Need help with my first storage server

[DaiGurenMK42]

At this point I am frustrated and tired. I want something that works. I don't care Linux or Windows. Can somebody guide me through the process to help start my storage server. The build consists of an i3-4360, 16GB RAM, GTX 660ti, 4x4TB WD Red with 500GB Boot Drive. My router is an Asus RT-AC3200. What I want is something that can store all my files and I can access them locally and in different cities.

 

I want to drives in a JBOD configuration because they are for backup and not redundancy. I want to be able to access the files on my main windows computers, my mobile devices, and stream pictures/videos to my raspberry pi running OpenELEC aka Kodi. This computer also is intended to stream steam games. How all of this is done I do not care anymore I just want a solution that can work. And I want someone to help my through the steps I have to go through with my router, network, installation etc.

 

I have looked into several programs like Bittorrent Sync, OwnCloud, Seafile, Syncany, Syncthing etc. I tried installing OwnCloud on a LinuxMint installation first but it wouldn't properly install and I couldn't find guides that differed in installation method. I also tried installing steam on it but I couldn't get my GPU recognized no matter how many drivers I tried using from the Device Manger section. So I went the Windows route and installed Windows 10 because at least the video drivers and steam would work automatically so I only would have to worry about server. But that proved more of a hassle because OwnCloud isn't supported anymore due to their own complications in providing a good open source offering.

 

So I looked around and found Seafile. I have it installed but cannot get access to the web UI. I understand an FTP server would serve my needs for get the files locally and externally but when I tried installing FileZilla server I ran into an error with the program and I didn't understand it at the time, so I am open to using it if someone can help me with that personally. Also samba server can also be used in my case to stream to the raspberry pi as I understand it. There are many options and I would really appreciate some proper help with this. If you need any more information please just ask what you need.

 

This is more trouble than all the guides I looked at before getting the parts implied. "Follow these steps and you can have a server running in less than an hour". I have spent a week and am getting nowhere with this. Keep going back and forth from windows to linux let alone decide on specifically which method to use.

 

 I also have access to a SFTP server my friends and I rent, we share the space and I have about 1TB available. So I was thinking if there was a way to let my server connect to it and use that as a back end of sorts to just transfer my files. That way I don't have to open up too many ports on my router to be able to access the server. Because it's shared I do not want any files stored on there, but I can use the site somehow if someone can explain. 

 

Thank you for your time and patience with my. 

 

*Sorry about X-Post

EDIT: Spacing

[Pugs501]

couldn't you just get a NAS?

[unijab]

Cannot read that as one large paragraph... 

 

 

Have you tried FreeNAS?

[manikyath]

wat i'd suggest you do is installing either windows, or ubuntu. (preferably windows if you have a key, its more nubnub friendly, which isnt meant bad, i've been in that place myself.)

 

put the hard drives on a samba share.

 

my current setup for file sharing isnt much different, i'm currently still on winderp 7 on my server, but hoping to move to either arch or ubuntu in the future.

 

my hard drives (and optical drive) are all samba shares.

 

for steam streaming its as simple as installing steam, and logging in.

[DaiGurenMK42]

couldn't you just get a NAS?

Technically... this is what I am trying to do...

 

Cannot read that as one large paragraph... 

 

 

Have you tried FreeNAS?

Don't want ZFS. Backup not redundancy and also no steam support. 

 

wat i'd suggest you do is installing either windows, or ubuntu. (preferably windows if you have a key, its more nubnub friendly, which isnt meant bad, i've been in that place myself.)

 

put the hard drives on a samba share.

 

my current setup for file sharing isnt much different, i'm currently still on winderp 7 on my server, but hoping to move to either arch or ubuntu in the future.

 

my hard drives (and optical drive) are all samba shares.

 

for steam streaming its as simple as installing steam, and logging in.

Ya steam isn't an issue with windows, drivers and all work perfectly. But samba share would just be for local use. How can I get the data when I am cities apart? Because I usually am not at home cause of work/school. Right now it is on Windows with Seafile installed but cannot get WebUI so I don't know if I am missing a program I needed to install or if there is a port I need to open. There is only one guide I found on Seafile and that's their website which isn't helpful with this error. http://manual.seafile.com/index.html

[manikyath]

Technically... this is what I am trying to do...

 

Don't want ZFS. Backup not redundancy and also no steam support. 

 

Ya steam isn't an issue with windows, drivers and all work perfectly. But samba share would just be for local use. How can I get the data when I am cities apart? Because I usually am not at home cause of work/school. Right now it is on Windows with Seafile installed but cannot get WebUI so I don't know if I am missing a program I needed to install or if there is a port I need to open. There is only one guide I found on Seafile and that's their website which isn't helpful with this error. http://manual.seafile.com/index.html

you could set up a PPTP vpn, its not the safest, but its damn convenient to have around.

[unijab]

Who said you had to use ZFS???

[DaiGurenMK42]

you could set up a PPTP vpn, its not the safest, but its damn convenient to have around.

Would that VPN make it seem like the client and host computers are on the same network? And then thats how I would be able to get access to the samba folders, is this what you are suggesting? Honestly I think I dove head deep without testing this on one of my other computers and got the computer build before proving the concept. I am using this to learn about networking and it's fun but like everything else computer related it's a love hate relationship. 

[DaiGurenMK42]

Who said you had to use ZFS???

FreeNAS only does ZFS

[manikyath]

Would that VPN make it seem like the client and host computers are on the same network? And then thats how I would be able to get access to the samba folders, is this what you are suggesting? Honestly I think I dove head deep without testing this on one of my other computers and got the computer build before proving the concept. I am using this to learn about networking and it's fun but like everything else computer related it's a love hate relationship. 

the idea is when you're working local, you do everything local, and if you're at a remote location (school for example) you connect to your vpn, and you're *basically* working local.

 

now that i think of it, if you have windows on your server, you can get teamviewer VPN, which i may or may not have used for steam "in home" streaming in networking class <.< >.>

[unijab]

FreeNAS only does ZFS

 

Wrong.

[DaiGurenMK42]

the idea is when you're working local, you do everything local, and if you're at a remote location (school for example) you connect to your vpn, and you're *basically* working local.

 

now that i think of it, if you have windows on your server, you can get teamviewer VPN, which i may or may not have used for steam "in home" streaming in networking class <.< >.>

Teamviewer is awesome. It's one of the reasons I am glad to use Windows. It's what I am using to control the server pc while watching shows on my main desktop. And ya the VPN idea sounds great, just need to set it up or maybe just buy PIA anyways. I do not want to rely on teamviewer to transfer the files even though it has built in ftp service, because it's going through teamviewers servers. I will look into this concept, thanks for giving me a fresh idea. Although to be fair I did want something flashy to impress my classmates with... if the the samba/vpn works for me then I will be sorely sad about all the time I wasted. haha 

[manikyath]

Teamviewer is awesome. It's one of the reasons I am glad to use Windows. It's what I am using to control the server pc while watching shows on my main desktop. And ya the VPN idea sounds great, just need to set it up or maybe just buy PIA anyways. I do not want to rely on teamviewer to transfer the files even though it has built in ftp service, because it's going through teamviewers servers. I will look into this concept, thanks for giving me a fresh idea. Although to be fair I did want something flashy to impress my classmates with... if the the samba/vpn works for me then I will be sorely sad about all the time I wasted. haha 

my classmates were fairly impressed when i was benchmarking HL2:lost coast on a shot laptop 1080p, 600fps. (steam in home streaming over teamviewer's vpn)

[DaiGurenMK42]

Wrong.

Much info, very in-dept, such knowledge.

Also no steam. There is a 660ti in there, I can load up games on the system itself through windows. And FreeNAS isn't as free to play around with like Debian/Windows can be. 

Thanks, but no thanks.  

[scottyseng]

my classmates were fairly impressed when i was benchmarking HL2:lost coast on a shot laptop 1080p, 600fps. (steam in home streaming over teamviewer's vpn)

 

That's one way to use a NAS. haha. I plan on using VNC (the paid version) myself. I've heard great things about Team Viewer though. Sadly my NAS doesn't have a powerful GPU (Workstation GPU) but it does have a 14 core Xeon in it. I could probably go around saying my laptop renders faster than a 5930K.

 

I'm still working out remote file shares in Windows Server. It's a fun ride though. Lots of book reading though. I tried the Windows Remote Desktop...it's workable...but quite laggy (even when it's 4 feet away from my PC).

[DaiGurenMK42]

Ya, I got it working. Easiest thing ever, automatically worked with my raspberry pi... I feel horrible for all the wasted time this week. Now I can actually play some games... After I copy and sort all my files.... great....

[scottyseng]

Ya, I got it working. Easiest thing ever, automatically worked with my raspberry pi... I feel horrible for all the wasted time this week. Now I can actually play some games... After I copy and sort all my files.... great....

 

What'd you do? Make file shares in Windows Server?