Connect external HDD to Router vs NAS

[rinorobert]

Are there any disadvantages to connecting a 4TB external desktop hdd to my router which can then be accessed throughout the network versus purchasing a NAS? If I were to do this, it would stay connected to the router long term and be used for backups of my laptop.

 

[friedpiggy]

Pity nobody replied to this as I am also curious about going this route as it would mean no additional purchases are needed.

 

[InvisibleJim]

Off the top of my head, depending on what's important to you:
What network sharing capability does your router have? Is the access control/security adequate?
Proper NAS eg. QNAP, Synology etc has a lot more functionality than just sharing
No redundant RAID - 4TB is a lot of data to lose if your drive fails
Specfication of USB drive may not be as suitable for the use case as a drive dedicated for NAS use (eg WD Caviar Red) and possibly more prone to failure

 

[lkswan747]

If you want to share files and not worried about speed, then you can run an external disk on the router (model specific) There may be a maximum disk size that the router supports so look out for that. As mentioned before in a post, NAS has far more functionality and is ideal for network sharing, data security etc. It also comes at a premium.