Everybody Can NAS, a Beginners Guide to OpenMediaVault

Final Thoughts

Was it as easy as I made it out to be, can everybody really set up their own NAS? Both yes and no. Yes, as in pretty much anyone who can use a computer for everyday tasks can. No, as in my 90-year grandmother probably can’t and neither can my 4-year-old nephew. So technically my original conclusion was wrong, but not entirely.

It really doesn’t take much and I’m sure almost all of our readers could do it. I’ve shown you a simple step by step guide through it in more detail then you would need. Not counting the time it takes to create our file system and format it, it only takes an hour, maybe two, to set it up. This NAS is just as friendly on your wallet as it is to configure and there is no need to dig deep into the pockets. For around €170 you can get the G7 microserver, a hard disk adapter for the OS disk, a SATA cable and power adapter. You will need to add the price of your hard disks to that, but you would need to do the same for any commercial NAS.

We also see good news when we look at the power consumption of the G7. With just 1 watt in standby, 65 watts during boot and 50-50 watt under normal usage, it won’t cost a fortune to have it running. These measurements are including the 5 hard disks used during this test.

Compared to a Pre-Built NAS

If we take a look at what a pre-build 4bay NAS would cost with similar memory and CPU specifications, we see a huge difference and why this method would appeal to many people. There is a reason for the premium price on the brands such as Synology, Qnap and Thecus and they aren’t overpriced as some people say. Yes, they cost more to buy, but you also get a lot of things you don’t from a home-brew like this one.

You won’t have the security of a support staff to help you when something goes wrong, one you can call or write to help you with your trouble. There are forums for the free NAS systems, but that is far from what a professionally trained support staff can do. Pre-build NAS’ also come with all sort of certifications that they have been tested to work with other network products, virtual machine environments and so much more that is important to some. Most home users don’t need any more than the services and features mentioned in this post, but the support is a personal decision and safer option.

You may also find a bigger variety when it comes to plugins and an easier share management in the commercial brands then here, but if you can live with these options, you get a great cheap entry into the world of centralized storage.

Conclusion

So whether you use a commercial branded pre-build NAS like the ones we regularly review here at eTeknix, a total home build like we showed you a little while ago or a half-way pre-done like I’ve just shown you – Having a NAS in your home is one of the greatest things in the digital world. Having a centralized storage for everything just makes it so much easier and you’ll need less space on each individual device. If was up to me, there should be at least one in every home, in one form or another.