Tucked away in your basement, garage, or closet could sit an aging yet still-serviceable desktop PC. Rather than letting the dust continue to collect, I‘ll demonstrate how to give that old hardware new life by transforming it into a network attached storage (NAS) server perfect for serving media and backing up precious files.
What Exactly is a NAS Server?
At its core, a NAS or "network-attached storage" server is principally a hard drive enclosure connected to a network, often via Ethernet or WiFi. This specialized computer contains drive bays to house multiple internal storage drives together into a single repository accessible to other PCs and devices on that same local network or remotely over the internet.
Unlike a general purpose computer designed for tasks like gaming or spreadsheets, NAS operating systems are built specifically for file transfers, permission management, and streaming WITHOUT the overhead of heavy background processes and interfaces. Industry leaders like Synology, QNap, and Asustor sell pre-configured NAS units with 2, 4, or even 12 internal drive bays. These come with plug-and-play operating systems allowing even novice users to get up and running quickly.
However, buying a ready-made NAS can still cost anywhere from $150 to thousands for enterprise-grade models. By repurposing older components, we can assemble DIY NAS setups on the cheap.
Key Strengths of a Custom-Built NAS
Constructing your own NAS around legacy hardware presents some core advantages over off-the-shelf models:
Cost Savings – By reusing existing computer parts, you only pay for additional storage drives. Even adding 4 high capacity 8TB hard drives often costs less than a basic 2-bay Synology NAS.
Hardware Customization – Carefully selecting components like the CPU, motherboard, RAM and storage allows you to tune the NAS precisely for your performance and capacity requirements.
Data Ownership – No proprietary formats or restrictions on accessing your own files compared to some commercial NAS appliances. You retain full data ownership.
Learning Experience – Building your own NAS server teaches useful IT skills from installing operating systems, managing drives, securing networks, and administering remote file access.
Now let‘s explore two methods for converting old computers into flexible NAS storage solutions.
Repurpose Legacy Hardware into a 10TB Windows Media NAS
If your existing desktop PC runs Windows 10 or 11, the familiar and easy-to-use operating system offers an uncomplicated foundation for basic streaming and sharing needs.
While Windows is not purpose-built for long term NAS use, stability has improved in recent builds. Paired with the popular Plex media server platform for automatic metadata retrieval and multi-device streaming, you can have a fully working 10TB media NAS up in under an hour!
Here is a step-by-step guide to constructing a Windows media NAS:
1. Install or Reset Windows 10/11
Always start with a fresh OS install for reliable performance rather than upgrading an existing overloaded build. This removes any unnecessary cruft and gives you maximum internal storage flexibility.
Use Windows 10 21H2 or Windows 11 21H2 for latest stability and speed improvements ideal for background NAS usage. Also confirm you have manufacturer drivers for essential components like network adapters installed.
2. Secure Drives and Set Up Storage
Once Windows is up and running, the next step is drive preparation. For the OS itself, a speedy 120GB+ SATA SSD ensures snappy boot times and response even years later.
Next, plug your new higher capacity storage hard disk drives into vacant SATA ports on the motherboard or a HBA SATA expansion card if necessary. These will comprise the actual NAS storage itself.
Open Disk Management within Windows to format and assign drive letters to each new HDD individually. For optimum redundancy, try to use at least two ~5TB drives to start. This allows you to mirror data across both using Storage Spaces.
3. Install Plex and Define Media Folders
With Windows fully prepped, it‘s time to install Plex. The free media server handles the bulk of heavy lifting in terms of indexing your media libraries, downloading metadata like descriptions and posters, transcoding videos for remote streaming, and sending media to Plex client apps.
During setup, designate your newly mounted NAS hard drives as the primary storage pools accessible to Plex. Ensure the "Manage automatically" option is enabled so any new media added to these folders gets automatically cataloged without manual scanning required.
4. Enable Network Sharing and Set Permissions
By default, the hard drives are only accessible locally to that Windows PC. To enable other devices on your home network to find and connect, some sharing configuration is required:
Right click each drive and select "Share with Devices" then "Specific people". Allow read/write access to either your own account directly or a generalized "Everyone" group for minimal restrictions.
The final step is to map these new network shares as local drives on additional household PCs and mobile devices. Open file explorer then click "Map network drive" and connect using the Windows computer name and share path.
That covers the basics of constructing a Windows-powered media NAS! While not quite as resilient for 24/7 uptime compared to a dedicated OS, it serves media reliably. Let‘s examine TrueNAS Core, a free open-source operating system purpose-built for uncompromised storage and streaming…
Repurpose that Same Hardware into an Enterprise-Class TrueNAS Powerhouse
TrueNAS began life as FreeNAS until the core developers spun out into a dedicated company, ixSystems. However, the free community edition lives on as TrueNAS Core retaining the sameopen source foundations. This allows home tinkerers and even small businesses to leverage much of the same underlying storage technology as their premium TrueNAS Enterprise offerings.
Rather than attempting to shoehorn NAS functionality alongside a traditional OS, TrueNAS was coded from scratch specifically for secure and resilient data storage accessible from anywhere. Beyond just media serving, it excels at centralized file backup, versioning, permissions management, access controls, and scaling capacity wise into the petabytes across vast drive arrays if ever needed!
And thanks to intelligent disk caching, auto-tiering and advanced cryptography acceleration in later versions, TrueNAS exhibits excellent performance often exceeding proprietary appliances from legacy vendors. Despite the sheer power and flexibility, I‘ll demonstrate how achievable transforming an old desktop into a TrueNAS NAS really is:
Step 1: Download and Prepare the Installer
We‘ll need the TrueNAS ISO installer image to begin. On another internet-connected system, grab the latest TrueNAS-12.0-Core release from their website released monthly if not weekly.
Use Etcher, cross-platform ISO imaging software, to flash the TrueNAS installer onto a USB stick or burn to a DVD if you still have an optical drive. This prepares boot media to get TrueNAS onto our repurposed system.
Step 2: Install TrueNAS to the Primary Drive
Insert your TrueNAS boot media, then power on your build while mashing the boot menu key to prioritize that install stick over the existing OS drive. This launches right into text-based installer simply requiring you to select the destination drive, in our case the SSD, to overwrite with the TrueNAS OS files.
Let the process complete with no other input needed. Within minutes, you will arrive at the TrueNAS graphical configuration wizard accessible via the displayed IP address.
Step 3: Establish User Access and Storage Shares
The web-based setup presents a dashboard for configuring core functionality. Begin by defining administrative credentials, enabling secure remote HTTPS access and sharing out iSCSI-connected block storage or SMB/NFS networked shares where bulk data resides.
User permissions determine who can view, edit and download files sitting in dedicated share mount points. Grant users or groups read/write access accordingly. Integrated Active Directory binds with enterprise Windows domains.
Step 4: Monitor Pools and Add Plex Plugin
The Storage section defines logical pools combining multiple drives into unified protected volumes with optional mirroring or striped parity. Monitor pool health and scrub cycles here keeping disks humming.
Lastly, for media aficionados, install the Plex Media Server plugin available to stream to all household devices just like on Windows but with higher uptime.
And that concludes yet another method for granting unused hardware new status as a high performance always-on NAS! Rather than gathering dust, that relic can securely hold irreplaceable family photos and videos accessible decades down the road. Or perhaps serve as a rock-solid offsite backup destination for critical business documents immune to ransomware on employee laptops. The possibilities are vast regardless of use case or scale.
Let‘s wrap up with a look at storage resilience to protect precious NAS data from drive failures along with disaster recovery options. Loss of files risks loss of memories after all!
Safeguarding Data Long Term
Desktop-grade hard drives still power most DIY NAS builds. However even quality drives eventually fail after years of spinning rust bits. Mitigate risk using redundancy and backups!
Leverage Redundancy to Survive Drive Failures
Combining drives into resilient storage pools ensures data integrity and uptime should individual disks fail.
RAID -bane of IT professionals yet savior of always-on storage- describes various schemes for distributing or duplicating data across multiple disks to avoid downtime from physical drive failures.
A common and easily implemented example, RAID 1 mirrors two identical capacity drives saving an exact copy of files onto both simultaneously. If either completely dies, the NAS stays running uninterrupted utilizing the surviving mirror.
Meanwhile more advanced RAID 5 stripes files across three or more disks while dedicating additional capacity on each for distributed parity information equivalent to one full drive. This parity data gets used to computationally rebuild files should any single disk completely fail.
TrueNAS makes establishing RAID extremely simple during initial setup. OpenMediaVault and UnRAID too for other NAS platforms. Just add supported disks to a virtual pool.
Backing up the NAS Itself
But protecting against disk failures only represents half of the equation! Even mirrored or parity drives provide no protection from more catastrophic events like ransomware, accidental file deletion, or disasters like floods and fires destroying the physical NAS box itself.
That‘s where independent NAS backups come into play.
Local Backup – For minimal initial outlay, directly attach a large external USB hard drive to regularly offload key data via built in NAS copy jobs or third party sync tools. This safeguards against internal NAS drive failures and user error.
Cloud Storage – Alternatively backup your backups offsite to inexpensive yet expansive cloud storage from Backblaze B2, AWS S3, Azure Blob or equivalent for ultimate security. Internet accessible for anytime recovery.
Regularly test restoring backups to ensure the process works when you eventually need it!
Conclusion
This concludes our in-depth walkthrough of constructing DIY NAS solutions to house your expanding digital hoard powered by old components.
Whether building a simple media streamer around familiar Windows foundations or taking a plunge into uncompromised TrueNAS flexibility, very tangible NAS benefits justify salvaging dusty hardware.
Centralize those ever growing personal media libraries and critical family documents. Protect irreplaceable photos against local disasters. Privately stream movies around the house and on the road completely bypassing subscribed services. Or finally implement rock-solid automated business backups independent of aging on-premises file servers. The possibilities expand as far your free time tinkering on niche projects!
With the guidance above, that 10 year old Dell Optiplex gathering dust transforms into a personalized multi-drive NAS powerhouse. Save cash by repurposing the old to make way for the new later on.
Did I miss any other ingenious NAS build tips or data protection advice? What unique ways have you extended the usable lifespan of outdated computer hardware? Let me know in the comments below!