How a NAS Revolutionized Our YouTube Workflow — And How It Can Help You Too

In the six years that I’ve been running this channel, one piece of technology has completely transformed how we operate — our Network Attached Storage (NAS). It’s not just a convenience; it’s a game-changer that made our video production faster, our workflow smoother, and allowed seamless collaboration with team members across the globe.

Whether you’re thinking about buying a NAS or simply looking to improve how your team works together, this blog post will walk you through everything we’ve learned — from setup to performance, to networking, and beyond.

📼 Life Before the NAS

Let’s rewind about a year and a half — back when I had just quit my day job to go full-time on YouTube.

Our team was growing, but our workflow was clunky. Each video project lived on our laptops — often 300GB per video, with multiple projects in progress at once. Even with fast internet, downloading files from Dropbox to work locally was a pain. Dropbox acted as both our cloud storage and short-term backup, but it couldn’t solve the real bottlenecks.

We had a vast B-roll library, too large for internal laptop drives, also stored on Dropbox. Every time we searched for clips or switched to a new editing laptop (we often review the laptops we edit on), we had to re-download everything again. This was frustrating, time-consuming, and inefficient.

🚀 After the NAS — A Total Workflow Upgrade

Fortunately, I had already bought a NAS (mostly because I thought it was cool tech 😅). Initially, I used it just for backup, assuming it would be too slow for direct editing. Boy, was I wrong.

We use Synology NAS, and the setup was seamless. The software is user-friendly, the drives install without tools, and the CloudSync app integrated perfectly with Dropbox.

We plugged our laptops into the NAS via Ethernet, and just like that — we were editing straight off the NAS. No lag, no delays, just streamlined video production. It even improved remote collaboration. For instance, our UK-based editor syncs to Dropbox overnight, and by morning in Arizona, the files are already up to date on the NAS.

💾 SSD vs HDD: What Should You Use?

When configuring your NAS, you’ll need to decide between SSDs, HDDs, or a mix:

  • HDDs (Hard Drives): Cheaper and larger in capacity but slower and noisier.

  • SSDs (Solid State Drives): Faster and silent but expensive and lower in capacity.

We started with a 6-bay SSD-only NAS for silence in our NYC apartment, using Samsung 870 QVO 8TB SSDs. If I were doing it again, I’d probably go with Western Digital Red 4TB SSDs, which are NAS-optimized.

In our new office, where noise isn’t a concern, we went for a hybrid setup: an 8-bay NAS with HDDs and two SSDs for caching. This gives us the speed benefits of SSDs while keeping storage costs down.

🌐 Network Speeds: 1GbE, 2.5GbE, or 10GbE?

Your NAS is only as fast as your network. Here’s what we found in real-world testing:

  • 1GbE (Gigabit Ethernet): Surprisingly, this was sufficient for most 4K H.264 editing. We didn’t see big performance gains by stepping up unless rendering large files.

  • 2.5GbE: Offers better performance, especially for rendering.

  • 10GbE: Best for heavy workloads, especially if you're layering multiple 4K/8K streams.

⚠️ Rendering showed the biggest gains with faster connections. Editing, not as much. A smart trick? Render locally to your laptop and copy back to the NAS afterward.

🛠️ Networking Equipment: What You Need to Know

Setting up 10GbE isn’t always smooth sailing:

  • Laptops usually only have 2.5GbE max; for 10GbE, you’ll need adapters, which are bulky, expensive, and prone to overheating.

  • Switches: Consumer-grade 10GbE switches often overheat or have noisy fans. Ours is on a laptop cooling pad at home just to keep it stable.

Ethernet Cables: Cat 5e, Cat 6, or Cat 6A?

  • Cat 5e: Technically supports 1Gbps, but in short distances, we hit close to 10Gbps.

  • Cat 6: Ideal choice — supports 10Gbps up to 100 ft.

  • Cat 6A: Future-proofed, supports longer distances but harder to install.

Our office is wired with Cat 5e, and even that mostly delivered 10Gbps speeds reliably — just not always.

📊 Performance Testing

We used Blackmagic Speed Test to compare write/read speeds across different NAS configurations and networking setups.

Key takeaways:

  • SSD NAS + Short Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable = Fastest performance.

  • Hybrid NAS (HDD + SSD cache) = Respectable, but slower than all-SSD setups.

  • Read speeds were almost always maxed out. Write speeds varied more based on NAS setup and cable length.

A little tech note: To saturate a 1GB/s write speed, you’ll need over 8Gbps of network bandwidth (thanks to overhead). For 2.5GB/s writes (like our SSD NAS), you need at least 20Gbps — which is why cable choice matters.

🧠 Why We Chose Synology

Some people see Synology as overpriced compared to DIY NAS builds, and yes, their branded drives are pricey.

But here’s the value:

  • One ecosystem — one support channel for hardware, software, and drives.

  • Ease of use — super user-friendly setup and management.

  • SMB3 support — allows link aggregation for higher transfer speeds.

  • Drive Share — lets us sync files directly between NAS units, replacing Dropbox. We’ve saved over $1,100/year by switching.

We’ve now set up a third NAS in the UK and are fully transitioning off Dropbox.

✅ Final Recommendations

Here’s what we’d suggest based on our experience:

  • Cable choice: Run Cat 6, not 6A unless your space is massive.

  • Network speed: Stick with 2.5GbE for now unless you’re an enthusiast or have the budget/setup for 10GbE.

  • NAS config:

    • Go SSD-only if silence and speed matter most.

    • Use a hybrid setup for a balance of speed and storage.

  • Already wired with Cat 5e? Don’t worry. It works fine most of the time — not worth replacing unless you have major issues.

  • Synology: Worth the premium if you want simplicity, reliability, and long-term savings.