1st time NAS builder needs suggestions and help.

[mrchow19910319]

Recently I posted a thread saying that I want to convert my desktop to a NAS. 

Then I saw this video that Linus did. 

 

So I was wondering if I could build the same thing, a NAS with a windows virtual machine on it so I can play games if I wanted to. 

Update: I just wanna build a NAS for home usage and make it a media server so I can stream videos to my laptop/tablets.

 

Here are the hardware I have on my hand. 

• i7 4770
• Gigabyte H87-D3H motherboard
• 16GB of ram (2x4GB & 1x8GB)
• WD 1TB black
• WD 1TB blue
• WD 2TB green
• Seagate 3TB
• 120GB samsung 840 evo SSD
• 120GB samsung 850 evo SSD
• RX480
• RM650 power supply

 

I am totally clueless about how to do this right now. Here are a few questions I wanna ask you guys. 

 

• Can I just build the NAS 1st, worry about how to install a virtual machine that has win10 on it later? Or I have to do what linus did in his video. Cos the second part seemed difficult.
• If I nuked my windows system, and reinstall it via virtual machine, can I still use the same cd key? I checked in my system setting it says my win 10 is linked to my email account. Does it mean that I can nuke it completely later just type in my email then I am golden? 
• One of my HDD has something I don't wanna lose. A lot of photos and movies and stuff, can I temporally disconnect it and later just plug it back in? Or I have to format every drive I have.  

[mrchow19910319]

@TLDR 

[manikyath]

the thing linus did is a fun gimmick, but is COMPLETELY impractical.

 

you'd be better off just dropping a raid card and a bunch of hard drives in your system and call it a day.

[mrchow19910319]

2 minutes ago, manikyath said:

 

Wait a minute....if I did something like that, I can only access my files in the nas locally? Means it is not a nas???  >.<

[manikyath]

Just now, mrchow19910319 said:

Wait a minute....if I did something like that, I can only access my files in the nas locally? Means it is not a nas???  >.<

you can share it with windows

[mrchow19910319]

Just now, manikyath said:

 

So... but I can just turn my PC to a NAS. Forget about the "virtual windows gaming machine " right? 

 

Please me more direct... I know nothing about NAs or server... 

[Beskamir]

For starters your system won't have ECC which would be a good idea for a NAS and a very very very good idea if you want to use ZFS.

[TLDR]

There are actually many ways you could approach the home server you spoke about here's a few:

• Use HYPERV on your current OS to run virtual machines within Windows. Provided you have Hyper-V on Windows 10. This will allow you to run FreeNAS and unbutu inside and also pretty much any OS you want. You can basically have multiple seperate servers running on one OS.
• You can dual boot unbutu or FreeNAS (FreeNAS from USB) and partition your drives to deticate some to your normal OS and most to your server OS you choose.
• You can run UNRAID replacing Windows and use the VM feature to install Windows and any OS you want while having a full on file server.
• You can dual boot all your OS.
• You can dual boot or Virtulise Unbutu and use that rather then FREENAS which will also allow many other services such as plex and a lot of Linux server features.

If you decide to replace your Windows OS with a server based OS then be sure to deactivate your key for later use in a VM or dual boot (you can only do this if it isn't OEM)

We can discuss this further when I fully understand your needs and then we can create an action plan.

[manikyath]

4 minutes ago, mrchow19910319 said:

So... but I can just turn my PC to a NAS. Forget about the "virtual windows gaming machine " right? 

 

Please me more direct... I know nothing about NAs or server... 

- put more storage in your main rig

- right click the drive

- click share

- blippedibloop

- network storage as long as your system is powered on.

[mrchow19910319]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

 

That is the simplest way. I see. thanks！ 

[jj9987]

You can just set up Storage Spaces in Windows 10 and have the NAS functionality within your current OS.

[mrchow19910319]

9 minutes ago, TLDR said:

 

I need to think about this.......brb.......

[LyyK]

19 minutes ago, mrchow19910319 said:

Wait a minute....if I did something like that, I can only access my files in the nas locally? Means it is not a nas???  >.<

If local access doesn't cut it you could always use something like dyndns with SSH.

[mrchow19910319]

20 minutes ago, TLDR said:

You can run UNRAID replacing Windows and use the VM feature to install Windows and any OS you want while having a full on file server.

I want to do this. 

 

20 minutes ago, TLDR said:

If you decide to replace your Windows OS with a server based OS then be sure to deactivate your key for later use in a VM or dual boot (you can only do this if it isn't OEM)

How am I supposed to do this if my outlook account is linked to win10 licence? 

[leadeater]

Please don't go down the unRAID path if the only thing you need to have is network storage and a Windows VM/OS to play games on. Virtualizing Windows for the purposes of gaming is fundamentally a bad idea, sure it can be done but it doesn't mean it's the best thing to do or a good option at all.

 

If you have two systems on hand then unRAID is a good option and leave then main system as a gaming computer. If you only have one system Windows is perfectly capable of sharing files over the network and is very easy to do so.

 

It doesn't need to be as complex as running VMs or building a dedicated computer for this task etc, question what it is you need and way up your options. Sometimes simple is also the best option.

[mrchow19910319]

6 minutes ago, leadeater said:

 

Actually I posted this thread 1st. I was deciding whether to sell my pc and buy a NAs or build a nas for myself cos nowadays I don't play games anymore.

Edit: I am already using my macbook pro for 95% of the time. And I am gonna stick to it. So....

[leadeater]

14 minutes ago, mrchow19910319 said:

Actually I posted this thread 1st. I was deciding whether to sell my pc and buy a NAs or build a nas for myself cos nowadays I don't play games anymore.

Edit: I am already using my macbook pro for 95% of the time. And I am gonna stick to it. So....

Cool makes sense, I'd go with unRAID over FreeNAS since it's a bit simpler to use with the added bonus of being able to do more with it than just NAS, if you ever need it.

[mrchow19910319]

3 hours ago, leadeater said:

 

Yeah, that's what I am gonna use. I wanna ask you that do I need to format every drive I put in? 

I mean some of my drives are almost full at the moment. 

I am gonna use those 2 SSDs as cache and that 1 3TB drive as parity. Is that okay? 

[79wjd]

1 minute ago, mrchow19910319 said:

Yeah, that's what I am gonna use. I wanna ask you that do I need to format every drive I put in? 

I mean some of my drives are almost full at the moment. 

I am gonna use those 2 SSDs as cache and that 1 3TB drive as parity. Is that okay? 

Using the SSDs as cache drives for a media server is going to be a waste, but you would need to format the drives. 

[mrchow19910319]

6 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

Using the SSDs as cache drives for a media server is going to be a waste, but you would need to format the drives. 

All of it? as in I need to format all of the hard drives? 

I may install windows vm on it.... also how can I use the same windows cd key once I completely erased the one I am using?? 

As you can see above my windows licence is linked to my outlook email account, so when install windows 10 vm I just type in my email address when it asked for registration key?

[79wjd]

Just now, mrchow19910319 said:

All of it? as in I need to format all of the hard drives? 

I may install windows vm on it.... also how can I use the same windows cd key once I completely erased the one I am using?? 

As you can see above my windows licence is linked to my outlook email account, so when install windows 10 vm I just type in my email address when it asked for registration key?

Generally when you change OS's (and thus filesystems) you need to let the new filesystem reformat everything. 

 

Your Windows license is tied to your motherboard, so just grab the license and then when you go to install windows either login or input the license, whichever it asks for. 

[mrchow19910319]

20 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

 

I see. I think I will go for it then. 

[mrchow19910319]

@TLDR @leadeater @djdwosk97

 

I've installed unRaid on my desktop. And now it is doing parity sync, however I have this warning message appeared from time to time. 

What does it mean?? How to get rid of it?? 

 

[79wjd]

1 hour ago, mrchow19910319 said:

@TLDR @leadeater @djdwosk97

 

I've installed unRaid on my desktop. And now it is doing parity sync, however I have this warning message appeared from time to time. 

What does it mean?? How to get rid of it?? 

 

I'm not familiar with unRAID, but: https://forums.lime-technology.com/topic/54463-unraid-cache-disk-message-warning/

[mrchow19910319]

Just now, djdwosk97 said:

I'm not familiar with unRAID, but: https://forums.lime-technology.com/topic/54463-unraid-cache-disk-message-warning/

Thanks!

 

Edit: I saw tghe thread... but dont understand how to implement those steps.. might register a account on that forum and ask there,