Anyone care to share their NAS experience Like buffalo or WD type nas

After trying to get my computers to see each other I am wondering how reliable a NAS is ? If I can not get my comptuers to show up with smb direct relabley then who does a NAS make it work ? is there something about freenass or other nas that is different than peer to peer networking ? I have been for the last 3 days been trying to make 2 computers see each other and they just wont. I am starting to believe a person has to shell out the funds for a server or plan on using sneekernet. I bet linux computers see each other on the network no matter what.

@pparks1 - see this: Why doesn't this computer Show up when I try to share to it ?

we have large files. 500meg pbs files at times Or and many 120 meg files for large format printouts. We want fast access to these files.
One solution ins a 10gigbit pipe 10 100 1000 and then 10000 bits per second. I see they make some switches that have a 10gigbit Ethernet. I have been looking at that for a time now.

We can put everything on a nas and then use syncback pro version and then use the nas as the MAIN STORAGE and then have the working folders sync back and forth.
OR
like in my situation I have a 4T ssd that I share so I have fast access on one system but the other systems its cumbersome to open many of the files. I make folders with links on them and then when I try to use those links on a different system they do not work anymore. Thats a hurdle. Having centralized files is a must even if they are "mirrored" for faster access. Its just Kayotic to keep up and keep organized and I am trying to think up of ways to be better organized.

I am seeking methods to deal with many large files.