The idea behind this thread is for current users of unRAID to make suggestions to new or perspective users of unRAID, to help ease their transition over to the software and community. I do not intend to make this a Q/A based thread, but more a go-to list of helpful suggestions that might help prepare users for issues that might arise, or prevent commonly seen issues and solutions based on our experiences. These could be anything from software settings, install methods, to product purchases. If your suggestion is only viable under specific builds and circumstance, please make note of these. If a common recommendation already has a wealth of information listed in another thread, please post the link and brief description explaining its purpose.

 

If something like this has already been made, I apologize ahead of time. My primary reason for wanting to set up a list such as this, is continually seeing in various different threads people noting unRAID not working properly after easily preventable non-unRAID related situations. This thread will ultimately be organized dependent on the responses and volume thereof.

 

My #1 suggestion for anyone planning on building a dedicated server, especially related to hardware purchases, isn't even inside the server itself.

 

I strongly suggest setting aside some money and investing it into a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). Time and time again, I see posts of people saying... "Everything was working fine until a power-outage." or "Where I live we have frequent blackouts..." I myself have had to restore a backup of one of my VM's after it blitzed from the breaker popping one night. Sudden power fluctuations or outright drops can, and arguably often do, cause data issues and corruptions. Even if you aren’t running a dedicated server, having a UPS can help insure that in the previously mentioned cases, your pc will shut down correctly and in a safe manner.

I suggest that this topic and any answers would be a good wiki page. That way it can stay in one spot, and not get migrated out of site and out of mind if there is no activity for a period of time.

 

Anyone with a valid forum login can edit some of the unraid wiki pages.