Right now I have a NAS running 24/7 for some self hosted apps (p2p, *arr…) and as primary storage for my multimedia files.
This NAS has some limitations because it has a low spec hardware and the OS is “propietary”, so sometimes I have issues with docker or I miss some random feature that “standard” Linux distros have.
I work in IT and deal with the technology at home sometimes feels like a second job. I’m thinking that maybe I could simplify my home hardware avoiding NAS servers and use only my main desktop running 24/7 . This could give me a lot of flexibility (a standard OS, VMs, standard docker, better hardware, faster file operations because no LAN involved…) and less hardware to deal with.
Does anybody went this way? Any recommendations in favor or against it?
Sorry for my english.
I’ve used a retired desktop for my home server since 1999. It doesn’t have the fancy web-UI management of commercial NAS, but I’m comfortable with command line and config files.
At some point, I realized I could use its wifi card and hostapd to replace my WAP. That was a bit of an adventure initially finding a card that really supports AP mode and setting up hostapd, but has now allowed me to migrate from 802.11g to n to ac much cheaper than buying whole new devices,
Recently converted to an N100 with 4x ethernet ports, which let me unplug my little 5-port switch.
Managing this doesn’t feel like a second job: it’s stable and just works. Automatic updates, with kernel blacklisted; periodically log in, update kernel & reboot. It does give me the opportunity, when I get inspired, for a weekend project, like adding hostapd or a new service, either via docker or bare metal. I like that I have one device doing “NAS,” WAP, and router jobs.