Building Your First NAS: A Homelab Essential

A Network Attached Storage (NAS) is the heart of any good homelab. It's a central repository for your files, backups, and media, accessible from any device on your network. Building your own is a rewarding project that offers more power and flexibility than off-the-shelf solutions.

Hardware Considerations

You don't need a supercomputer. For a basic file and media server, consider:

• Chassis: A case with plenty of hard drive bays is crucial. The Fractal Design Node 304 or Node 804 are popular choices.
• CPU/Motherboard: A modern Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 is more than enough. Look for a motherboard with plenty of SATA ports.
• RAM: 8GB is a good start, but 16GB is better, especially if you plan to use ZFS. Use ECC RAM for added data integrity if your platform supports it.
• Hard Drives: Start with at least two drives for redundancy. NAS-specific drives like WD Red or Seagate IronWolf are designed for 24/7 operation.

Software: TrueNAS vs. Unraid

The two main contenders for home NAS operating systems are TrueNAS and Unraid.

TrueNAS CORE/SCALE: It's free, open-source, and built on the rock-solid ZFS filesystem. ZFS provides excellent data protection features like checksums, snapshots, and RAID-Z. However, expanding a ZFS pool can be less flexible than other solutions.

Unraid: It's a paid product but offers incredible flexibility. You can mix and match hard drives of different sizes and add new drives to your array one at a time. It also has excellent Docker and VM support through its user-friendly web interface.

Whichever you choose, a NAS will become an indispensable part of your digital life, safeguarding your data and serving your media needs.