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!