Even if you have the best network setup in the world, if you do not know what to do with it-- then it is just as good as a broken toaster. The Network Attached Storage (NAS) setup is simple but efficient. The process is almost as simple as plug-and-play. 

NAS allows you to use multiple storage spaces that you can share among your business computers over the network.

How to Optimize Your NAS Setup?

Here are some of the best tips on how you can get the most out of your NAS:

Make sure you have the right kind.

As mentioned previously, no matter what type of setup you have or how expensive your equipment is-- if you do not know what to do with it or if it is even the right kind for your network-- then it is just as good as a block of wood.

Do your research before buying anything for your network. Since you are already here, you may already have a NAS setup mocking you from a distance--- but there may be ways to work around having the wrong elements. Although NAS is designed to be simple, so maybe exchanging it for the right parts may still be the easiest way to go about it.

Setup an FTP server for remote access.

FTP is a developer's way to access a web server. It allows you to access files on a server as if they are in a networked folder. With just that, you can already tell that this feature is going to be useful for your corporate network especially if you have employees working remotely.

Use your NAS for backups.

Although there are better ways to make a backup, it does not mean that you cannot use your NAS for this purpose as well. The more backups you have, the safer you are for when a cyberattacker decides to target you.

NAS can mirror two hard drives in one box if you use RAID 1. But keep in mind that you can still experience issues during the mirroring process. On top of that, since NAS has physical storage devices, it can break or it can be stolen. So it is best that you still back up your files on a separate EHD or cloud service.

Use a NAS to set up a mixed Windows/MAC environment.

Windows and MAC do not always work smoothly as expected, but you can use a NAS set up to bridge the gap. In what cases would you need a mixed environment? If you have a graphic design or advertising department, then investing in MAC devices is a good idea-- but not all departments need to be on a MAC computer-- this is where a NAS setup may help.

One of the great things about NAS is that it operates through a network interface, which means that you do not need to be concerned about the actual format of your file system. Your NAS will pass data through other devices on your network via common network protocols. 

You should still check which protocol your box will be sharing with when you are setting up your network.

Check your RAID configuration.

If you want to get the best out of your NAS, then you should check your RAID configuration. Configuring your NAS for reliability is a must especially if you are using it for business. 

You can configure RAID to dedicate one or more of the drives in your NAS set up as mirror drives. But keep in mind that the dedicated drives will no longer be a storage device, instead, they will now be a backup. Although this means reducing your overall capacity, you will not lose data in case one of your hard drives fails.

Bottomline

Your NAS is only as good as you allow it to be, so make informed decisions and research your resources thoroughly. The tips above will help you get the most out of your NAS, but of course, there are more.