NAS options for a home network

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I don't keep my NAS on 24/7. It is in sleep mode and is awaken when I need it. It takes 5 seconds.

Why does everyone keep their NAS on 24/7 ?

 

[Lordhumungus]

Because I have roommates and I have no idea if/when they are going to want to access something on my server, so it stays on 24/7. If I remember correctly, my server uses something like 150 Watts when booting up, and much less than that most of the time. I also don't pay an electric bill where I live, so I don't have a ton of reason to save energy other than generally not being a jerk.

I have a Kill-A-Watt lying around somewhere, so I'll hook it up sometime maybe this weekend and see what kind of power I am drawing if anyone is interested.

Regardless, the flexibility of having an actual PC as a NAS pretty much makes any pre-built NAS device irrelevant for my needs. Plus I'm hoping to be about ~20 HDDs deep in the not too distant future.

 

[itschris]

I don't keep my NAS on 24/7. It is in sleep mode and is awaken when I need it. It takes 5 seconds.

Why does everyone keep their NAS on 24/7 ?

I have PLEX Media Server running on my desktop now... when the PC is in sleep mode I can't access it from my mobile devices. It won't "wake up" the PC.

 

[Lordhumungus]

I have PLEX Media Server running on my desktop now... when the PC is in sleep mode I can't access it from my mobile devices. It won't "wake up" the PC.

There is a way to setup a Wake On LAN call from a mobile device, but I never got around to playing with it or implementing it. I do know that such a thing exists however.

 

[Grador]

My entire media setup takes under 40 watts running fullbore with all hard drives spinning. I keep it on 24/7 so I can access my files when I'm out and about.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I have PLEX Media Server running on my desktop now... when the PC is in sleep mode I can't access it from my mobile devices. It won't "wake up" the PC.

Well, okay, I'll confess to having one old Panasonic Toughbook on 24/7 hooked up to my network.

I use that LogMeIn software that allows you to wake up any PC wired to the network using any Android or iOS, even in Shutdown mode, not just Sleep.

The Toughbook is kind of a sacrificial lamb. Hey, they don't call them tough for nothing.

So then I can remotely controll all PCs wired to my network anytime anywhere - Shut down, Power up, Sleep, Wake, etc.

But having the NAS on 24/7 is the norm. I'm just NOT normal.

I actually have fifteen 2TB HDDs (30TB) on my NAS PC, 6TB on one HTPC, and 6TB on my 2nd HTPC.