[SOLVED] Home NAS/Server

[licant]

I'm trying to decide which will be better a prebuilt NAS, custom built NAS, or home server. I live in an apartment so I cant do the high sound server racks so it will need to be somewhat quiet. Second consideration is I would like to be able to download things directly to the NAS/Server instead of download it on my main computer then transfer it over. Finally in the past year I have filled two 4TB harddrives so I would like something maybe 12TBs with redundancy.

I currently Have a quiet base 800 computer with a gigabyte UD3P motherboard, Intel I7 5820 and 32GB ram that I could donate to the server and upgrade my current gaming rig since its getting a little old. If any of that stuff would be good for a server project.

I also built my own computer so I would be comfortable with putting a server together and getting the software running.

Oh I would also like to get it done for less then 800 dollars including the HDD. cheaper would be better but HDD can get pricey.

 

[USAFRet]

I went through this same evaluation a couple years ago.
A prebuilt NAS won, hands down.
Qnap, Synology, Thecus.

I got a 4 bay Qnap TS-453a.

In regards to your 'downloads'...I have a folder on the NAS as the default download location in my browsers.
Goes straight to that space.


But, if you already have a workable PC...might as well use that.
Just add a couple of drives and go with it. A couple of 8-10-12TB drives.
For residential use, this needs to be nothing more than a regular PC with sufficient drive space.

 

[Newtonius]

I went through this same evaluation a couple years ago.
A prebuilt NAS won, hands down.
Qnap, Synology, Thecus.

I got a 4 bay Qnap TS-453a.

In regards to your 'downloads'...I have a folder on the NAS as the default download location in my browsers.
Goes straight to that space.


But, if you already have a workable PC...might as well use that.
Just add a couple of drives and go with it. A couple of 8-10-12TB drives.
For residential use, this needs to be nothing more than a regular PC with sufficient drive space.

Pre-built servers are pretty good OP, though I'd read up on the brand you decide to buy if you do go the pre-built route, some brands have had vulnerability issues before, but mostly in Korea and Taiwan.

if you want to build your own, you could get these:

Server Chassis:
-Mid-tower style
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1179594-REG/silverstone_ds380b_mini_itx_chassis_support_4x2_5_8x3_5.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI:514&gclid=CjwKCAiA5o3vBRBUEiwA9PVzanpyrws4pnjAJmxH9bnbG2VP9A_jcPk07rTGKmZBTg3NFWmJ5x7wjxoChIsQAvD_BwE
- or server rack style
https://www.newegg.com/out-surface-painting-black-only-rosewill-rsv-l4312/p/N82E16811147316

Drive:
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16822234345?Description=wd red pro&cm_re=wd_red_pro--22-234-345--Product

SAS RAID Controller expansion card:
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16816118112?item=9SIAM4SAHV5383&source=region&nm_mc=knc-googlemkp-pc&cm_mmc=knc-googlemkp-pc-_-pla-sam+electronic+commerce-_-hard+drive+controllers+/+raid+cards-_-9SIAM4SAHV5383&gclid=CjwKCAiA5o3vBRBUEiwA9PVzasXj8QGkGUg06z7fo4fpws_12WSqCC2vECEsIMt3VLW1R-IKUG1A4RoCKw8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

And then just chuck your old pc parts in this.

As for the downloads, you can do what USAFret said, that's what I do too.
For the OS, you can just use windows and open your drives to the network, simple and easy.

 

[licant]

In regards to your 'downloads'...I have a folder on the NAS as the default download location in my browsers.
Goes straight to that space.

The reason why I wanted it to be able to do downloads itself was because sometimes I have to download for multiple hours and didnt want to have both running all the time.

 

[licant]

So both of you say prebuilt? what makes prebuilt so much better then building a custom server?

 

[USAFRet]

The reason why I wanted it to be able to do downloads itself was because sometimes I have to download for multiple hours and didnt want to have both running all the time.

If you build up a Windows PC as a house server, just start the download via that.
If, for instance, a prebuilt NAS like a QNAP, one of the built in applications, like these:

I've not tried these in my QNAP, but they exist.

NAS systems from Qnap and Synology are no longer simply a box full of drives. It is basically a whole PC, generally running some customized Linux variant.

 

[mdd1963]

If you get a pair of 12 TB drives, you effectively waste one of the drive's cost/capacity....pretty expensive with 12 TB drives still costing ~$350; and, as RAID 5 is not recommended for large drives, you really need something that supports RAID 6 where two drives' capacity is sacrificed to prevent against a data loss occurring during a rebuild after the loss of a single drive, a large and justified fear with RAID 5 and large drives.)

You can add a boot drive (the $25 each 32 GB SSDs are handy for this!) and then a trio or quartet of 6 TB drives to any leftover computer, repurposing it by installing OpenMediaVault or NethServer and be up and running, vice spending $600-800 for an empty 4-6 bay NAS and still having no viable storage until spending $600-$800 more for storage. (8-10 TB drives are reasonably priced at about $25-$30 per TB).

 

[USAFRet]

vice spending $600-800 for an empty 4-6 bay NAS and still having no viable storage until spending $600-$800 more for storage. (8-10 TB drives are reasonably priced at about $25-$30 per TB).

4 BAY Synology or Qnap, empty, for $350-$400.
8TB drives for $140 $120 each.
(Shuck the drive out of this - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CQJBSQL)

Yes, a prebuilt NAS is probably more expensive than a PC based system.
Until you include a server level OS, like Server 2016 Essentials. That's $500 right there.
Done with Win 10 Home or Pro, or any standard Linux variant would be significantly cheaper.

That said, I've had zero issues with my now 3 year old Qnap. Running 24/7.
It has justified its cost, just in basically zero maintenance.