Conclusion
A sub-£150 price tag isn't too large a hurdle, while the use of a quad-core processor and 1GB of memory helps ensure that real-world performance is up to scratch.You could argue that the usefulness of network-attached storage in the modern home has been eroded by the emergence of cloud-based services. Our documents can be stored on OneDrive, movies come straight from Netflix, and if you have a Spotify subscription, there's not much call for a vast music library.
The way in which we store and stream our content is changing, yet an entry-level NAS such as the Qnap TS-228A still has plenty to offer to households seeking a centralised data store for multiple devices. A sub-£150 price tag isn't too large a hurdle, while the use of a quad-core processor and 1GB of memory helps ensure that real-world performance is up to scratch.
Focussing on the essentials of a home NAS experience, the TS-228A makes light work of backups from all your networked PCs, it can serve data to multiple users with ease, will live life happily as a 24/7 DLNA media server, and the sleek enclosure won't look out of place in the living room. You do miss out on more advanced multimedia features - the hardware on offer here won't enable, say, a Plex media server, 4K transcoding or direct output via HDMI - yet at this price point the TS-228A serves as a prime candidate when shopping for your inaugural NAS.
Makes light work of backups
Compact and stylish enclosure
Powerful QTS operating system
Qnap TS-228A
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The Qnap TS-228A NAS is available to purchase from Amazon.
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