NAS
To NAS or not to NAS that is the question? NAS stands for Network Addressed Storage. In essence storage that is available on the network from one or more devices. To make the ‘storage’ devices available on the network you need additional hardware. These days that ‘hardware’ can do more than just provide access and management of the storage. There in lies the dilemma for me. I don’t have a NAS, and yet I’ve been considering getting or making my own for a while, like years.
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The ‘box’
The hardware, like any machine needs a case, a ‘box’ to contain it within. The machine in actuality is a computer that runs the software that manages the hardware, CPU, Memory, Storage, Network interfaces etc. The storage itself can typically be either be solid state drives (SSD’s) or hard disk drives (HDDs). Notice that I’m stating ‘many’ here, which is the point, to have more than one (though you can have one) storage device. Having more than one allows you to implement RAID, being ‘Redundant Array of Independent Disks‘, where if one device fails then you have a ‘backup’ on the other device. Thus, able to then replace the failed storage unit and for the replacement to then be populated with the data on the other device(s). Though just because you have more than one storage device, it’s still the same machine and as such should not be the only place where you store your data. Just with more than one storage device containing the same data, its more resilient to failure. However as data is replicated across the storage devices, then any corruption, deletion or data damage through malicious software is also replicated. Thus a NAS box is a device that when it is the primary location of our data, you should have other devices also storing that data. There is a lot that has been written about ‘Backup’ and that is not the focus of this article, so I won’t go any further into it.
The NAS box itself is designed to be on all of the time, to use storage devices that are designed to operate like that, and be in an environment where there is more than one of them. In the case of HDDs able to withstand the interference of the other drives vibrations and be more robust.
What a NAS can do
The primary function is to store, organise and retrieve the data you want from any device that has access to it. Because its on a network, then you have greater flexibility in connecting the device your using to the NAS. This, with wireless, doesn’t need to be physical. A NAS will provide the flexible means by which different devices running different operating systems can read and store data on the NAS. But from my understanding and research, a NAS can do much more. Because it is a ‘computer’ then it can do other things like web server, media server, run virtual machines and containers such as ‘Docker’.
Why get a NAS?
The reasons I’ve been considering getting a NAS is because I backup my data to USB drives, portable and external hard disks, but the primary source of the data is still my PC. The one I need to update on a regular basis, and this comes with risk of failure. This has already happened a few years back when I updated Windows 10 to a new version and the upgrade failed. The machine would not boot into Windows and the only solution would be a complete reinstall of the operating system, I would have to wipe that hard disk and start again. Even though I had backups at the time, I didn’t have backups of everything, so I panicked and as my machine was old, went out and purchased a new one. Many days later I had reinstalled all of the programs I needed and got most of the data from the now ‘old’ hard drive. But what if that was not the case? What if you separated the day to day ‘working’ data from the machine you worked on? That’s were the idea of getting a NAS is starting to appeal to me. As NAS’s use the same type of storage devices (though specific ones designed for them), then you get the same storage capacity options. In effect everything you can store on your main working machine you can store on the NAS. Then I’d be able to perform operating system updates with less risk, though I assume that NAS’s also update and that’s where having other backups is still important.
Given this I then looked into what more a NAS could do for me. Could I run one or more Moodle development installations on it? Currently I have a Raspberry Pi B+ as a ‘Git’ server but it is not capable of running Moodle. Though I suspect a new model would. Could I host my own website? Perhaps with the remote access capabilities, then show a recent image I’ve taken on my DSLR (I’m into landscape, nature and railway photography – hence the featured images I use) to a friend on my phone? So many possibilities and scenarios I’d not contemplated before.
Why not get a NAS?
Cost of the device and the power it consumes when you’re not using it. Though I understand that with the right components and software, this can be minimised, as the device will go into ‘low energy consumption’ like modes. There is also the potential need to get an uninterruptible power supply such that in the event of power loss then the NAS has the opportunity to shutdown properly without losing cached data in memory. I’m currently typing this article during Storm Darragh on my old but battery supported netbook in case the power goes, which it has twice already.
Noise. I suffer from Tinnitus and having device with spinning HDD’s (as the SSD’s are expensive and currently outside of my budget for the amount of data I need to store), then that generates noise. This can be solved by putting the NAS in a remote location, such as a loft. But then that would mean running a network cable between it and the router that provides the internet etc. This is as the devices I’ve seen do need to be physically connected rather than via wireless, though I understand this would be possible, especially with a self build, more on this in a moment. Thus noise could be a factor, especially as there is more than just the HDD’s, there are the cooling fan(s).
Maintenance. All computers need to be maintained and updated with upgrades and security patches. That is the nature of software. Now you’ve introduced another device that you’ll need to spend your time on.
Security. Especially if you’re going to make the NAS remotely accessible.
Off the shelf or self build?
I have bought both off the shelf and built my own PC’s. With the former you get a pre-packaged tested system with support quickly, with the latter you get exactly what you want but have to spend time (and risk) creating it with the only support really being yourself and your technical ability. Any ‘warranty’ will more often than not be with the individual hardware components, and you have to prove that they are at fault. As I did when I added more memory to my PC and proved using MemTest86 that it was fault – ‘Memory December 2023’. The same options apply to NAS’s, but not quite the same as on a PC you can install the same operating system regardless of which route you take. With a NAS then ‘Off the self’ means running the manufacture’s NAS operating system which is propriety to them. For self build then you have to look elsewhere, such as the open source community. Not having ever owned a NAS myself, I’ve been watching ‘NASCompares’ on YouTube to help me understand the options and what is involved, such as ‘How to Turn a PC into a NAS – An Idiots Guide’ which covers this very topic. Note that I am in no way sponsored or associated with ‘NASCompares’, its a channel I just came across. From this it appears that from a direct cost point of view, that self build will be cheaper. Especially like me that you have old working hardware that you can re-use. But then taking what NAS Compares is indicating, that your time and what you get from an established and developed software solution.
Dilemma
Given all of this I continue to be presented by the dilemma that has been on my mind. Will a NAS solve my problem of needing to mitigate the risk of update or is it such a minimal risk that my existing processes of backup to multiple storage devices suffice without the expense and additional problems? But then what new opportunities may arise?
Do you have a NAS or experience with using one? Comments appreciated.
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I’m a Mac (and Linux) user.
The most popular NAS is the Synology.
I often think of investing in one, but with iCloud, and Dropbox, probably don’t “need” one.
Western Digital also make a couple of models that seems popular with Mac users.
I’ve also heard of people building their own NAS with a Mac Mini and couple of fasts disks.
However, I have heard of problems with Apple Music and Apple Photos if using a NAS, so again, with iCloud, and Time Machine, I have not gone down the NAS road … yet.
This is the dilemma I’m facing Stuart, do I really need one? With cloud storage, that would seem to be a good solution as you don’t have to run your own NAS but get access from any machine connected to the internet. The thing that concerns me is security of the data. This is fine with open source code, as you could consider GitHub etc. to be a ‘cloud’ based backup solution for your code as it replicates what you have locally. But other private data, even if it is encrypted? Then there is the amount, I’ve taken a lot of railway and wildlife photos / videos of steam engines / memories of time etc. Just checking, that’s 1.11TB of space and that would, I suspect, cost quite a bit to store on a cloud service. But I don’t need access to it all of the time, this is more of a backup thing for me. But it would make things easier (I think) if I backed up over the network to a NAS then it ran a backup to an external drive(s) as a separate automated process. I think its down to knowing for certain when the time comes that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages and the investment both in time and money is worth it. I do have an old working PC and spare HD, so there is the possibility of trying a self build and see what it does.