Want to build a NAS server but new to this and need help!

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Hello so I have two PC's one upstraitrs and downstairs. The downstairs one is my htpc which is hooked up to my amp and TV. I have made this PC as silent as possible but my HDD still makes a slight noise (I'm am noise sensitive). I essentially want a Nas server/light browsing PC for upsitars so I can stream the films downstairs without any noise. I have a few issues though -

1) the main fibre socket is downstairs so I have to connect by WiFi on the upstairs PC (and or use home plugs)

2) the upstairs PC needs to be able to download stuff onto the HDD (not sure if I can do this from the htpc downstairs)

3) I use full bluray films and need DTS ma sound and don't want to compromise any quality while streaming the films.

Is this possible to do? If so where do I start?

I'm sorry I'm a total noob at NAS lol

Thanks
 
Get something like a HP N54L? You can stick 6 drives in it, low power.

I use it as a torrent/plex/media server. I use home plugs to stream 40/50GB rips.
 
A bit off topic, but if you want to further quieten your downstairs PC, you might like to consider swapping it's HDD to a solid state drive (SSD) which have no moving parts. SSD's cost a bit more that mechanical HDD's gigabyte-for-gigabyte, but for silent operation it might be a price you are prepared to pay. At time of writing a quick search at Amaz0n reveals 120GB SSD's available for less than GBP 50. Not huge by comparison with current multi-terabyte HDD's, but more than enough for hosting the OS and a bit of transient data. One caution I'd sound about SSD's is that a while ago, there was much talk about ensuring OS supported "TRIM" if you want to use SSD, to even out the "wear" on them. I'm not sure what the current status quo is with this, but I'd sure a bit of Googling "SSD + TRIM" will reveal all if no-one here knows.

With regard to the original question - are you saying you have HomePlugs currently, or are you considering purchasing them to address your streaming requirements...?

I would tend to favour HP's (even though I've never used them) over wi-fi (and of course ethernet over HP's) as wi-fi tends to be a lot more fickle and performance of wi-fi is much dependent on the number of wi-fi devices in your locale (yours and the neighbours) and traffic levels which mean it can be great one moment and poor the next. Wi-fi, I'm afraid, "is just like that." The more data you can shove onto your HP/ethernet links, the more capacity (think of it in terms of "air time") you leave available for your remaining wi-fi devices to fight over.

The "size" of BD rips doesn't matter when you're assessing networking requirements - it doesn't matter if they're 1GB, 10GB or 100GB (though of course that's very much a consideration when sizing the storage requirements for your NAS.) What matters is the bit-rate requirements of the file when they are being streamed. BD is currently the highest and received wisdom suggests they are of the order of 30-50mbps. DVD is lower (4-5mbps) and things like YouTube are lower still. A single BD stream can easily be handling by 100mbps ethernet or better. There's plenty of anecdote here that people also manage to stream BD over homePlugs, though much is dependent on the link rate ("speed") you HP's sync up which in turn depends on the quality of your mains circuit. I'd buy the fastest HP's I could afford (IIRC currently 500/600mbps units.) I've had success streaming BD over 300mbps wi-fi - though I do have very favourable wi-fi condition - only one client, no interference from neighbours, etc. - YMMV.

I'd echo the point made about one of HP's microservers - mine's about as quiet as a fridge, a boiling kettle drowns it out - though it depends on the HDD's one fits. Microserver gives you complete flexibility to choose the software environment - either Turnkey NAS freebie, or a "full fat" OS like Linux/Windows with which one can fiddle as much as one like. All can provide basic network shares and it sounds like things such as Plex can run on many platforms.

If you want something more "appliance" like (ie you buy it and it more or less "just works" out-of-the-box) you could look at a commercial NAS solution, but that may limit the flexibility you have to tinker with the software environement.

There's an FAQ about NAS pinned in this forum.
 
Hey thanks for replies and suggestions. I think the most easiest way of me achieving this is store the HDD on the upstairs pc and connect both PC through a private network by homeplugs. I have already got some homeplugs but I'm not sure how to set the upstairs PC into a sharing one. I will look at the guides on this forum and do a bit more research in this.
 
On a Windows box it's pretty simple - find the folder you want to share, right click it, select "Share" and follow the wzzard. In SOHO environments, most people don't tend to worry much about permission and grant all users full access (thoug you don't have.)

Thence teach the playback PC where the network share is which is usually about as difficult as browsing the "network neighbourhood" (or whatever it's called these days) for the required PC/Share.

Doubtless there's vids on YouTube that will walk you through it for your particular OS versions.
 
Simple Job is to relocate the computer that is making so much noise into another room so you can't here it.

This is what I did as I could not stand noise from HDD.

I just moved the server to a different room where you cant here it and as you say if you need full bandwidth for 30GB files then forget wifi, run Ethernet cable on outside wall and job done.

Take about a minute or so to drill a hole through inside to outside wall with 8mm drill bit, wiring Ethernet cable is not hard.

You can use wifi but I would avoid as one bit of interference and pause of the movie and it's ruined for everyone. I can stream 4K Video at 100mbps bitrate which is better than bluray over Wifi AC with no stuttering but still I prefer gigabit. If you don't know about bandwidth over wifi, channel bonding, wifi channels and frequency they stick to gigabit Ethernet.

You original post lacked information so going by what you did post this is a solution I can give.

From info below run Ethernet cable from router downstairs to switch upstairs, connect downstairs equipment to router and upstairs equipment to switch.


Downstairs Room:

-Fibre Modem / gigabit router

-HTPC

Upstairs room

-4 port gigabit Switch

-Server/NAS

-PC
 
Thanks for the explanation dude.

I currently have -

Downstairs: Modem, Router, Switch and HTPC (Homeplug 1)

Upstairs: PC (Homeplug 2)

I am still getting a really slow 4 MB/s transfer rate with files even with th switch so I am assuming my wiring is limiting the connection unless I am doing something wrong?

My main option is to run a long Ethernet from downstairs like you mentioned or just use wireless Ac.
 

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