Question New to NAS

[Bigg Dugg]

Hi

Please bear with me , I'm not great with technology , but don't mind mucking in.
I'm probably asking a repetitive question , buy I guess I'm looking for a tailored answer to my own scenario!

I currently run my PC ( Win7 PRO ) with a 1TB HDD for regular work , a 500GB HDD for some experiments away from my main OS , and a 6TB hard drive with all my media on.
From the PC , I link via CAT 5 and Powerlines to a WD live media player , and from there , HDMI to my Amp and then TV which is old and has not smart abilities.

I struggle to get the WD player to run Network Shares , but PLEX on the PC and displaying on the media player works ok.
I like the interface on the WD player and treat it as a dedicated media player , although I do have an Amazon Fire TV with Plex and VLC installed too , but accessing my media is so long winded doing it this way.

My 6TB HDD is pretty much full , so I'm considering a NAS with 4 bays as I already have two more 6TB HDD spare to use.
The plan would be to mount 3 HDD into the NAS.

Questions:
1.Can I run 3 HDD
2.Do I have to do anything with the data that is already wriiten to my first 6TB HDD ?
3.Can I get the WD player to link via power lines to a NAS as the WD player is able to decode all the file formats I use ?
4.I don't want to use an interface to search the NAS , I like the current idea of the WD displaying the stored content.
5.Lastly - which NAS to buy
6.Have I forgotten anything ?

Sorry its so long winded , but its the only way to give some background and then gain confidence in my proposed purchase.

Thank you for all your help and hard won experinces.

Regards

Steve

 

[Sloppy Bob]

1. Yes
2. Yes, the NAS will wipe the drives when you insert them so you'll have to add the first 2, copy the data over and then add the third drive, then expand the array.
3. You WD Live is a very outdated media player now and will not play newer video or audio formats. I'd look at something else, but you don't say what type of formats your files are.
You're already using Plex, it shouldn't be long-winded though and should give you a nice UI.
Powerline adapters are hit and miss, it's entirely dependent upon your house wiring, so they may be great, useless or somewhere inbetween.
4. A more modern streamer running Plex or Kodi will give you a nice interface with all your movie posters, fanart, synopsis etc.
5. That's a tricky one. The two main players are Synology and QNAP, there are many other brands though. Personally, I've stuck with Synology, mainly because of its own Hybrid RAID which gives a lot of expandability that traditional RAID doesn't. If you're not going to use RAID then it doesn't really matter.
QNAP tend to be a bit more powerful, if you're just using it to serve files though, this doesn't really matter.
6. I think you need to look at getting rid of your WD Live for something more modern, that's really another thread in a different area of the forum though. AVF has some good reviews of media streamers in the review section.

 

[Bigg Dugg]

Hi

many thanks for a really fast reply.
Ref point 2 - I am transferring the files onto a Seagate 8TB back up drive , and I appreciate the heads up ref the wiping of the drive upon insertion.
Do I need to format the drive before insertion ?
Ref point 3 - Plex has introduced a load ( 18) folders into the UI and I cant see how to delete them , so I have 2 pages of folders to navigate before finding the films. My fils formats are : MP4 , AVI , MKV predominantly and my powerlines are nice and stable.
Ref point 4 . Im happy to buy a new player , but I want something that defaults to playing my films , rather than going through an APP . This is where the WD scores highly for me.
Ref point 6 - I will look at your link and see whats out there , but I still want something that is a default player instead of a streamer .

One new point.
My backed up content on my backup drive.... do I transfer the data via powerlines to the NAS , or can I plug it in directly via USB ?
I guess for me the NAS needs the following :
CAT 5 connectivity
USB connectivity
HDMI connectivity
How much memory should I go for

Does that narrow the field down a bit ?

Many thanks

Steve

 

[Sloppy Bob]

The NAS will format the drives for you.

The quickest way to copy the data over will be to connect the external drive to the USB on the NAS.
HDMI connectivity on a NAS isn't common, very few have it, in my opinion, you don't want your NAS near your TV, with all the HDD's clicking and whirring away they're not the quietest things.
All NAS will have USB and Ethernet, the USB is a connection to be used for external devices though, you can't hook a NAS up to your PC via USB. The NAS is connected to your router via ethernet or powerline and the PC is connected to the router via ethernet, powerline or wifi, they're not directly connected to each other.

A NAS doesn't need a lot of memory, mine has 2GB and it's plenty for streaming 4K media.

You're going to struggle with a player that does exactly what you want, A Vero4K goes straight into Kodi and then you just select Movies, TV, Music or one of the other items on the central ribbon which you can remove most of.
Android boxes you have to run an app like your Firestick as they're smart platforms that stream Netflix, BBC iPlayer etc.
If you're happy with the WD Live and it does what you want then stick with it.

I'd also add that if you have drives to slot into the NAS, what type of drives are they as standard desktop drives aren't really the best for longevity in a NAS that's going to be on 24/7, that's if it is going to be on 24/7 of course, but they're not meant to be switched off and on multiple times per day.

 

[Abacus]

Qnap is probably your best bet, (Such as this one here TS-451+ - Features - QNAP (UK) ) as they do all you want, also have a look at the YouTube videos done by Span dot com as they are comprehensive and should answer all your questions.

Bill

 

[Sloppy Bob]

Whereas I'd go for a 4 -bay Synology running SHR-1 possibly for redundancy and future expansion.

I prefer the Synology over the QNAP for the software and ease of use. As I said I'm not keen on using the NAS to play media directly for a number of reasons.

 

[Bigg Dugg]

The quickest way to copy the data over will be to connect the external drive to the USB on the NAS.

Ok - thats not a problems

HDMI connectivity on a NAS isn't common, very few have it, in my opinion, you don't want your NAS near your TV, with all the HDD's clicking and whirring away they're not the quietest things.

Good point

A NAS doesn't need a lot of memory, mine has 2GB and it's plenty for streaming 4K media.

Thats a good bench mark for my search

I'd also add that if you have drives to slot into the NAS, what type of drives are they as standard desktop drives aren't really the best for longevity in a NAS that's going to be on 24/7, that's if it is going to be on 24/7 of course, but they're not meant to be switched off and on multiple times per day.

I have three Seagate 6TB Skyhawk drives that are designed for continued use , so I hope they will be ok.
To be honest , I will only be using the NAS in the evenings.

Now I have the basics sorted , I will go browsing for a NAS , and possibly a media player to replace the WD unit.

Many thanks Gents , your experience is so valuable

Cheers

Steve

 

[Bigg Dugg]

Ok , so I have bought and struggled to set up a Dune HD Pro 4K plus and I can see my files on my PC.

I have a QNAP TS 451 8G coming soon , so I will pop my 2 new HDD in , then transfer the data from my PC bit by bit.

I could well be back with more silly questions from a tech novice.

Many thanks for the help so far

Cheers

Steve