I recently answered a question on the Intuit forums concerning whether QuickBooks can
be used with a network attached storage (NAS) device so that multiple users can have
simultaneous access to the data file. Here is my answer:
You can probably access the NAS QuickBooks file one at a time, but there are specific
setup requirements for a networked QuickBooks installation with shared simultaneous
access. Peer-to-peer and client-server installations both require a host computer
with QuickBooks installed. Most NAS hardware systems are not capable of running the
QuickBooks software independently as a host.
To read more about networking QuickBooks for simultaneous multi-user access, open
QuickBooks Help, search for "network QuickBooks," and read all relevant topics thoroughly.
Update 2011.0705
A reader recently responded to this article emphasizing that QuickBooks data should reside
on the same physical drive as the hosting computer to minimize the chance for data errors.
This is a very good point, and applies whether the network is in a peer-to-peer or
dedicated server/client environment.
Perhaps I should have been clearer on the point that using a NAS with QuickBooks is not
advisable for the reason just stated, but the focus of the original poster's (OP's) question
concerned mult-user access, rather than network access alone. It was in this context that I
answered the question. As I noted in my original answer,
network installations
“...require a host computer with QuickBooks installed. Most NAS hardware systems are not
capable of running the QuickBooks software independently as a host.” (emphasis added)
This portion of my answer goes to the crux of the OP’s question.
If the NAS can't run
the QuickBooks software, it can't function as a host for multi-user access.
