DIY NAS build guide 2023

I must warn you that you are now taking the first steps towards becoming a real data hoarder. People might call you a hoarder, you might end up being the only one who still has those 13-year-old vacation photos your mom keeps talking about.
So tell off the haters and do it in style, by building your own DIY NAS server.

What are the benefits of a DIY NAS?

There are many benefits to building your own NAS server. Below, I have listed some of them to help you decide if it is worth it for you.

A DIY NAS is easy to upgrade and expand

The main benefit to building your own NAS server is that you can tune it to your exact needs. Some need a lot of CPU and RAM as they also want to run other services (Home Assistant, Media Servers etc.)

• Most prebuilt NAS Servers don’t have a lot of CPU or RAM, so you can’t run many extra services.
• When you build your own NAS Server, you can customize it to your exact needs.
• Upgrading a DYI NAS servers is generally much cheaper, since you don’t have to shell out big bucks for exclusive hardware from the manufacturer. Yes, I’m looking at you, Synology.

You can choose your own Operating system

Most prebuilt NAS servers come with the manufacture’s own operating system, typically you’re locked into using the operating system it comes with.

• This means that you might need a feature down the line, and your only hope is if the manufacturer adds it in an update.
• Numerous manufacturers cease providing updates after a period of 3 to 5 years following the launch of the NAS server, thereby preventing the provision of security updates.
  This could lead to you having an old NAS with known security issues without any way of fixing them.

What operating system to use

Choosing the right operating system for your new DIY NAS can be a challenging task, as there are several solid options.
The phrase DIY NAS and home server is often used interchangeably, but the important thing to consider is if you want to run multiple other services on the same server.
I’ve found that TrueNAS is the best OS because many home users intend to run multiple other services on their NAS, making it more of a home server.

We will be going into more depth about running other servers later on.

TrueNAS Scale / TrueNAS Core

TrueNAS (Formerly Free NAS) is a very solid operating system that comes with an easy-to-use web interface for controlling all settings such as:

• Raid setup
• File sharing protocols (NFS, SMB etc.)
• Docker containers (For running other services)
• Virtual Machines
• User management
• Updates

Like other premade or OEM NAS servers, you can control the entire setup from the web interface, but also have access to the root (Admin) users through the command line.
TrueNAS is free for personal use, as they make their money from selling enterprise servers and support contracts.

FreeNAS, TrueNAS Core and TrueNAS Scale

The names have gotten a bit confusing over the time, so here is an overview.

• FreeNAS: Was the old name of the operating system.
• TrueNAS Core: The rebranded version of FreeNAS, based on FreeBSD.
• TrueNAS Scale: The newer variation of TrueNAS, based on Debian.

Tom from Lawrence system has done a great comparison of the two variants if you want to understand more about the differences.

When should you choose TrueNAS?

TrueNAS is great for individuals who wish to enjoy the benefits of a DIY NAS, while still being able to lean on the ease of having a web interface to control most things.
It’s also a very viable option for self-hosting services, as you both have the option of running them in a virtual machine and Docker container.
We will get into what to consider when selecting the hardware for your build later.

TrueNAS running on Proxmox

Proxmox is not directly a NAS operating system, It’s a hypervisor. But it’s still worth considering it if you want to run everything on one physical server, as it’s possible to run TrueNAS in a virtual machine.

• The benefit of this is that you can run multiple VM’s and thereby separate your NAS server from the other services you might want to self-host.
• The downside is that there are quite a few more steps and technologies involved, so if you don’t have much experience with Linux, Storage, Virtualization etc. then I would highly recommend just installing TrueNAS directly (Bare Metal)

Deciding on the raid type

There are several raid types available to you, and some manufactures have branded certain raid types under different names, which further confuses things.
I will only be focusing on the raid types that are the most commonly used in TrueNAS to save you from the headache.

TrueNAS utilizes the ZFS system for managing raid, which is commonly employed in large enterprise setups. As a result, it is equipped with various desirable features, including snapshots and the capability to partition a raid array into distinct datasets.
This might not be very intriguing at first, but it usually ends up being extremely valuable later on.

TrueNAS uses software raid (ZFS)

TrueNAS uses software raid, which means you don’t need a dedicated hardware raid card. All raid is handled by the operating system, this makes it straightforward to get started.

About the CPU usage of software raid

One thing to remember is that this adds a bit of extra stress to your CPU, but this stress is minimal compared to the power of even older CPUs.
It first becomes a significant factor when you exceed about 10 disks in RaidZ1, RaidZ2 or RaidZ3.

Overview of raid types in ZFS/TrueNAS

Before you begin designing or setting up your new NAS server, it is critical to understand the basics of ZFS.
ZFS has its naming scheme for the different raid types, but they are very similar to the commonly used raid names (Raid 1, Raid 5 etc.).
For most home NAS servers, you will use one of the following raid types:

• RaidZ: Equal to Raid-5 with 1 copy of parity, Possible to loss 1 disk without data loss.
  — This gives the benefit of more storage at the cost of lower data security.
• RaidZ-2: Equal to Raid-6 with 2 copies of parity, Possible to loss 2 disks without data loss.
  — This gives you a good balance between data security and storage.
• RaidZ-3: 3 copies of parity, Possible to loss 3 disks without data loss.
  — This is useful for very important data but usually too much data security for home setups.

Understanding The Basics of ZFS

I would recommend watching this video a couple of times to ensure you understand the basics of ZFS.
It’s essential to choose the correct raid type for your setup, and it’s a big benefit if you need to troubleshoot something.
Lawrence Systems has produced a remarkable video that provides a comprehensive and comprehensible explanation.

Choosing the hardware for your DIY NAS

Even though you can use almost any hardware for your new NAS, there are a few critical things to consider.

• Do you have enough computer (RAM & CPU) to run all the other services you want?
• How much storage (TB) do you need right now?
• Will you be doing video editing directly of the NAS?
• How important is it to be able to expand the amount of storage over time?
• Does the speed of your networking match the speed of your storage?

These are some of the questions that we will use to determine the hardware for your initial NAS build.

Case / Enclosure

Your case is an important aspect of your NAS build, as it can set some limits for your build.
I went with the Fractal Design Node 304 in my build and been happy with it, but I regret not getting the Fractal Design Node 804 instead for the following reasons.

• Limits me to mini ITX motherboards.
• Requires an SFX PSU which limits options.
• I intend to expand my storage to 8 disks soon, which the 304 can’t fit.
• The price difference between the 304 and 804 is minimal.

Motherboard CPU RAM combo

There are many options when it comes to choosing your combo of Motherboard, CPU and Ram.
The main factor is if you want to use your NAS server to run other services, making it more of “All in one box” or if it’s mostly going to be a used primarily as a NAS server.
The choices aim to strike a delicate balance between the prospect of further expansion and cost.

Power Supply Unit (PSU)

You can use most PSU’s for your NAS, but there are some things you should keep in mind.

• Stay with known brands, other brands have a higher chance of being low quality.
• Better rated PSU saves you on the power in the long term.
• Make sure it has enough SATA power connectors to power all your disks,

Storage

This finally brings us to the main consideration, which is the disks you’re going to be using for your NAS Build.
The number of drives is determined by the amount of capacity and the RAID type you choose earlier.
RAIDZ Calculator is an easy way to get an idea of your total capacity after setting up your chosen RAID type.

TrueNAS install guide

After completing the shopping and assembly of your new build, it is now time to install the operating system and configure the fundamental settings.
This video does a fantastic job of guiding you through the basic setup of TrueNAS: