Question Building My First Home Media Server – - what hardware should I get ?

[Dave-H]

Hi all, I’m looking to set up a media server at home and need help figuring out what hardware I’ll need. I’d like to stream movies, music, and possibly back up some files. What are the essential components I should be looking for (NAS storage, network switches, etc.), and are there any budget-friendly recommendations? I do not want to stream anything but keep it local. Thanks in advance!

 

[USAFRet]

Hi all, I’m looking to set up a media server at home and need help figuring out what hardware I’ll need. I’d like to stream movies, music, and possibly back up some files. What are the essential components I should be looking for (NAS storage, network switches, etc.), and are there any budget-friendly recommendations? I do not want to stream anything but keep it local. Thanks in advance!

This really really does not need to be "powerful".

What hardware might you already have laying around?

 

[Dave-H]

This really really does not need to be "powerful".

What hardware might you already have laying around?

I'm in the middle of putting together a NAS with an ASRock H97M Pro 4, Intel Core i5-4590S, 32GB Ram. Leaning toward Unraid and Plex

 

[USAFRet]

I'm in the middle of putting together a NAS with an ASRock H97M Pro 4, Intel Core i5-4590S, 32GB Ram. Leaning toward Unraid and Plex

So all you need is hard drives of appropriate capacity

 

[Dave-H]

So all you need is hard drives of appropriate capacity

Yes, this is where I need help with... The network portions..

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, this is where I need help with... The network portions..

The "network" is already handled by the ethernet port on the motherboard.

You just need appropriate storage, either internal or external.

 

[Dave-H]

The "network" is already handled by the ethernet port on the motherboard.

You just need appropriate storage, either internal or external.

How do I connect my media server to our home network? I’m looking to understand what specific hardware I need (like network switches, cables, router types, etc.) to make sure everything works smoothly. Any advice for both wired and wireless setups would be appreciated!

 

[USAFRet]

How do I connect my media server to our home network? I’m looking to understand what specific hardware I need (like network switches, cables, router types, etc.) to make sure everything works smoothly. Any advice for both wired and wireless setups would be appreciated!

Simple Cat5e cable from the ethernet port on the system, to an ethernet port in your main router.

The router handles and wireless issues.

Switches? That is totally dependent on the setup in your house.

 

[SkyNetRising]

How do I connect my media server to our home network?
I’m looking to understand what specific hardware I need (like network switches, cables, router types, etc.) to make sure everything works smoothly.

If you have a network, then you already have all the hardware - router/switch(switches)/cables.

You just need a single additional ethernet cable to connect your media server to the network.
Connect it to switch or router lan port.