NAS Project

I have been working on a NAS (Network Attached Storage) project at home. The goal is to create a centralized storage solution that can be accessed from anywhere in the house, and also in future remotely when needed.

This project is a great way to learn about Linux, networking, and storage solutions. Here's a quick overview of what I set out to achieve:

Create a solid, always available storage server accessible from any device on my local network.
Lay the groundwork for future remote access, so I can grab a photo or a video from anywhere in the world.

Why a Home NAS?

Centralized Storage

No more USB drives or SD cards for copying data between devices. Everything lives in one centralized place.

Media Streaming

Stream movies, music and photos to TVs, laptops and phones without juggling external drives.

Automated Backups

To be done, Weekly backups of devices to keep data safe and recoverable.

Hardware & Software Stack

Raspberry Pi 4

Consumes low power draw, silent operation, and enough USB 3.0 throughput for a few spinning drives. Can mount hats for additional functionalities for NVMe storage or other peripherals in the future.

OpenMediaVault (OMV)

One of the most popular and open-source debian linux based NAS OS/Software with a polished web UI—packages for SMB, NFS, FTP for file sharing and mainly support raid configurations for redundancy.

External Drives

A 1TB HDDs in a USB-powered. Can also add more USB drives as needed.

Networking

- Static IP via NetworkManager to keep the server address predictable.

- Connected via Ethernet cable for maximum throughput.

What I Did

Hardware Assembly

– Assembled the RaspberryPi 4 + USB-HDD.

– No need for any monitor, keyboard or mouse as all the configuration is done via Raspberry Pi Imager and later using SSH.

OMV Installation & Configuration

– Ran OMV install script using SSH.

– Created and mounted file systems (EXT4) in the web UI.

– Defined shared folders and applied user/group permissions.

Service Enablement

– SMB for Windows clients, NFS for Linux/macOS, and FTP.

– Next set up docker on the Raspberry Pi for future containers.

- Installed Plex Media Server for streaming media files to various devices.

Networking

– Assigned a static IP via nmcli.

Key Lessons & Next Steps

Learning Curve

Setting up a NAS from scratch taught me a lot about Linux, networking, and storage management.

Remote Access

Next up is setting up a VPN so I can safely reach my NAS from anywhere.

Future Services

I plan to add more services like a home automation server, Torrent client and Media backups.

Containerization

I'll deploy Nextcloud in Docker for cloud-style file sync, and Plex for on-the-fly transcoding.

Why This Matters

This project forced me to learn Linux SysAdmin skills for real. I got comfortable with fstab, user groups, systemd, and diagnosing network bottlenecks. It's not just a hard drive plugged into a router; it's a managed storage server.

This project not only gave me a robust home-grown storage server but also deepened my skills in Linux administration, networking, and automation. Stay tuned for a detailed setup guide coming next!