NAS help!!!

[Timaphillips]

Our small business is looking for a faster and more efficient/safer way of storing company files through the network. We currently have a USB external drive connected to a work group computer and share through that. We have some issues with it being slow on certain computers do to firewall settings, etc. It gets extremely complicated to clone settings across the network for individual computers. I've been looking into Network Attached Storage (NAS) solutions for a few months on and off now but can't commit yet. I need to know that this will be a faster way to access files from any computer on the network. RAID compatibility and upload/download speed is a must.

On a side not, can separate computers view the same file at once on the NAS device? Just curious.

 

[techpro5238]

Well, after reading this probably what would be better is just buy a Windows File Sharing Server. Its not price wise better but it will do a lot more for you. The costs that come in are licensing and the actual price of that server, plus the upgrade of all Operating Systems to Windows XP Professional. It would be a big change but it seems like you guys need an IT guy to help you out with this. Sadly, I work with client computers and not Servers so your out of luck on me :laughing:

 

[Osiris]

Server 2003 Standard Edition R2 SP2
I wouldnt buy a NAS unless you have a crap load of files, size wise.
Just buy yourself an HP DL380 G3 or G4, (EBAY) which are SCSI and 10,000 or 15,000 RPM drives, 72.8GB or larger, setup 1 logical drive as raid 0, then another logical drive and combine them all as raid 5. Might as well fill up all 6 slots, one should be used as a spare should a drive fail, but thats your choice. Then share the folder out once you connect it to the domain/workgroup with all the permissions, etc

Speeds, well that all depends on your network speed.

Users accessing the same file at one time usually will result in a read only copy for any user opening the same file after the first user opens it.