Ask HN: Cloud vs. Edge Computing–Why Choose a Local NAS?

I recommend a 19" Rack (e.g. 2x 1U) with sufficient bays - i.e. 4 or more - (1) so that you can set up a RAID array [1]; and (2) also consider building one NAS for fast access (SSDs, no RAID) and another, larger NAS for protecting against longer-term data loss (HDDs, RAID6). [No, that is not called a "backup", because backups are offsite by definition!]

Synology has perhaps the best usability (my preference, I use a RS422+ on a separate network - internal only - at home and another Synology rack version at work), and QNAP has a slight price advantage (most colleagues' preference). Synology's system software logs a warning if non-synology drives are used, but this is likely just a marketing thing; what is important is that you use "enterprise class" drives for longest lifetime (I don't save on protecting my life's data).

A 19" rack needs space, but the main problem is the generated noise (lucky if you have a room in the basement). I also have several servers, some are more power-hungry than others; one is a specific low-noise, low-energy one that is quite old, but not used as a NAS at the moment.

Many people have experimented with RasPI-based NAS, but for me that does not work as I need a solid, closed case with a more powerful CPU and professional heat management.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_RAID_levels

## Cloud vs Edge:

- 100% guarantee that the data I care about will still be there.

- Costs. Scaling to a few TB is already quite expensive. Some stuff i still back to the cloud, but only the most important of data (pictures of my son)

## Use Case

- Storage

- VMs/Docker/Apps: Home Assistant, Photos app (Immich, Synology Photos, etc.), and some other small stuff like that

## Performance

Running a few VMs/Docker image requires some power, but not a lot. I like that I can choose how much.

## Storage

I had for a long time a 2-bay NAS and upgraded the drives. I just built a DYI NAS and I got a Massive ATX case which supports 11-bay. Why? Because buying a drive is cheaper than replacing drives. Having an ATX case I can still run it with 2 bays, and I still have a computer case If i change my mind.

Ideal storage is a mix of HDD (WD RED, so optimized to run 24/7), SSD and NVME. Each of them is useful for something (HDD for longer term storage, as they are cheaper per gb), SSD and NVME for apps usage and caches

## OS

I was using Synology DSM, and now I went for Unraid. I'm curious to see where HexOS goes in the next few years.

## Design

I only care about noise.

## Budget

~1000 Eur

I can't fill out the survey because I do not have access, so my answers are below.

Cloud vs. Edge: Why choose a local NAS over iCloud, OneDrive, etc.? Cost, privacy, performance?

Primarily privacy and control over my data. Fun to tinker with.

Use Case: What tasks would your NAS handle? Jellyfin, Frigate, backups, AI/ML?

Just storage, I can run a separate server that has all workloads.

Performance: How key is CPU power, power efficiency, or upgradability (e.g., PCIe slots)? Your LAN speed (1, 2.5, 10, 25 Gbps)?

As power efficient as possible. >10Gbps network. I don't care about additional PCIe slots. Just a small form factor with maximum drives.

Storage: Preferred drive bay count (2, 6, 8+)? NVMe cache for reads/writes? Ideal capacity (10 TB, 50 TB+)?

I'd personally say 4-6 drive bay count. Definitely drive bays, not USB and preferably software raid (I don't like hardware raid controllers when software has gotten so good)

OS: TrueNAS, Unraid, OpenMediaVault, Linux, or no preference?

No preference, why not user choice? At least Unraid is proprietary, so that would be my last choice.

Design: Appearance matter? Displayed or hidden?

It will be in a closet for me, so just small.

Budget: Ideal price (excluding drives)?

300-400 but wouldn't mind going high if the price is justified.

Pain Points: What frustrates you about NAS or cloud solutions? Killer feature to switch?

There's no real alternative for Synology but I don't want the proprietary software. Especially now that they're restricting it to Synology drives.

What is your backup strategy? What would happen if your NAS breaks?

Multi-layered.

- Important stuff primarily lives in commercial cloud storage. All of that is also mirrored on the NAS.

- Everything from the NAS SSDs is dumped to the HDDs every 3 days. Both use MergeFS, so if any one drive dies (or both SSDs, or both HDDs), I can replace it and still have a copy of everything.

The entire NAS is also occasionally dumped to an external HDD that's stored at my parents' place. So basically, if the NAS breaks catastrophically, I am at risk of losing some recent stuff that hasn't been dumped there yet, but nothing of actual importance.