A NAS is a small storage server for your home network. It can back up computers, store shared files, stream media, and keep data available without leaving a desktop PC running.
Does this affect you?
Use this for consumer NAS devices from Synology, QNAP, Asustor, and similar brands, especially two-bay or larger units being set up on a home network.
Set up a new NAS from scratch
Most NAS brands use a guided browser setup after the hardware is connected.
- Install the hard drives in the NAS bays according to the model manual.
- Connect the NAS to the router with Ethernet and plug it into power. NAS devices are meant to run wired for speed and reliability.
- Find the NAS with the brand discovery tool, such as Synology Assistant or Qfinder Pro, or check the router connected-device list.
- Open the setup address in a browser and follow the setup wizard.
- Choose a RAID type. For two drives, RAID 1 mirroring is the normal home choice because one drive can fail without losing the array, though usable capacity is cut in half.
- Create a strong admin account password and do not reuse an account password.
- Create a shared folder for files.
- Connect from Windows with File Explorer using a path such as \nas-namesharedfolder, or from Mac with Finder > Go > Connect to Server using smb://nas-name/sharedfolder.
More control
RAID is not a backup
RAID protects against some drive failures, but not fire, theft, ransomware, accidental deletion, or corruption. Important files still need a separate backup, ideally offsite or cloud-based.
More bays give better RAID options
A two-bay NAS usually uses RAID 1 for redundancy. Four-bay and larger systems can use RAID 5 or RAID 6, which protect data while wasting less total capacity than full mirroring.
Use the included backup software
Synology Active Backup, QNAP Hybrid Backup Sync, and similar tools can back up computers to the NAS automatically instead of relying on manual file copying.
Explore apps after storage works
Once file sharing is reliable, look at media server apps, phone photo backup, and lightweight app hosting if your NAS supports them.
Sources
- Synology – Getting Started with Synology NAS (2025)
- QNAP – NAS Setup and RAID Guide (2025)
- Backblaze – RAID Explained for Home Users (2024)