When purchasing a NAS, a lot of attention is paid to the hardware. Not unjustly, because you can only decide on the maximum number of disks and the processor before purchase. However, the software deserves a very critical look, especially before the purchase. After the purchase, it mainly determines whether you will actually use a certain function. We will look for the best software for your NAS.
The software for a NAS consists of several parts. First of all, there is the operating system. This is provided by the NAS manufacturer. It ensures that the hardware in the NAS works well together and offers basic functionality such as the possibility to organize the storage space and user management.
If you want more with the NAS than is already possible by default, you can often add extra functionality to the NAS with a few clicks. Each additional function requires a package or app that has been specially developed for use on the NAS. Most nas manufacturers provide such extensions, but there are also companies and enthusiastic users who develop these extensions. The number of extensions varies per brand and model, but has increased over the years. The installation is done from an app store within the OS of the NAS or manually.
Mobile apps
In addition to the software on the NAS, the software outside the NAS also plays a role and is even playing an increasing role. Windows and Mac systems still have sufficient tools and functionality on board to use the NAS, but that is much less true for smartphones and tablets. If you want to be able to access the documents on the NAS on the go or upload your photos automatically, you are mainly dependent on the availability of a good mobile app that can do that on your smartphone or tablet and for your NAS. Most nas manufacturers offer apps for iOS and Android, and sometimes for Windows Phone, but the number and functionality vary widely.
Asustor ADM 2.7/3.0
Asustor Data Master (ADM) is the operating system for NAS devices from Asustor. It consists of a desktop that contains all parts of the operating system such as Storage Manager, Access Manager, User Manager, Settings and File Explorer. You can add extra functionality via App Central. The current version of ADM at the time of writing is 2.7, but ADM 3.0 will be available in mid-August. We are testing its final beta.
ADM 3.0 is a big step forward. It has a fresh appearance with less sweet colors. It also removes the biggest irritation of version 2.7, because for the first time all individual windows can be freely scaled and the content adapts to it. In version 2.7, all windows had a fixed size, so you had to scroll a lot, even when it really shouldn't be necessary. Other improvements include real-time monitoring widgets, an improved method of connecting the NAS to the Internet, and the ability to install a set of extensions for personal or business use with one click during installation.
Extensions and Apps
There is a wide choice of extensions, both for business and private use, and both made by Asustor itself and by third parties. However, the fragmentation could be less. Instead of one program for backup and synchronization, Asustor has all separate synchronization apps for Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, HiDrive and more. Well-known apps are Photo Gallery, the streaming apps SoundsGood and LooksGood and its own Download Center, but also CouchPotato and Sonarr. Kodi is also not missing. If you have an Asustor NAS with an HDMI port, Asustor Portal can be used directly on a connected TV with a number of apps such as xbmc, YouTube and Chrome.
The backlog that Asustor had in the apps for smartphones and tablets has decreased, but has not yet been completely made up. It could be even better in both quantity and quality. ADM 3.0 offers new possibilities and such an update deserves more and slightly more extensive apps, so they will certainly come.
Drobo Dashboard
Unlike all other NAS manufacturers, Drobo does not provide a web portal on the NAS for configuration and use. Drobo likes simplicity and basically takes all the networking hassle out of the Drobo Dashboard for the user. That is a program for Windows and macOS that finds the Drobos in the network and with which you can configure and especially use them. Shared folders are automatically connected and updates installed automatically. This makes the Drobo very user-friendly, only in case of problems you miss the possibility to make contact with a device without the intervention of the software.
The pursuit of simplicity is reflected in the way Drobo handles disk space. Drobo has BeyondRaid that turns any combination of drives and regardless of differences in brand, model, storage capacity or speed into a secure storage. When the storage space becomes full, the Drobo will let you know which drive to replace with one with more storage capacity.
Extensions and Apps
Although Drobo mainly excels in undisturbed storage, you can also actively work with the device and install extensions. However, the number of extensions is not large and also contains ten apps that do not have their own application, but are needed for other components such as Java, Mono and Python. There are three true Drobo apps: myDrobo and DroboAccess provide remote access, while DroboPix makes the nas capable of automatically uploading photos from smartphones and tablets running the DroboPix app of the same name.
The number of apps for smartphones and tablets is limited, there are two: Drobo Access for remote access to the NAS and data, and the aforementioned DroboPix.
Web Interface Live Demos
The software is very important for a NAS. Nas vendors know this and some offer the option to test their NAS software online. This way you can check whether it meets your expectations and wishes.
Asustor
netgear
QNAP
Synology
Netgear ReadyNAS OS 6.0
An employee of network giant Netgear once thought that the same interface as a router or switch would suffice for a nas. ReadyNAS OS 6.0 does offer a beautiful web interface, but it is really only relevant for the NAS administrator. An ordinary nas user never needs to log in here. A completely different approach from the virtual desktop with a control panel and applications such as Synology, QNAP and Asustor that provide. A tad boring perhaps, but in line with Netgear's vision that the ReadyNAS "delivers premium storage for prosumers and SMBs".
But make no mistake, spread over eight tabs, ReadyNAS OS offers everything a NAS administrator could need such as user management, file management, network configuration, cloud integration, and backup and recovery. And there are some special options. The disk layout has the option X-RAID: just like with Drobo, Netgear allows you to combine disks of different sizes and specifications and also add storage capacity later. You can choose the Btrfs file system. This creates continuous snapshots so that you can always easily restore deleted and changed files based on a clear timeline. ReadyNAS introduced it first, and in all its models, where Synology has only recently started doing so and only on the more expensive models.
Extensions and Apps
As far as the extensions are concerned, Netgear occupies a middle position, where the official offer can still be expanded with apps from the community. More striking than the offer and the sometimes strange choices within it, is that there is actually little development. The offer has actually been standing still for several years and that also applies to the sparse expansions of Netgear itself.
Cloud integration has traditionally been well put together in ReadyNAS OS. With ReadyCloud you get mobile access to the NAS, and with ReadyNAS Vault Netgear offers its own online backup for the data on the NAS. Cautiously, synchronization with other cloud storage such as Google Drive and Amazon S3 is now also being introduced. If you prefer not to use the cloud, use ReadyDR to back up to another ReadyNAS, anywhere in the world. ReadyDR backs up at the block level, so it consumes little bandwidth. The number of apps for smartphones and tablets is very limited.
