Question Cheapest NAS server

[karski88]

Hello. I am looking for cheapest possible option to make NAS serwer. I want to buy 2TB SSD Samsung disk and some Raspberry. I have absolutely zero experience with this device.
This setup does not have to be fancy, just simple server which I can access to with my Android phone and smart tv, with using password of course. Could somebody please let me know best solution?

 

[USAFRet]

cheapest possible option to make NAS serwer

A used cast off PC. Craigslist or your local alternative.

Apart from drive space, I could probably find locally a $50-$100 system that would serve as a NAS.

Heck...I've found systems out for the trash that would serve for this. $0.

 

[karski88]

Yes used laptop is some kind of solution, but I forgot to mention as this should work 24/7, the electricity power consumption should be also possible lowest. Thats why I think about SSD and some miniPC like Raspberry which looks like dont need any fans etc. And it is small and quiet.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes used laptop is some kind of solution, but I forgot to mention as this should work 24/7, the electricity power consumption should be also possible lowest. Thats why I think about SSD and some miniPC like Raspberry which looks like dont need any fans etc. And it is small and quiet.

I know your budget is "cheapest".

Is there an actual $ number?

One of these, for $200 + whatever other drive space you need:
https://www.bee-link.com/catalog/product/index?id=343


(and no, I didn't necessarily mean 'laptop')

 

[kanewolf]

Yes used laptop is some kind of solution, but I forgot to mention as this should work 24/7, the electricity power consumption should be also possible lowest. Thats why I think about SSD and some miniPC like Raspberry which looks like dont need any fans etc. And it is small and quiet.

There is "cheapest" then there is cheapest functional. You said you have no experience with PI. Do you have Linux experience? If the answer is no, then I would recommend a commercial NAS. They just work. No muss, no fuss.

 

[BFG-9000]

Cheapest is plugging a drive into the USB port of your router. If your existing router (or AP) allows this then it is free, even if you have to install 3rd-party firmware to do so (like FreshTomato, DD-WRT or OpenWRT). The 3rd-party firmware has the advantage of using all the same standard Linux Samba or ksmbd NAS sharing software the PI would use so you could learn it there first.

Note the disadvantage of this is it is slow, but no worse than a PI which uses similarly weak CPUs. And as you already have a router running 24/7 the extra added electricity use would be nil.

 

[karski88]

Is there an actual $ number?

No specific.

Do you have Linux experience? If the answer is no, then I would recommend a commercial NAS. They just work. No muss, no fuss.

Yeah I think I will go for it as I have no experience with Linux and honestly I don't want to learn it just for this one thing.

Cheapest is plugging a drive into the USB port of your router.

That is interesting idea, but as router is not mine I would like to avoid connecting anything via USB with my personal data to it.

I found on my local craigslist an used Synology NAS DS110J for equivalent of $35 without HDD, but I have already an 1 TB WD which I think will work just fine. I also found HP StorageWorks D2D2504i Backup System Serwer NAS for $30.
All I want is to have an access to some movies which I can watch on my Samsung Galaxy connected to the NAS, sometimes check my excel files etc and do all this without any delays or loosing quality (i.e. in movies). No games streaming or transferring some huge amount of data. Will these above work for me and which one is better? Honestly DS110J looks to be more user friendly to me.

 

[kanewolf]

Honestly DS110J looks to be more user friendly to me.

This is my point. Do be aware that a DS110j is a 2010 model (the last two digits are the model year). Synology may have stopped firmware updates for that model.

 

[USAFRet]

Honestly DS110J looks to be more user friendly to me.

Yep.

A Pi based thing is great, if you want to tinker and learn.
Otherwise, a commercial NAS is great if you just want to do.


Now...one thats already 13 years old, maybe not.

 

[karski88]

Ok, now I have a better picture of the situation. Thank you Guys for your help, much appreciated.

 

[Cj-tech]

Hello. I am looking for cheapest possible option to make NAS serwer. I want to buy 2TB SSD Samsung disk and some Raspberry. I have absolutely zero experience with this device.
This setup does not have to be fancy, just simple server which I can access to with my Android phone and smart tv, with using password of course. Could somebody please let me know best solution?

I’m late to the discussion but a Raspberry Pi is definitely the way to go from my view. There are hundreds of great resources out there that can guide you step-by-step on creating a NAS. However, the Pi would be limited by two things primarily… network speed and storage speed. Having poor speeds in either of these can make it a poor project.

 

[karski88]

I’m late to the discussion but a Raspberry Pi is definitely the way to go from my view. There are hundreds of great resources out there that can guide you step-by-step on creating a NAS. However, the Pi would be limited by two things primarily… network speed and storage speed. Having poor speeds in either of these can make it a poor project.

No worries, I'm reading all answers. Thanks for yours. I still didn't decided on final solution, as I have no rush in this project. Will crosscheck the RPi solution as well.

 

[gggplaya]

1. Raspberry Pi 4 with OPENMEDIA VAULT software: https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-openmediavault/
2. Zimaboard(x86) with Unraid: https://forums.unraid.net/topic/129739-zimaboard-sbc-for-unraid-your-experience/
3. Zimaboard(x86) with OpenmediaVault: https://docs.zimaboard.com/docs/Small-body-Big-applications-OMV-First-Experience.html

Currently the Raspberry pi 4 is not a cheap solution due to the chip shortage. They're currently selling for $160 on ebay and Amazon by price gougers because raspberry pi's are also used commercially. Commercial users will pay the inflated price, including my company.

 

[BFG-9000]

I should point out that used Wifi 4 (N) or Wifi 5 (AC) routers are $5 with warranty in local computer stores around here. Repurposing a router as an access point/NAS for $5 may qualify as cheapest, but $160 for similar speed CPU in a Pi almost certainly does not. A router doesn't have to also be a Gateway for you to use it as a NAS.

Heck, if you want a primarily commandline-only experience like a Pi, just get a used router compatible with OpenWRT, and don't install the Luci GUI on it. You can get a Pi to play with later when there isn't a shortage.

 

[gggplaya]

I should point out that used Wifi 4 (N) or Wifi 5 (AC) routers are $5 with warranty in local computer stores around here. Repurposing a router as an access point/NAS for $5 may qualify as cheapest, but $160 for similar speed CPU in a Pi almost certainly does not. A router doesn't have to also be a Gateway for you to use it as a NAS.

Heck, if you want a primarily commandline-only experience like a Pi, just get a used router compatible with OpenWRT, and don't install the Luci GUI on it. You can get a Pi to play with later when there isn't a shortage.

The problem witg router NAS usb storage is the speed. The processors are typically too slow to get more than about 35MB/s unless you get an expensive router.

OpenMediaVault gives the full NAS experience where you get a webUI and can add users with credentials.