Those who want a NAS custom-made for serving up HD video on the local network or over the popular PLEX platform should check out this model from QNAP. The Best NAS For Media Streaming: QNAP TS-451+ ($451) Like the more consumer-oriented model above, the DS1517 supports all of Synology’s local and cloud software, with added capability for local security camera footage recording. You can access all that storage at up to 436 megabytes per second thanks to a beefy quad-core 1.7GHz processor and 2GB of built-in RAM, and the enclosure supports a variety of RAID setups and network layouts with four (count ’em, four!) gigabit Ethernet ports. With a maximum of 10TB in each bay, this enclosure can handle up to 60TB of data all on its own, with up to ten more drives via Synology expansion units bringing the maximum total space up to an amazing 180TB. In addition to three extra drive bays versus the DS218j above, the bays are hot-swappable, so you can remove and insert new drives without restarting the machine. If your specific business needs a massive amount of always-on storage and super-fast access to it, Synology’s mid-range DiskStation DS1517 is the upgrade you’re looking for.

The Best Premium NAS: Synology DiskStation DS1517 ($560) It sips electricity like a fancy-pants bar patron who accidentally ordered a Jack and Coke but is too embarrassed to send it back. In addition to a low price-only about $20 more expensive than budget dual-bay hard drive enclosures-this smaller NAS is easy on your power bill. Most importantly, the NAS includes free access to Synology’s impressive suite of cloud connection apps, allowing you and other users to access storage, sync files, and stream audio, video, and photos as fast as your network connection will allow. The DS218 design isn’t new, but the upgraded J variant adds USB 3.0 ports on the back for easy expansion.

The enclosure uses a dual-core 1.3GHz processor and 512MB of local RAM in order to efficiently read and write across the network, and a single gigabit Ethernet port will keep things speedy. With two full-sized 3.5-inch bays and support for up to 24 terabytes of storage between them, Synology’s DS218j entry model should be more than enough for most users. The Best Basic NAS: Synology DiskStation DS218j ($170)

Best nas for home media streaming 2014