NAS (network attached storage) servers are capable of a dizzying range of funcions including but not limited to:
- Media Streaming
- Download and manage torrents
- Running an email server
- Build your private cloud
- Deploying your own website with CMS
- Storing and showcasing photos
The Many uses of a NAS server
It would be easier to ask what a NAS server cannot do. If you ask other owners about their purchase, you will often hear that the system was actually purchased for a very specific reason. Over the course of time the NAS server was given more and more tasks. For you, too, it will probably grow over time and you will always discover new functions that you previously used in a more cumbersome way. The Main uses of NAS servers are:
NAS server as a backup medium
In times of 3 TB hard drives for less than 100 euros, a NAS server is a perfect candidate for backups . In models with four hard drive bays you have a capacity of up to 40 TB. There are programs for every current operating system that you can use to automate backups. The NAS server is thus suitable both as an archive for data with an ideal value - such as photos - as well as for documents with a material value. Even for small companies, entry-level NAS servers are a good idea for backing up data and making it available to all employees.
NAS server as a media centre
You can distribute music, films, pictures, etc. with a NAS server to both classic, computer-like devices and DLNA-enabled media devices such as televisions. You can stream images to all connected devices in your own network. If necessary, the NAS server converts the content into a format that the receiving device can understand. You save a Blu-ray movie as an MKV file and want to watch it on the iPad, which only understands MP4 as a file format? The NAS server does the automatic transcoding without losing any time. A NAS server of this type is also particularly practical in family households where you want to make a certain series available to all family members at the same time.
NAS server as a separate cloud
Since the NAS server is probably connected to your router and this is connected to the Internet, you can also access the device and its contents while on the move. With suitable programs, you can transform the NAS server into your own cloud and do not have to commit to the sometimes insufficient security of Google Drive, OneDrive & Co. This can be practical on vacation, for example: you take photos and the memory of the SD card in the camera or on the mobile phone is full? Simply upload the images from downtown Barcelona to your NAS server.
NAS server for professional use
Advanced users buy NAS servers with their own mail servers or can securely access the internal network of the server via VPN connections from outside. To do this, you access data via secure FTP access or the much more convenient WebDAV standard. You may also want to synchronize address data or calendar entries - because you can also use a NAS server for this. In the area of building security, a NAS server can also provide loyal service by coupling it to a surveillance camera and installing the necessary software for effective surveillance on the device. A NAS system is much more than a "gaming device" for media streaming .
These are just a few of the uses for a modern NAS server. You can be sure that you will be using your device for many other tasks in the future.