Building a $122 DIY NAS, Local AI and Media Server - True Nas, Ollama, Jellyfin, Home Assistant

Building a $ 122 DIY NAS, Local AI and Media Server - True Nas, Ollama, Jellyfin, Home Assistant

A couple of days ago, I went to visit my friend Josh’s house and spotted something peculiar – a computer tower standing outside by the trash bin. Curious, I asked Josh about it. He brushed it off, saying, "Ah, it's just some 10-year-old piece of garbage. It wasn't the shed for like years." But as fate would have it, Josh was planning to splurge $ 400 on a new NAS (network-attached storage). That’s when I decided to turn that so-called trash into a full-blown server with NAS, local AI, media server, and more, saving him those extra bucks.

Prepping the Old PC

First things first, I gave the computer a quick vacuum but overall, the tower didn’t seem too bad. While the case was a bit battered, the motherboard was an ASUS P8Z77-V – indicating the computer was at least 10 years old. The main things I replaced were:

Power Supply: Replaced the old PSU with a Corsair 650 Watts on sale for $ 45 from Amazon.
RAM: Upgraded the RAM from 8GB to an additional 16GB for $ 24 on Amazon.
Storage: Replaced a 120GB SSD with a new 500GB PNY SSD for $ 33 on Amazon.
NAS Controller: Bought an HBA controller for $ 20 on eBay.
GPU: Traded an old GPU for a 2.5GB network card.
HDD: Added two refurbished 4TB Seagate Ironwolf NAS drives for $ 150 on Amazon.

Powering On and Initial Setup

With the components installed, I powered on the PC, hoping it wouldn't explode in my face. After confirming the CPU was nice and cool, I accessed the BIOS and set the CPU to energy-saving mode for efficiency. Once stable, the next step was installing the operating system and configuring the NAS.

Installing TrueNAS

Initially, my plan was to install Proxmox, but due to the CPU limitations, I opted for TrueNAS. Here’s how I did it:

Download TrueNAS SCALE from their website.
Use Rufus to create a bootable USB stick with the TrueNAS image.
Install TrueNAS on the SSD and reboot.

Network and Storage Configuration

Once installed, I configured network settings to use a static IP and set up a storage pool using my two NAS drives. For sharing and access:

Created Users: Added proper users for better control.
Shared Folders: Configured SAMBA shares for network access.
Snapshots: Enabled periodic snapshots for data recovery.

Adding Functionalities with Apps

To maximize the utility of this DIY server, I installed various applications:

AdGuard Home: For ad blocking across the network.
Home Assistant: To control smart home devices.
Olama AI: For running local AI models.
Jellyfin: As a media server to stream content.

Conclusion

With a total investment of around $ 122, I transformed an old computer into a versatile server capable of serving as a NAS, media server, local AI, and more. Whether you're looking to repurpose old hardware or just want to save some money, diving into solutions like TrueNAS, Olama, and Jellyfin proves that with a little effort and creativity, you can build something incredibly functional and cost-effective.

Keywords:

DIY NAS
Home Server
TrueNAS
AdGuard Home
Home Assistant
Olama AI
Jellyfin
Refurbished Components
Corsair Power Supply
Network-attached Storage

FAQ:

Q: What hardware replacements were needed for the old PC?

A: The main replacements were the power supply, additional RAM, SSD storage, NAS controller, and hard disk drives.

Q: Why was TrueNAS chosen over Proxmox?

A: The CPU in the old PC (an i7-3770K) lacked support for VT-d needed for PCI pass-through in Proxmox, so TrueNAS was selected as it fit the hardware capabilities.

Q: How did you ensure data recovery on the NAS?

A: By enabling periodic snapshots which allow easy rollback to previous file versions.

Q: What apps were installed to enhance the server functionality?

A: Key apps included AdGuard Home for ad-blocking, Home Assistant for smart home control, Olama AI for local AI models, and Jellyfin for media streaming.

Q: Can this setup work for other old computers?

A: Yes, similar setups can be applied to other old computers, provided they have compatible hardware and sufficient upgradeability.