ROCK64 OpenMediaVault NAS

NAS created with OpenMediaVault and a Rock64 single board computer, including all hardware and software setup, NAS configuration, and mapping a drive to the NAS in Windows. Also included is a speed test . . .

[TurgayYoo]

This is an incredibly good tutorial. Clear, precise language and very understandable (all non native speakers appreciate that very much). One of the few examples where the video is way faster than reading. I am so impressed

[Kris-jkmq]

3 Years later and my Rock64 NAS is still running GREAT!! I've since added a USB3.0 hub and now have 2 8TB WD drives. I've also installed PLEX server and have NO issues with 4+ direct streams (even 4k DV). 1 Single transcode is kinda hit and miss and pegs the CPU regardless. Still an amazing device that has grown with me over the years and has served me well! Thanks again for the help Chris!!

[DASDmiser]

This practical demonstration really calls into question the cost differential manufacturers charge for NAS storage over the equivalent USB storage—$150 to $200. Not only do you save yourself a significant amount of cash but by building and configuring one’s own it’s possible to build a NAS system more extendable than those offered by vendors. Thanks for the great video!

[bigsky]

Very nice! I was not aware of OpenMediaVault and I've kept thinking for months now that a SBC and SSD drive would be perfect as the basis for a NAS, and its very nice that OpenMediaVault is so user friendly that anyone can get up and running quickly.

[zetacon]

I like the bits of actually doing this. You covered the topic very well. I am currently using an MSI ITX mini board to host a Windows 7 Web server. These small board computers can do so much for so little money. Thank you for reviewing this type of tech. This stuff can come in handy for hobbyists and small businesses.

[Kris-jkmq]

Put a Killawatt on my Rock64 NAS and posting to help others. 1.5 watts idle, 3.4 watts full speed 100 MBps transfers to ext. powered usb drive. $ 1.57 a year to run 24/7 at 1.5 watts.. This is measured at the plug with their 120volt wall adapter.. My usb HDD pulls 0.6 watts in spin-down and 7.8 watts in use, 6.5watts spinning idle. SMART was disabling spin-down BTW..

[annomaus]

Thanks Chris, good vid. In fact i have to complement you on such concise handling of all your topics. I find so many other tech vids are poorly presented. You seem to get that what technoids really want is a quick explanation of what it does, where to get it, and how to build it as quickly as possible. I'm assembling an OMV on a spare mobo right now as a result of this vid, and have a few other of your projects in queue.

[wfrancis]

before I bought a dedicated 2 bay NAS from Dlink. I build a raspberry PI 3x 1TB USB connected NAS to my network. That was a Raspberry Pi 1B. To proof the concept. If the pi 3 had 4 USB 3 ports and a 1Gbps LAN, it would still have been my NAS. the killer was the LAN. I needed the speed. this would work great for simple media NAS and more...great video, thank you

[yksw]

Additionally, a SBC can add some services, for example backing up connected computers. The point is, that these small units can remain attached to the power supply without eating up many resources and still giving results which are somewhat comparable to larger systems.

[dj_paultuk]

Before any home user thinks about this project, they should check if their home router includes a NAS function. As most off the shelf routers now do. I have a TP Link Archer C9 which has a USB3 port for attaching a large drive. So have a 3TB attached.
The NAS functions in the router allow you to setup shares, lock them down with user names and passwords. And even make them available externally as a FTP if you wish. So worth checking first.

[maxlee]

Even at ~30MB/s, that's more than adequate to stream HD media across a local network. Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

[johnhaynes]

Another excellent post Chris and as ever, truly interesting.

[starttherebellion]

A fantastic video! Thank you so much for making it. - What a great project for creating an economical and customize-able home-brewed NAS!

[VincentChartrand]

Just dropping by to say I repurposed an old Celeron into a NAS using OpenMediaVault. Thank you for the great video!

[stonent]

If you plan to do this over USB 3.0, I'd recommend using a USB 3.0 to SATA that supports UASP. It's a SCSI protocol over USB which reduces the overhead. With a Samsung SSD from a few years ago, I can get 450MB/s and higher raw speed to the drive directly. The apricorn sata wire 3.0 was what I used for that test. It works well and is cheap. There are some Sabrent ones that also can do UASP.

[GrahamBrownVirtualTours]

Good shout on using etcher! I've been using Rufus on Windows so far and this allows me to have a great flash drive writing experience on my Mac :)

[RoboNuggie]

Another excellent video - you are a great tutor Chris!

[danurox]

Great video as always. I remember asking you for a SOC based NAS a few months ago. Glad you did it.

[dashcamandy]

Great video! And the best I've seen on the subject!

One of the best things about using a SBC for a NAS setup is its relatively low power consumption. Far cheaper to operate over the long run than an obsolete tower (although using an older PC is a great way to keep those units out of landfills, and with the free cost of Linux distros and OpenMediaVault, that is still an option many users can consider). Plus, a SBC with a small external drive (or multiple drives) takes up only a tiny bit of space.

[LifeByKpop]

Very nice video Christopher. Me and a friend have been thinking of setting up NAS. Thanks for posting.