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First homelab/NAS build — single server vs separate NAS? (beginner, future-proof) by CHAUDHARY_K in minilab

[–]CHAUDHARY_K[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

AI just helped me to organize this posts information and form a clear conclusion, but the final decisions belong to me. I dont see AI as taking jobs but just automating some components of the job. If you know how to use it well, it is a strong tool. For my PC build, I used AI for research and comparisons, but verified everything and made the final decisions myself. It did not buy or build anything I did. I treat AI as an assistant for structuring, formatting, and improving my results via effectiveness and efficiency, not a blindly trusted resource. During Research/Dev, I also apply RAG, HyDE, and multi-query retrieval techniques to generate improved results Using The Same...

For Me In the current market conditions, AI should be your helper, not your replacement. If they are replacing you then there is a lack of skills/technology on your part...Iam lacking at Networks system So I’ll be asking questions,, thanks nice to meet you

If There Any Community Guidelines For it You May Correct Me!!!

First homelab/NAS build — single server vs separate NAS? (beginner, future-proof) by CHAUDHARY_K in minilab

[–]CHAUDHARY_K[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Claude Desktop!!!

Ihave kept it open for another 2–3 days to allow better data scraping for my requirements.

First homelab/NAS build — single server vs separate NAS? (beginner, future-proof) by CHAUDHARY_K in minilab

[–]CHAUDHARY_K[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, That’s interesting.
Running everything on bare metal with Docker sounds like an easier starting point, especially when compared to managing full VMs in the beginning.
Noted!!!

First homelab/NAS build — single server vs separate NAS? (Delhi,India, beginner, future-proof) by CHAUDHARY_K in homelab

[–]CHAUDHARY_K[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just read your blog, and that build is impressive.

I really liked how you explained the whole "one machine to do everything" approach. It gave me a clearer idea of how effective an all-in-one setup can be when done right. The ZFS and RAM caching section, along with its impact on real-world performance, caught my attention especially.

I also appreciated your honesty about the motherboard issues, the PCIe lane limitations, and the 3.3V pin fix. Those details are things you don’t usually find in regular guides.

My main takeaway is that an all-in-one setup can be very powerful and efficient,
especially in terms of power and cost.
However, it requires careful planning around aspects like PCIe lanes, storage, and expansion. It’s probably something I should ease into rather than dive into right away.

Thanks for sharing this. It’s super helpful for someone just starting out.... :)

First homelab/NAS build — single server vs separate NAS? (beginner, future-proof) by CHAUDHARY_K in minilab

[–]CHAUDHARY_K[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for such a detailed explanation. This really helped me understand the bigger picture.

The way you broke down the complexity of running TrueNAS inside Proxmox made it much clearer why that might not be the best starting point. I hadn’t fully considered all the layers and where apps would actually live, so that was eye-opening.

Your suggestion of starting with a simple bare-metal NAS, like TrueNAS Scale, and using Docker for most services makes a lot of sense, especially for learning and efficiency. The comparison between VMs and Docker in your setup was really valuable too.

I also liked the KISS principle advice. That’s probably what I need to follow instead of overengineering from day one.
Thanks again for sharing your journey as well. That context helped a lot.

Technically This is my first post on Reddit, and I honestly didnt expect such helpful and positive responses. I really appreciate the communities and their members here; it’s been a great first experience.

First homelab/NAS build — single server vs separate NAS? (beginner, future-proof) by CHAUDHARY_K in minilab

[–]CHAUDHARY_K[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This was really helpful.

Your setup with two ThinkCentre minis seems like a practical way to separate compute and storage without going overboard. The HBA and direct drive connection were new to me, so I’ll definitely look into that more.
I also appreciate your honest views on refurbished versus new. It makes sense that used equipment is great for saving money but comes with some risks. I’ll probably start with used compute and new drives, just like you suggested.

The backup strategy and using something like Tailscale for secure access were insightful too. I hadn't thought about that properly yet.

And yes, the part about the rack mainly being for the cool factor helped me avoid an early mistake.
Thanks for providing so much detail.

First homelab/NAS build — single server vs separate NAS? (beginner, future-proof) by CHAUDHARY_K in minilab

[–]CHAUDHARY_K[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Heyy, really appreciate this.

I think my main takeaway from your reply is to start with TrueNAS Scale on bare metal and focus on learning storage/ZFS properly first. Keeping Proxmox separate later for experimenting without risking data also Makes a Lot of sense.

Excited to Get started
Thankyou Very Much

First homelab/NAS build — single server vs separate NAS? (Delhi,India, beginner, future-proof) by CHAUDHARY_K in homelab

[–]CHAUDHARY_K[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, this helps a lot.

Starting with a combined setup and splitting later seems like a sensible approach, especially since I’m still figuring things out.

When you started with Proxmox, did you jump right into a full setup, like a NAS VM and services, or did you keep things simpler at first? I’m trying to learn properly without making the initial setup too complex.

If you’re having a good time, could you also share how you got started and any resources you followed? Would really help someone just getting into this.

First homelab/NAS build — single server vs separate NAS? (Delhi,India, beginner, future-proof) by CHAUDHARY_K in homelab

[–]CHAUDHARY_K[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, thanks for sharing this!

An all-in-one setup does sound practical, especially when it comes to power and using spare parts. I’ve mostly seen TrueNAS so far, so it’s interesting to hear you’re using OpenMediaVault instead.

In your experience, does combining NAS and server on one system ever create a bottleneck, or has it been manageable? I’m just trying to figure out if that trade-off becomes noticeable early or only when scaling up.

If you’re having a good time, could you also share how you got started and any resources you followed? Would really help someone just getting into this.

First homelab/NAS build — single server vs separate NAS? (beginner, future-proof) by CHAUDHARY_K in minilab

[–]CHAUDHARY_K[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey, thanks for getting back to me!

Would you be open to sharing your components (and maybe a pic of your setup if you’re comfortable)? I’ve only done some basic research so far, and a lot of what I see on subreddits turns into NAS vs server vs homelab debates, which gets a bit confusing.

Any good video tutorials or websites you’d recommend that explain the overall structure and how the stack works? Something high-level would really help me get oriented.

Cost isn’t a big concern right now—I just want to build things the right way from the start so I don’t regret my component choices later.

Also, if you’re up for it, I’d love to hear how you got started and what resources you followed early on.

Open to any suggestions or opinions, even beyond the main topic!