New NAS Build and New to XPEnology. HELP!

[AKITANUT]

Hello All,  

I am new to this community and need good advice.  I have an older Synology that still runs but is slow and does not have the storage space for my needs. I want to have storage and back up in case a drive fails.  I want to store photos, videos, Plex and back up all my apple products.  

  

Here is what I was thinking of doing. 

Fresh build a NAS unit using an ASUS motherboard and AMD Ryzen chip.  Small graphics board for easy interface when working on the unit directly.  SATA SSD boot drive and have lots of usable memory.  Probably go with 8 SATA drive ports for a good amount of storage.  Going for a powerful starter unit with expansion and upgrade capabilities at a lower cost than buying an 8 bay Synology. 

 

Can I install the latest and greatest DSM as the stand-alone system on the build?

Can I use my old Disk Station serial number, or do I have to get one from Serial Number gods?

Is the install of the DSM stable and not prone to crashing or disk corruption in a raid setup? 

Will all the features of the DSM be available to use? 

Will I be able to use the DS Video, photo, files and audio apps on my iPhone to connect to the NAS on my home network?

When the DSM is installed can software updates be done easily? 

 

Appreciate the help! 

 

 

[rojoone2]

I personally like the idea of bare metal builds, but virtualization has it benefits. 

 

1- Yes you can install the latest DSM on most hardware

2- You have to use a USB to build the loader and to boot into the DMS.

     I have has issues bending or breaking a USB that sticks out, so you either need to purchase a low profile USB or get a dongle and keep it inside the case.

3- The installation of DSM has been stable for me since I upgraded from 6.2 to 7.x.x

4- All of the features are available for use with your original serial number

5- Yes you can use the Synology mobile apps (see # 4)

6- With the new loaders updates are not an issue like in the past.

 

With your plans to expand in the future and if you are not looking for hardware transcoding, try the DS3622xs+ or the DS1621+(which is built on a Ryzen CPU)

 

Have a look at this for hardware and platforms you can use:

Then choose your loader creation method. TCRP is the best way to learn the process, but a lot has changed... so please read as much as you can: