I would like to start and create my first file server at home. I’ve never done this before and I’m a beginner. I would like to know how to create one, how to maintain it for years to come, and what costs are entailed with a direct or indirect costs. Thanks everyone.
Edit
Added the below for clarity.
What I am looking for is a way to storing my personal files at home. I am not looking for internet connected device that I can access remotely.
It will be mainly used to store my personal photos and videos, and not used to stream movies to a device.
Should be accessible by devices such as android, windows, and iOS.
I think that’s a great way to start. It is surprisingly easy to add remote access at a later date.
The dead simple way is to set up a shared folder with Syncthing, although you will end up with all of the files copied onto every device.
If you want the files to live on your home server to be accessed as needed, then you will want something like Nextcloud or OwnCloud. Personally I found ownCloud easier to set up, but it has far fewer features.
If the focus is on pictures and videos, then you should probably start with immich. It is very simple and incredibly powerful. You can more or less set it up once, and not think about it too much other than running an update from time to time. It supports multiple users, etc. Note that if you are adding photos from a Google Takeout, you will want to run a one time script to rescue the metadata (date, etc.)
Any of these are accessible on any device.