How I Built My Own NAS Server, or Achieving Data Independence from Corporations

How I Built My Own NAS Server, or Achieving Data Independence from Corporations

For years I relied on cloud services for photo storage, notes, and file sync. Google Photos, Notion, various cloud drives — they worked fine until they didn't. Price hikes, policy changes, the nagging feeling that my data lives on someone else's servers under someone else's rules. I decided it was time to build my own NAS and take back control.

Why Build Instead of Buy?

Ready-made NAS solutions from Synology and QNAP are convenient but expensive for what they offer. A Synology box with comparable specs would cost significantly more, and you're locked into their ecosystem. By building my own, I get more flexibility, better performance per dollar, and complete control over the software stack.

Hardware Selection

After extensive research, here's what I settled on:

• Processor: Intel Xeon E3-1230v3 — a server-grade CPU with ECC memory support, low power consumption, and more than enough performance for a NAS
• Memory: 8 GB DDR3 ECC — error-correcting memory is essential for ZFS, which relies on data integrity
• Storage controller: LSI-9261 with hardware RAID support — reliable, well-supported, and available cheaply on the used market
• Disks: SAS drives — designed for 24/7 operation, more reliable than consumer SATA drives for continuous use
• Case: Mini-ITX form factor, modified to accommodate 8 drives

The total build cost came to approximately 42,000 rubles (~$450 USD at the time), which is a fraction of what a comparable pre-built NAS would cost.

The ZFS File System

ZFS was the obvious choice for the file system. Its key features make it ideal for a home NAS:

• Copy-on-Write (CoW): Data is never overwritten in place — instead, new data is written to a new location, and the pointer is updated. This protects against corruption from power failures
• Instant snapshots: Creating a snapshot is nearly instantaneous and puts no load on the drives, since it simply preserves the current state of the pointers
• Built-in compression: ZFS can transparently compress data, saving space without any effort from the user
• Deduplication: Identical blocks are stored only once, saving additional space
• Self-healing: ZFS checksums every block and can automatically repair corrupted data from redundant copies

I configured the drives in a RAID-Z2 array, which can survive two simultaneous drive failures. This gives me 6 TB of usable space from my pool of drives.

Operating System: TrueNAS SCALE

I chose TrueNAS SCALE as the operating system. It's based on Debian Linux and provides native ZFS support along with Docker container management through a web interface. This makes it easy to deploy self-hosted services without deep Linux administration knowledge.

Self-Hosted Services

With the NAS running, I deployed several services to replace cloud dependencies:

• Immich — a self-hosted replacement for Google Photos. It handles automatic photo backup from phones, facial recognition, location-based organization, and album sharing. The interface is remarkably polished for an open-source project
• Affine — a Notion alternative for notes and documents. Supports blocks, databases, and collaborative editing
• Keycloak — an identity and access management solution providing OAuth authentication across all services. Single sign-on means one login for everything
• Actual Budget — a personal finance tracking tool. Replaces subscription-based budgeting apps with a self-hosted alternative
• Traefik — a reverse proxy that enables external access to services with automatic HTTPS certificates. This lets me access my NAS from anywhere, not just the local network

Backup Strategy

Having all data on a single NAS — even with RAID redundancy — isn't enough. RAID protects against drive failure, not against fire, theft, or accidental deletion. I set up automated backups to S3-compatible storage on Yandex Cloud, providing an off-site copy of critical data.

Performance

The system delivers impressive numbers for a home build:

• Sequential read: up to 675 MB/s
• Sequential write: solid performance thanks to RAID-Z2 striping
• Drive health is monitored through regular SMART tests with alerts for any degradation

Lessons Learned

A few tips for anyone considering a similar build:

• Check memory compatibility with your motherboard before buying. Not all ECC modules work with all boards, even if the specs say they should
• Use controllers with IT-mode support if you plan to use ZFS, since ZFS prefers direct access to drives rather than hardware RAID
• Consider mATX over Mini-ITX for better airflow and expandability. My Mini-ITX build works, but it runs warmer than I'd like and left no room for future expansion

The result is a fully functional, self-hosted infrastructure that replaces multiple cloud subscriptions, keeps my data under my control, and cost less than two years of cloud storage fees. The initial setup took a weekend, and maintenance has been minimal — ZFS and TrueNAS handle most things automatically.