The bar for a NAS can be lower than the ultra-expensive hardware it usually requires. Sometimes, it can be as simple as a hard drive or a DAS plugged into a Wi-Fi router via its USB port.

Cloud storage can get costly, so an alternative for many people is to just grab any important memories and store them in a hard drive to revisit in the future.

NASes are not for everyone. They can be expensive, and oftentimes, they provide features that, frankly, a lot of people don't need. A NAS is what you get when you want your own cloud storage of sorts, but if you don't need the cloud part, a DAS can be a better option.

Just 10 years ago, thumb drives were commonplace everywhere. You probably carried one around in your keys, or you had one in your backpack. Things have changed a lot, though.

I had a horrible habit that I've worked really hard to get rid of. I used my "Downloads" storage as a disorganized bin of important and non-important files—and it bit me in the rear when I mistakenly deleted some very important files when I tried flushing the several-gigabyte-sized folder.

If you have a big house, or if you just have thick walls, a mesh network is a really good way to make your network reach every corner of your home. But you'd be surprised by how many people mess up the installation.