from $15
The 2.5" Drive Tray from QNAP lets you install a 2.5" hard drive or solid-state drive into one of the 3.5" bays on select NAS systems with three drive bays.
Buy based on the software ecosystem (e.g. Available from $15.
NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices run 24/7, making power consumption a steady, though low, cost. The real ongoing expense is replacing hard drives as they fail or filling empty bays to expand storage.
Common Failure Modes
Hard drive failure is the most common issue, which is why NAS uses RAID redundancy to prevent data loss. Fan failures and power brick deaths are the primary hardware issues for the enclosure itself.
Buy based on the software ecosystem (e.g., Synology DSM) and the number of drive bays you need for redundancy and future expansion. CPU power matters greatly if you plan to run media servers like Plex.
The NAS enclosure itself can last a decade. However, the hard drives inside are consumable and typically need replacing every few years depending on workload.
The QNAP 2.5" Drive Tray for 3-Bay NAS Systems is available at bhphoto, starting at $15.
NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices run 24/7, making power consumption a steady, though low, cost. The real ongoing expense is replacing hard drives as they fail or filling empty bays to expand storage.
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