Network Attached Storage

[CaptainKirk]

Hello techies!

I need an expandable NAS that can provide more than 1TB of storage space across my home network and act as a file dump over the interwebs for when I go to college. I trolled Newegg last night and found that the ones that I wanted were really expensive and the cheap ones all had horrid reviews.

I got to thinking that I could probably build a small linux box for not much more than buying a NAS enclosure. Am I a fool?

Advice?

[=98=]

Re: Network Attached Storage

No that's not mad, get some really low end parts and a 1TB disk and disco!

Look at the old Athlon CPU's, you can get a fairly good one for about £20.

[[USAC]S|Cpl.TinFoil]

Re: Network Attached Storage

Look at the old Athlon CPU's, you can get a fairly good one for about £20.

Or find an old machine being given away on Craigslist, install a SATA controller card, and rejoice.

[Busby, Paul (Bicci)]

Re: Network Attached Storage

You might be able to pick up a semperon for dirt cheap and that wud do it while using next to no power at all! All i really use my server for is storing stuff atm as i never got round to setting up FTP and stuff.

[CaptainKirk]

Re: Network Attached Storage

So, parts:

Case - ?
PSU - ?

Mobo (on board video) - MSI K9N6PGM2-V AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

Proc - AMD Athlon X2 BE-2300 Brisbane 1.9GHz Socket AM2 45W Dual-Core Processor Model ADH2300DOBOX - Retail

RAM - Kingston HyperX 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory Model KHX6400D2LL/1GR - Retail

HD - Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

$210 so far.

Thoughts?

[iQue]

Re: Network Attached Storage

If you're only going to use it for storage I think you can cheap it out a fair bit more.

Single core CPU, 512 mb RAM etc. Just make sure it can handle SATA

[CaptainKirk]

Re: Network Attached Storage

I can't really find anything significantly cheaper on Newegg... $40 proc, $15 ram.. I suppose Mobo could go cheaper. Pointers on that?

Should I got MicroATX or ATX or what on the mobo/case?

[Busby, Paul (Bicci)]

Re: Network Attached Storage

All depends how much you want to spend and how much you plan on expanding the storage :)

Edit: here is a suggestion


Similar case as i used on my server and i have to admit i wish i had used a much much smaller one so i would recommend using a micro ATX mini-tower or even better; a desktop. If you need any further storage you can convert a spare 5.25 bay or mod the case and add your own mounts or even use external rack and some long cables/extenders.

[CaptainKirk]

Re: Network Attached Storage

$350-400 would be a good budget, I suppose. On expandability- I want to be able to RAID two drives together, I think. I can just get larger drives if I want to expand.

[CaptainKirk]

Re: Network Attached Storage

So I took some of your advice and now have this:

[Busby, Paul (Bicci)]

Re: Network Attached Storage

i would buy a psu seperately, built in ones can be seriously shoddy and not worth trusting your data with.

[CaptainKirk]

Re: Network Attached Storage

[KillerStickMan]

Re: Network Attached Storage

mods double posting :rawr

[Busby, Paul (Bicci)]

Re: Network Attached Storage

If thats the case you want then yeah all looks ok to me :)

You could maybe get the OEM CPU i suggested and a seperate heatsink, i imagine you could probably run it fanless and (if the motherboard permits) undervolt it.

[[USAC]S|Cpl.TinFoil]

Re: Network Attached Storage

You should probably get a Mini-ITX Intel Atom combo board from Newegg if you're spending that much.

It's what, 80 dollars now? It might come on the ShellShocker soon.

EDIT: Scratch that, looks like a Sempron combo's the cheapest in this category.