Synology does seem to be slow walking hardware - if they ever lock down drives more so we have to buy their drives, then I’ve got to just build my own nas it seems.
Awesome video! Thanks for breaking the ice on some of these topics. Question: For NASs with PCI slots, can I use third party cards or do I have to use the manufacturer's line of cards only? For example, If I want to add HDMI 2.1 or WiFi 6 capabilities to a QNAP NAS can I install a third party card?
Very good video. I've noticed that niche communities get very snubbish, so many people are intimidated to even ask certain questions. A personal question I had was if a DAS case via USB isn't a better solution if I'm only going to be accessing the files from one computer in the same room. I want the benefit of RAID security, but do not need any of the network features. What are some recommended DAS solutions? One other example I've seen: What are the security concerns of having your personal files attached "with an internet cable"? How easy are they to access from the outside by malevolent actors?
Thanks for this video. Great content. As a new nas owner and a user of your free advice section. These answers were very handy things to know. As i watched i could think of a few other questions to ask . So i will post them shortly.
Here are some basic/stupid questions I kinda have (as someone looking to buy their first NAS). 1. How to transfer files from my portable hard drive (wd my passport) to the NAS hard drives? Do I just plug the portable hard drive into the NAS via the USB port, and it will copy all the files, or do I connect the portable hard drive to my computer and then transfer files from my computer to the NAS? 2. How does streaming movie files from the NAS to a tv work? What if the movie file has multiple audio and subtitle options (I love watching anime lol), does that matter? 3. What brand and/or specific NAS is best recommended for a beginner that is more geared towards home use (personally I just need data storage and streaming)? I am thinking about getting the new QNAP TS-262 4GB, and two WD Red Plus 14TB drives. Would that be a good NAS (and hopefully a quiet one)? Thank you so much for all the content you guys put out.
1) I'm not sure, I think the USB Port is ment for Cameras that can set to dump their content over a USB connection. Seeing as a dumb-drive has no means to initiate that process I'm going to hazard a no here, and you would need a PC Laptop to bridge it. 2) With due respect to both the Age, and architecture of your given NAS, (i.e. ARM + Fixed RAM vs x86 and upgradable RAM), which would be the limiting factor of what your able to playback. It should be as simple as ripping your Movie with MakeMKV and checking which resolutions, (4k/1080p/720p), and audio (5.1/7.1 TrueHD ATMOS), and then having those options available though someting like Plex, or Jellyfin. 3) Have a game plan. No NAS is a one size fits all. Some are better as Data Tanks best for non-conected LTS. Others are more living room friendly. Understand that NASs are generally 24/7 devices so Power should be a consideration. A thread ripper / Xenon Server is nice and all. But, eats way to much power for what I do. That said a device with a Marval (ARM) chip, has no power to drive a Plex install. On the subject of Plex if you want to use Transcoding you might want to opt for an x86 than an outright ARM chip. Also the low power Intel x86 also have an IGP to accelerate that transcoding. Where as without that it will be left up to the CPU to do that.
@@Ichijoe2112 Thank you for responding to my questions. Not going to lie, I don’t fully understand everything you talked about because I am new to NAS and unfortunately also not very tech savvy, so a lot of the technical stuff goes over my head lol. But I do appreciate the help, and I will continue to try and learn some of this before I buy a NAS. Thanks.
I have appreciated your videos for several years. I started with a Synology 418 and just upgraded to a 920+ only because of integrated graphics for Plex.
I'm currently building a NAS using a Dell power-edge 710 rocking dual xenon 2650 and 72GB ram. I'm populating the 6 hot-swap bays with some reclaimed 6tbs for the first pool. I aggregated the 4 onboard gigabit ports to create a 4Gb connection to my switch. These data center machines are loud compared to a PC, so I run it in a closet. Its a bit overkill for a home NAS, but I for $1300 Canadian including drives its something to consider.
I'm upgrading my qnap ts 251D 2 bay to a ts 464 4 bay, I have two 8 tb drives in the 251d and two 20 tb drives in the 464. I have raid 1 on the 251 9 tb volume with 4 tb used. How can I connect the two nas and connect the storage pools while keeping the 4 tb of media I am already using? I am studying about vjbods, hybrid mount and hbs3 like crazy but I can't seem to find info about this. I love this channel it has been so helpful thank you for all the free info. You got me this far so I had to ask.
I love your show, and what you provide from beautiful information. if it is possible, please can you make a tutorial video about how to use the Synology Nas for retro gaming and how you can let your family and friends stream the games. No one has done this on UA-cam. Please, this will be really helpful.
My ''dumb' question is one you kindly answered in person. I said that the router is at the front of my house, and my office is at the back. Can I have the NAS in my office and plug it into the ethernet port in the wall and my computer into the NAS (my previous experience is with a simple RAID external HD). You said yes, if I use a 5-port switch (with a link that you provided). I'm still not sure why (I thought I could see two ethernet ports in the back of the photo of the NAS I'm interested in), but I trust you, and it's enough for me to get the bits I need and get it working. Thanks.
Thank you soooooo much for this video!! Very informative and great to hear. Answered some questions I haven't even thought of yet! I imagine it's possible, but is it wise to do; using a portion of the space for backing up my data from PC and iMac (but not accessible online), while using another portion to store media files that can be accessed online. I heard hackers can ransom ware the NAS, I figure the back up info can stay safe (if they can not access it) and the accessible data can be wiped if necessary. OR will the hacker force me to loose the back up info as well? Please clarify?
1) Can I run a NAS as a game server for say, race sims or air combat? I assume the answer is ‘no’ due to demands. On the other hand, if it’s only vectors and everything else is done by the local machine, maybe it can. Which brings me to my next question… 2) If I populate my NAS with 3.5” spinning drives, can I leave the last slot free for an SSD to run the OS and the other computing functions and if so, how? Finally, can you please explain some of the intricacies of NVMe ports in higher end NAS’s? What are they for, other than fast access?
Can I run truenas (which won't fit in 8gb flash) off a fast usb stick plugged into nas (so i don't have to use up a multiTB drive just for that). And does using USB explain why truenas can't distinguish the hard drives?
For Christmas, my wife got me a single 4tb wd red hard drive so that I could slowly replace my aging 2tb wd blues. Would the existing raid 1 setup automatically copy over?
Mate, the key words are in the title "...questions that are not actually dumb". I.e. anyone who is deep in this stuff will think it's obvious, but that's just the benefit of experience...same with anything else! The questions I asked a guy who serviced my boiler last week at home likely made me look a right prat! Take care dude
I discovered you about a year ago and have been watching since. I am now about to purchase my first NAS. My dumb question for you is this; where can I find detailed how-to tutorials (book or videos) on setting up a NAS and configuring it? I have a moderate level of knowledge and build my own computers and manage my home network but I have no knowledge of all the software and terminology used in setting up a NAS and making it stable and safe. Actually I would love it if you would create such a series of tutorials. I would be very happy to pay for access to them.
Well! Here comes another dumb question. As far as I understand a NAS drive can not be retrieved and plugged into a pc to reach its contents. Annoying but I guess unavoidable. But what about One Touch USB backups? Can they be read by a pc or do you need the (or a) NAS to do so?
Hi I am new to NAS I have both Teramaster F220 2 bay and a Synology DS220+ I would love to see you build a VM for the DS220+ Hopefully you can add this to your busy programme schedule Thanks
Dumb question here. Never had a NAS. I have a lot of data that I don't need the raid 5/shr to backup. Waste of 2x HD space like my plex media stuff. Is it possible to NOT backup certain things (volumes, folders, things on apps like plex *which makes its own container?*.)
Could you run though on how to use Docker Compose on Container Station, example setting up a Jellyfin install. On that note could you explain how to set up Transcoding on intel based Qnaps, I gather that the Render Engine is linked (idioticly), to the admin account. Where I would actually prefer running Jellyfin, or indeed Plex, as I gather the QNAP Store, is not bothering to update that distribution of Plex any longer. So this should be of equal 8ntrest th those People as well.
Have 3 Synology NAS’s. Wanting a 321 backup strategy. Cannot seem to have one in my home lab and another offsite for remote Hyper Backups. Would love to see a step by step video on this, including consistent VPN for ongoing scheduled backups. As always, another great video!! Thank you! 👍🏻👍🏻
What can you say about longevity? If I plan a nas with identical drives (classic RAID 5) that’s destined to grow. I’ll have a watch at the prices of said drives… how many bays should I choose? Does it actually make sense to think that way? Is technological change faster and interferes with any long term considerations?
If I have a QNAP 4 bay full of 6 TB drives and I start to replace them one at a time over several weeks or months with 10 Tb drives, those 10 Tb's will be recognized as 6 Tb's. But... when I replace the final 6 Tb with a 10 Tb, will all four of the 10 Tb's now be recognized as 10 Tb's ?
This is similar to an earlier Q I answered. In brief, I remember that you COULD open up the storage after the last big drive, but I did this on a QNAP way back in 2016/17 and I am not happy reconfirm this till I test it again in 2022/2023. Will make a vid on this, or add to a new Q's vid soon. Cheers man
Upgrading? What do users do with old NAS’s once they upgrade to a bigger NAS - say from a 2 to 4 bay or 4 to 8 bay? Is there a market for my old device? Maybe I can’t afford an 8 bay to start so I get a 4 bay. Here’s where I’m going with this - I’m going to get my 1st NAS this year for multimedia streaming. If it turns out I’ve under bought due to budget constraints & need to upgrade in 1-3 years, what can I do with the “old” NAS. Thanks for the overwhelming amount of NAS info & making it accessible to newbs like me. 🤪
In your example I would use it as a Data-Vault for long-term storage, that only has to come back up when you either need to drop some Pictures as example, or need to retrieve some documentations. Needless to say it would almost be an exclusively off-line Device.
If I want to upgrade from a 2 bay Synology NAS(DSM 7.1.1, SHR) to a new 4 bay Synology NAS, can i just move the drives into the new NAS and the system will run ?
You said those USB ports on a NAS are host ports. But then you didn't explain why they are there in the first place. I am assuming that one can plug a USB external drive into one of those ports. Then, I am also assuming one can get on to the web interface of the NAS and either access the files on that USB drive over the network, or tell the NAS to copy the files from the USB drive onto the hard drives in the NAS, without needing to have all those files go across the network. So, the question is: Is that correct?
I'm representing myself and those not certain of what should be available BEFORE making the purchase. For the typical first ever home NAS setup to work as intended (photo backup/home surveillance/video played remotely via internet/etc), is this list correct? 1. One unused power outlet 2. PC/laptop 3. Router/Modem to connect the NAS??
@@jasperverkroost oh right, might as well 😀that'd be number 4 @nascompares also is there a direct correlation between the NAS LAN port to the speed of home wifi? say if my internet subscription is under 100Mbps down/up, is it more logical to skip the Synology 10GbE upgrade for example if it gives no extra advantages at all or otherwise, if my remote connection to the NAS depend on my mobile data speed, how does the usual data transfer look like between my phone and the NAS, and is the extra ethernet speed helpful at all in that case
I would start with some simple questions: For example understanding the difference between x86 or ARM. Both have advantages, and disadvantages. But again we need to get on with the show. What is the purpose of this Device? Streaming content (i.e Video (Security]) & Music), or Long-Term storage? (See above) Do you want to run VMs, and Docker example Jellyfin or Home Assistant? Understand a basic ARM Device might not cut it, or worse continue to cut it after some major update. Do you think you might like the option of a PCIe Slot, for Networking, of adding m.2 via a QM2 Board? Again not sure an ARM System will cut it here. NASs are sadly NOT cheep and a modest one like the TS453D or E will set you back 'round 500€s easy. But in the case of something like the TS453 with its HDMI Out, you don't need a PC Laptop per se. Just to set it up. The Internet may, or may not be a blessing to you. Let's just say if you can't get out, they can not attempt to come in on portb21 as Anonymous. But, you will probably need a Router, or a Switch to talk with whatever, to the NAS. So yes you would have to fulfill point 2, and 3.
@@Agoza By that question whats the point of having 2.5G on the NAS when my Router + PC are only capable of 1G connections? Your IntrAnet, is =/= as you IntrERnet
Thanks for making this video, and for all of the work you and Eddie put into the channel. The M.2 NVME slots are new to me as my very old NAS doesn’t have them. I’ve heard your caveats on how you can use them depending on the NAS, but if a NAS allows you to add it to the storage pool, is it RAID protected? And if the NVME SSD is smaller than each of the main bay drives, does the system ratchet down the storage of the main bay drives to match the size of the SSD? Using an NVME slot for AI acceleration also sounds very interesting. Are there different TPUs designed specifically for each NAS brand, or are they generic? Thanks!
I'll say how it works on QNAP; Synology, except for AFAIK one model, doesn't allow using NVMe as storage, and I'm not familiar with other brands. On QNAP, the NVMe SSDs are just another storage device - well, there is this difference that you can set them up as SSD caching (or fast storage on QTier but let's not complicate things). This means you can definitely set up 2 NVMe SSDs in a RAID just like you do with the HDDs. And since you can create virtually as many RAIDs as the number of slots in your NAS allows you to, you don't have to mix them with HDDs - or with SATA SSDs. Indeed, you should probably make a RAID1 out of them, and put the HDDs into whatever RAID configuration suits you best. As for the TPU, I can only say you should go with a compatible unit (probably a Coral)
@nascompares Amazing videos. Really love them. But can you please read out the questions if you continue with this format of videos? Often I am just listening to your videos and not watching them. E.g. cocking or even walking, running. Anyways. Top quality content. Thank you!
I will 100% do this..you are right. I use UA-cam vid as background for chores (add laundry to your list btw!) And I definitely should have considered this. Cheers for the feedback buddy
What is the best way to set up the NAS to regularly backup my Windows computers and Android phones? What backup software would you recommend to do these backups?
Windows has a Programm called FileHistory. You can configure Windows FileHistory to copy the files onto a network drive (your NAS). For Android I don't know.
For QNAP NAS, can I replace one drive at a time with a higher capacity drive and when all are replaced do the drives rebuild to those larger drive sizes and provide greater storage based on the Raid configuration?
THAT is a good question.. and one that I (assumed) is true. That said, it has been a long time since I upgraded a NAS gradually (I remember doing so with a TS-453A years and years ago with 2TB to 4TB drives). I'll look into this and likely featuring this as a Q in the next vid tbh. Cheers for your Q
The price of a NAS is why I ended up buying a used server. So I get everything a NAS can offer and more. I have 8 hot swap bays (which alone would have cost me 3-4x as much as I paid for the server) I also have 2 10 core 20 thread Xeon processors and 24GB of ram. I use it mostly for file storage (no shocker there) and as a plex server. I also use it as my primary DVD ripping station. Eventually it will be my main Rust and Minecraft server as well. A NAS if fine, if all you want is basic file storage. Though given the price of older used servers I just don't see the point.
Just a hint to polish your fine videos: snapping fingers is rude and objectionable in some cultures. BTW, the occasional bursts of seagulls screeching is unique and pleasant. Am I the only one who thinks so?
Question for next time With SBC becoming more powerful, apart from the software is there a big difference between a raspberry pi 4 8gb and a very entry level Nas for basic home use. Also could you show on how to configure such device.
tbh that is something I cannot answer till I get my hands dirty with it myself. The main diff is going to be that NAS is a combined H/W and Software solution, so the cost comparison and end user setup will need examining first. I'll follow this one up. Cheers mate
Just to make sure that I am not missing any important points in the following consideration: In addressing the need to remotely access my NAS on an "as needed" basis but not have it continuously online for the sake of vulnerability; I realize that I could program the NAS with an online schedule but this would limit my access to limited timeframes. I was thinking about plugging the NAS into a powered ethernet switch which would be connected to the internet router. The same ethernet switch would be powered by a home automation electrical switch. This would require me to access the home automation system to control the electrical switch at the time of my choosing to allow access to the NAS. Having such would create a two tier security access but afford me the ability to continuously access the NAS without worry. Your thoughts? BTW - I enjoy your videos and appreciate your subtle humor!!!!
I would be interested too. Thats a cool idea. Also, it ensures random stuff isn't accessing the NAS and activating Wake on Lan? So essentially, it's off and saving power.
I don't think there is a single video I have seen where you don't say "I hate seagulls" I was hearing the seagulls and waiting for the "I hate seagulls"
Thks & you ask for it; ????How dos I make work a portable pc & a synology NAS via ethernet??? 1. I actually asked synology once & they said I would need to install something to manage IPaddress assignment. Alright buts ????????how dos-I-gets the NAS access the-internet justs-likes it was connect to a normal router???????? Why praise-tell would I want to do this. Well sometimes I travel & work. So I justs-mights want to put a briefcase handle on it & just to take my NAS with me. 2. RAID is mainly to min downtime & backups is mainly to keep your data safe no-matter what. I'll use my NAS mostly for fun/family/relatives/friend/etc & a little downtime is not a big-deal as long as I can restore the system (w/o too much profanity & throwing things). Soooooo ???????What is the best way to keep your NAS backed-up with a simple external USB drives (ex: snap-shots, hyperbackup realtime backups, etc ; you did a good video on this a few years ago)???????? Oh using an external USB drives for backups allow me to quickly restore the files/system. Of course I might encrypt & using cloud storage too.
Thanks for your Q - added to the list for a follow up v soon! In brief though, you can literally conect a NAS to a PC with the network/ethernet cable. If you PC does not have a RJ45/LAN ort, you can use a USB to RJ45 1GbE adapter. Once connected, the NAS will reappear on yoru list of NAS in Synology Assistant, but with a unique IP. 2, I know this is annoying... but you need BOTH a redundency (RAID) and a backup. A RAID is about having time to recover your data storage system in the even of a drive failure (installing a new one) and avoid losing all data... its less a about downtime... that's more about hot spares etc. You need a backup as this is a means of still having your data is te NAS system or whole array fails/is stolen.
@@nascompares Hmmmmmmmmmmm ... I dos-remembers some brit-guy saying something like this over a year ago ;) Backups VS Redundancy & Failover - Understanding The Difference Before You Buy ua-cam.com/video/-VP0PXqk5uc/v-deo.html Thks & say hi to Eddie & the sea-gull for me.
Your first question is a bit ambiguous for me. I read it as if you both have the NAS at home and sometimes would like to travel with it. For the second one I would instead recommend to use a VPN so that you can securely reach you NAS from anywhere. At home your NAS will get an internal IP address automagically from your home router. And it will also be able to reach the internet for updates and such. As you are a security conscious person and have UPnP turned off the NAS can not automatically open ports from internet to it - and should never be allowed. RAID vs Backup is a topic that can be covered in a shorter format and have many generalities or more in depth resulting in longer answers. If you do not have an automatic backup that is running all the time on a schedule, then you should consider that you do not have backup. Because when you need the backup to do a restore you find out that you forgot to run it manually and the thing you need is not backed up. Also having backup at home is bad. If a fire or burglar takes your NAS it will also take your backup. Off-site backup is the way to go (even I don't do offsite backup right now, but I have 2 separate backup at home).
Continuing on... 11: How do I stop Persons of interest from pining my port 21 as Annon? On this note I keep hearing about how much better a Personl VPN (As opposed to the one you might have come across here on YT), are, as opposed to just opening Ports. OK great, but I can't figure it out, for starters should I VPN at the Router, or at the NAS itself? Or possibly at both locations? And, back to the original question will that stop intrested parties from pinging my Device? 12. In One of your last videos you discussed how to install TrueNAS onto a modern TS453E, alas I have an older Model TS453D, but I'm kinda left to ponder if the same might be achievable with a QM2 Add-on Card? Although I have no immediate plans to ever do so, could / would it be possible to install TrueNAS on the local eMMC? Or is it just not large enough to do that successfully? 13: Are you aware of the QNAP Firmware Recovery Wiki? h**ps://wiki.qnap.com/wiki/Firmware_Recovery ? If I were to use that reference would I be able to recover from any 'experiments' from point 12?
Love it! I had most of these questions myself. Please continue this series.
Synology does seem to be slow walking hardware - if they ever lock down drives more so we have to buy their drives, then I’ve got to just build my own nas it seems.
It's great for mid range I'm looking at building something if I want more. Low and high range leaves something to be desired.
Awesome video! Thanks for breaking the ice on some of these topics.
Question: For NASs with PCI slots, can I use third party cards or do I have to use the manufacturer's line of cards only? For example, If I want to add HDMI 2.1 or WiFi 6 capabilities to a QNAP NAS can I install a third party card?
Very good video.
I've noticed that niche communities get very snubbish, so many people are intimidated to even ask certain questions.
A personal question I had was if a DAS case via USB isn't a better solution if I'm only going to be accessing the files from one computer in the same room.
I want the benefit of RAID security, but do not need any of the network features. What are some recommended DAS solutions?
One other example I've seen: What are the security concerns of having your personal files attached "with an internet cable"? How easy are they to access from the outside by malevolent actors?
Thanks for this video. Great content. As a new nas owner and a user of your free advice section. These answers were very handy things to know. As i watched i could think of a few other questions to ask . So i will post them shortly.
Here are some basic/stupid questions I kinda have (as someone looking to buy their first NAS).
1. How to transfer files from my portable hard drive (wd my passport) to the NAS hard drives? Do I just plug the portable hard drive into the NAS via the USB port, and it will copy all the files, or do I connect the portable hard drive to my computer and then transfer files from my computer to the NAS?
2. How does streaming movie files from the NAS to a tv work? What if the movie file has multiple audio and subtitle options (I love watching anime lol), does that matter?
3. What brand and/or specific NAS is best recommended for a beginner that is more geared towards home use (personally I just need data storage and streaming)? I am thinking about getting the new QNAP TS-262 4GB, and two WD Red Plus 14TB drives. Would that be a good NAS (and hopefully a quiet one)?
Thank you so much for all the content you guys put out.
1) I'm not sure, I think the USB Port is ment for Cameras that can set to dump their content over a USB connection. Seeing as a dumb-drive has no means to initiate that process I'm going to hazard a no here, and you would need a PC Laptop to bridge it.
2) With due respect to both the Age, and architecture of your given NAS, (i.e. ARM + Fixed RAM vs x86 and upgradable RAM), which would be the limiting factor of what your able to playback. It should be as simple as ripping your Movie with MakeMKV and checking which resolutions, (4k/1080p/720p), and audio (5.1/7.1 TrueHD ATMOS), and then having those options available though someting like Plex, or Jellyfin.
3) Have a game plan. No NAS is a one size fits all. Some are better as Data Tanks best for non-conected LTS. Others are more living room friendly. Understand that NASs are generally 24/7 devices so Power should be a consideration. A thread ripper / Xenon Server is nice and all. But, eats way to much power for what I do. That said a device with a Marval (ARM) chip, has no power to drive a Plex install. On the subject of Plex if you want to use Transcoding you might want to opt for an x86 than an outright ARM chip. Also the low power Intel x86 also have an IGP to accelerate that transcoding. Where as without that it will be left up to the CPU to do that.
@@Ichijoe2112 Thank you for responding to my questions. Not going to lie, I don’t fully understand everything you talked about because I am new to NAS and unfortunately also not very tech savvy, so a lot of the technical stuff goes over my head lol. But I do appreciate the help, and I will continue to try and learn some of this before I buy a NAS. Thanks.
I have appreciated your videos for several years. I started with a Synology 418 and just upgraded to a 920+ only because of integrated graphics for Plex.
thanks bud - appreciate the kind words. You rock!)
I'm currently building a NAS using a Dell power-edge 710 rocking dual xenon 2650 and 72GB ram. I'm populating the 6 hot-swap bays with some reclaimed 6tbs for the first pool. I aggregated the 4 onboard gigabit ports to create a 4Gb connection to my switch. These data center machines are loud compared to a PC, so I run it in a closet. Its a bit overkill for a home NAS, but I for $1300 Canadian including drives its something to consider.
I'm upgrading my qnap ts 251D 2 bay to a ts 464 4 bay, I have two 8 tb drives in the 251d and two 20 tb drives in the 464. I have raid 1 on the 251 9 tb volume with 4 tb used. How can I connect the two nas and connect the storage pools while keeping the 4 tb of media I am already using? I am studying about vjbods, hybrid mount and hbs3 like crazy but I can't seem to find info about this. I love this channel it has been so helpful thank you for all the free info. You got me this far so I had to ask.
I love your show, and what you provide from beautiful information. if it is possible, please can you make a tutorial video about how to use the Synology Nas for retro gaming and how you can let your family and friends stream the games. No one has done this on UA-cam. Please, this will be really helpful.
Great content. Thank you for sharing. Can you still access your "cloud" when the unit is in the low powerdraw hibernation? Thx
Can I use my NAS as a cloud gaming machine like Xbox gamepass with games I own. If so how would I go about doing that?
My ''dumb' question is one you kindly answered in person. I said that the router is at the front of my house, and my office is at the back. Can I have the NAS in my office and plug it into the ethernet port in the wall and my computer into the NAS (my previous experience is with a simple RAID external HD). You said yes, if I use a 5-port switch (with a link that you provided). I'm still not sure why (I thought I could see two ethernet ports in the back of the photo of the NAS I'm interested in), but I trust you, and it's enough for me to get the bits I need and get it working. Thanks.
Thank you soooooo much for this video!! Very informative and great to hear. Answered some questions I haven't even thought of yet! I imagine it's possible, but is it wise to do; using a portion of the space for backing up my data from PC and iMac (but not accessible online), while using another portion to store media files that can be accessed online. I heard hackers can ransom ware the NAS, I figure the back up info can stay safe (if they can not access it) and the accessible data can be wiped if necessary. OR will the hacker force me to loose the back up info as well? Please clarify?
1) Can I run a NAS as a game server for say, race sims or air combat? I assume the answer is ‘no’ due to demands. On the other hand, if it’s only vectors and everything else is done by the local machine, maybe it can. Which brings me to my next question…
2) If I populate my NAS with 3.5” spinning drives, can I leave the last slot free for an SSD to run the OS and the other computing functions and if so, how?
Finally, can you please explain some of the intricacies of NVMe ports in higher end NAS’s? What are they for, other than fast access?
Love this! Can I reapply thermal paste to the CPU if my NAS gets really old like 5+ years and out of warranty?
Can I run truenas (which won't fit in 8gb flash) off a fast usb stick plugged into nas (so i don't have to use up a multiTB drive just for that). And does using USB explain why truenas can't distinguish the hard drives?
An amazing well done video for someone just getting starting with NAS platform.
Great video and thanks
How much storage should I put into a mas?
And using one USB dongle for mouse, key and Monitor. Is possible to trick Sinology to accept on the VM as one computer????
For Christmas, my wife got me a single 4tb wd red hard drive so that I could slowly replace my aging 2tb wd blues. Would the existing raid 1 setup automatically copy over?
Thank you for another informative video. Embarrassingly, one of my recent questions to you was on this list. 🙂 Appreciate the edification. Good stuff.
Mate, the key words are in the title "...questions that are not actually dumb". I.e. anyone who is deep in this stuff will think it's obvious, but that's just the benefit of experience...same with anything else! The questions I asked a guy who serviced my boiler last week at home likely made me look a right prat! Take care dude
I discovered you about a year ago and have been watching since. I am now about to purchase my first NAS. My dumb question for you is this; where can I find detailed how-to tutorials (book or videos) on setting up a NAS and configuring it? I have a moderate level of knowledge and build my own computers and manage my home network but I have no knowledge of all the software and terminology used in setting up a NAS and making it stable and safe. Actually I would love it if you would create such a series of tutorials. I would be very happy to pay for access to them.
He has a Playlist of a few hours worth of "setting up synology" or qnap for the first time.
@@daveuerk4030 Thank you!!!
Well! Here comes another dumb question.
As far as I understand a NAS drive can not be retrieved and plugged into a pc to reach its contents.
Annoying but I guess unavoidable.
But what about One Touch USB backups?
Can they be read by a pc or do you need the (or a) NAS to do so?
Hi I am new to NAS I have both Teramaster F220 2 bay and a Synology DS220+
I would love to see you build a VM for the DS220+
Hopefully you can add this to your busy programme schedule
Thanks
Big thank you for this video
Dumb question here. Never had a NAS. I have a lot of data that I don't need the raid 5/shr to backup. Waste of 2x HD space like my plex media stuff. Is it possible to NOT backup certain things (volumes, folders, things on apps like plex *which makes its own container?*.)
Love your videos,way to go
Could you run though on how to use Docker Compose on Container Station, example setting up a Jellyfin install.
On that note could you explain how to set up Transcoding on intel based Qnaps, I gather that the Render Engine is linked (idioticly), to the admin account. Where I would actually prefer running Jellyfin, or indeed Plex, as I gather the QNAP Store, is not bothering to update that distribution of Plex any longer. So this should be of equal 8ntrest th those People as well.
Have 3 Synology NAS’s. Wanting a 321 backup strategy. Cannot seem to have one in my home lab and another offsite for remote Hyper Backups. Would love to see a step by step video on this, including consistent VPN for ongoing scheduled backups. As always, another great video!! Thank you! 👍🏻👍🏻
Do they have a simple, easy covenient UI to see who are currently accessing files and what files are being accessed like in Windows?
What can you say about longevity?
If I plan a nas with identical drives (classic RAID 5) that’s destined to grow. I’ll have a watch at the prices of said drives… how many bays should I choose?
Does it actually make sense to think that way? Is technological change faster and interferes with any long term considerations?
If I have a QNAP 4 bay full of 6 TB drives and I start to replace them one at a time over several weeks or months with 10 Tb drives, those 10 Tb's will be recognized as 6 Tb's. But... when I replace the final 6 Tb with a 10 Tb, will all four of the 10 Tb's now be recognized as 10 Tb's ?
This is similar to an earlier Q I answered. In brief, I remember that you COULD open up the storage after the last big drive, but I did this on a QNAP way back in 2016/17 and I am not happy reconfirm this till I test it again in 2022/2023. Will make a vid on this, or add to a new Q's vid soon. Cheers man
Upgrading? What do users do with old NAS’s once they upgrade to a bigger NAS - say from a 2 to 4 bay or 4 to 8 bay? Is there a market for my old device? Maybe I can’t afford an 8 bay to start so I get a 4 bay.
Here’s where I’m going with this - I’m going to get my 1st NAS this year for multimedia streaming. If it turns out I’ve under bought due to budget constraints & need to upgrade in 1-3 years, what can I do with the “old” NAS. Thanks for the overwhelming amount of NAS info & making it accessible to newbs like me. 🤪
In your example I would use it as a Data-Vault for long-term storage, that only has to come back up when you either need to drop some Pictures as example, or need to retrieve some documentations. Needless to say it would almost be an exclusively off-line Device.
I have so many (dumb) questions about migration of data from the many random usb drives to a NAS storage pool
additional question how often yyou turn off your personal nas
These questions are not dumb indeed! Thanks!
Thank you bud. Have a great weekend
If I want to upgrade from a 2 bay Synology NAS(DSM 7.1.1, SHR) to a new 4 bay Synology NAS, can i just move the drives into the new NAS and the system will run ?
Really great and useful video. So useful
You said those USB ports on a NAS are host ports. But then you didn't explain why they are there in the first place. I am assuming that one can plug a USB external drive into one of those ports. Then, I am also assuming one can get on to the web interface of the NAS and either access the files on that USB drive over the network, or tell the NAS to copy the files from the USB drive onto the hard drives in the NAS, without needing to have all those files go across the network.
So, the question is: Is that correct?
I'm representing myself and those not certain of what should be available BEFORE making the purchase. For the typical first ever home NAS setup to work as intended (photo backup/home surveillance/video played remotely via internet/etc), is this list correct?
1. One unused power outlet
2. PC/laptop
3. Router/Modem to connect the NAS??
Maybe add to that stable wifi in the house, assuming you connect to the NAS by wifi from your PC/laptop.
@@jasperverkroost oh right, might as well 😀that'd be number 4
@nascompares also is there a direct correlation between the NAS LAN port to the speed of home wifi? say if my internet subscription is under 100Mbps down/up, is it more logical to skip the Synology 10GbE upgrade for example if it gives no extra advantages at all
or otherwise, if my remote connection to the NAS depend on my mobile data speed, how does the usual data transfer look like between my phone and the NAS, and is the extra ethernet speed helpful at all in that case
I would start with some simple questions:
For example understanding the difference between x86 or ARM. Both have advantages, and disadvantages. But again we need to get on with the show.
What is the purpose of this Device? Streaming content (i.e Video (Security]) & Music), or Long-Term storage? (See above)
Do you want to run VMs, and Docker example Jellyfin or Home Assistant? Understand a basic ARM Device might not cut it, or worse continue to cut it after some major update.
Do you think you might like the option of a PCIe Slot, for Networking, of adding m.2 via a QM2 Board? Again not sure an ARM System will cut it here.
NASs are sadly NOT cheep and a modest one like the TS453D or E will set you back 'round 500€s easy. But in the case of something like the TS453 with its HDMI Out, you don't need a PC Laptop per se. Just to set it up. The Internet may, or may not be a blessing to you. Let's just say if you can't get out, they can not attempt to come in on portb21 as Anonymous. But, you will probably need a Router, or a Switch to talk with whatever, to the NAS. So yes you would have to fulfill point 2, and 3.
@@Agoza By that question whats the point of having 2.5G on the NAS when my Router + PC are only capable of 1G connections? Your IntrAnet, is =/= as you IntrERnet
Thanks for making this video, and for all of the work you and Eddie put into the channel. The M.2 NVME slots are new to me as my very old NAS doesn’t have them. I’ve heard your caveats on how you can use them depending on the NAS, but if a NAS allows you to add it to the storage pool, is it RAID protected? And if the NVME SSD is smaller than each of the main bay drives, does the system ratchet down the storage of the main bay drives to match the size of the SSD?
Using an NVME slot for AI acceleration also sounds very interesting. Are there different TPUs designed specifically for each NAS brand, or are they generic? Thanks!
I'll say how it works on QNAP; Synology, except for AFAIK one model, doesn't allow using NVMe as storage, and I'm not familiar with other brands.
On QNAP, the NVMe SSDs are just another storage device - well, there is this difference that you can set them up as SSD caching (or fast storage on QTier but let's not complicate things). This means you can definitely set up 2 NVMe SSDs in a RAID just like you do with the HDDs.
And since you can create virtually as many RAIDs as the number of slots in your NAS allows you to, you don't have to mix them with HDDs - or with SATA SSDs. Indeed, you should probably make a RAID1 out of them, and put the HDDs into whatever RAID configuration suits you best.
As for the TPU, I can only say you should go with a compatible unit (probably a Coral)
@@alexsarbu3978 thanks for the clear explanation. That’s helpful.
@@quila5397 You're welcome!
@nascompares Amazing videos. Really love them. But can you please read out the questions if you continue with this format of videos? Often I am just listening to your videos and not watching them. E.g. cocking or even walking, running.
Anyways. Top quality content. Thank you!
I will 100% do this..you are right. I use UA-cam vid as background for chores (add laundry to your list btw!) And I definitely should have considered this. Cheers for the feedback buddy
@@nascompares I do this, too. It is cool to do household chores and learn something at the same time.
What is the best way to set up the NAS to regularly backup my Windows computers and Android phones? What backup software would you recommend to do these backups?
Windows has a Programm called FileHistory. You can configure Windows FileHistory to copy the files onto a network drive (your NAS). For Android I don't know.
For QNAP NAS, can I replace one drive at a time with a higher capacity drive and when all are replaced do the drives rebuild to those larger drive sizes and provide greater storage based on the Raid configuration?
THAT is a good question.. and one that I (assumed) is true. That said, it has been a long time since I upgraded a NAS gradually (I remember doing so with a TS-453A years and years ago with 2TB to 4TB drives). I'll look into this and likely featuring this as a Q in the next vid tbh. Cheers for your Q
@@nascompares mine is a TVS-473 about 4 years old used for a home file server and hosting PLEX
Q; Can you connect a PlayStation to a nas, store PlayStation games on the nas and play?
I'm afraid not - would love it, but no.
The price of a NAS is why I ended up buying a used server. So I get everything a NAS can offer and more. I have 8 hot swap bays (which alone would have cost me 3-4x as much as I paid for the server) I also have 2 10 core 20 thread Xeon processors and 24GB of ram. I use it mostly for file storage (no shocker there) and as a plex server. I also use it as my primary DVD ripping station. Eventually it will be my main Rust and Minecraft server as well.
A NAS if fine, if all you want is basic file storage. Though given the price of older used servers I just don't see the point.
The drives for me were more than the NAS and I only got Red Plus...
Just a hint to polish your fine videos: snapping fingers is rude and objectionable in some cultures.
BTW, the occasional bursts of seagulls screeching is unique and pleasant. Am I the only one who thinks so?
Thumbs up for the seagulls
Thank you
Question for next time
With SBC becoming more powerful, apart from the software is there a big difference between a raspberry pi 4 8gb and a very entry level Nas for basic home use. Also could you show on how to configure such device.
tbh that is something I cannot answer till I get my hands dirty with it myself. The main diff is going to be that NAS is a combined H/W and Software solution, so the cost comparison and end user setup will need examining first. I'll follow this one up. Cheers mate
SSDs v/s HDDs- wrt to speed v/s reliability v/s longevity in a NAS???
Just to make sure that I am not missing any important points in the following consideration:
In addressing the need to remotely access my NAS on an "as needed" basis but not have it continuously online for the sake of vulnerability; I realize that I could program the NAS with an online schedule but this would limit my access to limited timeframes.
I was thinking about plugging the NAS into a powered ethernet switch which would be connected to the internet router. The same ethernet switch would be powered by a home automation electrical switch. This would require me to access the home automation system to control the electrical switch at the time of my choosing to allow access to the NAS.
Having such would create a two tier security access but afford me the ability to continuously access the NAS without worry.
Your thoughts?
BTW - I enjoy your videos and appreciate your subtle humor!!!!
I would be interested too. Thats a cool idea. Also, it ensures random stuff isn't accessing the NAS and activating Wake on Lan? So essentially, it's off and saving power.
I don't think there is a single video I have seen where you don't say "I hate seagulls" I was hearing the seagulls and waiting for the "I hate seagulls"
I would dare him to say "I love seagulls", even if it was only just for one time :-).
Cool
Thks & you ask for it;
????How dos I make work a portable pc & a synology NAS via ethernet???
1. I actually asked synology once & they said I would need to install something to manage IPaddress assignment. Alright buts ????????how dos-I-gets the NAS access the-internet justs-likes it was connect to a normal router???????? Why praise-tell would I want to do this. Well sometimes I travel & work. So I justs-mights want to put a briefcase handle on it & just to take my NAS with me.
2. RAID is mainly to min downtime & backups is mainly to keep your data safe no-matter what. I'll use my NAS mostly for fun/family/relatives/friend/etc & a little downtime is not a big-deal as long as I can restore the system (w/o too much profanity & throwing things). Soooooo ???????What is the best way to keep your NAS backed-up with a simple external USB drives (ex: snap-shots, hyperbackup realtime backups, etc ; you did a good video on this a few years ago)???????? Oh using an external USB drives for backups allow me to quickly restore the files/system. Of course I might encrypt & using cloud storage too.
Thanks for your Q - added to the list for a follow up v soon! In brief though, you can literally conect a NAS to a PC with the network/ethernet cable. If you PC does not have a RJ45/LAN ort, you can use a USB to RJ45 1GbE adapter. Once connected, the NAS will reappear on yoru list of NAS in Synology Assistant, but with a unique IP. 2, I know this is annoying... but you need BOTH a redundency (RAID) and a backup. A RAID is about having time to recover your data storage system in the even of a drive failure (installing a new one) and avoid losing all data... its less a about downtime... that's more about hot spares etc. You need a backup as this is a means of still having your data is te NAS system or whole array fails/is stolen.
@@nascompares Hmmmmmmmmmmm ... I dos-remembers some brit-guy saying something like this over a year ago ;)
Backups VS Redundancy & Failover - Understanding The Difference Before You Buy ua-cam.com/video/-VP0PXqk5uc/v-deo.html
Thks & say hi to Eddie & the sea-gull for me.
Your first question is a bit ambiguous for me. I read it as if you both have the NAS at home and sometimes would like to travel with it.
For the second one I would instead recommend to use a VPN so that you can securely reach you NAS from anywhere.
At home your NAS will get an internal IP address automagically from your home router. And it will also be able to reach the internet for updates and such.
As you are a security conscious person and have UPnP turned off the NAS can not automatically open ports from internet to it - and should never be allowed.
RAID vs Backup is a topic that can be covered in a shorter format and have many generalities or more in depth resulting in longer answers.
If you do not have an automatic backup that is running all the time on a schedule, then you should consider that you do not have backup.
Because when you need the backup to do a restore you find out that you forgot to run it manually and the thing you need is not backed up.
Also having backup at home is bad. If a fire or burglar takes your NAS it will also take your backup. Off-site backup is the way to go (even I don't do offsite backup right now, but I have 2 separate backup at home).
@@GurraP Thks
Continuing on...
11: How do I stop Persons of interest from pining my port 21 as Annon? On this note I keep hearing about how much better a Personl VPN (As opposed to the one you might have come across here on YT), are, as opposed to just opening Ports. OK great, but I can't figure it out, for starters should I VPN at the Router, or at the NAS itself? Or possibly at both locations? And, back to the original question will that stop intrested parties from pinging my Device?
12. In One of your last videos you discussed how to install TrueNAS onto a modern TS453E, alas I have an older Model TS453D, but I'm kinda left to ponder if the same might be achievable with a QM2 Add-on Card? Although I have no immediate plans to ever do so, could / would it be possible to install TrueNAS on the local eMMC? Or is it just not large enough to do that successfully?
13: Are you aware of the QNAP Firmware Recovery Wiki? h**ps://wiki.qnap.com/wiki/Firmware_Recovery ? If I were to use that reference would I be able to recover from any 'experiments' from point 12?