I currently run Plex an my home server with internal HDDs as the storage source. I am thinking about moving all of the data to a rackmounted NAS but just wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be worse off with performance.
To be clear, Plex will stay on the server so that will still do the grunt work. The NAS will purely be for storage. If I look at something like the below, will that be ok? Do I need to worry about read / write speeds etc or the NAS keeping up with demand?
Most rackmounted NAS tend to be high-end, high-power for high-$$. They won’t have any trouble with throughput - that’s what they’re made for. Even a small footprint desktop NAS will likely max-out the link to the PC with ease, if you only want a large storage volume.
I have a Synology Rackstation, RS3617xs+. Overkill, I know, but I can run Plex directly on it, trans-code a few streams simultaneously, while using it as a server for lots of other services.
Thank you. I did see the RS3617xs+ but that is slightly more than I want to pay ideally. I suppose I was more worried about only having 1GB Ram (which isn’t upgradeable), especially as it runs the management software too.
Anything I should look out for with regards to disks? Minimum speeds etc? I see a lot that are DC disks but I suppose they may not be best for constant access.
I am looking at either 4x 10TB or 4 x 8TB in Raid for redundancy.
Keep an eye toward eBay. Some used deals come through from time-to-time, especially as soon as a newer model of something comes out.
I have several Synology 8-bay and smaller desktop NAS as well. Their 6 bay and up units (and maybe others now) come with a few GB ram and are upgradable (but can be picky on exact module) I upgraded my several models old 8-bay desktop NAS, no problem. It even runs Plex server (though I only run 1 stream at a time, typically).
NAS are made to move data, their OS is lightweight and the data path needs little. If you only need a large storage repository, any box should do the trick. The trouble is, once you see how convenient it is, more and more starts running on it. I’d recommend Synology for their OS, but others provide more hardware for the money if you’re going to load a different OS into it anyway.
As far as drives, I only use Seagate Ironwolf Pro now, the cost premium isn’t too much and because the Pro have 5-year warranty I’ve started buying used drives. If they work, great, if they don’t I just RMA them (Seagate warranty is 5-years from manufacture based on serial number, so no need for receipt). Because the NAS is running RAID-6, I can swap a drive and still have redundancy while I RMA a drive.
The deals fluctuate, so keep an eye to eBay and Amazon for drive prices. A while back I picked up 12TB Ironwolf Pro drives for $230 each, cheaper than I’ve seen the 10TB. I don’t see anything that great right now, but the prices swing a lot.
