I have been having issues with my server where I can't access the Web GUI and none of my docker containers are working. I went to the actually server and on a display connected to it, I tried to enter the admin username and password, but it just timed out after 60 seconds. I reinstalled a fresh version of Unraid on the same USB and reconnected it, now everything is working fine but I can't regain the 10 or so days that were left on my free trial. This means I can't start my array unless I buy I licence. Does anyone know how I can regain my trial period?

Contact support and they might assist. Otherwise a new USB drive will allow for a new trial.

I was doing some research, and I have heard that for the trial Unraid uses the Mac address of the device you use and not the USB, will a new usb work or will it give me the same issue again?

The license is tied to the USbs GUID. As long as your usb has that, and it is unique and unused, then you are set. You can trial as often as you are willing to supply valid usb sticks.

Okay, thank you for your help. I will try that

I also have a question. I live in Australia, so an Unraid licence costs $71. I am a beginner on Unraid and homelabbing, I am wanting a reliable software that can be a NAS, and host docker containers while also having a good UI. Is Unraid worth it or is there a better option?

For what you're describing -- NAS, Docker, and a decent UI -- Unraid is honestly a pretty solid fit, especially for beginners.

The mixed drive size array is the thing that sets it apart.

You can throw in whatever drives you have lying around without needing matched pairs, which is great when you're starting out and building gradually.

The Docker side is handled through Community Apps which makes installing things like Plex, Jellyfin, Emby or whatever else you want genuinely painless -- most popular apps have one-click templates.

A couple of honest things worth knowing before you pull the trigger.

There's no built-in data backup solution which is a gap that comes up a lot in the community -- you'd need to sort that separately through a Docker container.

And security patches have historically been on the slower side, though that seems to be improving.

The 30 day trial is fully featured so there's no reason not to just try it before spending the $71.

A few weeks with it will tell you pretty quickly whether it clicks for you.

One more thing worth knowing if you do go ahead -- the quality of your USB boot drive matters a lot more than most people realize.

Not all USB drives are created equal for always-on server duty and the wrong one can fail on you within a couple of years, or even months.

Before you buy anything check out the USB Flash section of this forum -- there's a guide there that explains exactly what to look for and what to avoid.

Thank you for your help

I have heard about TrueNAS now having native support for docker containers, and it is free. Is this a better option, or are the advantages of Unraid better? How does proxmox work and what does it do and is that also a better option?

Edited April 21Apr 21 by The-Vault Master

35 minutes ago, The-Vault Master said:

I have heard about TrueNAS now having native support for docker containers, and it is free. Is this a better option, or are the advantages of Unraid better? How does proxmox work and what does it do and is that also a better option?

Proxmox isn’t NAS software it’s a hypervisor which is meant for running virtualized OSes.

TrueNAS runs straight zfs pools so you need all same sized disks and expansion is not as simple as adding another drive. It requires careful planning of disks and pools.

You’re going to get biased answers here cause we all use unraid for some reason or another. The only way to really find out if something else is better for you is to try it.

Can you then run Unraid on Proxmox or TrueNAS on Proxmox?

6 hours ago, Veah said:

The license is tied to the USbs GUID. As long as your usb has that, and it is unique and unused, then you are set. You can trial as often as you are willing to supply valid usb sticks.

You are correct, I have just tried it and it has worked. Thank you for your help