The Poket-NAS

No Cloud Dependency: All files stay on your local network, reducing exposure to third-party services.

No Vendor Lock-in: You control the data and the software. No hidden telemetry, forced updates, or proprietary restrictions.

Encryption: You can encrypt sensitive folders or the entire drive for extra security.

Security Transparency: You can audit the software, disable unnecessary services, and implement your own.

User & Group Management: Easily set up and manage user accounts, permissions, and shared folders.

Protocol Support: OpenMediaVault supports SMB/CIFS (Windows), NFS (Linux), and AFP (macOS), so all your devices can access files seamlessly.

Automated Backups: You can schedule backups to/from the NAS, or even sync with cloud services like Backblaze or Wasabi.

Snapshots & RAID: If you expand storage later, you can set up RAID or use Btrfs/ZFS for snapshots and data integrity.

SSD Performance: A 1TB SSD on a Raspberry Pi 5 can deliver fast read/write speeds for your use case, especially if you’re using it for light to moderate workloads (e.g., file sharing, backups, media streaming).

Low Power, Always-On: The Raspberry Pi 5 is energy-efficient, so it’s cost-effective to run 24/7 as a file server.

Gigabit Ethernet: The Pi 5’s built-in gigabit Ethernet ensures smooth file transfers, especially for multiple users or large files.

Scalability: While the initial cost might be similar, a DIY NAS allows you to upgrade components (e.g., adding more storage or RAM) incrementally, rather than replacing the entire device.

Repurposing Hardware: You already own a Raspberry Pi 5, so repurposing it for a NAS can be cost-effective compared to buying a new appliance.

Hands-on Experience: Building your own NAS is a valuable learning experience, especially if you’re interested in Linux, networking, or storage management. It’s a practical way to deepen your knowledge of RAID, file systems, and network services.

Troubleshooting Skills: Managing your own NAS helps you understand how storage systems work under the hood, which can be useful for your IT consulting and teaching activities.

• Raspberry Pi 5 (16GB RAM recommended)
• Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen4 NVMe Internal SSD
• MicroSD card (64GB or larger, Class 10 or UHS-I)
• Power supply (official Raspberry Pi 5 power supply recommended)
• Ethernet cable (for stable network connection)

• Download and install the Raspberry Pi Imager.
• Open the Imager, select „Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit)“ and your microSD card.
• Click „Write“ to flash the OS.
• Enable SSH (for headless setup)

• Insert the microSD card into your Raspberry Pi 5 and power it on.
• Log in via SSH (or directly if using a monitor)
• Update the system.

• Run the official OMV installation script.
• Wait for the installation to complete (this may take 10-15 minutes).
• Reboot when prompted.

• Find your Raspberry Pi’s IP address.
• Open a web browser and go to http://raspberry IP address
• Log in with Username: admin & Password: openmediavault

• Go to the user icon (top-right) > „Change Password“ and set a secure password.

• Add storage:
  • Go to „Storage“ > „Disks“ to see connected drives.
  • Format and mount drives under „File Systems“.
  • Create shared folders under „Shared Folders“
• Enable services (e.g., SMB/CIFS for file sharing):
  • Go to „Services“ > „SMB/CIFS“, enable the service, and configure shares.
• Add users:
  • Under „Access Rights Management“ > „Users“, create users and set permissions.

• Install OMV Extras for additional plugins.
• Install plugins via the OMV web interface under „System“ > „Plugins“.