The consumption of digital media often centers around the computer. If you purchase your music, movies or computer games online, you might be looking for a storage solution that allows you to share that media with the other computers and devices in your home. There are three primary ways of sharing files with all of the computers on a home network and each way has its own benefits and drawbacks.
File Server
A file server is a computer set up for the purpose of sharing data with other computers on a network. Your desktop computer can become a file server through the File and Printer Sharing feature of Microsoft Windows. If you have a large tower computer, the maximum amount of storage available is limited only by the number of hard drives that can fit in the computer. This method of networked file storage is inexpensive, assuming that you already have a desktop computer and home network; you only need to purchase an extra hard drive, if you are out of storage space. The biggest drawback is that the desktop computer must always remain on, or the other computers in the home will be unable to access the shared files. An additional drawback is the fact that leaving a desktop computer on is likely to result in higher power bills.
Network-attached Storage (NAS)
A Network-attached Storage (NAS) is a small device with room for hard drives--generally two or more. The device has an Ethernet port on the back, allowing you to attach it directly to your network router. Most NAS devices feature RAID, a technology that protects data. With RAID enabled on an NAS, each hard drive contains a certain amount of redundant data. If a hard drive in the device fails, the redundant data is used to reconstruct the missing data from the failed hard drive so that when a new drive is installed, the data is automatically copied back onto it. It is also possible to configure most desktop computers with RAID, but it is technically challenging for beginners to do so, while an NAS can implement RAID automatically. An additional benefit of using an NAS is that--because it is only a storage device and not a full computer--the power consumption is lower than it would be for a file server. The drawback is that an NAS can cost several hundred dollars and hard drives typically must be purchased separately.
Cloud Storage
Cloud storage is storage space that exists on the Internet, rather than a computer or device in your home. Typically, a company offering cloud storage space offers an unlimited amount of storage for a monthly or yearly subscription fee. Cloud storage may cost significantly less than an NAS and has the additional benefit of not adding to the power bill. Additionally, cloud storage providers manage their own data backups and typically guarantee that your data will not be lost. However, providers have their own policies, so it is important to research carefully before selecting a provider. Additionally, some providers may charge additional fees if you want to access the online storage space from multiple computers. The primary drawback of cloud storage is speed; transferring large files over the Internet is generally far slower than transferring them over a local network.
Tags: desktop computer, hard drive, storage space, other computers, additional benefit
