Affordable, Quiet, Single User NAS: 2x4TB Support, Energy-Efficient, and Easy-to-Set-Up

Hi,

after I change my flat, I have to say goodbye to my desktop computer. I mean, I don't have to, but I want to - it has become impractical and takes up a lot of space.

Nevertheless, I have two 3TB hard drives in my computer running in Windows RAID0 (system). There's a lot of data out there that I wouldn't want to get rid of so easily - it's mostly about movies, actually.

Therefore, I need a device that will allow me to create a network drive from which, if necessary, I can turn on a movie, or dig out a document. Therefore, I am anxious to do something:
1. Cheap
2. Energy-saving
3. Quiet
4. Supporting 2x4TB (if the price difference was large, I am able to give it up).

Generally, it is supposed to be a trouble-free device, once configured, connected with a twisted pair to the router and forgotten - with the occasional turning on of the movie.
I don't care about performance. It does not even have to have Raid0 - it is enough that it will allow you to combine disks into one volume (as for example in windows dynamic disks and spanned volumes). I may be tempted to create a mini HTPC and put KODI there (in fact, I wrote a post now - it's a thought - although I don't know if it's for this section).

Anyway, please help :)

greetings

Paaaluch wrote:

I may be tempted to create a mini HTPC

The equipment itself is a piece of cake, it still needs soft (and it often has its requirements).

Paaaluch wrote:

I care about something:
1. Cheap
2. Energy-saving
3. Quiet
4. Supporting 2x4TB

Synology or Qnap two-bay - but it's not cheap because a minimum of PLN 500 has to be spent on it (plus drives).
The disks from the computer can probably (but not necessarily) be used, but the server will format them all to its own file system.

Hmm ... My plan was that since I'm running out of space, to convert 2x3Tb to 2x4TB, move the data and sell the smaller ones. Although I do not know if there is a certain redundancy in this, because in recent months I have watched maybe one movie at home, so I do not know when I would fill the additional space.

But now I think that a little HTPC from Kodi could be a good option, because then I'll just move the drives and it should work. Especially since I have an additional SSD in the computer, so there is a motherboard + proc + housing + more effective power supply (I have XFX Core Edition). I think I can fit in 1k zlotys?

Paaaluch wrote:

I think I can fit in 1k zlotys?

It is better not to have ready-made solutions and not to mess with alternative soft products?

Do you have RAID - do you know that you will not transfer the entire array with data to new equipment?
You need to copy data to other disks.
Are you going to connect to the NAS by cable or WiFi? As with WiFi, and you do not have a really modern network, the performance will drop significantly (the N300 is definitely not enough for comfortable work). If it's wired, please make sure your router has gigabit lan. only then will it be reasonably comfortable.
Quiet ... The hardware itself is likely to be barely audible, so it's a question of how loud your drives are.

Cheap and energy-saving? I would look for a laptop with a damaged matrix, for example
Even the grandparents on Core2Duo can easily do it, and the network connection will be the bottleneck. It is important that the laptop offers at least 2 SATA connectors (which is the vast majority of laptops with an optical drive), gigabit ethernet, and possibly some mPCIe connector. Just for the future, as if 2 drives are no longer enough.
As if you are tempted to slide off the price and buy only a working laptop board, make sure you can turn it on without having its original keyboard. Because it's not that obvious and easy sometimes
Scab-half a corpse, I think you can safely get up to PLN 100.
Install some Linux and a Samba server there, and after mapping the disk under Windows you work practically like with a local disk. The transfers should be around 80-110MB / s, which is quite passable
Cheaper, more efficient and more expandable than the popular RaspberryPI, which just as a base for building a NAS are practically not suitable.

Ok - thank you very much for the discussion. It cleared my case and I think I will change the idea of solving this problem a bit.

1. I don't need the raid0 system at all in terms of performance. I will connect the computer on a cable, but the laptop is on wifi, which does not exceed 100Mbs, so there is no topic. I'm not going to do file operations, it's just supposed to be storage. Roomy, quiet, inefficient. I put the Raid so that the disk would be visible as one. Generally Raid is systemic - I suspect there is no big problem to transfer it to another Windows computer. And if not, I will somehow figure out how to transfer the disks (e.g. I will buy a large disk, copy it and return it within 14 days).
2. However, I chose the HTPC. It will take care of both of my needs, because I have a TV that just stands unused, and I have netflix + movies from the disk planned, so this solution will be what he found. I will have a network drive on one side and a media center on the other.
3. The idea of an old laptop is financially tempting, but I need something nice that can stand in the living room. And something that won't work out when playing netflix :)

But what kind of HTPC it goes beyond this department ;)

Thanks for the help!

HTPC or normal x86 PC, e.g. in ITX format?
Then take a current computer.
After all, you can optimize energy consumption and cool everything semi-passively in ECO mode.
There are many compact enclosures for ATX boards that will have dimensions similar to those of VCRs in the past
And if you have mATX, you can buy even smaller "packages" ...

Windows as a system for NAS and TV is generally a bad idea ...

And then what is suitable for TV, if not windows?

Linux, and there is a lot to choose from

Ok, are there any ready-made solutions just for this purpose?

If the NAS is e.g. Open Media Vault, and if HTPC is KODI
You can also put "normal" Debian up and install OMV and KODI