One of the conveniences the cloud offers is a complete and never-ending backup repository for files such as music, photos, contact data, documents, and more. And while this convenience is great, I personally don’t like having private files such as family photos, music libraries, or writings managed by giant corporations. The thought of having someone else managing my very personal files is something that doesn’t sit well with me, even if they promise the best protection. Today, it has become “the norm” for apple to back up my iPhone bringing files such as pictures, documents, contacts, and phone data directly to its cloud service. As time has passed, both storage space and costs associated with this service have increased.
By setting up a household NAS solution, my entire family would have the ability to limit sensitive data exposure to third-party providers. The benefits of a personal cloud include control, security, cost, and performance. As the cloud owner, I am ultimate responsible for the storage configurations, data management, and security. Third-party costs are reduced since we no longer need to rely on corporations such as Apple or Google to handle our data. Upload/download performance is increased since the network is hosted within my home as opposed to on the internet.
Crafting a personalized NAS solution can involve various levels of intricacy, yet one of the simplest approaches is to acquire a dedicated device like the WD – My Cloud External Network Attached Storage unit. By reading the instructions through BestBuy, it appears to be a simple process where the first effortless step is plugging in the device. This NAS has several options for RAID storage and a simple computer-based interface for managing settings and features. Once configured, the device becomes accessible to any device within your home and even has the capacity to extends its reach from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. If you’re looking for more security, it’s recommended to keep the device configured to the local network only.
When considering your requirements, the most factor is storage capacity. How much data do you plan to store? The 8TB RAID storage for the WD device might seem substantial, but this capacity is two 4TB drives in a RAID setup. This configuration saves files and creates duplicate backups on the second drive, effectively providing 4TB of usable storage. Basic hardware requirements you will also need to consider are having at least 4 gigabytes of RAM, a network card supporting a 1gigabyte connection or more based on your data needs, USB ports for USB-attached storage, and a power supply capable of handling the power requirements of the machine (ITProToday).
Investing in a NAS device for a one-time upfront cost and its potentially straightforward setup makes the prospect of creating a home personal cloud an enticing one. Such a solution grants my family access to a storage platform independent of third-party corporations. This not only yields long-term financial savings but also alleviates any worries about the security of private files.
Sources
Tozzi, Christopher. “How to Build a Personal Cloud Server for Private File Storage at Home”. ITPro Today. 21 January 2023.
https://www.itprotoday.com/cloud-storage/how-build-personal-cloud-server-private-file-storage-
WD – My Cloud Expert EX2 Ultra 2-Bay 8TB External Network Attached Storage (NAS) – Charcoal
“Western Digital MyCloud EX2Ultra Setup and Review”. Kesh at Home. 26 March 2023