ReadyNAS-Duo

The Netgear ReadyNAS Duo is a nice entry level product for home network storage that gives you all of the features and advantages of a more expensive network storage device at the most affordable price.

I recommend configuration in X-RAID (RAID1 in this case) for data redundancy to help protect valuable business data, expensive music collection or irreplaceable family photos between backups. Keep in mind if you store video that 1TB can get gobbled up pretty quickly.

You can buy a ReadyNAS Duo in Diskless configuration, with 1 hard disk - although I do NOT recommend that as you get no benefit of hard drive redundancy or with 2 hard drives.

The 2 hard drive models can be a pair of 500GB, 1TB or 2TB drives.

With a ReadyNAS Duo as your home network storage device you have the comfort of knowing that you will not lose all of your valuable data just because a hard drive crashes.

Of course to get that piece of mind you need to buy a ReadyNAS Duo with 2 hard drives and not just one. Then the Netgear patented X-RAID can create a RAID1 mirror between the two drives so that you can survive a single hard drive crash.

The Duo has an easy to use web interface that can (and should) be configured to alert you by email if there are any problems detected. Then you have a chance to get the failed drive replaced while the other, mirrored drive continues to store your data and allow you access to it.

What would you use a Netgear ReadyNAS Duo for, you might ask. Well, in recent years the external hard drive, typically connected with USB but sometimes a SATA cable, has become very popular for storing the large music libraries, photo collections and mammoth video files.

Unfortunately, many people look at those drives as being less susceptible to data loss than an internal hard drive on a computer or laptop.

Nothing can be further from the truth.

Not only are many external hard drives low quality - so they are CHEAP - but since they are portable or just laying on the desktop, they get banged around more; often while running.

Enter the ReadyNAS Duo.

The two biggest and most obvious features of home network storage over an external hard drive are:

1. When purchased and configured properly, your data is protected by mirrored (RAID1) hard drives. If one drive fails, the other keeps your data as an email alerts you to the problem and you replace the failed disk.
2. Network storage is, well, on the network and therefore available to all computers in the home. And it doesn't matter whether it's a Windows PC, Mac, or Linux box - all can access the ReadyNAS Duo easily

External hard drives still have a place in the home, just make sure you do not expect it to be what it's not.

If you buy a Netgear ReadyNAS Duo with two hard drives, as I suggest, your options for upgrade include either buying LARGER hard drives and replacing the ones you have OR moving to a larger home NAS device like the Netgear ReadyNAS NVX or even a new ReadyNAS Ultra.

The thing to consider when you first buy a Duo, however, is that to upgrade to the larger ReadyNAS family is not as simple as moving the drives.

Unfortunately, you will have to backup your data and RESTORE it to the NVX or Ultra.

Just something else to consider when looking to buy a home network storage device, and if you think an upgrade is likely, perhaps consider a larger unit to begin with.