GoKawiilI’ve been toying with the idea of setting up my own network-attached storage (NAS) server for a long while, but I figured it would be a hassle. Lured by the idea of automatic backups and centralized content sharing that are detached from big tech’s increasingly untrustworthy servers, and further motivated by the creep of ads and ever-rising prices for streaming services, I finally did it. It turned out to be easy. As you get your digital life in order, you should do it, too.
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Why Would I Want a NAS Server?
While it’s not for everyone, there are a few good reasons you might consider setting up your own server for personal file storage, even in an era where cloud backup services are convenient and inexpensive.
To Protect Your Privacy
A NAS server is like your own private cloud, enabling you to store files and backups at home instead of on a third-party cloud server that could be located halfway around the world. If you don't expose your NAS to the internet, you can keep everything completely private. If you do want to share with other folks, you can configure user accounts with different levels of access. I also discuss how to keep your NAS secure at the end of this guide.
UGreen NAS App via Simon Hill
To Create Backups
As a writer, I’ve got a ton of files on my computer that need to be backed up. I have product photography, interview transcripts, half-finished drafts, and many other files that it would be a serious pain to lose. Naturally, I have the usual array of house and work documents, family photos and videos, and all that other stuff, too. Until now, I’ve been manually saving files on USB flash drives and backing up with a cloud service.
With a NAS server, I can ditch the flash drives and have an automated local backup running in various locations. It’s not a good idea to only have one backup or only have backups in a single location, so I’ll continue to double up with a cloud storage service. But this is still a big improvement over my previous routine.
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