart TV app for enhanced media navigation). To access the storage on the go, use a web browser or free app on tablets and smartphones.

• Seagate Central (Single Bay 2TB, 3TB and 4TB)

The Seagate Media app is available from the iTunes App Store, Android Market, Google Play, Amazon Appstore and Samsung Smart Hub; for smartphones, tablets and smart TVs. The app supports viewing of content by type, size and compatilibility.

PDF, Word document, a variety of music, photo and video formats are supported. The app also supports uploading and backing up of your photo and video files from your mobile devices to free up space on your tablet and smartphone.

It’s worth noting that the Seagate Media App is Apple AirPlay friendly, it will allow iPad, iPod and iPhone users to mirror their film on to the big screen via Apple TV or stream music directly to an AirPlay enabled speakers.

The Central Remote Access Service lets you access your Seagate Central storage device from a web browser remotely over the Internet.

Manufacturer Website: Seagate

Colour My Learning says:

No nonsense home centric NAS with Personal Cloud Storage using  either the web browser or the Seagate Media app.

Check Price on Amazon: Seagate Central

Synology

Synology NAS comes in plethora of shapes, sizes and specs. Don’t let the uninspiring design and boring brick box fool you, the real power of Synology’s offering is in its operating system. Unlike any of the NAS listed here, Synology develops their own NAS operating system that combines every possible feature you can ever imagine into your NAS.

Home and Small Office Range

• Synology DiskStation Single Bay: 112j (1GHz CPU, 128MB RAM), 114 (1.2GHz GPU, 512MB RAM)
• Synology DiskStation Dual Bay: 213j(1.2GHz CPU, 512MB RAM), 213air (1.6GHz, 256MB and WiFi)

Home and Workgroup Range 

• Synology DiskStation Dual Bay 214 (Dual Bay, 1.066GHz CPU), 214se (800MHz) and 214+ (dual core 1.33GHz CPU)

NOTE: Current outgoing models 212 and 212j are still in the market. All Synology NAS can be purchased as enclosure only or with hard disk(s) pre-installed.

The DiskStation Manager (DSM) currently at version 5 provides an intuitive web-based operating system that mimics your desktop with drop down menu, pop up windows, task bar and desktop shortcut to all the different apps. The same software is found on every DiskStation and RackStation. So to begin to enjoy the features of DSM you can start with the entry level NAS or go full whack with the top of the range multi-bay enterprise RackStation.

Apart from DSM, Synology also developed Mobile Apps for smartphones and tablets (iOS, Android and Windows Phone). DS audio, DS video and DS photo+ apps are used to access your multimedia library. You can either stream from the NAS live or cache the media for offline access should you wish to take your music or video with you.

The equivalent Apps are also available for Apple TV, Roku box, Chromecast and Samsung Smart TV, you can now either download apps for the different platforms or use the Apps on your smartphone or tablet and connect to these third party device and start streaming.

DS photo+ supports AirPlay or Google TV for viewing and include features to automatically backup all your photos to the NAS into predetermined folders. You could have ‘Dads iPhone’, ‘Grans Kindle Fire’, ‘Mums iPad and ‘Joes Android Tablet’ folders one for each device in the family. DS audio supports music streaming to Bluetooth or Airplay speakers. DS video supports DLNA TV, Chromecast and streaming to multiple devices at high definition.

DS cloud and DS file allows you to access, sync and share your files easily. DS cloud automatically syncs any changes made to a file to your smartphone and tablet. It also works with multiple DiskStation (office and home) and sync selected folders from each of them over the cloud. DS file on the other hand, is a file management app that lets you move, rename, download to cache, delete, archive or share links to the files on your DiskStation.

Other apps includes the DS download that lets you create download tasks to queue and pull files down from the Internet straight to your NAS and DS cam app that lets you access Surveillance Station, an app that you can install on the DSM operating system to watch up to 6 cameras channels simultaneously on your tablet or smartphone with the ability to take snapshots, play back events and adjust your PTZ cameras. Utility apps such as DS finder and DSM mobile edition lets you detect and carry out simple administrative tasks on your NAS without a PC or web browser.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed with all the features but use the Wizards to help you configure your Synology NAS for different things including to set up your Personal Cloud Storage. Install and enable only the apps that you need if you have an entry level model as the processor and memory will struggle when you start too many apps. It can get pretty involved if you wish to set up remove access for each of the Apps i.e. DS audio, DS file, DS photo+.

IMPORTANT: Start by enabling QuickConnect and register for a MyDS account with Synology then assign a QuickConnect ID for your NAS (memorable hostname). You can then access your NAS over the cloud by going to

• DSM: http://QuickConnect.to/hostname
• Photo Station: http://QuickConnect.to/hostname/photo
• From mobile devices and Cloud Station clients, enter Quick Connect ID into your apps setting.

Manufacturer Website: Synology

Colour My Learning says:

Jam-packed with features, great value even if you use half of its features, great list of accompanying apps, configuring it can take a while. To save yourself time, use the wizard and enable QuickConnect for Cloud access. Uninspiring design.

Check Price on Amazon: Synology

D-Link ShareCenter Cloud Storage

Store your music, movies and files on ShareCenter Cloud and access them over the Cloud from anywhere. D-link ShareCenter 2 Bay Cloud Storage enclosure is one of the most best value in the market.

• ShareCenter 2-Bay Cloud Network Storage Enclosure DNS-320L (1GHz CPU, 128MB RAM)
• ShareCenter+ 2-Bay Cloud Network Storage DNS-327L (1.2GHz CPU, 128MB RAM)
• ShareCenter 2-Bay Cloud Network Storage Enclosure DNS-320LW (1GHz CPU, 128MB RAM)

At the core of the ShareCenter Cloud Network Storage series is the mydlink Cloud Service that lets you access, and backup your files and media (photos, music, movies and documents over the cloud).

The NAS comes with a smart library application that lets you organise and manage your files, music, videos and photos easily. Built-in applications include my Music, My Photos, My Files, P2P downloads and My Surveillance that works with mydlink cloud cameras.You can access the applications locally or remotely using mydlink Remote Manager web based console.

On the app front, mydlink Access-NAS app lets you access your files remotely using mydlink Cloud Services (mydlink.com). View and manage your documents, listen to music, view photos and watch movies on your iOS or Android devices over 3G or Wi-Fi. You can also remotely upload or download media from your smartphone or tablet.

There is also a built-in media server that lets you stream digital media to DLNA Certified uPnP AV media servers. Stream video and music to PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox or directly to Smart TV and start enjoying your photo, music and video in your living room.

While it is a little thin of features compared to Synology, D-Link ShareCenter coupled with mydlink Cloud Services make configuring the device fool proof with no need for special router or network configurations.

Manufacturer Website: D-Link

Colour My Learning says:

Cheap to own, easy to setup with no technical skills required, remote and singular web access via centralised mydlink.com

Check Price on Amazon: D-Link ShareCenter Cloud Storage

QNAP Network Attached Storage

Like Synology, QNAP develops their own Embedded Linux OS with a friendly user interface dubbed the QTS Desktop (currently at version 4.1) with is pop up windows, graphical dashboard, icons, multiple desktops, personalised wallpaper, smart toolbar and menus.

QNAP also caters for a wide range of consumers, from home users to Small and Medium Businesses to Enterprise. There is a product a NAS to suit every need. However, no matter what level of hardware you are going for, you will have access to the same QTS operating system and features that are common across the range (hardware permitting).

Both business and home user get with the QNAP Turbo NAS range; file sharing, iSCSI & virtualisation, backup, storage management, user and group management, applications server, access control, network settings, security, mobile access, surveillance and utilities.

QNAP 1 Bay – TS-112 (1.2GHz CPU, 256MB RAM), TS-112P (1.6GHz CPU, 512MB RAM)

QNAP 2 Bay – TS-212 (1.2GHz CPU, 256MB RAM), TS-212-E (1.6GHz CPU, 256MB RAM), TS-212P (1.6GHz CPU, 512MB RAM)

Other products with 4, 5, 6, 8 bays are available for Home and Small Office range, 10, 12, 16 bays in their SMB range and 18 and 24 bays in their Enterprise range. That’s room for 24 hard disks.

All Turbo NAS supports Apple Time Machine Backup for MAC OS X users and Netbak Replicator for Window PC users.

QNAP mobile apps are available from iTunes AppStore and Google Play for Android. These include QMobile, Qlife, Qmanager, VMobile (iOS only), Qmusic, Qremote, Qphoto Lite and Qget (Android only). Qfile lets you browse, manage and share files stored in the NAS. Qmanager allows you to monitor and manage multiple Turbo NAS remotely. Qmusic lets you access and stream your entire music collection remotely, Qget lets you manage your downloads pulling this straight to the NAS without a PC or browser. Qremote controls the HD Station and play back video, music and photos stored on the NAS on your TV. VMobile monitor the IP cameras managed by Turbo NAS with Surveillance Station Pro or VioStore NVR on the go. Finally, Qmobile allows you to stream music, videos and view photos on your mobile.

QAirplay application on QTS App Center and Qfile for mobile lets you browse and view video and multimedia contents and share this on AirPlay supported products including of course the AppleTV so you can watch videos on the big screen. We recommend installing QAirplay on your NAS then stream media content directly to the Apple TV to alleviate the need for another device. for direct playback from any media player, xbox, PlayStation3 or SmartTV the NAS is DLNA compatible.

For remote access QNAP uses MyCloudNAS service that lets you publish and access any applications on your NAS over the Internet. You can download and upload files, back up and share photos and music instantly. MyCloudNAS service offers name resolution for your NAS. So once you are setup and ready, you can just fire up your browser and type your chosen hostname http://hostname.mycloudnas.com or go to www.mycloudnas.com to login. This makes the configuration of your Personal Cloud easier with no hassle of configuring your network router or setting up port forwarding and using third party Dynamic DNS service to resolve your IP.

Manufacturer Website: QNAP

Colour My Learning says:

Impressive range of products with a lot of potentials for home and business use, great list of free mobile apps to make the most of the cloud, QNAP Airplay solution (QAirplay) is a first on NAS, remote and singular web access via centralised MyCloudNAS service.

Check Price on Amazon: QNAP Network Attached Storage

NetGear ReadyNAS

The ReadyNAS range from NetGear offers a selection of 2, 4 or 6 bays Network Attach Storage. While the ReadyNAS system is gear more towards businesses, there are some feature that home users will appreciate. Let’s take at these. The key features include ReadyCLOUD (private home cloud), ReadyDROP (drag and drop files and integration with Dropbox), ReadyDLNA (for media streaming), Remote Backup, Media Server and Add-on Applications.

• Backup (Aplle Time Machine and PC)
• ReadyDLNA for media streaming to smart TV and game consoles
• Media Server (Music, Video and Photo)
• Supports uninstallable applications from a library of software add-ons
• Real-time anti-virus protection
• Cloud or remote access to files stored on the NAS
• Unlimited automatic snapthos to keep your files protected and to let you access previous versions
• Limited 3-year hardware warranty.

The list of embedded applications include; Replicate, Time Machine Backup, ReadyDLNA, ReadyDROP, DropBox, ReadyNAS Vault, iTunes, Tivo, Anti-Virus, Remote, Plex, Photos and Surveillance. Businesses will appreciate the iSCSI and Thin Provisioning feature, XRAID2 and Instant Provisioning, Unlimited Snapshots, Cloud-managed Replications, Anti-virus and Encryption, File Server, Back-up, Disaster Recovery and support for Virtualisation (VMware and Microsoft).

• ReadyNAS 2-Bay 102 (1.2GHz CPU 512MB RAM), 312 (Intel Atom 2.1GHz dual core CPU, 2GB RAM) enclosure only available
• ReadyNAS 4-Bay 104 (1.2GHz CPU 512MB RAM), 314 (Intel Atom 2.1GHz dual core CPU, 2GB RAM) enclosure only available
• ReadyNAS 6-Bay 316 (Intel Atom 2.1GHz dual core CPU, 2GB RAM) enclosure only available

The ReadyNAS models listed above comes with 1 USB2.0 port and 2 x USB 3.0 ports for expansion. Except for ReadyNAS 102, all model comes with 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports. The 316 model comes with touch screen navigation.

Manufacturer Website: NetGear

Colour My Learning says:

Solid performer, industrial look, great for businesses. Home users looking for more bells and whistles look elsewhere. No accompanying mobile app. Businesses stand to save and benefit from expansion slots with up to 6 bays on some model.

Check Price on Amazon: NetGear ReadyNAS

Buffalo LinkStation

LinkStation is Buffalo’s range of NAS for home and small office use, while the TeraStation is for professional and business use with iSCSI Unified Storage. The comparison between the different LinkStations on offer are as below:

• LinkStation Live 1-bay 2, 3 or 3TB NAS
• LinkStation Duo 2, 4, 6 or 8 TB NAS
• LinkStation Pro 4-bay (1.6GHz CPU, 256MB RAM) 4, 8, 12, 16TB NAS

The LinkStation NAS operating system focuses on providing centralised storage and data management with features such as file server, data backup and media streaming at its core. It supports network file sharing for users on Windows, Mac and Linux. Accounts and Security Groups can be created to control access the different folders and file level access. The high models support Active Directory Users and Groups import to ease of setting up with a limit of 1000 users or groups.

LinkStation OS lets you manage your disks for models with two or more disks so you can decide if you want a configuration that gives you additional performance (RAID 0 stripped) or data protection (RAID 1 mirror) or both (RAID5 and 10). RAID 5 requires 3 or more disks to stripe data across all disks and intersperse parity data for fault tolerance giving you both performance and data protection. RAID 10 requires 4 or more disks where two sets of hard disks are mirrored and combined into a single array, then data is stripped across all mirrored sets again for fault tolerance and increased performance.

For backup, Buffalo offers NovaBACKUP Professional for PC users while Mac users can use the LinkStation as Time Machine to schedule backups from one or multiple Mac computers on the network. Direct Copy function lets you back up the content of your USB drive without using a computer.

What we are interested is what is available for those looking to setup their own cloud. LinkStation Cloud services includes Flickr Synchronisation (on some models) to automatically download photos from your Flickr account or upload photos from a designated folder to the Flickr account. Buffalo’s free WebAccess service (buffaloNAS.com) allows you to connect remotely and share files with anyone over the Internet. Your data will remain in the NAS while you access it via a browser on your computer, tablet or smartphone. You can also connect two NAS devices over WebAccess and synchronise the data between them.

Multimedia support on the LinkStation includes DLAN certified media server for streaming to PS3, Xbox 360, smart TV and compatible streaming devices, iTunes server and Squeezebox Server. There is also a BitTorrent client included to manage P2P file transfers directly on the LinkStation without using a PC. Finally, the LinkStation can be configured to share up to 15 USB devices using USB hub however PCs would need to run Network-USB Navigation. This feature works with USB hard drive, printers and LinkStation DirectCopy.

Manufacturer Website: Buffalo

Colour My Learning says:

Solid performer, great for businesses. Home users looking for more bells and whistles look elsewhere. No accompanying mobile app. Those looking to keep it simple, look no further.

Check Price on Amazon: Buffalo LinkStation

Lenovo Iomega

Using the LenovoEMC Personal Cloud feature you can access your NAS from over the Internet, invite guests to read and write to files and folders and share files with friends and family. Accompanying iOS and Android mobile applications called the LenovoEMC Link lets you access, upload, download, browse and stream content on your NAS over the Internet.

There is a built-in photo slideshow sharing feature that lets you share photos online. Typical backup features include Time Machine Support, Personal Cloud Backup, Public Cloud Backup (integration with Amazon S3 and MozyConnect), Data Replication/Device to Device Copy Jobs and Scheduled Backups.

Multimedia support includes social media sharing, creating folders for each social media account and the NAS will automatically upload files dropped into them to Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.

• Lenovo Iomega EZ – 1 bay (1.2GHz CPU, 128MB RAM) 1, 2, 3TB NAS
• Lenovo Iomega ix 2 – 2 bay (1.6GHz CPU, 256MB RAM) enclosure, 2, 4, 6TB NAS
• Lenovo Iomega ix 4 – 4 bay (1.3GHz CPU, 512MB RAM) enclosure, 4, 8, 12, 16TB NAS supports RAID 0,1,5 and 10.

The ix 2 and ix 4 series support additional business features including Active Directory (as a client member in an Active Directory domain allowing access to domain users and groups), iSCSI target (provides block-level access for efficient storage utilization (backup, database and email) or file level access via CIFS/NFS. Use the USB ports to add extra storage capacity. Install third party applications using the Application Manager. Organise and access Windows DFS folders and files on a network. Native security support and user quota settings.

Manufacturer Website: Lenovo

Colour My Learning says:

Solid performer, great for businesses. Home users looking for more bells and whistles look elsewhere. No accompanying mobile app. Businesses stand to benefit from solid build, dependability and low starting cost. Even the 4 bay enclosure costs less than some of the external hard drives on offer.

Check Price on Amazon: Lenovo Iomega

Asustor AS series

What Asustor offers that the others in this line-up doesn’t is the multimedia player and connectivity option. Not only does the device support network video streaming with UPnP Media Server, the TE range comes with the ability to install multimedia players such as YouTube, Boxee and XBMC and to link the unit directly to a big screen with its HDMI connection to watch HD videos right from the NAS without the need for a separate media player or PC.

What makes a NAS storage a real success is the inclusion of features, functionality and accompanying apps and Asustor doesn’t disappoint. Apart from the usual file server features for backup, storage and restore (with support for Dropbox, Time Machine, One Touch, External, Windows, Google Drive, Mission Mode, Rsync, FTP and Cloud backup), the Asustor provides Easy Access, Home Entertainment, Server Hosting, Storage Management, System & Data Security as well as Video Surveillance features. The later works with IP cameras available separately.

Easy Access feature lets you connect to your device over the Internet (or the cloud). This is the central focus of our post. With its built-in Cloud Connection feature. Simply sign up for a Cloud ID and register your device and start connecting to it remotely from anywhere in the world.

We are still very much taken but it’s multimedia capabilities. Connect your High Definition TV directly to the TV and enjoy 108op high definition video playback from your NAS with XBMC. You can also use the connected interface to surf the web, manage the NAS and stream YouTube video.

Powered by Intel’s ATOM 1.2GHz Dual Core processor with 512MB DDR3 memory, the Asustor Series 2 is capable of transfer rates of over 104MBps read and 74Mbps write which are pretty good numbers in comparison to its competitors. Running on Asustor’s custom operating system, the ADM (currently at version 2.2), users will be guaranteed of further updates and new features in the long term just as we have seen with the likes of Synology. Experience a live demo of the ADM operating system to see for yourself.

So what about installable apps? the list of apps you can install on the series 2 is growing but just to give you a sample of what is available, here’s a list of currently trending and most downloaded apps (correct at time of writing)

Top Download

• XBMC
• Download Center
• Remote Center
• Chrome
• uTorent
• ASUSTOR Portal

Trending Apps

• phpfusion (Content Management)
• Zimplit (Content Management)
• Remote Center (Multimedia)
• Git (Utility)
• Google Drive (Backup & Sync)
• Shall in a Box (Utility)
• RALUS (Backup & Sync)
• WordPress (Blog)
• OpenCart (eCommerce)

For a list of Apps available for the Asustor AS 2 series see App Central.

Mobile Apps

As for the mobile apps, there are currently 6 accompanying apps you can download and install for Android and iOS. These are as follows:

• AiMaster – a NAS management app that lets you perform simple management tasks on your smartphone or tablet. The AiMaster also offers real-time system event notifications so users can stay up to date. Other controls include the one touch backup, user and system monitor and Find Me function if you have more than one Asustor device.
• AiMusic – lets you stream your entire music collection from your NAS, create playlists, search your collection, play random songs and even cache and play your songs offline.
• AiData – is a cloud data manager that lets you access, manage and view documents on the go. You can rename, copy, move, delete, download to local storage for offline viewing any files or photos from your NAS over the cloud. AiData also supports Dropbox, Box.net and GoogleDrive.
• AiRemote – is the software equivalent of the physical infrared remote that you can purchase for the Asustor except this is available to download for free. Use your mobile device as a remote control for your NAS. The app works with ASUSTOR Portal, Boxee and XBMC.
• AiFoto – this is an app that lets you browse your photo collection. It also lets automatically upload photos from your mobile device as backup to give you peace of mind. Other functions include password protected offline album, album download, photo management, viewing EXIF information, search and comments.
• AiDownload– lastly, this is the download manager that lets your mobile device communicate with the Download Center on ASUSTOR while on the go. You can use the app to search, download, configure settings and monitor your downloads. Download Center works with HTTP, FTP, RSS, BT, Torrent, Thunder Xunial, QQDL and PT.

Colour My Learning says:

Amazing value, direct link via HDMI connector in the TE variant together with XBMC and ASUSTOR portal is a great media center solution.  Downloadable apps increases product functionality. Accompanying mobile app improves usability and access.

Check Price on Amazon: Asustor AS series

Our Line-up

Here is a quick look at our line-up again. For the most up to date prices, please click on the links below:

• Connected Data Transporter
• WD My Cloud and WD My Mirror
• Lacie CloudBox
• Seagate Central
• Synology DiskStation series – OUR FAVOURITE
• D-Link ShareCenter
• QNAP TS series
• NetGear ReadyNAS
• Buffalo LinkStation
• Lenovo Iomega

Note that all devices featured here are for home and home office users; workgroup, small business and expert users will find higher specified products in the range from the respective manufacturer.