When you look at what NAS stands for (Network-Attached Storage), the name doesn’t exactly do these devices justice. It makes them sound like little more than glorified hard drives that happen to be available to every device on your network. If you’re only using your NAS to store files, you’re barely scratching the surface of what it can actually do.
Your NAS is more than a fancy external hard drive
You’re only scratching the surface
If you picked up a NAS enclosure from Synology, Ubiquiti, UGREEN, or any of the other manufacturers out there, it would be easy to assume that you’re just looking at a multi-bay hard drive enclosure.
Most NAS enclosures are designed for simplicity and accessibility. You can slide drives in and out with ease, which reinforces the idea that it’s just a more convenient way to hold multiple drives and connect them to your network.
However, a NAS enclosure is a lot smarter and more powerful than it appears on the surface. It’s essentially a specialized computer, complete with a processor and RAM, that typically runs a Linux-based operating system designed specifically for storage.
Quiz
Interesting and unique NAS use cases
Trivia challenge
Beyond basic backups — how well do you know the surprising things a NAS can do?
MediaHome LabBackupNetworkingAutomation
Which popular open-source media server software is commonly self-hosted on a NAS to stream personal video libraries to any device?
Correct! Plex is one of the most popular apps for turning a NAS into a personal Netflix-style streaming server. It organizes your media with artwork and metadata and can transcode video on the fly for different devices and connections.
Not quite — the answer is Plex. While Kodi and VLC are great media players, Plex is specifically designed as a client-server platform that lets you stream your NAS library to phones, smart TVs, and browsers from anywhere in the world.
What is the name of the widely recommended data protection strategy that involves keeping three copies of data, on two different media types, with one copy offsite?
Correct! The 3-2-1 backup rule is a cornerstone of data protection strategy. A NAS plays a central role by acting as the second on-site copy, while cloud sync or an offsite drive satisfies the third copy requirement.
Not quite — the answer is the 3-2-1 backup rule. RAID is often mistaken for a backup, but it only protects against drive failure, not accidental deletion or ransomware. The 3-2-1 rule is the gold standard precisely because it covers multiple failure scenarios.
A NAS running a hypervisor or container platform like Docker can host a Pi-hole instance. What does Pi-hole primarily do?
Correct! Pi-hole acts as a DNS sinkhole, blocking known ad-serving and tracking domains before they ever reach your devices. Hosting it on a NAS via Docker means it runs 24/7 without needing a dedicated Raspberry Pi.
Not quite — the answer is that Pi-hole blocks ads at the DNS level. Rather than installing an ad blocker on every single device, Pi-hole protects your entire network, including smart TVs and phones, by intercepting ad domain requests before any data is loaded.
Many NAS manufacturers offer dedicated surveillance software packages. What is the primary function of these applications?
Correct! Synology Surveillance Station and QNAP’s QVR Pro are examples of NAS-based NVR (Network Video Recorder) solutions. They let you manage multiple IP cameras, set motion-triggered recording, and review footage without paying for a cloud subscription.
Not quite — the answer is managing and recording IP camera footage. A NAS can replace a dedicated NVR appliance entirely, storing days or weeks of footage locally. This is a compelling use case since it avoids ongoing cloud storage fees while keeping footage on hardware you control.
Which self-hosted application, commonly run on a NAS, automatically downloads TV show episodes and movies by integrating with torrent or Usenet indexers?
Correct! Radarr handles movies and Sonarr handles TV shows — together they form the backbone of a self-hosted media automation stack. They monitor release groups, grab new episodes automatically, and pass files directly to your Plex or Jellyfin library.
Not quite — the answer is Radarr and Sonarr. While Bazarr handles subtitles and Prowlarr manages indexers, Radarr and Sonarr are the core apps for automating movie and TV downloads respectively. They integrate with your NAS download client and media server for a seamless pipeline.
A NAS can be configured as a VPN server so that remote users can securely access the local network. Which VPN protocol, known for being modern and extremely fast, is supported by newer NAS operating systems like Synology DSM?
Correct! WireGuard is a modern VPN protocol praised for its lean codebase, high speeds, and strong encryption. Synology added WireGuard support to DSM, making it easier than ever to securely tunnel into your home network from anywhere without exposing your NAS directly to the internet.
Not quite — the answer is WireGuard. PPTP is outdated and considered insecure, while OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec are reliable but more resource-intensive. WireGuard achieves better throughput with less overhead, which matters on the modest CPUs found in many NAS devices.
Nextcloud is a self-hosted platform frequently deployed on a NAS. Which major commercial cloud service does it most directly aim to replace?
Correct! Nextcloud provides file sync, document editing, calendar, contacts, and video calls — a direct alternative to Google Drive and Google Workspace. Running it on a NAS means your data never leaves your own hardware, which is a major privacy and cost advantage.
Not quite — the answer is Google Drive and Google Workspace. Nextcloud replicates the full productivity suite experience: shared folders, collaborative document editing, and mobile sync. When paired with a NAS, it becomes a powerful private cloud that rivals Google’s offering without any subscription fees.
Some photographers and videographers use a NAS as the central hub for a collaborative editing workflow. Which protocol, natively supported on macOS and optimized for high-bandwidth file access, makes a NAS behave like a fast local drive for video editing?
Correct! For video editing workflows, SMB Multichannel (or historically AFP on older Macs) allows a NAS to deliver the kind of sustained throughput needed to scrub through high-bitrate footage without copying files locally first. Pair this with a 2.5GbE or 10GbE network and a NAS can rival a dedicated SAN for small creative teams.
Not quite — the answer is SMB with Multichannel (or AFP on legacy Macs). FTP and WebDAV are too slow and latency-prone for real-time editing. SMB Multichannel bonds multiple network connections to boost throughput, which is why NAS vendors like Synology specifically market this feature to creative professionals editing 4K and 6K footage.
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If you’ve spent any time inside the NAS software, you’ll quickly find a wide range of built-in features and configuration options. Many of them are basic configurations that you would expect in a device dedicated to storage: RAID management, S.M.A.R.T. drive monitoring, data scrubbing, granular user permissions, remote access, cloud syncing, and so on.
Many NAS platforms also include photo management tools that can organize and sync images similar to Google Photos, complete with automatic phone backup and sorting features.
Simply put, a NAS enclosure gives you all the tools you need to store your data securely while controlling exactly how it’s accessed.
Still, even with all these data-focused features, they’re really just the starting point.
I finally learned Linux after 5 years of distro-hopping, and all it took was building a NAS
Building a NAS finally taught me Linux after 5 years of pointless distro-hopping
Your NAS is your own server and private cloud
Build your own solution
Once you start thinking of your NAS less as a simple storage device and more as a small computer, the next step is to stop relying on the built-in tools and start adding your own services. This applies just as much if you’ve built a DIY NAS and are running a NAS-friendly Linux distribution instead of using an off-the-shelf system.
Application compatibility heavily depends on your specific NAS hardware and software ecosystem.
Sticking to storage-adjacent services for now, one of the most useful places to start is turning your NAS into your own private cloud—and I definitely don’t mean just another Google Drive/Dropbox alternative. Some of these can genuinely transform how you use your NAS.
The first one that I want to talk about is Nextcloud Hub, which is basically a self-hosted Google Workspace/Microsoft 365 alternative. The core Nextcloud app is more or less just like Google Drive, meaning you can use it for file syncing and sharing, but the Hub adds numerous other features that can practically de-Google your life.
With Nextcloud Hub, you can back up and sync your calendar, contacts, notes, and tasks. Nextcloud Office even lets you do real-time collaborative document editing.
Syncthing is another incredibly convenient tool that keeps files synced between your devices without relying on your NAS acting as a central cloud server. For example, you can edit a Word document on your laptop in a synced folder, and Syncthing will detect that the file has changed and automatically copy the updated version to your NAS and any other connected devices, such as your desktop computer or phone.
Immich is yet another excellent cloud alternative. While many NAS platforms—and even Nextcloud—offer ways to back up and manage photos, few match the polished experience that people have come to expect from Google Photos.
That’s where Immich comes in. It aims to replicate much of the Google Photos experience, complete with machine learning features such as object recognition, face clustering, powerful search tools, and automatic photo uploads from your phone.
There are a bunch of other apps that you might want to check out, such as Joplin (a OneNote alternative), Seafile (Nextcloud alternative for file syncing), Paperless-ngx (document archive with tagging and OCR), and more.
The best part of these services is that you stay in full control of your NAS and your data. You can keep everything restricted to your local network if you prefer, or use a VPN to allow secure access from outside your home on trusted devices.
- Type
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Network-attached storage
- Dimensions
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10.14″D x 7.01″W x 7.01″H
UGREEN’s NASync DXP4800 Plus offers exceptional power for the price. It features four drive bays, a pair of M.2 NVMe slots, 10GbE and 2.5GbE Ethernet jacks, an SD card reader, and upgradable DDR5 RAM.
It can run a bunch of other self-hosted apps that can supercharge your home
There’s more to a NAS than file storage
Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek
Now that you know how to transform your NAS from a basic storage drive into a powerful cloud alternative, it’s time we start talking about the really exciting stuff.
One of the most popular uses for a NAS is as a media server. Apps like Jellyfin and Plex allow you to transform that boring old storage device into a personal Netflix powered by your own media collection. For an even more seamless experience, you can pair them with apps like Radarr, Sonarr, and Lidarr, which can automatically organize and manage your movies, TV shows, and music libraries.
If you’re a smart home aficionado, you’re probably already aware of Home Assistant. But did you know that your NAS can run it with ease? I run mine in a Docker container, and it’s allowed me to create automations that other solutions like Google Home could only ever dream of.
Another recent discovery for me is AdGuard Home, which acts as a DNS resolver and filter for ads, trackers, malware, and other unwanted traffic. To say that it improved my day-to-day browsing experience would be a massive understatement.
Once you start exploring self-hosted apps that your NAS can run in the background, you’ll quickly realize there’s a near-endless list of things it can do beyond storing and managing your backups.
A NAS is really a small homelab in disguise
A powerful home server that’s hiding in plain sight
A DIY NAS or off-the-shelf enclosure is one of the best and easiest ways to get into homelabbing because you already own the most important piece of the puzzle: the hardware. There’s no need to invest in a separate device like a Raspberry Pi or mini PC.
While the types of apps you can host on your NAS vary, there’s a good chance that your device is a lot more capable than you realize—so stop using it just for storage.
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