Recommendations for Building a Home Server
Recommendations for Building a Home Server
The server will primarily serve as a storage solution, as discussed. My main worry about purchasing a commercial unit stems from the research I've conducted—it's shown me that most systems are priced above $5k+, which feels excessive for my needs. However, perhaps I'm misinterpreting things.
I prefer not to use any cloud services, and this is exactly why I'm building this server so I can keep my data private from third parties. While technically, the third party shouldn't be able to access your information, anyone with access to the cloud server has access to your data. My goal is to have a dedicated cloud for myself.
If you have any suggestions on where to find commercial units, I'll definitely look into it.
Cloud security remains secure if you encrypt your data before uploading. This is the approach I follow.
The advice is to check the websites of Synology and QNAP.
Regarding storage needs, consider the total space required now and in the next year or three years.
Spinning disks should be considered for replacement after five years since their failure rate rises then. This could become a concern if you have many disks, though it’s manageable with a few thousand.
Spinning drives don’t last indefinitely.
You mentioned a rack mount unit in your first message—was that a strict requirement?
I'll review both suppliers.
Currently, I might need around 5TB now, possibly 7-8TB in a year, and 13-15TB after three years. It's not a huge amount.
Rack mount isn't essential, but it would help secure the physical server and align with my backup plan using a rack mount.
A 4 bay setup costs approximately $500 plus the price of the drive.
QNAP offers a 4 bay model for $550 with the specified link.
Synology provides a 4 bay option priced at $600, linked via its Amazon page.
Six bay configuration for 2.5" drives is available at $450, detailed on Amazon.
For a rackmount setup using QNAP
TS-464U chassis ($850 US price)
Three WD RED+ 8TB disks offering 8TB available RAID1. Each costs $200, with two active and one spare shelf.
After two to three years you'll need three more disks to complete the slots.
Total initial investment is $1500.
Rack mounts are pricier. Desktop models include a security slot for chaining to a rack -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Security_Slot
I have some information about integrating the Yubikey mentioned in your post script.
I don't know if the Yubikey is supported, but here is the QNAP article on 2FA --
https://www.qnap.com/hu-hu/how-to/t...ce...rification