This may be the most well-known type of router with a built-in hard drive, but there are many similar routers available to those not interested in Apple products, too.Įditor’s Note: At the How-To Geek office we use (and recommend) the 3TB AirPort Time Capsule to backup our Macs and the 802.11ac Wi-Fi access is blazing fast everywhere. These devices function as your typical network router, but they also have all that fancy NAS server software and a built-in hard drive so you can get a NAS without adding yet another device to your household.įor Apple users, Apple’s AirPort Time Capsule is a wireless router with built-in network storage that Macs can easily back up to and use for network file-sharing. Rather than getting a dedicated NAS device and tacking it on to all your other devices, you can actually buy higher-end Wi-Fi routers that come with built-in hard drives. RELATED: The Best NAS (Network Attached Storage) Devices of 2023 Many types of back-up software can back up directly to the network storage. You can then access the files using a variety of different applications and even run different bits of software on the NAS itself, such as media-server solutions for streaming media and BitTorrent clients for downloading directly on the device. Generally, such devices can be controlled via a web interface, like your router can be. They’re all-in-one solutions so you can just grab a box, plug it in, and start using it.

Essentially, these devices have built-in hard drives and some basic server software that can connect to your Wi-Fi or wired network and provide a NAS file server.

Alternatively, you can just read our guide to buying the best NAS device. Head to a website like Amazon and perform a search for “NAS” and you’ll find a bunch of devices marketed as a home file or media servers. The most obvious - though not necessarily best - way to get a NAS is just to buy a pre-made, ready-to-use NAS device.

Best nas for home website