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+--- Thread: Recommendations for NAS for a non tech person (/showthread.php?tid=11786)
Recommendations for NAS for a non tech person - Enquiries - 03-04-2025
Hi, I'm a veterinarian so a bit of a techno-peasant. I am trying to find an NAS that is easy to set up and use without having to be terribly computer literate. I do a lot of teaching and need storage mainly for videos and presentations. I need to organize a lot of videos and pictures. I get hung up when looking at setting up the system and knowing what works best for backup. I barely understand Parity, Pool and Array. I would prefer to only use SSD (combination of 2.5" SATA drives and NVME). I lost a hard drive years ago and still have PTSD from that. I was looking at the LinkStation NI and Terramaster F4 424 Pro. I'm not concerned about size or noise. I am very willing to pay for a consult with you guys if you can help guide me. I really get lost in all of the tech talk on the forums. Basically, I need it explained to me like you would to your great grandma. Thanks in advance. Sean
RE: Recommendations for NAS for a non tech person - ed - 03-07-2025
I totally get where you're coming from—NAS setups can get overwhelming fast, but there are definitely options that are easy to use and reliable without needing deep technical knowledge. Since you prefer SSD-only storage and want ease of use, here are a couple of great choices:
1. Synology DS923+ – Best for Ease of Use & Reliability
Super simple setup with Synology DSM (the most user-friendly NAS software).
Expandable up to 50TB (with 4 drive bays).
Can use 2.5” SATA SSDs for storage + NVMe SSDs for cache (not for main storage, though).
Automatic backups & easy file organization.
Synology has great support and easy-to-follow guides, perfect for non-tech users.
? Best if: You want something user-friendly, reliable, and well-supported.
2. QNAP TS-464 – More Power, Still Easy to Use
4 drive bays, can be set up with all-SSD storage.
Supports NVMe SSDs for extra speed.
QNAP's software is a bit more advanced, but still has an easy mode.
More powerful hardware than Synology for things like video streaming.
Expandable to 24TB+, with RAID options for data protection.
? Best if: You need more power for videos and future expandability, but don’t mind a slightly steeper learning curve.
Which One Should You Pick?
If you want the easiest setup possible, go with the Synology DS923+. It’ll keep things simple while handling all your storage needs.
If you need more processing power and don’t mind learning a bit more, QNAP TS-464 is a solid choice.
Either way, SSD-only storage will work, and both systems have automatic backup features so you’ll never lose your data again.