The Complete Guide to Choosing a NAS | Business NAS Selection Based on Bay Count, CPU, and Warranty

Business NAS models are available from numerous major manufacturers such as Synology, QNAP, I-O DATA, and Buffalo, and the optimal choice varies significantly depending on the number of bays, CPU, memory, LAN ports, and warranty period.

In this article, we organize how to choose a NAS based on business scale and usage, focusing on five models we have already reviewed: the Synology DS925+/G, Synology DS224+, QNAP TS-464, I-O DATA HDL2-LV02, and Buffalo TeraStation TS3420DN.

We will explain 'how many bays you should choose' and 'what the differences are between medium-sized offices and small businesses' based on official specifications.

Note: This article participates in the Amazon Associates Program and earns income through qualifying purchases made via links in the article.

Common patterns of failure for businesses choosing a NAS

A common mistake many businesses make when choosing a NAS is 'choosing based only on capacity and overlooking bay count and scalability'.

The cost of replacing a model with fewer bays after data volume increases tends to be higher than choosing a model with scalability from the start.

The four essential judgment axes for choosing a NAS are as follows:

• Bay count: Current data volume + future expansion room

• CPU/Memory: Processing load for simultaneous access, virtualization, etc.

• LAN port: Can you avoid speed bottlenecks with 2.5GbE support?

• Warranty period: Peace of mind as a device for storing business data

Official specification comparison of 5 models

Synology DS925+/G (The top choice for medium-sized offices)

• Drive bays: 4 units (expandable with expansion units)

• Usage: File sharing and backup hub for medium-sized offices

• For details, see [Synology DS925+ G Review]

Synology DS224+ (Entry-level for small businesses)

• Drive bays: 2

• Usage: Basic file sharing for small businesses and sole proprietors

• For details, see [Synology DS224+ Review]

QNAP TS-464 (4-bay general-purpose model)

• Model number: TS-464-8G/AZ

• Memory: 8GB DDR4

• Drive bays: 4

• For details, see [QNAP TS-464 Review]

I-O DATA HDL2-LV02 (2-bay for corporate use)

• Manufactured by domestic Japanese company I-O DATA

• Drive bays: 2

• Corporate support system

• For details, see [I-O DATA HDL2-LV02 Review]

Buffalo TeraStation TS3420DN (4-bay, 8TB pre-installed)

• Model number: TS3420DN0804

• Drive bays: 4, 8TB pre-installed

• Support provided by domestic manufacturer

• For details, refer to [Buffalo TeraStation TS3420DN Review]

How to Choose Based on Business Scale

Sole Proprietors/SOHO: Cases where 2 bays are sufficient

If your data volume is relatively low and your primary goals are file sharing and backup, a 2-bay model like the Synology DS224+ or I-O DATA HDL2-LV02 will suffice.

Small to Medium-Sized Offices: 4-bay scalability

If you expect an increase in employees or data volume, a 4-bay model like the QNAP TS-464, Buffalo TeraStation TS3420DN, or Synology DS925+/G is a safe choice.

Full-scale Medium-Sized Office Operations: Synology DS925+/G

If you require virtual environment construction, access from multiple locations, or more advanced management features, the DS925+/G, which can expand up to 15 bays with expansion units, is a viable option.

Prioritizing Domestic Support: I-O DATA or Buffalo

If you want to handle inquiries and support for failures entirely within the country, products from domestic manufacturers like I-O DATA and Buffalo provide peace of mind.

Equipment to Pair with a NAS

Uninterruptible Power Supply (Power Outage Countermeasures)

• [APC Smart-UPS SMT1500J E]: The gold standard for business UPS

• [Complete Guide to NAS Uninterruptible Power Supply]: How to set up UPS integration

Communication Equipment

• [Aterm 19000T12BE]: 10Gbps × Wi-Fi 7

• [ASUS ZenWiFi BT8]: Wi-Fi 7 Mesh

Workstation

• [AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D]: 16-Core Creative Work

• [DELL UltraSharp U4025QW]: 5K2K Curved Monitor

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. Should I choose a 2-bay or 4-bay model?
A. A 2-bay model is sufficient for sole proprietors and SOHOs with low data volume and no expected future growth. A 4-bay model is safer for small to medium-sized offices expecting an increase in staff and data volume.

Q2. How should I think about RAID configuration?
A. For 2-bay models, mirroring (RAID 1) is commonly used to ensure redundancy. For 4-bay models or higher, RAID 5 or RAID 6 allows for a balance between capacity efficiency and redundancy. Please refer to each manufacturer's official configuration guide for details.

Q3. Which is better, Synology or QNAP?
A. Synology's DSM and QNAP's QTS each have their own unique OS and management interface. If you prioritize scalability and virtualization features, the Synology DS925+/G is a candidate; if you prioritize versatility and cost-effectiveness, the QNAP TS-464 is a candidate.

Q4. What are the benefits of choosing domestic manufacturers (I-O DATA, Buffalo)?
A. A major benefit is that support during a failure can be handled entirely within the country. While overseas manufacturer products also offer support via domestic distributors, domestic manufacturers provide peace of mind for businesses concerned about response speed and language barriers.

Q5. Is an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) connection necessary for a NAS?
A. Yes, it is necessary. To avoid the risk of RAID corruption or data loss due to sudden power outages, a UPS connection is recommended for business NAS units.

Q6. Which models allow for increasing the number of bays with an expansion unit?
A. The Synology DS925+/G can be expanded to a maximum of 15 bays by purchasing an additional expansion unit. It is a strong choice as a long-term investment in preparation for future data growth.

Q7. Is the speed of the LAN port important?
A. Yes, it is important. If it supports a LAN port of 2.5GbE or higher, you can reduce bottlenecks during simultaneous access from multiple devices. The QNAP TS-464 and Synology DS925+/G support 2.5GbE.

Q8. Should I buy new instead of used?
A. We strongly recommend buying new. Used NAS units with unknown HDD/SSD degradation levels lack the reliability required for devices storing business data. With a new unit, the manufacturer's warranty is guaranteed to be valid.

Summary | The Essence of Choosing a NAS is Matching Business Scale with Bay Count

The essence of choosing a business NAS is organizing the four decision criteria—bay count, CPU, memory, LAN port, and warranty period—according to your business scale, data volume, and expansion plans.

For sole proprietors and SOHOs, 2-bay models like the DS224+ or HDL2-LV02 are candidates; for small to medium-sized offices, 4-bay models like the TS-464 or TeraStation TS3420DN are candidates; and for those seeking full-scale scalability, the DS925+/G is a candidate. If you prioritize domestic support, I-O DATA and Buffalo offer peace of mind.

As business infrastructure equipment is intended for medium- to long-term use, we recommend comparing options rather than making an immediate decision. By first saving items to your Amazon cart, you can check for fluctuations in stock availability while reconfirming whether they are truly necessary for your business scale, data volume, and expansion plans.

▼ Save to your cart first and take your time to compare

For more detailed explanations, please also see the individual evaluation articles for each model.