Do I need a NAS, or just use ext drives instead?

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old_raist

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Aug 5, 2013
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10,510
Hello,
I 'THINK' getting a NAS would be a good idea, but i tend to over-think these things and I may have overlooked a simpler/cheaper solution?

I have ~2.5TB (always adding) of SD quality .avi/.mkv movies/tv shows that I stream from my gaming rig into a networked STB (via cable), without any real problem, but running my PC all the time is a heavy power hit (constant 250W+) that I want to eliminate if possible.

I also have ~2TB of important business/design/music files that I want to secure with a backup in case my PC drives fail and this data is lost.

I was looking at a Synology DS413J and using 2x3tb WD Red's in Raid 1 config, shifting everything except OS & Apps onto these to provide low power serving of video/music/data files 24/7 and a secure backup of the important data.

After reading way too many articles, I am starting to wonder if I should just get 4x 2TB external drives and use 2 for video/music straight into STB (via USB) and use the other 2 for backups of important data and store them somewhere safe until i need them?

In summary, my goals are:
1. Low power 24/7 file serving
2. Backup important data in the event of PC drive failure
3. Low Power downloads is appealing (rather than use the gaming PC as I do now)

I do not need to transcode on the fly, wi-fi streaming (this would be a bonus but not essential) or even redundancy on the video files (a lot of 'raining day' stuff there that is probably unnecessary)

Any advice gratefully received. I am not a rich man but i am willing to buy the right gear for the job.

Thanks
 
Solution
spawnkiller
I think you're in need for a NAS, i'm almost at the same level of you but it's music, not movies... I access them from the web as many as 20 devices (cellphones, PCs, friends connecting, etc...) I backup friends data too to really use my NAS

I build my own NAS using FreeNAS and some cheap components or re-use some older ones that i already have

You should check FreeNAS website and give it a go, it'll be about the same price but'll be a lot more powerfull than cheap commercial NAS and completly on your control, only drawback is some Commercial NAS are fireproof/waterproof...

I include this URL, you can check if that's something you can do or it's too complicated, etc... http://www.freenas.org/

PS: using FreeNAS for 3 years now...
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spawnkiller

spawnkiller

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Jan 23, 2013
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I think you're in need for a NAS, i'm almost at the same level of you but it's music, not movies... I access them from the web as many as 20 devices (cellphones, PCs, friends connecting, etc...) I backup friends data too to really use my NAS

I build my own NAS using FreeNAS and some cheap components or re-use some older ones that i already have

You should check FreeNAS website and give it a go, it'll be about the same price but'll be a lot more powerfull than cheap commercial NAS and completly on your control, only drawback is some Commercial NAS are fireproof/waterproof...

I include this URL, you can check if that's something you can do or it's too complicated, etc... http://www.freenas.org/

PS: using FreeNAS for 3 years now with multiple devices, no problem (only the initial setup was painful due to anti-virus and custom firewall that only grants access to specific IP (for security reason) but since i'm more familiar with the setup, easy to use and no commercial NAS can do this !!

FYI: i'm streaming music and movies + multiple data on easily 15 devices at the same times every day without lag or issue (using 100Mbit/s download and 20Mbits/s upload connection with I3-3220 and 8gb of 1600mhz CL9 ram
 
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old_raist

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Aug 5, 2013
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10,510


Hi spawnkiller, thanks for taking the time to respond.
I will check the link tonight, I have built 10+ pc for myself/family/friends over the years and i feel confident I could build my own, but the ~30W power draw of the DS413J is very appealing.
What sort of power draw could i expect from a DIY NAS like yours?
Efficient power use is very important as I am probably going to be using off-grid solar for the next 2 years and every Watt counts.
 
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