Nick Peers reveals how to build and set up your own custom NAS-beating server

Why would you want to build your own NAS server? You can easily pick up a decent off-the-shelf model in the form of a QNAP or Synology NAS, complete with its own operating system, range of apps and all the rest. Why? Because you’re a Maximum PC reader, do you need any other reason?

Of course not, but we’ll give you some anyway. QNAP and Synology are very good at what they do, but you’re tied into their ecosystems, which limits you to their choice of hardware, software, and even proprietary filesystems. None of this sits well with us, particularly when our TS-251+ proved so poor at hardware transcoding.

The beauty of the self-build system is that you’re in complete control, from choosing the components that make up your turbo-powered NAS, to selecting which operating system powers it. We’ve hand-picked the best components for a low-powered NAS build, but you’re free to use whatever you want—an old PC or laptop will do nicely, or even set one up inside a virtual machine. Our NAS will run Ubuntu Server for maximum flexibility and performance, designed to run headless while remaining accessible and easy to manage via any PC on your local network with a web browser. Ready to get started?

First, what hardware will your NAS server be based on? Any PC capable of running Linux is the simple answer. You might have an old PC or laptop gathering dust somewhere looking for a new purpose in life, or perhaps you’re looking for an excuse for your next build. The box on the opposite page reveals what we based our server on, which we found very easy to build.

Your NAS server needs a suitable operating system to run, and because it’s designed to be run headless, we’re going to install Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS. The Server version doesn’t come with unnecessary overheads, including a desktop—everything is done from the command line. Don’t worry, though: after it’s been set up, we’ll install a special addon (Cockpit) that enables you to easily administer your server remotely from any web browser on your local network. We chose the LTS version to reduce the number of major OS upgrades we’ll need to apply during the server’s lifetime.

So, once your server’s set up and running, you won’t need to leave it permanently connected to a monitor or keyboard. That said, it’s useful to have access to both resources in case your server loses its network connection. For example, we’ve got our server tucked away beneath our feet, connected to our main PC’s monitor and with the front USB ports easily accessible, should we need to plug in a keyboard.

Start The Install Process

Head over to www.ubuntu.com/download and click the “Ubuntu Server” link, followed by “Option 2 – Manual server installation.” You should find the latest LTS version (Ubuntu Server 20.04.2 at the time of writing) as the main option. Click this to download the installation media in ISO format—this will download the amd64 build, which works with regular Intel and AMD processors, including the Pentium Silver J5040.

It’s a much smaller download than the full-blown desktop version—a mere 1.1GB. Once downloaded, you can burn it to a blank DVD or use a tool like Rufus (follow the guide at http://bit.ly/ MPCubuntuinstall) to copy it to an unused USB flash drive (2GB or larger).

Once you’ve created your install media, plug it (or insert the disc) into your server PC before powering it on. If you’ve not already done so, have a quick comb through the BIOS to see if there are any settings you should apply—for example, J5040-ITX users should navigate to “Advanced” and enable “SATA Aggressive Link Power Management” to save energy.

If the BIOS isn’t configured to automatically boot from USB drives, tap the F11 key on startup to bring up the boot menu, then select your USB drive to start the install process. If you’re familiar with the Ubuntu Desktop install process, prepare to forget everything—the Server uses a text-based install method.