A NAS device (Network-Attached Storage) is typically a grouping of disks that are designed to be accessible from the local network and in some cases over the Internet. Although a NAS is designed mainly for backup and for sharing files on a local network, they are becoming more popular for sharing photos, streaming music, video and much more.

Many businesses (and now many homes) have a variety of files to store and share. There is also a desire to have only certain files be accessible by certain users by setting different permissions. This way, each employee or family member can access their files, and also access common files like music and videos.

The ability to simplify all of these tasks and offering a reliable storage area is where a NAS shines. As homes and businesses rely more and more on digital media, a NAS is needed more than ever. This is due to the rapid growth of such things as home networking, DVD's, digital photos, digital music and sharing files on the Internet.

Many different types of NAS systems are available to both homes and small businesses. needing reliable storage and there is an increasing need for more storage at home. Due to this increase in growth in home networking, many NAS devices are now readily available for the home and small business. Some examples of NAS devices are the HP MediaSmart Server, Linksys NAS200, Netgear/Infrant ReadyNAS, HP MediaVault, Buffalo Linkstation, Synology and many others.

Using a NAS is easy; it's as simple as powering it on, plugging it into the network and setting it up on a bookshelf or in a corner somewhere. One the NAS is setup and configured you can add the photos, videos, music and other files you wish to backup/share. Accessing the NAS is also very easy since it's typically maintained using a standard web browser.

Users can connect to the NAS and store important documents, photos, movies, music and more. Once on the NAS, these files are not only now available for sharing (depending on permissions you provide) but they are also backup up and protected by the NAS depending on the configuration you select. Many NAS devices now include the ability to use RAID (data storage spanned over multiple disks) which provides increased data protection or increased read/write/transfer speeds or both.

Many home and small business networks are assigned with a Dynamic IP address that can change at anytime. In order to have your NAS available to you and other users over the Internet, you need a reliable way of reaching it if the IP address changes on your network. TZO.COM DDNS (Dynamic DNS) is the simple solution to this common problem.

The TZO system provides you with a domain name to use that keep track of your Dynamic IP address - we also work on static IP's. The TZO DDNS software (running on your PC or router on in the NAS) tracks your IP address as it changes and updates the domain name immediately. This allows you and your users to connect to the NAS over the Internet from anywhere using this domain name instead of an IP address that's always changing!

Many of the newer NAS devices now integrate Dynamic DNS services from TZO. Some examples of NAS products that have TZO integrated are the HP MediaSmart Server and the Linksys NAS200. Having DDNS integrated into the NAS device gives you the flexibility of not having to install TZO DDNS software on a computer that stays up and running.

Quick Steps on using TZO DDNS with your NAS setup if TZO is not integrated:

Step 1) Get your NAS powered up, configured and connected to your Network. Make sure the NAS is accessible and is working according to the install guide. This means you should be able to connect to the NAS to store and retrieve files, browse the files (documents, files, pictures, music, videos, etc) using the Internal IP address of the NAS.


Step 2) Configure your router or firewall to open the proper ports.
You need to open the proper ports in your router in order to connect remotely to your NAS.
Most NAS devices have a built in web server that listens on port 80 and an FTP server that listens on port 21. You should forward port 80 and any other ports you require to the STATIC LAN IP address of your NAS


Step 3) Determine how you wish to run TZO.
You can run TZO on your NAS, in your Router or on any PC on your network

• DDNS Option #1 - Running TZO in your NAS directly. Do you have a NAS device that you can run TZO on?
  
  HP MediaSmart Server – Visit the HP Website – Includes one year of TZO DDNS FREE! Review the TZO Tutorial on using the MediaSmart Server with TZO DDNS
  
  Linksys NAS200 – Visit the Linksys Website – Includes one year of TZO DDNS FREE! Review the TZO Tutorial on using the Linksys NAS200 with TZO DDNS
  
  Windows Home Server – If you have a device based on Windows Home Server, you can run TZO Lite software directly on the server. Download HERE
  
  
  
• DDNS Option #2 - Running TZO On a PC.
  Download and install TZO software on any PC or server that resides on the same network.
  
  
  
• DDNS Option #3 - Running TZO in a router?
  You can Run TZO in your router or firewall that includes the TZO DDNS software such as some Linksys, NetGear, SMC, D-Link or other devices on our Certified device list .
  

Step 4) Once you get TZO DDNS setup with your TZO domain name you selected, you can then use this domain name to connect to your NAS from the Internet. It's very important that if you are running the TZO software on a PC, that you keep the software running at all times. If you use a TZO compatible router, the router will update the domain name when the IP changes on the router.


That's it! Its as simple as using the TZO DOMAIN NAME (Example: YourNAS.tzo.net) to connect to the NAS remotely instead of using an IP address that's always changing. The TZO domain name NEVER changes, and you will always continue to use the same domain name whenever you or your clients want to connect to the NAS at that location.

Why wait? Get started with TZO today!

* TIP: Check out our extensive list of tutorials on popular Routers, Servers, NAS devices, Appliances, Cams and more. These tutorials will assist you in getting your NAS installed and running using TZO DDNS