First off I am a newbie to this so I want to know if I am making the right choice. I want to share work files in my home and want them to be readily available 24/7. I don't want to run a file server just for this to save on energy. I believe I need a NAS but I am not sure. How does NAS work? Do I point my Windows Explorer to a particular IP and I can access the files? Do I need to join a Home Group or install software? My configurations -
1. All client machines run Windows 7 but I don't want the computers to join a home group if possible
2. I don't really want to install software on the clients unless I absolutely have to
3. SSDs compatible, if not I can use an adapter for the NAS
4. I saw some features of some NAS where the files can be accessed from the Internet. Is this safe? Do I need to open up certain ports on my router?
Is NAS the right way to do this? Any recommendation of the brand/model?
Thanks in advance.