Hey there! If you‘ve accumulated a growing mass of files spread out across multiple Macs that you want to rein in, adding network attached storage is an excellent route for centralizing all that data to make it easier to access, back up, and manage.
In this detailed guide, we‘ll explore top NAS models for Mac users and everything involved with getting one setup and running smoothly. Table of contents:
- Benefits of Using a NAS with Macs
- Top NAS Recommendations for Mac Environments
- Detailed Setup Process for New NAS Installs
- Real World Usage and Optimization Tips
- Summary: NAS as a Versatile Mac Storage Hub
Let‘s get started!
Why a NAS is a Perfect Data Repository for Your Apple Kit
First, what exactly is network attached storage, or NAS? It is essentially an external hard drive that connects directly to your home/office network via ethernet rather than via USB to a single computer. This key difference in connectivity opens up huge benefits:
Availability: Files stored on the NAS are accessible by all authorized devices on your local network rather than siloed on one machine
Security: Centralized critical data is protected through fault tolerant RAID configurations rather than sitting on any single Mac‘s internal drive open to loss
Backups: Time Machine can backup all connected Macs to one centralized destination
Accessibility: Files can be accessed locally on the network or from anywhere with an internet connection
Media Hub: The NAS can act as a home media server for enjoying your photos, videos and music on various devices
Expandability: Start with the storage capacity you need today and expand the amount of drive bays and total size over time
Basically NAS introduces a whole new tier of storage versatility and flexibility compared to external USB drives for your Apple devices. And thanks to nearly universal support for Time Machine backups and shared network protocols, NAS devices play very nicely with Mac infrastructure right out of the box.
Reviews of the Best NAS Systems for Mac Environments
Now that you know the immense potential upside of adding network shared storage to your Apple ecosystem, let‘s explore highly recommended models that balance capability, reliability and ease of use.
I‘ve evaluated countless popular NAS boxes from all the major players in the space like QNAP, Synology, Asustor, Western Digital and others – here are my standout picks ideally suited for Mac-centric usage.
| Model | Price | Drive Bays | Processor | Memory | Peak Transfer Rate | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra | $360 | 2 | Dual Core 1.3Ghz | 1GB | 233 MB/s Read 233 MB/s Write |
Preconfigured, best ease of use |
| Synology DS220j | $170 | 2 | Dual Core 2.0Ghz | 512MB | 112 MB/s Read 112 MB/s Write |
Excellent security and apps |
| QNAP TS-653D | $500+ | 6 | Quad Core 2.0Ghz | 8GB | 565 MB/s Read 475 MB/s Write |
Performance & expandability |
Let‘s explore the key benefits and ideal usage scenarios for each top pick for Mac users.
Easy to Manage Preconfigured NAS – WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra
If you value getting up and running quickly with a NAS that delivers a good balance of performance, capacity and ease of management, the WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra is a fantastic choice.
Right out of the box it comes prepopulated with two 4TB Western Digital Red hard drives configured in RAID 1, delivering excellent read speeds alongside data redundancy without any setup work required.
The dual core Marvell 1.3Ghz processor and 1GB of DDR3 memory keep performance smooth despite intense workloads. Multiple users can stream high bitrate 4K video from the EX2 Ultra simultaneously thanks to delivered throughput topping over 230MB/s read and write.
Gigabit ethernet connectivity ensures those speeds are fully realized when transferring data from your Mac systems to and from the EX2. Western Digital‘s software makes accessing files simple through a browser portal or mobile app. Time Machine backups are a breeze to configure as well for protecting your Macs.
While only having two bays limits future expansion possibilities, for most home users 8TB of managed network storage is ample. Overall the preconfigured WD My Cloud EX2 delivers outstanding NAS capabilities with little effort.
Security Focused NAS Featuring Helpful Apps – Synology DS220j
For many, keeping their data ultra secure is just as high a priority as accessibility when choosing a NAS. If that sounds like you, Synology‘s DS220+ offers peace of mind thanks to an excellent underpinning OS packed with security capabilities like:
- Built-in firewall
- Encrypted network connections
- Blacklist tools for blocking known threats
- Ransomware protection
Combine that foundation with an intuitive browser based interface for managing and the aptly named Synology DSM operating system. Among NAS platforms, DSM stands apart with a phenomenal app ecosystem that simplifies tailoring your DS220j to unique use cases like acting as a home surveillance DVR rather than just generic data storage.
2GB of DDR4 memory keeps the interface very responsive despite intensive workloads across the dual core 2.0Ghz Celeron processor. Four gigabit LAN ports can be link aggregated for boosted throughput which helps sustain 112MB/s reading and writing speeds even as multiple connections hit the NAS simultaneously.
While pricier than some alternatives without HDDs pre-installed, if airtight data privacy is your top priority the DS220j delivers tremendous overall value.
Raw Performance and Expansion – QNAP TS-653D
Now if you crave top tier speed to crunch through enormous media files and foresee needing tons of capacity for years to come, QNAP‘s TS-653D is spectacular choice albeit with a heftier price tag.
At the core, a blazing fast AMD quad core 2.0Ghz processor and 8GB of DDR4 RAM crush through demanding random read/write workloads while its PCIe slot enables adding a special SSD cache card for accelerating transfers even further.
Six drive bays enable starting small with just the 1-2 SSDs or HDDs you need then scaling up by adding additional drives over time non-disruptively. QNAP‘s proprietary QTS operating system squeezes every ounce of performance from the system while providing a rich management environment.
Connectivity and expansion possibilities impress too – five gigabit ethernet ports, four of which can be link aggregated plus PCIe Gen 3 x2 slot for enhanced networking cards provide paths to take advantage of the TS-653D immense disk subsystem performance. The M.2 SSD cache slots and 2.5GbE connectivity available put it in a class above most consumer NAS units.
If you deal with tons of large video files, high resolution photos, or just want a storage workhouse NAS, the QNAP TS653D is a beast that will serve your demanding Mac setup smoothly for years.
Summary of Benefits for Macs
While meeting exact storage capacity and budget goals varies slightly between shoppers, core advantages of adding one of the best NAS devices above to your Apple computing environment remains consistent:
- Centralized repository for all your files means less worrying about scattered data across fragile laptop hard drives vulnerable to crashes
- Automated Mac backups with TimeMachine ensures no more losing important documents or media files that can‘t be recreated
- Access anything saved on the NAS from any internet connected Mac, iPad or iPhone no matter where you roam
- Stream home video, photo galleries and music libraries stored on the NAS to any DLNA compliant smart TV or media player remotely
Basically you gain power through unification of storage and consolidation of backups – huge benefits for peace of mind alongside the added flexibility NAS systems enable.
Now that you know top NAS contenders for your Mac infrastructure, let‘s explore how to tackle setup.
Step-By-Step Guide: Smoothly Integrating a NAS
Getting your shiny new NAS appliance hooked into your network and filled with files may seem intimidating but following this staged process will have you up and running smoothly:
Physical Setup
The first order of business is placement – set the NAS chassis horizontally on a flat surface with ample clearance around it for airflow. Avoid stacked equipment radiating heat downward or enclosed spaces that would cause the unit to overheat.
Using an Ethernet cable, connect one of the LAN ports on the NAS to any open LAN port on your router or network switch if available. This enables the device to receive an IP address and become visible on your local network. If your router lacks open LAN ports, small 5 or 8 port gigabit switches that split a single port into more are handy for connecting more wired devices.
Finally plug the NAS power supply into an outlet to power it on. The device will boot up ready for software configuration.
Web Browser Configuration
Once the NAS finishes booting, loading a web browser and navigating to the router‘s admin screen shows connected devices and their assigned IP addresses. Locate the new NAS IP address then enter it directly into the browser URL bar.
This pulls up the operating system web portal setup wizard – follow the prompts to:
- Establish admin user account
- Download or upgrade firmware
- Configure network information like static IP or link aggregation for bonded Ethernet ports
- Map network shares that present connected storage as shared drives
This establishes your storage provisioning foundation accessible by Macs and other local devices.
Migrating Data to the NAS
Now the fun part – start shuttling data onto your shiny new network storage! A few approaches to consider:
Map as Drive & Manual Migration – Create a network share on the NAS, map it as external drive on your Mac using connect to server in Finder, then migrate files manually into the new location. Rinse and repeat for other network shares as needed.
Folder Sync Tools – Alternatively utilize a folder pairing/syncing tool like GoodSync that updates content between two dirs automatically. Set it up initially then let it handle propagating new/updated data.
Time Machine Backup – Designate a share on the NAS specifically for Time Machine then configure it as the backup destination on each Mac. This mirrors entire systems for quick restorability.
Leverage a combo strategy – use Time Machine for comprehensive whole system backup alongside syncing or manually migrating personal media folders for easy direct access from multiple devices.
Additional Tips for Performance & Handling Lots of Users
Beyond core data migration, a few NAS tuning tips help ensure optimal real world performance:
- Toggle on SSD caching utilizing the NAS device‘s M.2 slot and a compatible PCIe NVMe drive for dramatically faster read and writes
- Bond multiple ethernet ports for increased throughput especially helpful for high resolution
- Leverage 10 gigabit ethernet networking switches and NICs if your NAS model supports
- Optimize drive configurations by isolating data types prone to fragmentation on SSD volumes while placing bulk media on high capacity HDDs
- Schedule background data scrubs and maintenance checks during periods of low activity rather than peak times
- Check maximum sustainable transfer rates as you add more users to avoid bottlenecks
Keep factors like those in mind as you scale up the number of connected Mac systems and other devices relying on your new NAS. A bit of planning goes a long ways towards preventing slowdowns.
Summary: NAS Unlocks a New World of Security and Accessibility
Adding an Ethernet connected, network accessible storage device takes your data storage flexibility and robustness to the next level compared to individual external drives hooked up over USB.
Once you experience the confidence of having 100% of your critical files mirrored on reliable RAID protected drives rather than scattered across isolated disks, you‘ll wonder how you ever settled for basic external storage. Knowing entire Mac systems can be restored quickly thanks to modern NAS platforms natively working with TimeMachine backup is icing on the cake.
Of course that peace of mind does warrant more technical consideration around properly speccing out storage capacity, network infrastructure and redundancy planning compared to cheap plug and play USB devices.
But rest assured the top NAS recommendations and hand-holding around setup and configuration provided here eases nearly all the friction around deploying one of these do-anything network storage powerhouses with your prized Mac systems.
Have any other questions come up as you weigh the awesome potential of enhancing your Apple environment with purpose-built network attached storage? Let me know in the comments – happy to provide any other NAS buying or setup advice!
