I recently repurposed an old laptop I had lying around into my first makeshift NAS by adding a hard drive and USB-C hub to it. It initially started mostly as a curiosity, mostly to see what it’s like to own a NAS. What I thought would be a quick weekend project quickly turned into an ongoing learning experience, but I’m glad I did it.
This was my first time using Linux, let alone a server without a graphical user interface, and I made plenty of mistakes on the way. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I’d like to share a few things I really wish someone had told me before I started.
Create a plan before you start instead of trying to wing it
A little prep saves a lot of backtracking
If there’s only one tip you take away from this article, let it be this: creating a concrete plan before you lay the groundwork for your NAS isn’t optional. Trust me, it’ll save you a lot of headaches along the way.
The first decision is which hardware to get. NAS enclosures like those by Synology are the most obvious option, but they’re also incredibly expensive. An old eBay server or desktop PC is the most powerful and versatile solution, but it’s also a lot less power-efficient compared to running a mini PC or old laptop. Even an old Android phone or TV box can make an okay NAS.
It really all depends on what you’re trying to do with the NAS. If it’s just for network storage and nothing else, something basic will work just fine. In contrast, if you want to create a powerful media server that can serve multiple streams without lag, the bare minimum you’ll need is a 10-year-old Intel CPU that supports Quick Sync.
My old laptop has an i5-7200U, and my 6TB external hard drive took care of my storage needs, giving me a strong foundation for my NAS.
The real headaches start when it’s time to pick the right Linux distro. You have to use something that you’re comfortable with, but it also has to be able to run on your selected hardware and support all the features you want. An Ubuntu Server without a GUI runs amazingly even on weak hardware, but if you’re more comfortable with having a UI, something like TrueNAS or OpenMediaVault works better.
Beyond just the raw hardware and distro, you need to create a rough outline of your drive layout, how you plan to store the files and where (e.g., an SSD for your apps and a hard drive for your media), whether you’ll run your apps in Docker containers, which apps you’re going to try, and so on. Trust me, the whole setup is a lot easier if you create a plan first.
Don’t be scared of the terminal—a headless setup makes things easy
Manage your NAS remotely
If you want to run a NAS on a weak device like an old, outdated laptop, you need to get all the system resources you can. My old laptop only has two CPU cores and 4GB of RAM, so freeing up those resources by using a server distro without a GUI was an important decision.
At first, using a terminal felt quite intimidating, but once I got the hang of it, I actually kind of liked the manual experience of “talking” to my machine instead of clicking around a user interface.
The bigger problem was the inconvenience it caused me. I had to use a USB-C hub and one of my PC’s monitors since the laptop’s display was broken. However, when I learned that I could manage the NAS remotely from my PC over SSH—and only ever needed physical access to the laptop to turn it on if it goes down or if the network setup changes—it made everything a lot more convenient.
After setting up access, I could sit at my desk in front of my main PC and control everything through Windows PowerShell, eliminating the need to deal with a broken display.
You’ll spend hours fixing problems you’ve created yourself
Tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can tell you what commands to run if you want to install an app in Docker (or Docker itself) and how to configure it, but the trick is that they’re only as useful as the information you provide.
If you’re halfway through your NAS setup and ask ChatGPT how to install Duplicati without telling it that you’re running your apps in Docker and how your storage is laid out, it’ll give you a generic installation guide that could leave your server in a mess. Don’t ask me how I know.
Instead of asking a generic question, start your prompt by explaining your exact setup, storage drive layout, and all the other details that might be relevant to the particular app you want to install.
Follow proven guides whenever possible
Don’t try to reinvent what’s already been solved
I spent hours trying to figure out how to get Intel Quick Sync to work in Jellyfin on my server, and I eventually thought I’d solved it. However, I was still facing the same frame drops when my laptop had to transcode a video, even if it was only 1080p.
After asking my colleague Patrick about it, he walked me through the troubleshooting steps, and it took him less than a minute to figure out that Jellyfin wasn’t actually using hardware acceleration with Intel Quick Sync but was instead relying on the CPU.
He then instructed me to follow the official installation guide, and in just a few minutes, my Jellyfin was able to correctly use Quick Sync for decoding when needed.
The point is, you should always look for real guides online before trying to wing it with AI tools.
If you’re facing difficulties, you can always copy-paste a portion of a guide into an AI tool, explain your setup and what you’re trying to do, and go from there.
Opening your NAS to the internet is more complicated than it seems
The convenience comes with some real drawbacks
While it’s possible to set up remote access to your NAS outside your network, it comes with a few major compromises and complications compared to keeping everything local.
A common way to gain access is through port forwarding, but it’s risky, even if done correctly. A self-hosted VPN is a much safer solution, but it adds encryption overhead that can cause latency and strain the system resources on old, underpowered hardware.
Frankly, unless you absolutely need access to your NAS outside your network, it’s way easier and safer just to keep your files local. You can always transfer important files or media to your phone or laptop if you need access on the go.
Please stop exposing your NAS to the internet (do this instead)
Internet access is sometimes necessary, but make sure you’re staying safe.
Once your NAS is up and running, it’ll quickly grow into your favorite thing in the house
While setting up a NAS can take a while, especially if it’s something DIY, it’s absolutely worth the effort. I’ve gone from thinking I don’t need a NAS to absolutely loving the little thing that’s storing my data in the corner of my kitchen—I just wish I had created a proper plan before starting the project.
7/10
- Brand
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Synology
- CPU
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Intel Celeron J4125
This four-bay NAS works great for home and small office use, and it comes with a three-year warranty from Synology.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
