Background

Inspired by a couple YouTube videos, my brother suggested setting up Network-Attached Storage (NAS) at home. I decided to help once I completed my final exams. The objective was to set up a NAS server that could be accessed remotely, allowing us to back-up and access files from anywhere.

Hardware

Desktop: Dell OptiPlex 5050 Tower
Processor: Quad Core 7th Generation Intel Core i5-7500
RAM: 16 GB 2400 MHz
Disks: 512 GB Kingston SSD, 5TB Western Digital HDD (unused drives)

Linux

I decided to install Ubuntu Desktop on the machine, as I had already installed it before on my desktop. Although I'm aware the server version of Ubuntu is more optimized for this use case. The installation itself was straightforward, following the usual Format USB with ISO (in my case using Rufus) → Boot from USB → Setup and Install.

Immich

Now that the OS was installed, I needed to set up the NAS software. I chose Immich, an open-source self-hosted photo and video backup solution. Following their documentation, I installed Docker Desktop and created three containers using the provided docker-compose.yml file. The containers were for the Immich application, a PostgreSQL database, and Redis for caching.

Tailscale

To enable remote access to the NAS, I set up Tailscale, a VPN service that allows secure access to devices on a private network. I installed Tailscale on the NAS machine and configured it to allow access from my other devices. This way, I can access the NAS from anywhere without needing to set up port forwarding or worry about dynamic IP addresses.

Management and Maintenance

For managing the NAS, I use a combination of SSH for command-line access and the Immich web interface. Maintaining the system is relatively straightforward, with regular updates to the OS and the Immich application.

Issues and Future Plans

While the setup is functional, the largest issue is dealing with data corruption upon power outages. My brother decided to invest in an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) to mitigate this issue. Additionally, we may consider having a RAID setup in the future for better data redundancy and performance. The most exciting future plan is to set up a media server using Plex, which will allow us to stream our media files directly from the NAS to our devices. I anticipate this will be a challenge due to the hardware limitations, but it will be a fun project to work on. I will update this page as things progress!