An extended family member is looking for a NAS solution. I run a completely DIY solution since I’m a knowledgeable Linux user. They’re not. I’m trying to figure out what’s available and what to recommend. Here’s what I have so far:
- TrueNAS SCALE (Debian based, UI)
- OpenMediaVault (Debian based, UI)
- Synology (??, UI)
- QNAP (??, UI)
I think that the proprietary solutions like Synology and QNAP are less desirable due to unknown longevity of the companies and their willingness to support their products with software updates. Am I wrong?
I have no idea what’s better between TrueNAS and OMV. I know Debian so I’m confident I can force either to listen via terminal if I have to.
What do you use? Which one of the list do you prefer? Any other Linux-based additions to the list?
I think a Synology is best if they lack technical skills. The GUI is nice and integrations are easy enough to manage. Longevity-wise, I’ve have the 918+ since 2018 and it’s still going strong. Plus there are packages for things like Tailscale (easy to use VPN) you could setup for a them. That way you reduce their attack surface of exposing services externally.
I’ve had a 218+ since 2017. The only reason I might upgrade is to have space for more drives. Im way more of a data hoarder than I used to be
I’m pretty technical… but I love my Synology.
It just works. Obvious choice for those that aren’t techy.
I bought a used Synology before knowing more about NAS alternatives. I hated every minute with it… Because it was a bit older, security updates could stop anytime. And using the proprietary OS felt even more unsave. Who knows what backdoors are build in there? I sold it after I found out that there is no way to install a custom OS or any alternative to the proprietary version.
Edit: found a picture of it:
Anything other than QNAP.
Synology rules
Even as someone with tech experience using it for the last couple years as I learned what I even wanted to do with my NAS, it was awesome
Even my less tech literate wife was able to do stuff with it, just s little bit of “here’s how to access the server” and boom, the GUI is that intuitive
Using docker on it is also really easy if you do eventually want to step up your game.
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I’ve seen in this thread:
Fewer Letters More Letters NAS Network-Attached Storage Plex Brand of media server package VPN Virtual Private Network
3 acronyms in this thread; the most compressed thread commented on today has 8 acronyms.
[Thread #303 for this sub, first seen 26th Nov 2023, 21:35] [FAQ] [Full list] [Contact] [Source code]
I think that the proprietary solutions like Synology and QNAP are less desirable due to unknown longevity of the companies and their willingness to support their products with software updates. Am I wrong?
You’re not wrong, it just for the wrong reasons haha.
The software is profit-motivated and companies in general are becoming more and more hostile to their own customers and slowly cashing in any goodwill they’ve developed over the years.
Collecting data, injecting ads, paywalling features, it’s just the inevitable future of these companies now. Even if not today, anytime in the future, and they’d have you over a barrel because you’ve dedicated time and invested in this ecosystem.
Not to mention the company could disappear at any time and you’d be left with no software or network support. Things would eventually break with no recourse. Ideally they would open the source code since it costs them nothing at that point but they never do.
