Right now I have at home a truly ghetto NAS solution. It's nothing more than a [rPi4](https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/) plugged into a 6TB USB drive running [OMV](https://www.openmediavault.org/). No fail over, no redundancy, nothing but a single slab of spinning rust. As bare bones basic as it get and a true seat of the pants set up, if the drive fails, my data is lost. 

Yet it works, it exposes the data via [NFS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_File_System) to all my clients and that's all I really need.  And I have to say OMV is a excellent solution, with an elegant and intuitive interface. Equally it's very extensible. I could well buy some more external drives set up a software RAID and call it done.

Yet I am a father now, after my family the most precious thing to me is time, making me little hesitant to level up up my OMV skills. Equally if I'm to spend money on a better local storage I really should invest in NAS calibre drives, and if your dropping that kind of cash you might as well invest in dedicated hardware too.

At the top end of enthusiast level devices you can't go wrong with [Synology](https://www.synology.com/). The Apple of NAS tech, with class leading software and solid hardware. Their [DS420+](https://www.synology.com/en-us/products/DS420+) unit is a great little box, yet this is much more than mere storage. This is a capable local server with the capacity to run docker as well as a host of other services. 

That said the ridiculously entitled [Nimbustor 4](https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asustor-as5304t-nimbustor-performance-4-bay-personal-cloud-storage-nas-hd-048-as.html) from Asustor (Yes this is an ASUS sister company) offers superior network connectivity (2x2.5Gbx vs 2x1Gbe) and double the RAM for about the same price. While the sofware proposition might not be quiet as polished it nears parity on features. 

All of which is rather cool, the idea of playing about with either of these little powehouses appeals. Yet with both the [DS420+](https://www.scan.co.uk/products/4-bay-synology-diskstation-ds420plus-desktop-nas-intel-celeron-j4025-dual-core-2gb-ddr4-25-35-sata-g) and the [Nimbuster 4](https://www.overclockers.co.uk/asustor-as5304t-nimbustor-performance-4-bay-personal-cloud-storage-nas-hd-048-as.html) coming in at the lions share of .5k these ain't cheap by any means. You really need to ask yourself, do you need this extra functionality or merely want it?

What I need is a reliable RAID box, as generally I leave the smart services to my clients. Leading me to look at the more budget friendly end of the spectrum, and here the competition is a little more fierce, with interesting propositions from [Synology](https://www.synology.com/), [qNAP](https://www.qnap.com/en-uk), [Terramaster](https://www.terra-master.com/uk/) and of course [Asustor](https://www.asustor.com/). 

At the time of writing it's Asustor again with the better box, with the slightly better named [drivestor 4 pro](https://www.asustor.com/en-gb/product?p_id=73) which features all the RAID features of the above at [half the price](https://www.box.co.uk/AS1104T-Asustor-Drivestor-4-AS1104T-4-Bay-NAS-N_3833563.html). 

There are of course concessions here, gone are the x86 Intel CPUs featured on the premium models, a 4 core ARM [SOC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_on_a_chip) in it's place. The same SOC (Realtek RTD1296) which can be found on the budget entrants from all the main players in fact. Also while all budget boxes only have a single NIC, this is the only one to support 2.5Gbe.

All that said while this SOC is clearly popular, it can dated back to [2017/2018](https://www.cnx-software.com/2017/06/07/realtek-rtd1296-stbmedia-nas-soc-coming-soon-with-dual-ethernet-dual-sata-hdmi-2-0-input-and-output/), and [benchmarks suggest](https://www.guru3d.com/articles-pages/asustor-drivestor-4-pro-(as3304t)-nas-review,13.html) it can't quite saturate the 2.5Gbe port. Also, something irks me about buying device with an SOC from 20018 in 2021.

So here's my gamble. As this SOC is found across most budget NAS', and as is showing it's age I am willing to rely on my ghetto NAS a little longer. At some point - hopefully soon - we'll see a refreshed budget range from one or more of the big players. If they happen to be rocking a more contemporary SOC, I'll click the buy button.


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A quick dip into LAN storage

Took me 8 months, a few rounds of of npm updates and just a bit of bug fixing to finally return... What now I wonder?

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Well that took a while

Here we return to the arbitrary checkpoint on our solar cycle. Though it's no surprise to find a festive season breaking up the darkest, most barren section of the orbit. Regardless here we are once more collectively deciding that all is passed is now old, and all there is to come is new again. 

As ever this affords reflection on the previous jaunt around sol, and what a jaunt it was. This pandemic will loom large in our collective imagination well after all involved have ceased to be, As for me this was also the year I became a father, and all else pails.

While ordinarily loathed to make resolutions, must less ([as Gramsci put it)](https://viewpointmag.com/2015/01/01/i-hate-new-years-day/) morn my irresolutions, my boy will grow with each day this year, and I intend to do so too.

I have no idea what I'm doing...