Cyber Monday is the ideal time to pick up a home server, with several network attached storage (NAS) models on sale at the moment. A NAS server lets you back and up store photos and videos from all the devices on your home network, and you can easily collate your media collection in a single location.
A good use case for a NAS is media streaming, and this is where Plex comes in handy. The service allows you to stream your locally-stored videos across all devices on your Wi-Fi network, and it has an exhaustive feature-set in this area.
If you're looking to get started with a NAS for Plex media streaming, my suggestion would be the DiskStation DS220+. This is a 2-bay NAS server with powerful hardware, and you get Plex hardware transcoding and an incredible suite of software features aimed at seamlessly backing up photos and videos from your phones and other devices.
The DiskStation DS220+ retailed two years ago for $299, and it is currently down to $239. Having used over two dozen NAS servers over the course of the last six years, I have a good understanding of the storage server industry, and the DS220+ is a good starter NAS for the robust hardware combined with the sheer number of software features. If you're just thinking of getting started with a home server, this is a great first choice.
If you want a home server mostly for Plex media streaming, you should go with the DiskStation DS220+. It does a brilliant job with direct play and also handles transcodes relatively well, and it is a great all-round server. The DS220j is a good starting point if you want to see what sort of software features you get with a home server.
