Home NAS Setup Checklist

20 items · Home Technical · Hard difficulty · 2 hours

Set up a secure, reliable home NAS in a few steps.

• Choose NAS platform (Synology, QNAP, TrueNAS, or custom)

  Match features, apps, and your comfort with the vendor OS.

• Determine drive count and RAID strategy

  Balance capacity, redundancy, and future expansion.

• Calculate usable capacity after RAID/parity

  Estimate usable space and reserve room for growth.

• Select RAID level (RAID1/5/6/10/SHR) based on needs

  Prefer RAID6/SHR-2 for larger arrays, RAID1 for 2 drives.

• Select NAS-rated drives (HDD/SSD)

  Use NAS/enterprise drives (e.g., WD Red, IronWolf) for reliability.

• Plan network placement and connectivity

  Choose wired placement near router/switch and consider 2.5/10Gb needs.

• Connect NAS to a gigabit (or faster) switch/router

  Use Ethernet, avoid Wi‑Fi for primary NAS connectivity.

• Reserve a static IP or DHCP reservation in the router

  Prevents IP changes that break mounts and remote access.

• Install drives into the NAS and power it on

  Follow slot order and secure drives; label bays for future replacement.

• Perform initial OS setup (DSM/TrueNAS): update and configure admin

  Create admin account, set timezone, update firmware before adding data.

• Create shared folders and enable required services (SMB/NFS/AFP)

  Enable only needed protocols to reduce attack surface.

• Set user and group permissions for shares

  Use groups to manage access and apply least-privilege.

• Create user accounts and, if needed, integrate directory services

  Add users, configure home folders and SSH/SFTP access rules.

• Enable snapshots and versioning for critical shares

  Schedule regular snapshots to protect against accidental deletes or ransomware.

• Configure automatic backups from PCs, Macs, and mobile devices

  Use built-in backup tools or rsync/third-party agents on a schedule.

• Configure secure remote access via VPN (avoid direct port forwarding)

  Set up a VPN server or use a secure vendor remote tool with 2FA.

• Harden NAS security: firewall, HTTPS, 2FA, and change defaults

  Enable account lockouts, limit admin access, and install certificates.

• Connect and configure a UPS for graceful shutdown

  Test auto-shutdown settings so NAS safely powers off on prolonged outages.

• Test restore from backup and verify local and remote access

  Restore a file and confirm VPN/remote access works as expected.

• Enable monitoring: SMART, drive health alerts, and schedule updates

  Configure email/push alerts and set automatic or manual update windows.

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