Choosing Between NAS Devices and Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) Systems: A Comprehensive Guide

Key Takeaways

• DAS enclosures are affordable, easy, and fast. Ideal for single-device users and professionals who need instant access to large files.
• NAS devices provide remote access for multiple users or teams. But they’re expensive, and file access is relatively slow.
• You can also use a NAS device for media streaming, game server hosting, and other advanced tasks.

Some hobbies and professions require a massive amount of data storage. And when the cost or constraints of cloud storage make it a non-option, a NAS device or DAS enclosure is usually the way to go. You just need to decide which storage solution best fits circumstance—unfortunately, this is often easier said than done.

The Basics: NAS, DAS, and RAID

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This may feel like an opaque, confusing topic. People rarely take the time to explain terms like NAS or DAS in simple language. So, before we dive into the deep end, let’s test the water.

Whether you know it or not, you’re already familiar with direct-attached storage (DAS) devices. Thumb drives, internal hard drives, portable drives—these products plug into your computer, so they are considered direct-attached storage.

Juggling three or four DAS devices is a pain in the neck. You’ll constantly find yourself plugging these devices in and out of your computer. And, if you want to create copies of files across each drive (file redundancy ), you’re forced to either give up a bunch of USB ports or spend an inordinate amount of time manually copy-pasting files.

A DAS enclosure, which is just a box full of HDDs or SSDs, connects to your computer over a single USB cable. You don’t need to waste a bunch of ports or do a dance every time you move a file around. The average DAS enclosure has two, four, or six drive bays and can accommodate the same hard drives that you would normally place inside of a computer.

Network-attached storage (NAS) is extremely similar to direct-attached storage (DAS). The only major difference is the connectivity method. While a DAS device plugs into your computer, a NAS device connects to your local network. It’s effectively a cloud storage server within your home. Any device that’s connected to your router can access the contents of your NAS device, and you can even enable remote access for people outside your home, if necessary.

However, NAS devices are technically standalone desktop computers. They contain an operating system and run specialized security software to protect your files from any bad actors who may attempt to access your network. (A DAS enclosure is protected by your computer, so it doesn’t need discreet security software, although some models include a file encryption system.)

To protect your data, NAS devices require you to set up a RAID array on day one. It’s not as scary as it sounds—the most basic RAID setups are intended for file redundancy and automatically create backups of your data, ensuring that you don’t lose anything in the event of a drive failure. You can set up a RAID array for a DAS enclosure on your computer, though some DAS enclosures have RAID options built-in to make things easier.

Why Use a NAS Device?

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Andrew Heinzman / How-To Geek

A NAS device allows you to access several terabytes of data from any desktop or mobile device, even when you’re away from home. It’s like having a dedicated cloud storage service without a monthly subscription.

After setting up a NAS device, you’ll be able to access its contents through both a web interface and the “Network” section of your computer’s file system (where it behaves like an external drive). Smartphones and tablets can also access a NAS through file manager apps like Solid Explorer or Cx Explorer, although some NAS manufacturers, like Synology, offer dedicated mobile apps for their products.

Beyond basic file storage, a NAS device can run discreet applications for a variety of different tasks. Media streaming is the most well-known example—people often use a NAS exclusively for Plex , which is a service that lets you stream video from your NAS to any screen. But you can also use a NAS device to run VMs, save security camera footage, host a Minecraft server, or perform other advanced tasks. (You can also do this stuff on a PC or Mac . It doesn’t require a NAS device.)

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Those who need to access or back up data from multiple devices could benefit from NAS. It’s a great option for families and teams, though it’s also great for anyone who wants to tinker with advanced tools like Docker and Plex.

So far, everything sounds fun and rosy. But NAS devices are far from perfect. They can be frustrating to set up, they’re more expensive than DAS storage solutions, and because they transfer files over the network, they’re far slower than DAS. If you need immediate access to large files for video editing or other tasks, a NAS device won’t cut it.

Security is also a massive concern that NAS owners tend to neglect. Some security settings must be configured manually, and you need to regularly update your NAS device to receive new security patches from the manufacturer. Plus, some manufacturers are very bad at providing security for their users, so even if you do everything right, you might get screwed. You can avoid most vulnerabilities by disabling remote access on your NAS device, but this makes the NAS device useless outside of your home (which may not be a problem for some people—it certainly isn’t for me).

I should note that any old computer can be turned into a NAS device. However, a purpose-made NAS is easier to set up and won’t consume as much power as a PC that’s left running 24/7.

Synology 2 Bay NAS DiskStation DS220+

The relatively inexpensive Synology DS220+ is one of the best entry-level NAS devices available today. It can support up to 32TB of storage and offers advanced functionality, such as security camera backup and Plex streaming.

$330 at Amazon See at adorama See at B&H Photo Video

Why Use a DAS Enclosure?

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A DAS enclosure is far simpler and cheaper than a NAS device. The setup process takes only a few minutes and requires nothing more than a quick glance at an instruction manual. Just place your drives inside the enclosure and you’re off to the races. Some DAS enclosures do not offer built-in RAID protection—that’s fine, you can set up RAID through Windows’ Disk Management app or macOS’ Disk Utility app.

If you only need to access your storage pool from a single computer, or if you regularly work with large files for video editing, photo editing, music production, 3D design, gaming, and so on, a DAS enclosure is ideal.

Yes, you can get this same lightning-fast transfer rate from a portable external drive . And all major desktop operating systems, be it Windows , macOS , or Linux , are capable of setting up external (or internal) drives in a RAID configuration. The main benefit of a DAS enclosure is that it can hold a ridiculous amount of data without hogging all of your USB ports. It’s a more convenient form factor for users who need a large storage pool, RAID redundancy, and a clean desk.

On its own, a DAS enclosure does not support remote access or provide advanced functionality like media streaming. But you can use a DAS enclosure to expand the storage of a file server, be it a PC-turned-server or a NAS device. Some people actually buy a DAS enclosure and a mini PC instead of a purpose-built NAS device, as this piecemeal setup is (in some cases) a more cost-effective and customizable option.

TERRAMASTER D2-320 RAID Enclosure

The TERRAMASTER D2-320 supports up to 44TB of storage and provides 10GbE data transmission. Unlike some other DAS enclosures, this unit has several built-in RAID settings.

$170 at Amazon

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So, Which Should You Buy?

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Jerome Thomas / How-To Geek

You’re having trouble deciding between a NAS device or a DAS enclosure. Really, this all boils down to whether you want to access your files over the network or over a USB cable. Network access is more flexible but places a huge limitation on transfer speed, while direct access is lightning-fast but constrained to a single device.

I’ve already reiterated this point a few times, but I’ll do it again for those who skipped to the end of the article: you don’t need to buy a purpose-made NAS device or DAS enclosure. Any computer, whether it’s a Windows PC or a Mac, can build a RAID array and offer file server functionality. These specialized NAS and DAS boxes simply make things tidier and easier.

Just bear in mind that NAS devices and DAS enclosures do not come with drives. You need to select and buy the drives yourself. Also, your RAID configurations will determine the amount of usable storage that you can get from your drives. The typical RAID 1 setup turns half of your drives into mirrored “redundant” storage, effectively halving your usable storage, while RAID 0 throws redundancy to the wind.