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New home server setup

b24567
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Hello everyone! 

I recently picked up a used optiplex 3060 1L micro form factor, here are the specs: 

- i5-8500T @ 2.10GHz

- 16GB of ram 

- 256GB NVMe SSD (with one empty space for a 2.5" HDD) 

 

 

I want to have at least a media server setup to use plex or any other free alternatives and then I want to be able to take some backups of my data and keep it on the cloud and run piHole from it ideally. However, I have no idea where to start in terms of OS or config. It currently has windows 11 installed but I'm guessing it needs some sort of linux install. Could someone please give me a starting point or some tips on what my ideal setup should look like? Is this even achievable with the hardware I have? I know that I need to buy another HDD to hold more data, any recommendations on which one to buy since prime day is coming up in Canada?

Optionally since I can't make a RAID setup since I can't fit more drive in my optiplex, is there anyway I can get an HDD enclosure and connect it through usb?

 

I want to smart cheap and get something usable and the slowly build as I find more use cases I need to fill.

Thank you for your help! 

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Posted

We can defo help but we'll need more details.

32 minutes ago, b24567 said:

I want to have at least a media server setup to use plex or any other free alternatives and then I want to be able to take some backups of my data and keep it on the cloud and run piHole from it ideally. However, I have no idea where to start in terms of OS or config. It currently has windows 11 installed but I'm guessing it needs some sort of linux install.

I recommend you look into TrueNAS Scale

32 minutes ago, b24567 said:

Could someone please give me a starting point or some tips on what my ideal setup should look like? Is this even achievable with the hardware I have? I know that I need to buy another HDD to hold more data, any recommendations on which one to buy since prime day is coming up in Canada?

This depends on how much you want to store.

32 minutes ago, b24567 said:

Optionally since I can't make a RAID setup since I can't fit more drive in my optiplex, is there anyway I can get an HDD enclosure and connect it through usb?

So, important note, RAID is not a backup, RAID just lets you store more stuff. Redundancy in RAID is only designed to counter the fact that more drives means more failures.

 

Therefore, if all this is storing is Films and TV shows, RAID might not be for you depending on the capacity you need.

 

What might instead be a better idea is to buy a second HDD and put it in your actual PC. Then you can keep backup copies of any Films and TV shows you definately don't want to lose on there.

I might be experienced, but I'm human and I do make mistakes. Trust but Verify! I edit my messages after sending them alot, please refresh before posting your reply. Please try to be clear and specific, you'll get a better answer. Please remember to mark solutions once you have the information you need. Expand this signature for common PC building advice, a short bio and a list of my components.

 

Common build advice:

1) Buy the cheapest (well reviewed) motherboard that has the features you need. Paying more typically only gets you features you won’t use. 2) only get as much RAM as you need, getting more won’t (typically) make your PC faster. 3) While I recommend getting an NVMe drive, you don’t need to splurge for an expensive drive with DRam cache, DRamless drives are fine for gamers. 4) paying for looks is fine, just don’t break the bank. 5) Tower coolers are usually good enough, unless you go top tier Intel or plan on OCing. 6) OCing is a dead meme, you probably shouldn’t bother. 7) "Bottlenecks" rarely matter and "Future-proofing" is a myth. 8) AIOs don't noticeably improve performance past 240mm and don't improve at all past 360mm. 9) RTFM.

 

Useful Websites:

https://www.productchart.com - helps compare monitors, https://uk.pcpartpicker.com - makes designing a PC easier.

 

Bio:

He/Him - I'm a PhD student working in the fields of reinforcement learning and traffic control. PCs are one of my hobbies and I've built many PCs and performed upgrades on a few laptops (for myself, friends and family). My personal computers include 4 windows (10/11) machines and a TrueNAS server (and I'm looking to move to dual booting Linux Mint on my main machine in future). Aside from computers, I also dabble in modding/homebrew retro consoles, support Southampton FC, and enjoy Scuba Diving and Skiing.

Fun Facts

1) When I was 3 years old my favourite toy was a scientific calculator. 2) My father is a British Champion ploughman in the Vintage Hydraulic Class. 3) On Speedrun.com, I'm the world record holder for the Dream Bobsleigh event on Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games 2010.

 

My Favourite Games: World of Tanks, Runescape, Subnautica, Metroid (Fusion and Dread), Spyro: Year of the Dragon (Original and Reignited Trilogy), Crash Bash, Mario Kart Wii, Balatro

 

My Computers: Primary: My main gaming rig - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/NByp3C Second: Hosts Discord bots as well as a Minecraft and Ark server, and also serves as a reinforcement learning sand box - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/cc9K7P NAS: TrueNAS Scale NAS hosting SMB shares, DDNS updater, pi-hole, and a Jellyfin server - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/m37w3C Foldatron: My folding@home and BOINC rig (partially donated to me by Folding Team Leader GOTSpectrum) - Mobile: Mini-ITX gaming rig for when I'm away from home -

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  • Author

TrueNAS is a great option, I'll take a look for sure! I've seen some videos on LTT about it and seems simple enough to setup, are there any tips you recommend off the bat?

In terms of storage, I think I'll stick to it being a media server for now. I think I wont be able to put a lot of drives in the PC and therefore I won't be able to get the benefit of redundancy that RAID provides for my personal data, so it makes sense to hold off or do it on my personal computer. So I'm thinking of buying this Barracuda 2TB drive just in the beginning but are there any other drives you recommend that have more storage? 

 

Now in terms of the plex setup, I'm not sure keen on buying the lifetime plex membership I've heard Emby and Jellyfin are free alternatives do you have any recommendations on which one to use? My ideal setup would be some sort of automation that automatically downloads all seasons of a show that I select and then continuously keeps it updated. I want something that is easy to use so my wife can also add new shows to the server, and I don't mind if the initial setup is a bit tricky. For quality, I'd prefer using 4K for some movies but I'm okay with most shows being in 1080p. I want to prioritize low buffer times over really high quality for now. I want the experience to be as close to netflix as possible so I can convince my wife to stop paying for every subscription under the sun lol. 

Your input is much appreciated! Thank you

 


 

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Oh, also forgot to say, the free alternative to Plex is Jellyfin.

I might be experienced, but I'm human and I do make mistakes. Trust but Verify! I edit my messages after sending them alot, please refresh before posting your reply. Please try to be clear and specific, you'll get a better answer. Please remember to mark solutions once you have the information you need. Expand this signature for common PC building advice, a short bio and a list of my components.

 

Common build advice:

1) Buy the cheapest (well reviewed) motherboard that has the features you need. Paying more typically only gets you features you won’t use. 2) only get as much RAM as you need, getting more won’t (typically) make your PC faster. 3) While I recommend getting an NVMe drive, you don’t need to splurge for an expensive drive with DRam cache, DRamless drives are fine for gamers. 4) paying for looks is fine, just don’t break the bank. 5) Tower coolers are usually good enough, unless you go top tier Intel or plan on OCing. 6) OCing is a dead meme, you probably shouldn’t bother. 7) "Bottlenecks" rarely matter and "Future-proofing" is a myth. 8) AIOs don't noticeably improve performance past 240mm and don't improve at all past 360mm. 9) RTFM.

 

Useful Websites:

https://www.productchart.com - helps compare monitors, https://uk.pcpartpicker.com - makes designing a PC easier.

 

Bio:

He/Him - I'm a PhD student working in the fields of reinforcement learning and traffic control. PCs are one of my hobbies and I've built many PCs and performed upgrades on a few laptops (for myself, friends and family). My personal computers include 4 windows (10/11) machines and a TrueNAS server (and I'm looking to move to dual booting Linux Mint on my main machine in future). Aside from computers, I also dabble in modding/homebrew retro consoles, support Southampton FC, and enjoy Scuba Diving and Skiing.

Fun Facts

1) When I was 3 years old my favourite toy was a scientific calculator. 2) My father is a British Champion ploughman in the Vintage Hydraulic Class. 3) On Speedrun.com, I'm the world record holder for the Dream Bobsleigh event on Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games 2010.

 

My Favourite Games: World of Tanks, Runescape, Subnautica, Metroid (Fusion and Dread), Spyro: Year of the Dragon (Original and Reignited Trilogy), Crash Bash, Mario Kart Wii, Balatro

 

My Computers: Primary: My main gaming rig - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/NByp3C Second: Hosts Discord bots as well as a Minecraft and Ark server, and also serves as a reinforcement learning sand box - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/cc9K7P NAS: TrueNAS Scale NAS hosting SMB shares, DDNS updater, pi-hole, and a Jellyfin server - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/m37w3C Foldatron: My folding@home and BOINC rig (partially donated to me by Folding Team Leader GOTSpectrum) - Mobile: Mini-ITX gaming rig for when I'm away from home -

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56 minutes ago, b24567 said:

I can't fit more drive in my optiplex, is there anyway I can get an HDD enclosure and connect it through usb?

You could get a 5bay drive enclosure, but USB is less reliable than a direct connection using an HBA. If you have a spare PCIe slot you could easily connect 16 more drives with an LSI HBA that has "16e" in the name. Powering those drives a slightly different matter, but I have had a lot of luck with a jumpstarted 550W PSU with 16 SATA power connectors.

 

16 minutes ago, Dr. Will0hlep said:

Oh, also forgot to say, the free alternative to Plex is Jellyfin.

Does just no one use Emby these days?

5950X/4090FE primary rig  |  1920X/1070Ti Unraid for dockers  |  200TB TrueNAS w/ 1:1 backup

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9 minutes ago, b24567 said:

So I'm thinking of buying this Barracuda 2TB drive just in the beginning but are there any other drives you recommend that have more storage?

That is an awful price for that drive.

 

Here is a 4TB Seagate Exos drive with a 5 year warrenty for a similar price:

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/Mjyqqs/seagate-exos-enterprise-4-tb-35-7200rpm-internal-hard-drive-st4000nm000a

 

12 minutes ago, b24567 said:

My ideal setup would be some sort of automation that automatically downloads all seasons of a show that I select and then continuously keeps it updated.

For this you want Netflix or Disney Plus. None of the home media server applications will achieve this. If you want to keep it up to date you will have to do some work.

 

Also, keep in mind, if you go the home media server route, you will need to source your own content, how you choose to do that it up to you, however we will be unable to help you with this part due to forum rules.

 

14 minutes ago, b24567 said:

I've heard Emby and Jellyfin are free alternatives do you have any recommendations on which one to use? I want something that is easy to use so my wife can also add new shows to the server, and I don't mind if the initial setup is a bit tricky. I want the experience to be as close to netflix as possible so I can convince my wife to stop paying for every subscription under the sun lol.

I use Jellyfin. The home page is very Netflix and almost as simple to use.

I might be experienced, but I'm human and I do make mistakes. Trust but Verify! I edit my messages after sending them alot, please refresh before posting your reply. Please try to be clear and specific, you'll get a better answer. Please remember to mark solutions once you have the information you need. Expand this signature for common PC building advice, a short bio and a list of my components.

 

Common build advice:

1) Buy the cheapest (well reviewed) motherboard that has the features you need. Paying more typically only gets you features you won’t use. 2) only get as much RAM as you need, getting more won’t (typically) make your PC faster. 3) While I recommend getting an NVMe drive, you don’t need to splurge for an expensive drive with DRam cache, DRamless drives are fine for gamers. 4) paying for looks is fine, just don’t break the bank. 5) Tower coolers are usually good enough, unless you go top tier Intel or plan on OCing. 6) OCing is a dead meme, you probably shouldn’t bother. 7) "Bottlenecks" rarely matter and "Future-proofing" is a myth. 8) AIOs don't noticeably improve performance past 240mm and don't improve at all past 360mm. 9) RTFM.

 

Useful Websites:

https://www.productchart.com - helps compare monitors, https://uk.pcpartpicker.com - makes designing a PC easier.

 

Bio:

He/Him - I'm a PhD student working in the fields of reinforcement learning and traffic control. PCs are one of my hobbies and I've built many PCs and performed upgrades on a few laptops (for myself, friends and family). My personal computers include 4 windows (10/11) machines and a TrueNAS server (and I'm looking to move to dual booting Linux Mint on my main machine in future). Aside from computers, I also dabble in modding/homebrew retro consoles, support Southampton FC, and enjoy Scuba Diving and Skiing.

Fun Facts

1) When I was 3 years old my favourite toy was a scientific calculator. 2) My father is a British Champion ploughman in the Vintage Hydraulic Class. 3) On Speedrun.com, I'm the world record holder for the Dream Bobsleigh event on Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games 2010.

 

My Favourite Games: World of Tanks, Runescape, Subnautica, Metroid (Fusion and Dread), Spyro: Year of the Dragon (Original and Reignited Trilogy), Crash Bash, Mario Kart Wii, Balatro

 

My Computers: Primary: My main gaming rig - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/NByp3C Second: Hosts Discord bots as well as a Minecraft and Ark server, and also serves as a reinforcement learning sand box - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/cc9K7P NAS: TrueNAS Scale NAS hosting SMB shares, DDNS updater, pi-hole, and a Jellyfin server - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/m37w3C Foldatron: My folding@home and BOINC rig (partially donated to me by Folding Team Leader GOTSpectrum) - Mobile: Mini-ITX gaming rig for when I'm away from home -

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1 minute ago, OddOod said:

Does just no one use Emby these days?

Honestly, I've been running my own NAS for 5 years now, and until the OP said "Emby" I had literally never heard of it.

I might be experienced, but I'm human and I do make mistakes. Trust but Verify! I edit my messages after sending them alot, please refresh before posting your reply. Please try to be clear and specific, you'll get a better answer. Please remember to mark solutions once you have the information you need. Expand this signature for common PC building advice, a short bio and a list of my components.

 

Common build advice:

1) Buy the cheapest (well reviewed) motherboard that has the features you need. Paying more typically only gets you features you won’t use. 2) only get as much RAM as you need, getting more won’t (typically) make your PC faster. 3) While I recommend getting an NVMe drive, you don’t need to splurge for an expensive drive with DRam cache, DRamless drives are fine for gamers. 4) paying for looks is fine, just don’t break the bank. 5) Tower coolers are usually good enough, unless you go top tier Intel or plan on OCing. 6) OCing is a dead meme, you probably shouldn’t bother. 7) "Bottlenecks" rarely matter and "Future-proofing" is a myth. 8) AIOs don't noticeably improve performance past 240mm and don't improve at all past 360mm. 9) RTFM.

 

Useful Websites:

https://www.productchart.com - helps compare monitors, https://uk.pcpartpicker.com - makes designing a PC easier.

 

Bio:

He/Him - I'm a PhD student working in the fields of reinforcement learning and traffic control. PCs are one of my hobbies and I've built many PCs and performed upgrades on a few laptops (for myself, friends and family). My personal computers include 4 windows (10/11) machines and a TrueNAS server (and I'm looking to move to dual booting Linux Mint on my main machine in future). Aside from computers, I also dabble in modding/homebrew retro consoles, support Southampton FC, and enjoy Scuba Diving and Skiing.

Fun Facts

1) When I was 3 years old my favourite toy was a scientific calculator. 2) My father is a British Champion ploughman in the Vintage Hydraulic Class. 3) On Speedrun.com, I'm the world record holder for the Dream Bobsleigh event on Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games 2010.

 

My Favourite Games: World of Tanks, Runescape, Subnautica, Metroid (Fusion and Dread), Spyro: Year of the Dragon (Original and Reignited Trilogy), Crash Bash, Mario Kart Wii, Balatro

 

My Computers: Primary: My main gaming rig - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/NByp3C Second: Hosts Discord bots as well as a Minecraft and Ark server, and also serves as a reinforcement learning sand box - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/cc9K7P NAS: TrueNAS Scale NAS hosting SMB shares, DDNS updater, pi-hole, and a Jellyfin server - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/m37w3C Foldatron: My folding@home and BOINC rig (partially donated to me by Folding Team Leader GOTSpectrum) - Mobile: Mini-ITX gaming rig for when I'm away from home -

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4 minutes ago, Dr. Will0hlep said:

Honestly, I've been running my own NAS for 5 years now, and until the OP said "Emby" I had literally never heard of it.

I mean, I still don't use it, been on plex for a decade (gotta love a lifetime license) but there was a hot sec there when Plex was being real shady and I explored other options. Set up JF and Emby containers just so I'd have a fallback.

5950X/4090FE primary rig  |  1920X/1070Ti Unraid for dockers  |  200TB TrueNAS w/ 1:1 backup

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1 minute ago, OddOod said:

I mean, I still don't use it, been on plex for a decade (gotta love a lifetime license) but there was a hot sec there when Plex was being real shady and I explored other options. Set up JF and Emby containers just so I'd have a fallback.

I think if I'd known Emby was a thing I might have looked at it. But I actually never looked seriously at Plex. The lifetime license seemed like a good deal... but also a really shady deal that they could screw me out of at any time. Plus, I knew I'd be paying for my own domain anyway for other reasons (VPN, Minecraft Servers, ect.), so I knew remote access on Jellyfin wouldn't increase my costs.

I might be experienced, but I'm human and I do make mistakes. Trust but Verify! I edit my messages after sending them alot, please refresh before posting your reply. Please try to be clear and specific, you'll get a better answer. Please remember to mark solutions once you have the information you need. Expand this signature for common PC building advice, a short bio and a list of my components.

 

Common build advice:

1) Buy the cheapest (well reviewed) motherboard that has the features you need. Paying more typically only gets you features you won’t use. 2) only get as much RAM as you need, getting more won’t (typically) make your PC faster. 3) While I recommend getting an NVMe drive, you don’t need to splurge for an expensive drive with DRam cache, DRamless drives are fine for gamers. 4) paying for looks is fine, just don’t break the bank. 5) Tower coolers are usually good enough, unless you go top tier Intel or plan on OCing. 6) OCing is a dead meme, you probably shouldn’t bother. 7) "Bottlenecks" rarely matter and "Future-proofing" is a myth. 8) AIOs don't noticeably improve performance past 240mm and don't improve at all past 360mm. 9) RTFM.

 

Useful Websites:

https://www.productchart.com - helps compare monitors, https://uk.pcpartpicker.com - makes designing a PC easier.

 

Bio:

He/Him - I'm a PhD student working in the fields of reinforcement learning and traffic control. PCs are one of my hobbies and I've built many PCs and performed upgrades on a few laptops (for myself, friends and family). My personal computers include 4 windows (10/11) machines and a TrueNAS server (and I'm looking to move to dual booting Linux Mint on my main machine in future). Aside from computers, I also dabble in modding/homebrew retro consoles, support Southampton FC, and enjoy Scuba Diving and Skiing.

Fun Facts

1) When I was 3 years old my favourite toy was a scientific calculator. 2) My father is a British Champion ploughman in the Vintage Hydraulic Class. 3) On Speedrun.com, I'm the world record holder for the Dream Bobsleigh event on Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games 2010.

 

My Favourite Games: World of Tanks, Runescape, Subnautica, Metroid (Fusion and Dread), Spyro: Year of the Dragon (Original and Reignited Trilogy), Crash Bash, Mario Kart Wii, Balatro

 

My Computers: Primary: My main gaming rig - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/NByp3C Second: Hosts Discord bots as well as a Minecraft and Ark server, and also serves as a reinforcement learning sand box - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/cc9K7P NAS: TrueNAS Scale NAS hosting SMB shares, DDNS updater, pi-hole, and a Jellyfin server - https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/will0hlep/saved/m37w3C Foldatron: My folding@home and BOINC rig (partially donated to me by Folding Team Leader GOTSpectrum) - Mobile: Mini-ITX gaming rig for when I'm away from home -

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7 minutes ago, Dr. Will0hlep said:

I think if I'd known Emby was a thing I might have looked at it. But I actually never looked seriously at Plex. The lifetime license seemed like a good deal... but also a really shady deal that they could screw me out of at any time. Plus, I knew I'd be paying for my own domain anyway for other reasons (VPN, Minecraft Servers, ect.), so I knew remote access on Jellyfin wouldn't increase my costs.

Yeah, totally fair. IIRC Emby is a fork of JF. 
For me, I'd probably have jumped ship from Plex a while ago, but I have a few dozen people I'm sharing libraries with so getting everyone to switch all at the same time would have been a pain. 

5950X/4090FE primary rig  |  1920X/1070Ti Unraid for dockers  |  200TB TrueNAS w/ 1:1 backup

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