2 bay nas - just file storage

[Enquiries]

I’m so confused. I’m just looking for a very basic 2 bay nas for reliable storage. Don’t need it to do Plex etc as have a small pc doing decoding. Literally want a cheap as chips reliable mirrored nas internal to my network. Any recommendations? Doesn’t have to be fancy just reliable and relatively sensible with read write times. It will store data and films for processing by Local PC server for Plex but only hosting the files themselves. Thanks. Colin

[ed]

For a simple and reliable 2-bay NAS within your budget, I’d recommend looking at these options:

Synology DS223
This is a basic, solid NAS for home use that’s reliable and well supported by Synology’s ecosystem. It doesn’t offer many fancy features, which is perfect for your needs if all you’re doing is file storage. It’s easy to set up and offers decent read/write speeds, suitable for hosting your data and films for Plex processing by your local PC.

QNAP TS-231K
Another great option for a basic 2-bay NAS. QNAP also has good software support and is a bit cheaper than Synology. It should handle your file storage needs without any issues and gives you reliable mirrored storage.

Suggested Hard Drives:
To fit your budget and get mirrored storage (RAID 1 with 2x 4TB drives), I'd recommend WD Red Plus 4TB or Seagate IronWolf 4TB drives. Both are designed specifically for NAS and will provide long-term reliability.

Here’s a rough breakdown:

NAS: ~£160-180
2x 4TB Drives: ~£100-120 each
This setup should get you very close to your £300 budget while ensuring solid performance and reliability.

[CeasarBuckridge]

I’m so confused. Fall Guys  I’m just looking for a very basic 2 bay nas for reliable storage.  Don’t need it to do Plex etc as have a small pc doing decoding.  Literally want a cheap as chips reliable mirrored nas internal to my network.  Any recommendations?  Doesn’t have to be fancy just reliable and relatively sensible with read write times.  It will store data and films for processing by Local PC server for Plex but only hosting the files themselves.  Thanks.  Colin

You're not looking for fancy features like Plex transcoding, but just solid, dependable storage on your local network.