NAS for Home & Profession

[regeHA]

Now, I would love to do that too; watch a movie in my car. I didn't even know I could do that with a NAS lying at home. How does that work? Very keen to know and am sure to use it.

Install Plex Media Server on the NAS. Setup profiles and transcoding depending on the b/w, file size, etc.

Use Plex app on tablet or smartphone.

More complex solution are there, but this is the easiest one.

PS: If you are really going to use it then I suppose you will need a higher config NAS. Do ensure the NAS you select has Intel CPU. Plex does not work with others. I went with 1515+. For transcoding quad core would be better and also upgrade the RAM from the default 2 GB.

 

[sam9s]

Don't get me wrong, I know you guys have best interest of members in mind. You have already saved me a bunch of money when I opted out of Auralic. However, given my absolute lack of knowledge of these things you will need to be direct in your recommendations. Can you suggest a Synology make for me? The only reason I opted for DS1815+ was because of the slots available. Also, I see no harm in keeping work files along with other media. Primarily because one copy of all the films I direct will be in a studio under professional care, its just the production house copy I want to keep in Synology for easy access (I won't have to keep going back to the studio to access rushes) and to avoid 70-80 1TB disks floating in different shelves. And no sir, given that I have a fledgeling production house, I don't have $$$ to burn.

I conquer with regeHA on one thing, the DSM OS for Synology is more or less same for different models across, higher models have other functionalities like..

1. Virtualization
2. Snapshot replication for shared folders
3. Video Transcoding
4. HA manager (High Availability)

These are the few that I can think off right now...., there must be more ..... On hardware front as far as I remember, we have

1. Better CPU Quad Core
2. More RAM and option to upgrade
4. USB 3
5. 4 LAN ports with link Aggrigation.

Apart from this more Bays is also there ..... so just think what you mightneed, but not going in to too much details, one thing I can assure you is, YOU WILL NOT REGRETTE purchasing synology, which ever model you choose to go for ....

Now, I would love to do that too; watch a movie in my car. I didn't even know I could do that with a NAS lying at home. How does that work? Very keen to know and am sure to use it.

Lot many ways to do this, I do this ALL THE TIME mostly its for music, but on long travel drives, I let my family watch movies as well. But its highly dependent on the network you have, while traveling PLUS very IMP the upload speed you have with your home broadband, specially when dealing with video. With Audio its never a problem.

In this case, I assure you Amazon is proving to be way cheaper (duty paid) than the distributor here. DS1815+ duty paid is for 71,000, while the distributors final price is 1,20,000 + 5% VAT and 5% Octroi (Mumbai). So even if I have to spend Rs. 10000 one way to send and get the product, I'll save money. Customs can be avoided by giving a letter to the authorities that its a product for replacement and not a new one.

Go for it then seems like a decent deal, if thats the case ....

 

[terrible]

Install Plex Media Server on the NAS. Setup profiles and transcoding depending on the b/w, file size, etc.

Use Plex app on tablet or smartphone.

More complex solution are there, but this is the easiest one.

PS: If you are really going to use it then I suppose you will need a higher config NAS. Do ensure the NAS you select has Intel CPU. Plex does not work with others. I went with 1515+. For transcoding quad core would be better and also upgrade the RAM from the default 2 GB.

I conquer with regeHA on one thing, the DSM OS for Synology is more or less same for different models across, higher models have other functionalities like..

1. Virtualization
2. Snapshot replication for shared folders
3. Video Transcoding
4. HA manager (High Availability)

These are the few that I can think off right now...., there must be more ..... On hardware front as far as I remember, we have

1. Better CPU Quad Core
2. More RAM and option to upgrade
4. USB 3
5. 4 LAN ports with link Aggrigation.

Apart from this more Bays is also there ..... so just think what you mightneed, but not going in to too much details, one thing I can assure you is, YOU WILL NOT REGRETTE purchasing synology, which ever model you choose to go for ....



Lot many ways to do this, I do this ALL THE TIME mostly its for music, but on long travel drives, I let my family watch movies as well. But its highly dependent on the network you have, while traveling PLUS very IMP the upload speed you have with your home broadband, specially when dealing with video. With Audio its never a problem.



Go for it then seems like a decent deal, if thats the case ....

Okay, so I did go deep into thinking on this one. And I don't think I need to transcode. Simply because I travel with my MacBook Pro and 1 TB HDD and I watch them with MPC-HC and madVR. So there's simply nothing that can better this on the go. So no transcoding.

I clearly need this for storage both personal and professional. Considering I'll have access to all my movies at one go which will be good. Though I still feel I'll be using the HTPC or 105D to play these. For music it'll definitely be this, so I might put up the Pi's for a buy or donation. And then, of course the work files get stored here.

Now I did a comparison of a few models and got down to DS415+, but it seems this one they don't send to India. I also looked at DS415 play keenly but it cannot be expanded. At least, I could not find it in the expansion list on the Synology website. Not even under independent volumes. Expansion will be important for a later date for sure. So this one is ruled out.

[An important question I need to ask is, while I should have an eye for the future and keep expansion in mind, what if this whole process becomes obsolete in the next two years? You guys would have a better idea so let me know your thoughts.]

So the one that seemed to work in my head was DS1515+. I can expand as my pro needs get bigger. But thats me. Since I have illustrated my needs right in the beginning of this post, do you guys feel I am making the right choice. If not please go ahead and suggest what you think I should buy.

Another clarification: I have a 100 mbps FTTH connection from MTNL at home. Well it says 100 mbps but the maximum I have achieved is around 25 mbps DL and 2 mbps UL. In this scenarion, how is my NAS going to talk to the various play points? Wouldn't ethernet be slow for transfer of movie files say from NAS to my AVR or MacBook Pro? Music I know will not be a problem.

My modem and router are a fair distance away from where my setup is. So if I want to keep the NAS closer to my setup, would I need a wireless extender to which I can plug in the NAS, AVR and 105D (when it arrives)?

Thank you for entertaining so many questions.

 

[Audiodoc]

As already stated by me even my cheap digisol NAS can transfer data at 50 to 60 Mega bytes per second that is about half the trasfer speed for usual 5400rpm drives.
You can connect your NAS to a gigabit wireless router via CAT 6 cable as wireless transfers are much slower in the 10 to 15 megabytes per second ballpark. You can also try powerline networking solution if you don't want to run a cable.
I have a great wireless setup netgear R7000 dual band wifi router and a netgear ex7000 dual band extender which works great for playback even for 4k streams still data transfers never go above 20 megabytes per second to my nas compared to 60 Megabytes per second with ethernet. Note these are megabytes not megabits.

 

[sam9s]

[An important question I need to ask is, while I should have an eye for the future and keep expansion in mind, what if this whole process becomes obsolete in the next two years? You guys would have a better idea so let me know your thoughts.]

What part of NAS will go obsolete?. The DSM OS keeps updating, there is nothing in the hardware that needs upgradation. The only thing I can think off is the ability to add HDD. If that is the case, then yes purchase a model that has the ability to expand via expansion unit (esata latest version preferred) I have been using my 413J for 3 years now and nothing seems obsolete. DSM is up to date.

So the one that seemed to work in my head was DS1515+. I can expand as my pro needs get bigger. But thats me. Since I have illustrated my needs right in the beginning of this post, do you guys feel I am making the right choice. If not please go ahead and suggest what you think I should buy.

Expansion bays synology are not cheap either, I am telling you, getting a say 4 bay NAS and adding a 4 bay expansion unit might be more or less equal to getting an 8 bay NAS, just compare before you make a decision.

Another clarification: I have a 100 mbps FTTH connection from MTNL at home. Well it says 100 mbps but the maximum I have achieved is around 25 mbps DL and 2 mbps UL. In this scenarion, how is my NAS going to talk to the various play points? Wouldn't ethernet be slow for transfer of movie files say from NAS to my AVR or MacBook Pro? Music I know will not be a problem.

I think you are confused between Broadband internet speed with your local LAN speed. The speed with which your NAS will talk to with various playpoints would be your Home LAN speed (not broadband speed). The LAN speeds are much higher than internet. Even on a bad day on an avg your wifi will give you 80-100mbps easily. It will be much higher over wired LAN Cat 6 connection.

My modem and router are a fair distance away from where my setup is. So if I want to keep the NAS closer to my setup, would I need a wireless extender to which I can plug in the NAS, AVR and 105D (when it arrives)?
Thank you for entertaining so many questions.

I dont think any of synology NAS has inbuilt wifi (I might be wrong), but they support wifi dongles, so yes you can use that, but I will highly advice to connect your NAS with your router via wired cat6 lan cable. Same goes for your AVR (if it does not have wifi). I can give you my example, I have truck load of devices. Close to 20-25. Except my mobile and two laptops that I have everything is hardwired with cat6 LAN cable to my router. Rock solid performance, never a dropout and no streaming issues whatso ever.

 

[terrible]

You can also try powerline networking solution if you don't want to run a cable.

I have a Netgear AC3200 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band wireless router connected to the modem which works decent. But I find powerline networking quite novel. Thanks for introducing this to me. Might go for it. Does it perform better than wi-fi??

Expansion bays synology are not cheap either, I am telling you, getting a say 4 bay NAS and adding a 4 bay expansion unit might be more or less equal to getting an 8 bay NAS, just compare before you make a decision.

If I take max extension to 10 bays, the difference in terms of money between combinations of DS1515+ & DS513 vs DS1815+ & DS213, is only Rs. 6000. I have not considered duty or shipping here. Its been calculated according to pricing at Amazon. So, to start things, I was wondering if I go ahead with DS1515+?

 

[GeorgeO]

Expansion is also possible with larger disk drives. When I bought my first ReadyNAS Duo about 8-9 years ago, 2TB was the highest capacity, now it's gone upwards of 6TB and climbing. So don't necessarily look at extra bays as your only option. Todays 216j will give you s much capacity as yesterdays 4xx.
In addition some Synology models are stripped down, you need to study their specs carefully. The SE models are lower spec for example,IIRC. On pricing, I agree there is a substantial difference -Amazon US lists the 216j at $165 whereas I see the 213j listed online here in India at Rs 33,000. Would I pay 33K hrer? Most definitely not, since I can get it easily from the US.

 

[regeHA]

My modem and router are a fair distance away from where my setup is. So if I want to keep the NAS closer to my setup, would I need a wireless extender to which I can plug in the NAS, AVR and 105D (when it arrives)?

I have a Netgear AC3200 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band wireless router connected to the modem which works decent. But I find powerline networking quite novel. Thanks for introducing this to me. Might go for it. Does it perform better than wi-fi??

Keep the NAS near the router. Don't plug it in direct though. Get a gigabit network switch and plug the NAS into the switch and also all ethernet only devices like PC to the switch. Keep the local traffic separate and free up the router from doing network switch duties.

That router is fine, in fact excellent. Speeds will depend on the devices and interfaces.

Your local traffic will be higher than your ISP speeds. I'm limited to 100 mbps on the ISP, but have tested upto 300 mbps via local transfers on WiFi. Folks tell me with better SSD like M.2 I will cross 550 mbps. Just saying you are unlikely to get gigabit speeds even with a wired and/or wireless gigabit network. The rest of the equipment and interfaces like HDDs, SSDs, SATA, etc. are still playing catch up, and 100 mbps is more than sufficient for everything including streaming 4K video. Maybe if you need to transfer 20-40 TB of data quickly it might come in handy, but then again your interfaces and h/w should also be capable of those speeds... most just aren't.

In short your existing network is fine. And to my knowledge powerline is limited to 100 to 200 mbps. I'm not aware if newer generation does more or even gigabit.

 

[terrible]

Keep the NAS near the router. Don't plug it in direct though. Get a gigabit network switch and plug the NAS into the switch and also all ethernet only devices like PC to the switch. Keep the local traffic separate and free up the router from doing network switch duties.

Agreed. However, how do I get the AVR and the 105D on to the network, since they are away from the router? I was thinking if I use powerline and connect another gigabit network switch there, both AVR and 105D can get fed off it. Will this keep local network load off the router and internet?

Powelines are now available with 1200mbps. The best of the lot seems to be this: http://www.amazon.com/Devolo-Powerl...keywords=devolo+dlan+1200+wifi+ac+starter+kit

And then there are these: http://www.amazon.com/Netgear-PL120...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00S6DBGJM

Amazon.com: Linksys PLEK500 Homeplug AV2 Powerline Kit: Computers & Accessories

 

[regeHA]

Agreed. However, how do I get the AVR and the 105D on to the network, since they are away from the router? I was thinking if I use powerline and connect another gigabit network switch there, both AVR and 105D can get fed off it. Will this keep local network load off the router and internet?

Powelines are now available with 1200mbps. The best of the lot seems to be this: Amazon.com: Devolo dLAN 1200+ Wi-Fi AC Powerline Starter Kit (Wi-Fi 802.11 AC Extender Kit, Pass Through, 2 GB LAN Ports, 1200 Mbps) NOT FOR USE IN THE UNITED STATES: Computers & Accessories

And then there are these: http://www.amazon.com/Netgear-PL120...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00S6DBGJM

Amazon.com: Linksys PLEK500 Homeplug AV2 Powerline Kit: Computers & Accessories

I'd use a WiFi extender/repeater with ethernet and pull ethernet cable if they are not WiFi enabled.

I really don't have much experience with powerline adapters though... so they might be better. But I've never had the luxury of having my entire home cabled with ethernet or powerlines... so I rely on WiFi (the Nighthawk X6 is an excellent device) and WiFi repeaters or WiFi dongles.

My AVR has WiFi and the 105D came with an N adapter that's faster than the ethernet so no need to connect either of them via ethernet. Most devices on DLNA are 100 mbps so an N adapter/USB dongle rated at 150 mbps is faster than ethernet. So why bother with pulling wires?

 

[terrible]

But I've never had the luxury of having my entire home cabled with ethernet or powerlines... so I rely on WiFi (the Nighthawk X6 is an excellent device) and WiFi repeaters or WiFi dongles.

Okay, I am sufficiently confused. I thought any electrical wiring or circuit would work for this and nothing special needs to be laid out. Do you mean, like a refrigerator, this needs to be plugged into a power point and not any ordinary socket around the house?

My AVR has WiFi and the 105D came with an N adapter that's faster than the ethernet so no need to connect either of them via ethernet. Most devices on DLNA are 100 mbps so an N adapter/USB dongle rated at 150 mbps is faster than ethernet. So why bother with pulling wires?

My AVR has wi-fi too, but in a situation when I have the NAS, if I want a certain movie file on the NAS, to play through the 105D, will I be able to do so wirelessly through DLNA?

 

[regeHA]

Okay, I am sufficiently confused. I thought any electrical wiring or circuit would work for this and nothing special needs to be laid out. Do you mean, like a refrigerator, this needs to be plugged into a power point and not any ordinary socket around the house?

No, not needed. I meant cabling for ethernet.

My AVR has wi-fi too, but in a situation when I have the NAS, if I want a certain movie file on the NAS, to play through the 105D, will I be able to do so wirelessly through DLNA?

Yes. The WiFi is faster (using the provided adapter) than the ethernet.

PS: With NAS and using the likes of Plex Media Server its very easy. I've been streaming using Windows shared folders and ES File Explorer for a long time. With Plex its simply running the server, adding the media, and using the app on any device.

Read up on Plex, it eliminates the need for any cabling, the apps are excellent and I've never had any issues. Just need a semi powerful NAS or PC if you are transcoding video.

 

[sam9s]

I have a Netgear AC3200 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band wireless router connected to the modem which works decent. But I find powerline networking quite novel. Thanks for introducing this to me. Might go for it. Does it perform better than wi-fi??

Not a success with Indian Power Lines, I have tried it, your home wiring should be top class with no faults and clean power, else it does not work to its perfection. Abroad its a different story hence a success. You can give it a shot though, might provide you better performance ....

I however would suggest a decent Access Point, that has many advantages over anything else you can think to extend your network. A good feature rich access point solves everything. Let me know if you wanna take this route I will suggest you the access point I have used and installed, works wonders.

If I take max extension to 10 bays, the difference in terms of money between combinations of DS1515+ & DS513 vs DS1815+ & DS213, is only Rs. 6000. I have not considered duty or shipping here. Its been calculated according to pricing at Amazon. So, to start things, I was wondering if I go ahead with DS1515+?

Yep I see nothing wrong in this approach.

 

[sam9s]

My AVR has wi-fi too, but in a situation when I have the NAS, if I want a certain movie file on the NAS, to play through the 105D, will I be able to do so wirelessly through DLNA?

What is 105D,??? , Your AVR is connected to your NAS via wifi/LAN, its a direct connection. If your AVR has a media player that can play videos (I doubt though) then yes you can play, else the conventional method is, via HTPC or media player.

HTPC/Media Player (connected to)= > NAS via LAN/Wifi
AVR (connected to)= > NAS via LAN/Wifi
AVR (connected to)= > HTPC via HDMI

AVR displays content from your HTPC via HDMI and your HTPC will pick a movie from NAS and play it ... its that simple .....

 

[terrible]

Yes. The WiFi is faster (using the provided adapter) than the ethernet.

Then I don't think I will need even an extender or anything around the AVR and 105D. While the router is away and inconvenient for ethernet, the AVR receives excellent signal from the router. I suppose, once NAS is connected to the router, both the AVR and the 105D will be able to talk to it wirelessly?

Read up on Plex, it eliminates the need for any cabling, the apps are excellent and I've never had any issues. Just need a semi powerful NAS or PC if you are transcoding video.

I was never fond of Plex from its early days when I installed it on my MacBook. But I am sure they have come a long way. I'll definitely give it a read.

Not a success with Indian Power Lines, I have tried it, your home wiring should be top class with no faults and clean power, else it does not work to its perfection. Abroad its a different story hence a success. You can give it a shot though, might provide you better performance ....

Hoping the wiring will be good as my complex is just about four to five years old and built by Peninsula. But from my above conversation with regeHA, it seems I will not need it as AVR & Oppo 105D can talk wirelessly to the NAS and play my movies.

I however would suggest a decent Access Point, that has many advantages over anything else you can think to extend your network. A good feature rich access point solves everything. Let me know if you wanna take this route I will suggest you the access point I have used and installed, works wonders.

Please go ahead and tell me how this can be done.

 

[sam9s]

I suppose, once NAS is connected to the router, both the AVR and the 105D will be able to talk to it wirelessly?

Yes, if all three are connected to same Home LAN then yes.

Hoping the wiring will be good as my complex is just about four to five years old and built by Peninsula. But from my above conversation with regeHA, it seems I will not need it as AVR & Oppo 105D can talk wirelessly to the NAS and play my movies.

Powerline networking is an alternate way of getting connected not a replacement of wifi.

Please go ahead and tell me how this can be done.

You need to first decide what route to take .... My approach is and would be. Get a decent gigabit router (only router, not a wifi router), a gigabit switch and an access point/extender (all in one). Get everything hardwired to the router and switch via cat6 and for wifi needs use the access point/extender. Simple. But keep every equipment quality class.

In your case I think you already have wifi router, so get a switch for all your lan connections and a wifi extender for any place your router is unable to reach .....

 

[terrible]

Get everything hardwired to the router and switch via cat6 and for wifi needs use the access point/extender. Simple. But keep every equipment quality class.

I guess what you mean hardwired, is to connect a switch to the router with a CAT6e ethernet cable.

In your case I think you already have wifi router, so get a switch for all your lan connections and a wifi extender for any place your router is unable to reach .....

Yes, I have the Netgear AC3200 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band wireless router. Don't think, I need an extender as the signal pretty much reaches the relevant areas. So the only thing I am looking at is this http://www.amazon.com/Netgear-GS105...rue&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_5&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

If bought from the US, would this have voltage issues?

 

[regeHA]

Yes, I have the Netgear AC3200 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band wireless router. Don't think, I need an extender as the signal pretty much reaches the relevant areas. So the only thing I am looking at is this http://www.amazon.com/Netgear-GS105...rue&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_5&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

If bought from the US, would this have voltage issues?

Yes, always check the voltage on the power supply. Most are dual voltage, but not all.

More importantly get an 8 port switch, prices are nearly the same and you can add more devices... maybe even a secondary NAS or Pi like devices if you want to run multiple servers using only a single NAS for the media. Whatever the reason, just future proof with more ports so you can add more devices.

 

[sam9s]

I guess what you mean hardwired, is to connect a switch to the router with a CAT6e ethernet cable.

Anything that is not on wifi and is connected via LAN cable is hardwired, doesn't matter to router or switch,..

Yes, I have the Netgear AC3200 Nighthawk X6 Tri-Band wireless router. Don't think, I need an extender as the signal pretty much reaches the relevant areas. So the only thing I am looking at is this

I would suggest below ... (its a managed switch, quality product with worthy features.)

Tp-Link TL-SG108 Gigabit Switch - Buy Tp-Link TL-SG108 Gigabit Switch Online at Low Price in India - Amazon.in

or 5 port ....

http://www.amazon.in/TP-Link-TL-SG1...abit switch&qid=1463583932&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4

 

[Audiodoc]

First thing first gigabit ethernet is the fastest followed by powerline networking followed by wifi AC.

My Netgear dual band N7000 ac router is connected to my NAS and AVR via gigabit ethernet. If your AVR does not support gigabit ethernet then wifi ac or even n is a better option at close distances from the router. If the distance between the router if significant or there are multiple walls which effect the 5 GHZ wifi band.then a good wifi extender from netgear like EX7000 will improve speeds plus it has a usb 3.0 port to convert and HDD into dlna source. You can even connect a second nas at it has 4 gigabit ports.

A good ac wifi network is enough even for 4k viewing over smb shares or even DLNA equipped devices. I have tested this on a minix 8h plus which has inbuit ac wifi as well as most samsung tabs and s6 phone. There is momentary buffering for a few seconds followed by smooth video. This is also true for untouched bluray rips of 1080p with DTS HD masteraudio.

Nevertheless transfer speeds for filling the mammoth drives is considerable using wifi where you rarely touch 20 megabytes per second as opposed to gigabit ethernet.

So for frequent large file uploads and downloads gigabit ethernet is the way to go while for media streaming a Good wifi ac network is convenient and good enough.