Build your own. Every out of the box solution can and will screw you.
For the easy way I would just grab a Synology DS224+.
For the DIY something like Jonsbo N2 case + a N100/6xSATA mitx board from china should do the trick. The N100 is great for low power builds.
I second this proposition of DIY build. My current build is an older version of this using an ASRock motherboard with integrated Intel j5040. It's already very capable! I run Jellyfin with HW transcoding and a dozen other containers and there is still plenty of headroom.
The Jonsbo N2 case is pricey but good quality, nice looking and nice to build with ! Cheaper options are there but not as nice in terms of looks and usability.
The N100 really is a great option, I'm running like 40 services on mine. However, some N100 boards from China don't have the best power management and BIOS. Instead you can also get an N100 board from an established brand and combine it with an M.2 to 6x SATA splitter (those other boards use splitters anyway) for the same (or better) price compared to those Chinese NAS boards.
That's very true, I'd rather by an ASUS or other known brand N100 MB + an M.2 to SATA splitter too, if the price is equal (or better).
Last time I looked at it I was looking for hw for an opnsense router so I wanted the multiple intel i226 nics that most china-brands add on, so my mind went that way right away.
I second the N100. It's what I use and it's ridiculously powerful for the small amount of power it drains. And barely needs refrigeration.
Quite happy with my QNAP 453 Pro
Lil Nas X totally sounds like it would be a valid answer here.
Get an old optiplex SFF off Craigslist for $200 and be done with it. Those things last so long, and since it's commodity hardware you can replace individual components that break for not much money.
What does the rapper have to with this? /s
I'd argue for something a bit bigger, physically. The Optiplex SFF systems don't have a whole lot of interior space for hard drives, in fact the 7050 SFF can only handle a single 3.5", a single 2.5", and a single NVME.
I have an older HP Elitedesk 8300 SFF that can handle 3x 3.5" drives, 2x 2.5" drives, and boot from an M.2 NVMe on a PCIE adapter card (I modded the BIOS). But that's limited to 3rd gen Intel 🫤
Personally I agree. I don't use the SFF. OP asked for something compact though.
Right, but asking for 2-4 drive bays...
🤔
A PCI-E expansion board full of M.2 NVME drives might do the trick.
Terramaster is just a PC in a NAS form factor. You can install your favourite OS without any issue
Terramaster had some pretty gnarly security issues that they badly handled in the past. No big deal if you keep it walled off from the internet, but their software would never let you know it should be kept away from any internet access.
Also, if you get one of their units that has an ARM chip inside instead of an intel one, there is basically no chance you're ever going to be able to use anything other than the software that they have by default. This makes the security issues impossible to resolve without completely removing internet access to the device.
Also, if you get one of their units that has an ARM chip inside instead of an intel one, there is basically no chance you’re ever going to be able to use anything other than the software that they have by default.
Their x86 models are fine as you imply, just avoid ARM and you can install any OS you want.
Not all TerraMaster units. I happen to have one that can't replace the OS.
They also says that installing a different os will invalidate the warranty. But their x86 models (I wasn't aware of the arm) literally ship with a USB drive connected to an internal USB port which starts the setup of their custom Linux if it detects no OS on the internal drives. You just swap that pendrive and you install whatever you want. I cannot say it works for all the models, but I did a little research before buying mine and I can say it run debian for more that one year without any compatibility issue.
It's just saying it's not supported, not that it doesn't work. Depending on your country, I doubt that warranty voiding claim is enforceable either.
@Fuck_u_spez_ i'm very happy with my Ugreen NAS
What's the OS situation? I like Synology's proprietary stuff but it's a ~~like~~ little too proprietary for some tasks and they seem to be getting greedy with these new OEM drive requirements. I like the idea of bare hardware even better where I can install whatever I want.
I got a Dell computer that was headed towards the dump from some older people, and installed TrueNAS Scale onto it. It has almost replaced my Synology I got three years ago, I just need to bite the bullet and buy new drives for it!
I’ve enjoyed the Synology OS personally. I’m messing with a custom build with spare parts though.
IMO I think symbology is a good point of entry. I haven’t tried HexOS but it might be pretty good down the line for a no fuss system.
Edit: Sorry just realized the comment was about UGreen. Have my 2 cents about synology anyway. 😇
I bought a Synology a couple of years ago and it has been 100% rock solid the whole time. Synology OS is nice, their hybrid RAID is pretty sweet, and I've gotten many containers working with no issues (like the Servarr stack). But knowing that the company is enshittifying, I might not buy another product from them
I’ve actually just ordered one for myself as they officially support third party operating systems. I intend to be setting up unraid on it.
I have the 2-bay ugreen with unraid. Works good. Make sure to turn off the watchdog in the bios!
@possum @kuroshido small PSA for lower power consumption:
Thanks for the share.
I had a good experience with my Synology two bay NAS, used it for years without any complaints.
Thanks for the share, hadn't heard about it.
Which model? I ordered one reliable one for a customer and another one that turned out to be a lemon.
I have a 220+. It works well for what it's supposed to be. If you want a set it and forget it nas, this is a good one. However, after a year and a half, I'm ready to move on for the same reason I don't like Apple: too walled garden. It was a great starter nas, but it's too limiting now. But again, of you don't want to think about it and just have it work, it's a good choice.
The 2 bay model. I couldn't tell you off hand which exact one because they release a new model each year, with its model name containing the year. I think is was a 222+, but might have been 223+. The + part is really the only important part.
Not the person you were responding to, but I'm quite happy with my DS220+. It's on 106 days of uptime after a power out. The interface / OS is very friendly. The only downside is the weak processor which makes it inadequate for things like Immich's AI or heavy Jellyfin use - but you get what you pay for.
Re. lemons; are you sure it was the NAS that had issues or could it have been the drives? Mine is loaded with WD Red drives iirc.
I had a 212j for about 10 years before I got a 720+.
The j series are so underpowered the dashboard took literal minutes to load.
The + series is extremely energy efficient, but still powerful. I was running a Plex server along with a Terraria server on it and had no hiccups.
Now they were designed nearly a decade apart, but still. The + series is the way to go, don't get anything else if you go with Synology.
I’ve been using the DS620slim for 4.5 years now without any issues. It’s small (2.5” drives) and produces little noise (with SSDs).
DS223 is a fine little machine. Nothing exceptional, but not bad by any means.
I used to recommend Synology but they seem to be focused on entering the enterprise while abandoning smb/soho users. I’d look at QNap today.
Businesses around here are constantly selling old rack and standing servers on Craigslist. $50 ish on up depending on age and configuration, just have slap some drives in them. I set one up with ZoneMinder and some cheap poe IP cameras for my house. Works great and shrinks the ewaste pile a little bit.
I love the idea of up-cycling but I was looking for something physically small/compact that I could hide easily in a ceiling or closet that wouldn't also be unnecessarily power-intensive. My 10th gen NUC running Debian and a full *arr stack uses <5W at idle for example. I could end up using it as a NAS instead but I think I'd rather have it out in the open on a desk where I can still use it as a desktop as needed.
I also have a GOAT friend with a 2.5x2.5Gb symmetrical fiber connection who co-locates a server of mine for free as long as I share the storage with him. It'll be a redundant offsite backup in addition to this NAS so I only need the most basic of features, not something with a whole desktop OS and/or entire ecosystem of available extensions and other packages.
Why not use the NUC as a PC and have it do NAS stuff as well? You'd just need a drive enclosure for extra storage.
A big part of why I want a(nother) NAS (I already have two because I'm a maniac) is that I need a backup of my surveillance system's footage, not only in case of data loss but also in case someone breaks in and steals my NVR -- the device which would otherwise contain the only video of them breaking in and stealing my NVR.
As of last night, I have an offsite backup functioning so that problem is mostly solved, but I still wanted a redundant copy saved locally. Since the NUC is busy being a server and occasionally a PC, I was looking for something else that's also small which I could hide from a burglar inside a wall or ceiling.
Why not a VPS? $5/month gets you 40GB storage instance, and 2 vCPUs at Hetzner (or a number of other places) so you could even give it a web interface so you could access it remotely. Install something like MicroOS or Silverblue and it'll update itself.
That monthly cost is probably not much more than the electrical cost for an alternative, plus years worth of whatever you're paying for the hardware.
Edit: Any cheap SBC with a big enough SD card would work too, but you'll need to replace the card every so often. I'd still prefer the VPS here.
Living on a busy street, my cameras would fill 40GB in just a few days. Ideally I'd like to have at least a few weeks if not months of retention. I'm also fiercely anti-subscription to the point of irrationality. I wouldn't be in this community otherwise -- I'd just have a Ring or Blink plan like a normie.
A Hetzner storage box could work, which is about $3-4/mo for 1TB.
But if you really want it local, a cheap SBC w/ a big SD card seems like a good option. It'll be slow and you'll need to replace the card periodically, but it will sip power and is incredibly easy to conceal.
a cheap SBC w/ a big SD card
I like that idea. I have an extra Pi Zero -- would that work or do I need more processing power? I'm looking at storing around 5-15GB per day.
If it's literally just copying data, a Pi Zero should be plenty, especially if there are gaps in between (i.e. motion detection). The main concern is if writing to the SD card can keep up, but I'd totally give it a shot first before buying something.
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