How easy are NAS to assemble?

I will need to put the HDDs in a NAS. How easy is it if you've never done it before?

Studynxx said:

I will need to put the HDDs in a NAS. How easy is it if you've never done it before?

On the two off-the-shelf NAS units I have had it is a matter of one screw and latch to remove the cover. Slide the hard drive into the slot until it locks in place. (repeat for each hard drive). Put the cover back on.

Studynxx said:

I will need to put the HDDs in a NAS. How easy is it if you've never done it before?

In my four bay QNAP NAS, I can install the disks with no tools. Pull the lever to remove the drive carrier, insert the drive (3.5" spinner) in the carrier, slide back into the chassis. Repeat 4X. No tools required.

It is easy if you have common sense, read the instructions supplied, select suitable HDDs, can use a screwdriver, and plug in hardware.

Much harder for me was setting up/configuration of the Software, Networking, and use.

Hi folks
Depends on what you want to use as a "NAS". Usually 3 options --- old computer where you can attach "conventional devices" either internally or via an external 2 / 4 bay etc unit -- often those have multiple RAID possibilities too, or where a router can accept external "passive classical storage devices" or a dedicated (usually proprietary) QNAP type of dedicated NAS with its own OS etc.

My preference is to use a simple old (often really old) computer to run any sort of Linux (Free OS of course) and simply share the attached devices over a LAN via SAMBA etc.

These days I seriously dislike bespoke OS'es like QNAP where configuring etc is a pain. Windows for all its faults is reasonably configurable. Individual disks which can plug straight in to a router are probably the best for individual users without a lot of technical knowledge --- you can get 16 TB disks at around 270 EUR if you need mega storage --- be careful though because some are SAS (Serial ATA SCSI) not standard SATA so that's another ball game. Do check the specs carefully before buying.

I'm still using an old HP Proliant micro server (Gen 8) from around 2009 -- with 4X bays -- running Arch Linux kernel 6.1.5 with SAMBA and I have 2X 16 TB drives as individual drives plus 2X 4TB drives as a RAID 0 8TB array.

Works perfectly for what I need --runs 24/7 and delivers data fast enough over decent LAN. You don't need a NAS to run zillions of apps. Just a regular backup of whatever data you think should be backed up including Windows OS stuff. Don't also forget to back the NAS up from time to time. Doesn't need to be done in "One go".

Cheers
jimbo

Depends on what you want. The most simple one is a USB HDD connected to your router, if your router has that option. Also a simple one is based upon a Raspberry Pi with a USB HDD.

Studynxx said:

I will need to put the HDDs in a NAS. How easy is it if you've never done it before?

x2 to what others have said: depends on what you want. My take at home (home-office) is a Router with custom Tomato firmware, the whole network(s) work fine (Ethernet and Wifi), including file sharing, network printers and NAS using the USB port, you can just plug whatever HDD or USB storage you want.