How to set up your NAS server for backups and content streaming

I’ve been playing I’ve been toying with the idea of ​​setting up my own NAS server for a long time, but I thought it would be difficult. After being drawn to the idea of ​​automatic backups and centralized content sharing disconnected from Big Tech’s increasingly untrustworthy servers, and further spurred on by the creep of ads and the ever-rising prices of streaming services, I finally got around to doing it. It turns out it’s easy. As you get your digital life in order, you should do this, too.

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Why would I want a NAS server?

Although this isn’t for everyone, there are some good reasons why you might consider setting up your own server to store personal files, even in an age when cloud backup services are convenient and inexpensive.

A NAS server is like your own private cloud, allowing you to store files and backups at home instead of on a third-party cloud server that can be located halfway around the world. If you don’t expose your NAS to the Internet, you can keep everything completely private. If you want to share with other people, you can configure user accounts with different access levels. I also discuss how to keep your NAS secure at the end of this guide.

UGreen NAS app via Simon Hill

As a writer, I have a lot of files on my computer that need to be backed up. I have product photographs, interview transcripts, unfinished drafts, and many other files that would be very difficult to lose. Naturally, I have the usual collection of home and work documents, family photos and videos, and all that other stuff too. Until now, I’ve been manually saving files to USB flash drives and backing them up using a cloud service.

With a NAS server, I can ditch the flash drives and have an automatic local backup running in different locations. It’s not a good idea to only have one backup or to only have backups in one place, so I’ll continue to double up on my cloud storage. But this is still a huge improvement over my previous routine.

To share content

As a family of four with a mix of different devices, it’s really helpful to have a central repository for sharing photos, videos, vacation plans, creative projects, and important documents. Since these things are typically spread across a variety of cloud services and personal devices, a NAS server with an organized file structure is a big leap for us that makes life a little easier.

I was an early adopter of streaming services like Netflix and Spotify, but as the content streaming landscape has become increasingly fragmented, tainted by ads, and ridiculously expensive, it has steadily lost its appeal. I’m old enough to own a pretty large physical media collection, and I’ve been meaning to digitize it forever. Setting up my own NAS server was just the boost I needed, and we now have a central repository of some of my favorite TV shows, movies, and albums.

It’s not a very fun process, but if you’re planning to do the same, it’s very easy to rip Blu-ray discs with MakeMKV and compress them with HandBrake. Set up Jellyfin as your streaming app, and it will automatically pull in artwork and information to give you a Netflix-style interface. I installed Jellyfin on all of our TVs, phones, and tablets, so we can easily stream things locally, and I’m really happy with how well it works. Many people prefer Plex.

UGreen NAS app via Simon Hill

There are many other potential uses for a NAS server. Here are some things on my list:

• Home assistant for smart home control and local automation
• Surveillance camera local recording and monitoring
• Minecraft server for kids

Most of the ways I use a NAS server allow me to reduce subscriptions, which helps offset the cost. In the long run, running a lot of these things locally will save you money, but it can also help you maintain control and privacy.