Contributor I

Answered

NAS recommendation - USB, ethernet, etc.

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
October 29, 2017
17 replies
1888 views

I'm moving from a dedicated PC to a NAS for holding my files. I've seen that historically folks like the WD My Book models for a stand alone NAS. Is that still the case? Is there a reason to prefer ethernet over USB? And I gather that I need to make sure the NAS still supports SMBv1. This NAS will exist only for SONOS and not act as a file server in other capacities. Any tips on make/model appreciated.

Music Library

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Best answer by jgatie

The WD models are still the best bang for the buck, IMHO. You will want an ethernet NAS druve, a USB requires it to be connected to a USB port on a omputer or router, an NAS simply plugs into ethernet and is always available, even when your computer 8s off. They are also more configurable and USB drives connected to routers can be slow, and affect router bandwidth.

jgatieAnswer

The WD models are still the best bang for the buck, IMHO. You will want an ethernet NAS druve, a USB requires it to be connected to a USB port on a omputer or router, an NAS simply plugs into ethernet and is always available, even when your computer 8s off. They are also more configurable and USB drives connected to routers can be slow, and affect router bandwidth.

A

andy.bunnAuthor

Contributor I

Thx for the reply. Is there one in particular that Sonos users like? The reviews on Newegg aren't super promising. E.g., here: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236620

K

Kumar

USB drives connected to routers can be slow, and affect router bandwidth.

So I found out three years ago with a 2011 made router and made a move to a WD MyCloud that has worked very well. But my question for these days, with USB sticks of 128Gb and above dropping in prices is whether routers of today have enough bandwidth so that if they have a USB socket, does a plugged in stick now provides a cheaper, and more discreet/elegant solution if all that is needed is network accessible music content for Sonos?

A

amun

USB drives connected to routers can be slow, and affect router bandwidth.

So I found out three years ago with a 2011 made router and made a move to a WD MyCloud that has worked very well. But my question for these days, with USB sticks of 128Gb and above dropping in prices is whether routers of today have enough bandwidth so that if they have a USB socket, does a plugged in stick now provides a cheaper, and more discreet/elegant solution if all that is needed is network accessible music content for Sonos?

Only if you don't have much music - a quick google found 1Tb stick at around the £800UK mark, which I'd need for my 700Gb library. Much cheaper to use an inexpensive NAS like the WD.

K

Kumar

Much music or not is a subjective thing; and even a 256 Gb stick is just about 50 pounds UK now, and may suffice for some. For those whose purchased music is in lossy AAC codecs of the mastered for iTunes kind that yield perfectly acceptable sound quality, over 2000 CDs are accommodated in the 256 Gb stick. In a couple of years, that price point will obtain a 512 Gb one, I am sure.

But all that is digressing; the question is whether the technical disadvantages of these in terms of latency in the past are now overcome by bandwidths of routers of today. Because in terms of footprint, they are unmatched. And, depending on the nature of the library, in price as well.

A

amun

Much music or not is a subjective thing......

How on earth is the quantity of music subjective? I either have 700Gb, or I don't - it's not something open to a subjective view.

and even a 256 Gb stick is just about 50 pounds UK now

Decent quality much nearer £100 - and you haven't addressed the 1Tb pricing.

K

Kumar

Define "Much" in an objective way. 700 Gb? And you are still digressing from the question posed.

Stanley_4

Grand Maestro

My heartburn with WD products like their NAS (Ethernet based Live drives) is the fairly short support life. All too soon you'll end up like me with one that has several known security issues and no hope of getting patches. Once that happens leaving it on your network is risky.

I used a spare Raspberry Pi computer and a USB to SATA converter to an SSD drive. Using a USB port on your router will work as well. You really don't need a lot of power to support streaming music even to multiple players playing different music.

The type of drive you use is up to you, a thumb drive works, a USB to SATA converter works with whatever you have in your junk box or a full USB WD type drive.

K

Kumar

At my start with Sonos, I had ripped CDs to a WD My Passport HDD with a USB interface and wiring that to the port on a Apple Time Capsule of 2011 worked well till I started seeing latency trouble/stuttering with different music in different zones. At that time I was advised to shift to a processor equipped NAS, hence the WD MyCloud which continues to work well as does the Apple TC. But less than half of the 1 TB WD is filled with my 20,000 plus tracks that are a mix of lossless and Apple AAC 256 kbps lossy. And I never use the other features of the WD that are wasted on me.

So I am thinking that when the devices fail in future, and I have make a router change, a 512 Gb flash stick should be the replacement. Makes like Sandisk sell their 256 Gb sticks at the USD 80 price point in India at this time, and nothing better in terms of brand is justified for something that has no moving parts; hopefully my hardware will soldier on till the 512Gb sticks are sold at similar prices, making those a more suitable replacement for me used with a more capable replacement router.

Stanley_4

Grand Maestro

A USB to SATA converter and a SSD drive may be cheaper than a USB flash stick in larger sizes.

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