While making storage network users get confused between NAS Hard Drive vs Normal. Determination of a hard drive is important before the establishment of a NAS for your home or business. In the market you get different kinds of hard drives that are available for specific purposes. That is why it is a bit tricky to find the right option for you.
NAS Hard Drive vs Normal
Sometimes users do not have a big amount to invest in hard drives, and at this point they find a worthless option. The basic point is to define your goals and then get the right product for their systems. Always try to go for hard drives that are designed for NAS and also match with your pocket. We are here and gonna help you for your next purchase by discussing NAS hard drives and normal ones. Stay tuned!
What is a Hard Drive?
A hard drive or HDD sometimes called hard disk drive is a device that is used for non volatile data storage. This is a hardware component that is internally installed in a computer system. Makes a direct connection with the disk controller of the NAS motherboard. With the help of SATA, ATA and SCSI cables the connection of the hard drive with the board happens.
HDDs take place in drive bays and data written on it by using a magnetic head. Enables you to store all your digital content related to your computer system. Not only allows you to store your data but also improves your overall speed of the system. Hard drive is such a component that can be used internally or externally in a PC.
Components Of A HDD?
A desktop hard drive contains components such as:
- Head actuator
- Spindle
- Platter
- read/write actuator arm
- Disk controller
- Read/write head
Sizes:
The hard drives for desktops are physically designed in 2 sizes such as 3.5 and 2.5 inches and following storage capacities offer:
- 16 GB
- 32 GB
- 64 GB
- 128 GB
- 256 GB
- 512 GB
- 1 TB
- 2 TB
Uses:
Mainly you can use a hard drive for 5 purposes including:
- Storage
- Backups
- Data sharing
- Digital editing
- Gaming
Types Of Data Store:
Below are the kinds of data that you can store on your hard drive:
- Operating system
- Software
- Applications
- Photos
- Videos
- Documents
- Music
What Is NAS
NAS refers to network attached storage which is a kind of file dedicated storage device gadget. Through this system your data will continuously be available to use whenever you need. In a company you and your employees can easily collaborate over a network. NAS devices work like servers but they are specialized to tackle only data storage and requests for data sharing.
Having a NAS system you are able to enjoy fast, secure, and reliable services of storage for your private network. NAS is like centralized disk capacity that allows multiple users to retrieve data from it. Normally, NAS devices are designed to simply not come with gaming keyboard and screens. The only way to set up and manage them is browser based utility. NAS stands out for the easy access, high capacity and less price.
NAS Components
NAS is a dedicated server for storage, there are 4 major components regardless size or scale such as;
- CPU
- Network Interface
- Storage
- Operating System
Uses Of NAS
You can perform following task by using NAS:
- File storage
- Data sharing
- Create backup
- Host virtual desktop infrastructure
- You can test and develop server-side and web-based applications
- Stream media files
- Fast and frequent data access
- You can build internal printing repository
How Does It Work?
NAS follows some protocols such as:
- Communication protocols
- File formatting protocols
- Network file systems
- Server message blocks
- Apple filing protocol
Types of NAS Devices
Below are main types of NAS devices like:
- Server based NAS
- Scale up NAS
- Scale out NAS
Storage Principle of NAS
Basically, there are 3 storage methodologies for NAS devices such as:
- File storage
- Block storage
- Object storage
Factors For Selection Of A NAS
Below are top considerations that you need to look before buying a NAS internal hard drive
- Capacity
- Form factor
- Performance
- Connectivity
- Reliability
- Security
Why NAS Is Important
Below we mentioned some reasons to buy a NAS device
- Inadequate storage capacity
- Inadequate performance
- Inadequate resilience
- Inadequate security
Advantages And Disadvantages:
Advantages:
- Multiple users can easily access the data simultaneously
- You can easily share files among devices and users
- Remote access
- Web-enabled applications give extra functionality
- You can add additional storage capacity
- Offers private cloud deployment
- For home and small business it is a great solution of flexible storage
Disadvantages:
- Transfer speed is not as higher as DAS
- You need basic knowledge related to networking
- Functionalities depend upon the firmware and chip
Types Of Hard Drives
There are 3 common types of hard drives such as:
- Desktop drives
- NAS
- Cold storage
- Data centers
- Surveillance drives
- Enterprise drives
NAS Hard Drive vs Normal
When it comes to the large storage capacity then you have 2 options, having external hard drives or a NAS device. The selection of your storage type depends upon your choice but some factors can help you in decision making. When you decide on a method to expand storage you need to determine the number of users, your aim and budget. Let’s have a look from both these methods for storage which one is better.
When you face low disk space NAS and external hard drive both cover you in the same way
Normal hard drive as NAS hard drive play a similar role in terms of usage and storage
- Both drives allow you to store same types of data
- NAS drives are more flexible as compared to the normal HDD
- Normal drives are more portable and easy to carry however NAS drives are packed in box that is why difficult to take with you
- For NAS you need proper power supply and NAS router to operate however you can easily use your HDD with your gaming PC
- You need to attach your external drive with your computer through a compatible port to use your data. You can remotely access the data from your NAS just like cloud storage
- If you are a single person with one computer to access data then HDD is better. However, if multiple users will access data from various computers then NAS drives are better
- External drive gives you fixed capacity but NAS is flexible you can upgrade its storage size as per your need
- NAS drives come with TLER technology that reduces failure rate, normal hard drives lack this feature
- NAS drives provides you high performance and fast speed but HDD are not as efficient
- NAS drives comes with RAID that is necessary for safety, normal drives lack this support
- Normal drives do not work continuous, NAS drives are designed to operate 24/7
- Regular HDDs can not withstand heat or vibration, NAS drive has vibration tolerance
- When you face data lose, you can easily retrieve your data but on normal drives it is near to impossible
- NAS drives come with warranty and have long lifespan however, normal drives do not arrive with warranty
- NAS drives provide you add on services like drive health management, warranty and data recovery services, normal hard drives does not offer such services
- Lastly we talk about the price, NAS drives are expensive as compared to the normal drives
Wrapping Up
In this article we covered you by providing you the information about NAS drives and normal HDDs. When it comes to establishing a NAS then it is better to go for the best NAS HDD. However, for a computer system NAS drives are not good options, normal hard drives are better for computer systems. If your requirement is large storage capacity and access to it from multiple devices and several users then you need NAS with NAS drives. Hence, the selection of a hard drive depends upon your goals and to some extent your budget.
FAQs
Are NAS Drives Reliable
Yes, NAS drives are more reliable than normal HDD because of having some special features like higher speed and continuous operation.
Can NAS HDD Use In PC
If your interfaces and other requirements are lined up then the answer is yes you can use NAS HDD in your PC.
Is NAS Worthy For Home?
Yes NAS device will be worthy for a home network if you have to access your files from multiple devices.
Also See:
- Best OS for NAS Media server
- Best NAS for Home Media server
- Best NAS for video editing
- Best NAS for Photographers
- Best NAS for Time Machine
- Best NAS for Mac
- Best Case for NAS
- Best UPS for NAS
- Best CPU for NAS
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