Planning to Construct a Home Server (For Beginners)
Planning to Construct a Home Server (For Beginners)
Hello everyone! I’m starting to develop a more interest in setting up a home server. I’m still going through various guides and videos, which is a bit confusing for me. My gaming background has made my understanding of PCs, coding, networking, and other areas beyond Windows quite limited.
My Thoughts:
The main purpose will be storing files and allowing access from outside the home network, similar to cloud storage. It should run continuously, require minimal power, and need strong security. I’m thinking about integrating a Home Assistant later for smart home devices. Since this is my first project, I plan to use pre-owned or used PCs or drives at the start.
Questions:
1. I’m not keen on mechanical hard drives right now; I’m open to SSDs because I already have spare SATA SSDs available. My goal is to have a backup system with scheduled maintenance.
2. I’d like to begin with a Windows setup, even though I know Linux or other OSes could offer more flexibility. If I run Home Assistant and TrueNAS, for example, will it actually work through Hyper-V in Windows?
3. Can I use TeamViewer as a remote control tool to interact with my server PC? Are there other alternatives?
4. Do I need an audio/video interface for the server PC? I have Bitdefender Total Security installed and am wondering if that’s sufficient.
5. Should the server PC be connected via cable to my router, or is Wi-Fi enough? Also, do I only need a switch or router, or can I use just a standard setup? Right now, I have a desktop PC and a Beelink mini PC both linked by LAN cable to my router.
Hardware Questions:
I’m considering the Lenovo Thinkcenter M75Q with a Ryzen 3400GE APU because of its low TDP and price of US$190 (converted from JPY), or the AsRock Deskmini with a Ryzen APU build for US$250. The third option involves assembling parts, using a base of 3200G/3400G, and would be in mATX size since mITX boards are costly.
Sorry if this sounds too basic. TIA!
Storage servers must be linked using a cable. Wi-Fi isn't suitable for heavy data transfers such as backups.
A commercial NAS is typically the easiest choice for network storage. Options include Synology, QNAP or Thecus.
Spinning disks are generally the top choice for network storage. Speed depends on the network (around 100MB/s on a gigabit connection).