Crikey!. What's a newbie to do/choose when it comes to a home NAS?

[nas_virgin]

I looked at TrueNAS, as the GUI was very nice.

I tried Rockstore briefly, but it's GUI is ... hmm.. not overly great. (and it also buggered my 4Tb videos hdd!)

Then i get excited about UnRaid, but then read this ... 
So what's a virgin NAS person to do?

Edited August 7, 2022 by nas_virgin

[M0zza]

 

So you have tried two yourself, but got put off another by someone writing an article?

 

Maybe install it an give it a whirl?

 

It is all down to personal preference in the end. I'm sure other users will find a different Home NAS solution fits their needs better, but they are not you.

 

Throwing down my tuppence.

M0zz

[primeval_god]

On 8/7/2022 at 5:59 AM, nas_virgin said:

Then i get excited about UnRaid, but then read this ... 

Despite what this article implies the debate about what bitrot is and how much of a threat it poses is by no means settled. If you search this forum you will find well informed arguments on either side. For my money i will take an unRAID array over zfs any day of the week. In the end though the most important point to make is that RAID is not backup, checksums are not backup, snapshotting is not backup (well technically its a kind of back up but thats part of a much larger discussion), backup requires having a copy of data on an independent media (i.e. a copy on something/somewhere else that is likely to survive destruction of the original).

Edited August 8, 2022 by primeval_god

[nas_virgin]

Hi @mozza @primeval_god,

Thank you for the information to date.

As a NAS newbie, it's very daunting and difficult to get a 100% solid answer in respect of the zfs vs btrfs argument about which is "better"?  and which can really "fix" (cough cough) bit-rot and errors. 😜

Add to the mix is this term "bit-rot", which i've only just heard about a few days ago.

I don't have a foot in any NAS camp at present, and I suppose one should take the fanboy's of FreeNAS opinions (esp on Reddit ) with a grain of salt (or bit LOL).

But, these sorts of strong negative comments do make one wonder which way to leap.. 🤷🏼‍♂️.

Quote

the unraid guy saying what he's saying is an attempt to level the field in a way that's disingenuous and misleading to people who haven't worked as storage engineers. "no such thing as bit rot" coming from him sounds like deflection for negative comments on their product.

 

I am certainly not here to point fingers (like on Reddit 😞 ).   but merely to be as informed and educated as possible to make the best decision moving forward.

 

And yes @primeval_god thanks for hammering home about backups.. 👍🏻... because, lets face it.. the backups are the root/core of any personal data storage, irrespective of the NAS at the front door. 🙂.

Cheers

[PeteAron]

Chiming in, NV,

 

If i am correct in summarizing your initial post as "I am afraid to use unraid because of the possibility of bitrot"

 

then my sarcastic thought in reply is that it is similar to thinking "I am afraid to go for a walk outdoors because I am afraid of being struck by lightning/bitten by a cobra/hit by an asteroid"

 

I am not taking a side on bitrot being a problem or not, but if it is, it is a very low probability problem with a very low file loss rate.  I am not even sure it is unique to unraid.  You should have a separate physical backup of anything important - something which absolutely has nothing to do with unraid.

 

Like many, my first unraid array, built in 2011, is still in service as my primary nas.  I have a second and my next PC of any type will also be an unraid array (who cares, just mentioning).  It is reliable, as cheap as it can be when you have 10's of TB of storage, and its as easy to use as it could be.  If you've never maintained a NAS before, you will see that you have a lot to learn no matter which you choose.  Like many, I'd recommend unraid but it's your life.  

 

Use unraid or no, but bitrot fear seams a ludicrous reason to avoid unraid.

 

good luck,

 

Pete

[kizer]

I've been using unraid since 2009 and I've never encountered bit-rot that I know of. Lol

 

Before 2009 I've lost many files or projects because I didn't have a reliable NAS and I tried many until I tried unraid. 

 

So the Gamble is yours, but I can tell you right now there is NO perfect solution. 

[nas_virgin]

On 8/12/2022 at 4:00 AM, PeteAron said:

If i am correct in summarizing your initial post as "I am afraid to use unraid because of the possibility of bitrot"

Use unraid or no, but bitrot fear seams a ludicrous reason to avoid unraid.

 

Bitrot fear!? Ludicrous!? avoid Unraid!?
What the..... LOL
I have tried a couple of other NAS providers in the past but wasn't impressed (and it has nothing to do with Bitrot).

After looking around post my HP Xeon server dying I came across mentions of Unraid.
I had never heard of the term bitrot till reading about Unraid.
From there I started looking at reviews on Unraid and hence how I ended up on the whole Reddit bitrot conversation.

This topic was not seeking bitrot info specifically.. it was more about the whole zfs vs btrfs argument and which is better more robust.

And yes, the likelihood of a user experiencing bitrot is practically zero. (perhaps as probable as the "Infinite Improbability Drive" 🙂 )

 

Quote

“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” ~ Arthur Conan Doyle