Do I actually need a NAS if I don't use it 24/7?

[animBacker857]

I was about to press the purchase button on a Synology NAS I've been eyeing, but decided to do some extra thinking just before committing to justify the cost.

From research it seems NASs prefer to be mostly left on 24/7 (please correct me if wrong), which got me wondering.

Is a NAS really the right option for me if I'm a solo user and would mostly be accessing files past 7pm on weekdays and 10am-ish on weekends?

My goal is to have all my 12TB+ files accessible in one place at home as a solo user, and expand that. I currently own two personal laptops, no desktop yet, and have been using external passports for extra storage so far.
I use an office laptop during the day for work, so would be accessing personal files for evenings, or most of the weekend. And even then, I've been getting by with just plugging in a passport to download specific files locally. It's just been a pain to mirror them, jump between them and keep files updated.

Do you think a NAS is still the way to go, particularly Synology with its additional apps and features? Are there in-built ways to reduce power consumption when inactive?
Or because I don't need it constantly on, is there a better solution that won't eat up as much power?

This thought came up after coming across this article - You need storage, but a NAS is not the answer

Thank you.

 

[Rusty]

Are there in-built ways to reduce power consumption when inactive?

Depending on the services and apps running on the nas it might not hibernate at all, but then again, it might if it's not interrupted. Again, it depends on the setup.

As someone who has owned NAS devices for about 15y now, I can say I am super happy that I don't need to carry drives with me (thumb or 2,5 portable), but on the other side, it really does depend on your use case.

Would a NAS be a substitute for your current needs? Sure. Can it be more? Absolutely. I'm sure you are aware that NAS devices are essentially servers, and that means that they can do a lot, and I mean a lot. Save you money on services you don't even use now but maybe you will at some point.

The fact is, you need to look at a bigger picture of what a NAS unit brings to the table. What you need it for now, and what it can do.

It is good you are thinking it over because getting a NAS is easy (depending on the model ofc), but it being justified, that's a different matter. I'm sure more people will comment and give their perspective, but just to end on a personal note once again, getting a NAS was THE BEST IT investment I have ever done (back in the day). Collecting them ever since

 

[Robbie]

I have 3 NASes in active use plus 2 mini-servers, so my network rack has gradually extended to the upper end of home/home working.

Out of the stack above only 1 NAS is on 24/7 with the others on a schedule to provide a virtual air-gap when it come to protecting data. One server (Mac mini M1) is the glue for managing the Apple macOS/iOS/Homekit glue, plus some bridging and media use. It also very frugal when it comes to watts.

The point is that 24/7 is not always needed and even when needed it does not mean everything has to be set that way.

️

 

[BobW]

I have been using Synology nases since 2011 and I never have them on 24/7. They always go into hibernation at night with me. I have never had any problems with that.

It all depends on how and what you are going to use the nas for. For example, if you are going to run a website or a mail server then it's a good idea to leave it on 24/7.

 

[SynoMan]

I have 2 NAS devices now (somehow I blame Rusty for that ), but that was one of the best investments. I really like it, I use it for backup, Plex, running Docker with multiple services (Bitwarden for password management is one of them), VPN, calendar and contacts are on my NAS, Synology Photos works great for me, etc. I transferred a lot of stuff to my NAS, running it like this for quite some time now and I haven't regretted it.

So, yes, it really depends on your needs and what you will do with it. For instance, I like to access all my documents via Drive anywhere I am and from any device. Also, I like to own my stuff, not a fan of public clouds.

But all this comes with some cost and energy to maintain. Also, with this forum you can help out with any issue you might get.

 

[WST16]

Do you think a NAS is still the way to go, particularly Synology with its additional apps and features?

Think beyond simple storage and a Synology NAS is the answer (never used any other brand so I can’t recommend anything else).
It also depends on how tech savvy you’re (and on what do you want to do). If you’re the type who wants a complete plug and play solution and dread the technical aspects –and learning– of such devices (networking, security, applications and so on) then this might not be for you

Are there in-built ways to reduce power consumption when inactive?

In case hibernation does not “hibernate”, you can setup a power schedule to power on/off the NAS at certain times. This is built in functionality (you don’t need any scripts).

 

[Her0]

Depending on the services and apps running on the nas it might not hibernate at all, but then again, it might if it's not interrupted. Again, it depends on the setup.

As someone who has owned NAS devices for about 15y now, I can say I am super happy that I don't need to carry drives with me (thumb or 2,5 portable), but on the other side, it really does depend on your use case.

Would a NAS be a substitute for your current needs? Sure. Can it be more? Absolutely. I'm sure you are aware that NAS devices are essentially servers, and that means that they can do a lot, and I mean a lot. Save you money on services you don't even use now but maybe you will at some point.

The fact is, you need to look at a bigger picture of what a NAS unit brings to the table. What you need it for now, and what it can do.

It is good you are thinking it over because getting a NAS is easy (depending on the model ofc), but it being justified, that's a different matter. I'm sure more people will comment and give their perspective, but just to end on a personal note once again, getting a NAS was THE BEST IT investment I have ever done (back in the day). Collecting them ever since

Some great points here. I was playing with the idea of buying a NAS for backups, but now I realize I don't need a raspberry pi if I have a NAS as it can act as a host for a lot of other services that I want to run. Guess ill spend the extra couple hundred dollars lol