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Top 10 Network-Attached Storage Devices

Network-attached storage devices let you share your data amongst multiple PCs, local and remote.

Edited by Melissa J. Perenson

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1. Synology DS509+

Drive size: 5000GB

Bottom Line: The DS509+ is a superfast NAS box that provides great features and software.

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2. Seagate BlackArmor NAS 440

Drive size: 4000GB; Buffer Size: 32MB; Max Rotational Velocity: 7200RPM

Bottom Line: Seagate's NAS 440 is a top-notch network-attached device with pro features.

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3. Synology Disk Station DS209+

Drive size: 1000GB; Max Rotational Velocity: 7200RPM

Bottom Line: Speedy NAS box has tons of robust server-level features and streams photos, music, and videos well.

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4. HP MediaSmart ex487

Drive size: 1500GB; Max Rotational Velocity: 7200RPM

Bottom Line: Windows Home Server blesses this highly capable unit with features, but curses it with unnecessary complexity.

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5. Netgear ReadyNAS NV+ 1TB Gigabit Desktop Network Storage

Drive size: 1000GB; Buffer Size: 16MB; Max Rotational Velocity: 7200RPM

Bottom Line: This fast but expensive device comes with deep settings that are well suited for business use.

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6. Western Digital ShareSpace

Drive size: 4000GB; Max Rotational Velocity: 7200RPM

Bottom Line: Four-bay network-attached storage device boasts multiple RAID options, speedy performance, and smooth media serving.

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7. Netgear ReadyNAS Duo

Drive size: 500GB; Buffer Size: 16MB; Max Rotational Velocity: 7200RPM

Bottom Line: Compact, two-bay, hot-swappable NAS device packs a strong punch, both in features and performance.

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8. HP MediaSmart Server LX195

Drive size: 640GB; Max Rotational Velocity: 7200RPM

Bottom Line: This single-drive device provides network storage, but does so via an ungainly interface and a sluggish connection.

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9. Buffalo Technology LS-WS

Drive size: 1000GB; Buffer Size: 16MB; Max Rotational Velocity: 5400RPM

Bottom Line: This compact network-attached storage drive offers plenty of capacity and RAID, in a box that you can slip into your laptop bag.

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10. Linksys by Cisco Media Hub NMH 410 1TB

Drive size: 1000GB; Buffer Size: 8MB; Max Rotational Velocity: 7200RPM

Bottom Line: This model is an excellent, easy-to-use choice for streaming media, but it's poky at data transfers.

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