DIY NAS (Network-Attached Storage) with Raspberry Pi 5

If you’ve ever wanted to have your own personal cloud storage without paying monthly fees, you can do it with your Raspberry Pi 5 NAS setup.

It is a fun project that gives you full control over your files, such as movies, music, and backup. Best of all, building a Raspberry Pi 5 NASis much cheaper than buying a commercial NAS. Let’s dive into the details!

What is a NAS, and Why Build One with Raspberry Pi 5?

Basically, NASis a small computer connected to your network that stores and shares files. So, instead of using an external HDDor relying on cloud services, you can have your own private storage, Raspberry Pi 5 NAS, that’s always available.

Why Use Raspberry Pi for NAS?

Not only is this solution much cheaper than dedicated NAS devices, but a Raspberry Pi 5 NAS also runs on very little electricity, unlike power-hungry desktop PCs.

It is fully customizable, allowing you to decide how much storage you need and what software to use. This approach is also great for learning since it allows you to understand networking and storage solutions easily.

What You’ll Need

Here is what you will need to build your Raspberry Pi 5 NAS:

● Raspberry Pi 5(4GB or 8GB RAM recommended)

● Power Supply(USB-C, 5V, 5A recommended)

● MicroSD Card(at least 16GB for Raspberry Pi OS)

● External Storage (USB hard drive or SSD)

● USB to SATA Adapter (if using an SSD/HDD)

● Ethernet Cable (for stable connection)

● A Cooling Case(recommended since NAS workloads can heat the Pi)

Step 1: Install Raspberry Pi OS

Here is how to set up the OS for your Raspberry Pi 5 NAS:

● First, download the Raspberry Pi OS (Lite)from the official site.

● Then, flash it onto your microSD card using Raspberry Pi Imager.

● Boot up your Pi device and connect it to your network.

● Run the following commands to update the system:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Set Up Your Storage Drive

Now it’s time to get your external storage drive ready for the Raspberry Pi 5 NAS:

● Plug in your USB hard drive or SSD to the Raspberry Pi.

● List the connected drivers with the lsblk command.

● If you need to format your drive, which will erase all of its data, use the command

sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdX 

while replacing sdX with your actual drive name, like sda1.

● Create a mount point and mount the drive using:

sudo mkdir /mnt/mydrive
sudo mount /dev/sdX /mnt/mydrive

Make sure it mounts automatically at boot:

sudo nano /etc/fstab

● Add this line to the bottom:

/dev/sdX /mnt/mydrive ext4 defaults,nofail 0 2

Note that “nofail” allows the system to boot without a drive, although we recommend you ensure that the drive is connected. Also, if you want to avoid any delays during boot, or if the drive isn’t present, you can use this line instead:

/dev/sdX /mnt/mydrive ext4 defaults,nofail,x-systemd.device-timeout=1s 0 2

Step 3: Install and Configure Samba (For File Sharing)

To share files between devices, one of the best options to use is Samba. It allows Windows, Linux, and macOS to access your Raspberry Pi 5 NAS.

● Install Samba using:

sudo apt install samba -y

● Create a shared folder:

sudo mkdir /mnt/mydrive/shared

● Edit the Samba configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

● Scroll to the bottom and add:

[MyNAS]
path = /mnt/mydrive/shared
read only = no
browsable = yes
public = yes
force user = pi

● Restart Samba using: sudo systemctl restart smbd

● Now set a password with: sudo smbpasswd -a pi

Once this is done, you can access your Raspberry Pi 5 NAS from another device using “\\your-raspberry-ip\MyNAS“ on Windows or “smb://your-raspberry-ip/MyNAS” on macOS/Linux.

Step 4: Enable Remote Access (Optional)

If you want to access your Raspberry Pi 5 NAS from outside your home, you can set up SSHor VPN.

● Enable SSH:

sudo raspi-config

● Navigate to Interfacing Options > SSH > Enable.

● For secure remote access, you can use Tailscaleor WireGuard VPN.

Step 5: Automate Backups (Optional, But Recommended)

To ensure that you don’t lose your data, you can use rsyncto back up your Raspberry Pi 5 NAS data automatically.

However, before setting up an automated backup, it is advised to test the command manually. This will ensure that files are copied as expected and will help prevent accidental data loss. It’s important especially because of the –delete option, which removes files from the destination that no longer exist in the source.

To safely test your rsync command, add the –dry-run flag, which simulates the backup process without making any actual changes. So first, use this line:

rsync -av --delete --dry-run /mnt/mydrive/shared /mnt/backupdrive/

Review the output to make sure that files are being copied and deleted as intended. When you are confident that the command works correctly, you can remove the –dry-run flag and execute the backup manually.

rsync -av --delete /mnt/mydrive/shared /mnt/backupdrive/

This approach minimizes the risk of unintended file deletions and ensures that your backup system operates reliably.

Step 6: Monitor Your NAS

To check your Raspberry Pi 5 NAS performance:

● Use htop to check CPU and memory usage:

sudo apt install htop -y
Htop

● Check disk space using: df -h

If your NAS gets slow, think about upgrading to an SSD or using a cooling fan.

Conclusion

That’s it! Now you have a fully functional Raspberry Pi 5 NAS! You can now store, share, and access your files from anywhere in your home network or even remotely if you set it up.

Plus, since it is fully customizable, you can keep adding different features, such as media streaming, automated backups, or even Nextcloud for a personal cloud service.

Enjoy your homemade NAS and free yourself from monthly cloud storage fees!