Multiple use NAS/Server solution

[Tettryn]

Hi guys,

Pretty sure I might be asking for a bit much from one device..

I definitely need some form of network storage. Been switching between the idea of something custom built, and a synology unit.

At the lowest level I want something I can run plex off of, and access drives through a network. Ideally I'd also like to run a mqtt server, a torrent client with a Web ui/daemon, some stuff like chat/voip bots, and simple game servers for crap like Terraria or Starboard.

I guess what I want, is something in my house that I can have chugging away in the background and go "Oh hey, I can have this run on that" when I need to.

My question/questions are...

How release realistic is it to think I can have one computer do what's listed above and possibly more?

How good are the synology units? I have no idea what they're like, are they something I could run deluge off of? Could I run a bash script?

I've written a fair bit, but if something could help me out here I'd massively appreciate it! Even if it's just a simple "Synology is good for that" or synology would only work for network storage and plex"

Thanks a lot!

 

[COLGeek]

You can certainly do what you are proposing with a FreeNAS/Linux based home server. The capability (in terms of hardware performance) depends on how many of these functions you want to perform at any given time, as well as the relative size of your Internet connection.

How much/little are you wanting to spend on this server? Do you have any PC parts/systems that can be recycled for this effort or do you need a complete system?

 

[Tettryn]

Budget would be anywhere up to £400 I suppose. I've got a 3rd gen i5 and a 7970 (Don't imagine a gpu would be much use here though?) in my current pc, which will be getting an upgrade soon. So I could reuse those.

 

[COLGeek]

An i5 based rig could be a worthy home based server. I would suggest this. Go over to the Systems section of the forum and post a thread soliciting input for a £400 server build. Point out the model if i5 you have (to get the right motherboard socket type).

For a server, you don't need to worry about overclocking, you want cool and stable. The GPU (if you aren't going to keep using in your main rig, sell it to help finance the server build). Heck, you don't even "need" a keyboard, monitor, mouse. You can use the ones you have now to configure the server and then access it remotely afterward.

See here for pointers: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/353572-31-build-upgrade-advice

Good luck.