Guide to Adding and Managing Multiple NAS Devices
How to Set Up and Add More Than One NAS Device to a Network
Many businesses and advanced users reach a point where they need more than one NAS as their data grows. Adding a second or even third NAS device lets businesses separate workloads, make their systems more redundant, and add more storage space without having to change anything else. This guide shows you how to add and set up more than one NAS device on a single network. It focuses on strategies for remote access, routing, and synchronization.
Why do you need more than one NAS device?
There are clear operational benefits to running more than one NAS device. You can use one system for primary storage and another for backups, archiving data, or disaster recovery. A secondary NAS can help branch offices or remote users in distributed teams while keeping control centralized.
Having more than one NAS setup also makes things more stable. Data is still available on other devices if one of them has problems. This method helps businesses grow by allowing them to scale up gradually without having to completely change their infrastructure.
Planning a network and setting up IP
It is important to plan your network properly before adding a second NAS. Each NAS needs its own IP address, which is best done through DHCP reservation or static configuration. This keeps things from getting messed up and makes sure that services, backups, and remote connections can always be accessed.
For easy setups, both devices should be on the same subnet. VLANs can be used to split up traffic for performance or security reasons in more complicated settings. Also important are enough switching capacity and reliable cabling, especially when more than one person is using the same data at the same time.
Things to think about for remote access and routing
Having more than one NAS device makes remote access more difficult, but it can be done easily with the right routing. Only the services that each NAS needs should be open, and the firewall must be set up correctly so that there are no conflicts.
VPN-based connectivity is highly recommended for safe access. A site-to-site VPN lets two NAS systems in different places talk to each other as if they were on the same local network. This method makes synchronization, replication, and management easier while also making the system less accessible to the public internet.
Centralized authentication and consistent permission structures help keep things safe and easy to use when people need to access things from afar.
Strategies for syncing and copying data
One of the most common reasons people get a second NAS is to sync their data. Depending on what you need, syncing can go one way or both ways. For backups and disaster recovery, one-way replication is best. For working together across locations, bidirectional sync is best.
It’s important to plan ahead. To cut down on network congestion, sync jobs should be done when there aren’t many people using the network. You should also turn on versioning so that you can get files back if they are overwritten or damaged.
Snapshot-based replication adds an extra layer of protection for important data by letting you recover it from a specific point in time if it is lost or stolen by ransomware.
Keeping an eye on, fixing, and growing
Once several NAS devices are up and running, it’s important to keep an eye on them. You should check the health of your disks, the amount of storage space you have, the speed of your network, and the status of your sync on a regular basis. Alerts should be set up to let administrators know when something goes wrong or when capacity limits are reached.
As storage needs grow, you can add more NAS devices using the same framework. A modular approach keeps infrastructure flexible and doesn’t require big investments up front.
Multi-NAS Solutions Based on Synology
Synology NAS platforms are well suited for multi-device environments due to their unified management tools and built-in replication features. Administrators can set up secure remote access, automated backups, snapshot replication, and synchronized folders across multiple systems with DiskStation Manager.
Synology solutions can be used on-site or in different locations, making them perfect for businesses with branch offices or hybrid workflows. When set up correctly, multiple Synology NAS devices work together as a single storage system instead of separate ones.
A Little Bit About Epis Technology
For businesses that have to deal with complicated storage environments, Epis Technology offers enterprise IT infrastructure, Synology consulting, and data protection services. The company helps businesses plan their networks, set up remote access, back up their data, and improve performance for multi-NAS architectures. Epis Technology also backs up Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, builds large-scale storage systems, and fully manages PC backups to make sure that IT operations are safe, flexible, and reliable.