DIY NAS build

[Oops!!!]

Seems I'd rather go with the option less likely to give me trouble rather then outlay an extra R1.5k for something that might give the same problem you're having. Will stick to the shield for now, and slowly build a microserver in the meantime and as I see components come up for sale on Carb. Thanks for your input though. It did help 👍🙂

you will have similar issues going for an entry level NAS as most run low spec x32 ARM CPUs and have difficulties natively decoding certain "free" downloaded content. You can mitigate this by side loading better optimized video players but this can be a nightmare on its own as they dont officially support the CPUs used in the lower spec NAS's

You will have a more flexible and easier to use platform going with a micro-server or spend the 7k for more powerful NAS.

 

[Presler]

Most of us have been at this for years, and as said before, a dedicated NAS will cost you an arm and a leg, without drives at that. "NAS" has also become a very thrown around term much as "Media Server".

Consider what you want to achieve. Broadly explained, You'll want a device that you can access through shares, store stuff and stream from, etc. Okay, easy enough.

The complexity of what you will end up with will depend on how much time you want to spend setting up and maintaining everything you throw into it.

My advice is this. If you don't have a smallish PC around the house, dig around Carbs for a decent i3/i5 setup with oodles of Sata ports. H87/Z87 Haswell setup will be great. Find a cheap case with enough space for 4+ 3.5" drives, most entry level cases these days have 4-6 bays. Cheap 120Gb SSD for booting, on a 4 sata port motherboard that leaves you with 3 ports for storage, more of your board has more. ( N40L/N54L Microserver will do just fine as well)

1. Assemble the thing.
2. Set your BIOS to not stop on keyboard errors and turn itself on again if power fails(if you don't have a UPS that can keep it alive for a few hours).
3. Install Windows 10 on the SSD, enable remote access so you can RDP to it from any laptop/other computer.
4. Install Plex and install Teamviewer/Anydesk.
5. Create 2 users in Windows, 1 for admin access, 1 for read only.
6. Enable sharing on all the storage drives, remove all the Windows default stuff there, share your admin account read/write access to all the drives, read only for the read only account.

Now you can plonk it down anywhere in the house, turn it on without a screen or keyboard on it and let it happily serve your any need. The admin account is so that you can remotely add stuff to the storage space etc. Link any media players etc with the read only account, that way you/your kids/disgruntled GF or BF don't accidently delete stuff off the drives.

You won't need anything more for the foreseeable future, unless you want to add more storage space.

Decent enough i3/i5 setup with 8Gb RAM should set you back around R1500, R2000 with a cheap capable case. Windows license is R99 here on Carbs, the rest is your time.

I'm currently running mine on an i3-6100, 8Gb RAM, 20Tb storage. 2 Media players and 2 xbox's stream media from it over Wifi, records my camera footage from 4 IP camera's around the house, stores all other data and photos etc. And I can access it from anywhere through Teamviewer from my phone or tablet.

Shoot me a PM if you need help setting up, always willing to help out

 

[AK5963]

As a start, contact the seller you bought the Shield from and ask him to submit feedback and a rating for the deal on Carbonite. You need to do the same for him as the buyer. Itrader feedback is mandatory.
Be prepared to pay for items and/or shipping first. Initially I'd recommend only dealing with higher Itrader members. Also, be prepared for high itrader members to ask you to send whatever you're selling to them and for them to pay on receipt and testing. If possible stick to meeting face to face initially until you are more comfortable.
Don't ever pay a holding deposit if someone asks you to. It's not common at all, but I guess it happens every now and then.
Unfortunately, now more than ever, scams are on the up and up, I think going with one's gut is important - that and a very healthy dose of critical thinking, to avoid becoming a statistic.

All the best bud, Carbonite is full of trustworthy folks and the Itrader system and the sense of community helps that. Every once in a while though some dumbfuck sneaks in to the system and throws a spanner in the works. Nature of the beast though, can't have the good without the bad I guess

And I think the Microserver option is the better option. Try to aim for the newer generation Microservers if you can. If you get an older gen one for dirt cheap it's also worth exploring I reckon. Very capable little things.

Oh - and read the forums rules - it really helps

@Jack_Bauer_ZA has a full write-up on safe dealing on Carbonite - Guide for safe dealing on Carbonite! | Guides, Stickies and Useful Stuff

And more details on Itraders

Giving iTrader/Feedback on the new forum | Guides, Stickies and Useful Stuff

Good day members The process of giving the iTrader is still similar to the old way. Where to give feedback: Go to the member's profile > feedback stats > add feedback (button at the bottom of the page) OR Go to the deal thread, underneath the seller's/buyer's feedback totals will be an option...

carbonite.co.za

Very helpful indeed. Appreciate the advice man thank you and stay safe

 

[AK5963]

Hi @Presler
That's seems like a comprehensive guide in itself and also very well thought out and also sounds like a more sustainable approach. When I start the build I will give this some thought and like I mentioned, the criteria for starting right now isn't only budget but value. Appreciate the willingness to help out, expect a PM sometime in the foreseeable! 👍🙂
Cheers have a good day and stay safe 👌