Budget File Server

[duncanbullet]

This has probably already been asked but I can't find anything on it, 
My goal is to build (or buy) a tower that would work good as a file server and enough to run my server and network lab. 
I really dont want to spend over 300 as this wont be a persistent machine just something to screw around with while i take my courses for network + 

Any recommendations?

[Electronics Wizardy]

Id buy a synology nas. https://www.amazon.com/Synology-Station-Diskless-Attached-DS416j/dp/B019ZUR5WQ

 

You can go diy, but your normally paying more, and its much bigger and uses more power.

[Edelrat]

10 minutes ago, duncanbullet said:

This has probably already been asked but I can't find anything on it, 
My goal is to build (or buy) a tower that would work good as a file server and enough to run my server and network lab. 
I really dont want to spend over 300 as this wont be a persistent machine just something to screw around with while i take my courses for network + 

Any recommendations?

Getting a NAS from scratch for 300$ is pretty hard.

Maybe if you get lucky and find (or own) a cheap PC.

Then you could add some drives.

But you would be better of getting a pre-build NAS (like @Electronics Wizardy already linked). In most cases you will still need to get drives for the NAS, however.

[azb_]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6fNpzM

 

3tb m-itx build using iGPU and 4gb of ram. No OS, some linux distro would be best.

 

Under 300 bucks

[Jetfighter808]

I just bought a 128gb lexmar p20 on cyber monday and plan to plonk it into my router.

[geo3]

6 hours ago, duncanbullet said:

This has probably already been asked but I can't find anything on it, 
My goal is to build (or buy) a tower that would work good as a file server and enough to run my server and network lab. 
I really dont want to spend over 300 as this wont be a persistent machine just something to screw around with while i take my courses for network + 

Any recommendations?

This is the set up I use right now.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/gxgzhq  $160 before data adding drives. For the OS drive you can use literally anything, USB stick, SSD, old laptop drive, whatever.

 

Here is a guide to install and configure Ubuntu server (Assumes you have 2 data drives and use one as backup.)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CvZOr_21Prkaxwou1gV3uNFuGx4k1KvCfmNU-ov63XY/edit#