Owning a NAS and maintaining one does not have to be troublesome. Here are some tips for you to keep in mind.
Use RAID to protect against data loss in case of hard drive failure
We cannot emphasize this enough, setting up the correct RAID is paramount for data protection. In the event of a single hard drive failure, the data is still preserved if it is set properly.
Use a backup strategy to ensure that important data is not lost in case of a disaster
Yes, there are a few strategies that you can use. For example, saving your data in at least 3 places. One is from your NAS device. Another one in another NAS but located at a different place. And probably another one in the cloud. Always remember to encrypt your data before sending over the cloud.
Regularly check for firmware updates to ensure the best performance and security
NAS devices are generally secure. However, you should not take for granted as with all software, there might be potential loopholes that have not been exploited yet. Therefore it is always important to update your firmware to the latest stable version. If you use your NAS to store critical data, you should not choose beta firmware which may contain potential bug which might cause data loss.
Use a surge protector to protect your NAS from power surges and voltage fluctuations
You can achieve this usually by investing in a universal power supply (UPS). It will regulate the power and ensure optimum voltage to your NAS. Voltage fluctuations may damage your device.
Make sure to use high quality hard drives that are designed for 24/7 usage in NAS environment
We cannot emphasize this enough. NAS device hard drives are built differently from regular desktop hard drives. NAS hard drives are designed to be run 24/7 and are able to endure spinning continuously. Regular desktop hard drives are not designed to be used on a NAS and it will not last for a long time if used.
There are specially designed NAS hard drives such as Seagate’s IronWolf and Western Digital’s WD Red.
Regularly check the NAS logs for any errors or issues
Make it a habit to regularly check the NAS logs for any errors. Sometimes it may tell you information that is important such as your hard drive may be failing soon. Or there may be frequent unauthorized login attempts to your NAS, which you might want to address by blocking specific range of IP addresses from accessing your NAS.
Use encryption to protect your data if you are storing sensitive information
This will prevent your data from being leaked if your NAS is unfortunately hacked. Devices that are connected to the internet have some sort of risks of being hacked. You should add another layer of protection by always using encryption.
Schedule regular backups to ensure that your data is up-to-date
Just like saving all your data in at least 3 places, you should make it a habit to schedule regular backups. Maybe you might not have another NAS device at a remote location, you could just backup your NAS in an external portable hard disk drive and physically store it at a different location. Why this is important is because in the event of a fire, you have another backup located at a different place.
Consider using different hard drive brands and models to avoid potential common failures
Maybe that batch of hard drives produced have potential common failure. It is best if you can use different brands of hard disk drives combined in your NAS. Most NAS devices such as Synology can handle different brands of hard disk drives without any issue. Just check at the website for supported drives. Although unsupported drives can be used in your device, it is not really recommended as you might lose remote support by the manufacturer by doing so.
Use high quality network cable and router to ensure fast and stable network connection
Using a low quality ethernet network cable is a no-no. You need to check the cable speed eg. CAT-5, CAT-6. The higher is generally faster. Also ensure your router is stable to handle fast connections. Having a low quality router that hangs frequently will surely cause connection problems to your NAS.
Monitor your NAS’s resource usage (CPU, memory, network) to identify potential bottlenecks
Always make it a habit to check for logs and monitor the resource usage. Maybe once a month is good enough.
Set up automatic notifications for critical events such as hard drive failure or low disk space
Most NAS in the market can automatically notify you in the event of potential hard drive failure or low disk space. You can set up your NAS to email you if these events occur. Also your NAS might beep (sound) to alert you of potential problems.
Set up QuickConnect to access your NAS from remote.
If you are using a Synology NAS, you can enable QuickConnect to access your NAS from a remote location. That way, you can access your data wherever you go.
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