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> a simple NAS device that is not much larger then drives it uses, but doesn't have Qnap OS installed on it. Well, you could just install your favorite Linux

> a simple NAS device that is not much larger then drives it uses, but doesn't have Qnap OS installed on it. Well, you could just install your favorite Linux distro on a QNAP NAS device. Cost-wise the Pi-NAS option isn't even competitive if you aim for similar spec and form factor and packaging.

szszrk 5y ago
I can, but: a) it's hard to get support on the device when you can't provide any of the configuration dumps they ask (from their software) :) b) It is not even close to being comparable in price with NASes Jeff tests and shows on his videos and blogs. PiBox (currently on kickstarter) is $250 in a version that has a full solution, including case, pi, charger, LCD, OS, fan, board to connect regular 3.5" drives... It is the same form factor, it has better spec than cheapest qnap devices.
- riobard 5y ago
  Not sure about ARM-based NAS, but most x86-based QNAP NAS devices are basically a PC in hardware configuration with mature Linux support, so there's not really any support issue. The PiBox case apparently can only house two 2.5" SATA drives, not regular 3.5" hard disks commonly used for cheap mass storage. 2.5" hard disks seem to peak at 5TB per drive so the potential capacity is limited unless you go with SSD at much much higher cost. The PiBox's 15W power supply leaves very tight margin for its components: Pi4 peak power consumption is about 6.5W, two SATA SSDs will peak over 5W each as well, so you should watch for power for stable operation. I couldn't find a 2.5" 2-bay NAS model so the form factor isn't identical, but the closest match is probably QNAP TS-230 w/ similar 4-core ARM A53 SoC supporting two 3.5" drives for $199. The obvious downside is that RAM is capped at 2GB and that might be a deal breaker if you want to run lots of apps, but for entry-level storage needs it should be sufficient.
  - szszrk 5y ago
    PiBox with 2x3.5" is in the making, I'm actually waiting for it to be "released". On Qnap and Linux - I'm not talking linux support. It... exists. I'm talking hardware product support. 2-3 years of warranty are standard in my region. But if I can't provide them with "proper" logs and allow them access using their software, they just won't investigate further.

szszrk 5y ago

I can, but: a) it's hard to get support on the device when you can't provide any of the configuration dumps they ask (from their software) :) b) It is not even close to being comparable in price with NASes Jeff tests and shows on his videos and blogs. PiBox (currently on kickstarter) is $250 in a version that has a full solution, including case, pi, charger, LCD, OS, fan, board to connect regular 3.5" drives... It is the same form factor, it has better spec than cheapest qnap devices.

riobard 5y ago
Not sure about ARM-based NAS, but most x86-based QNAP NAS devices are basically a PC in hardware configuration with mature Linux support, so there's not really any support issue. The PiBox case apparently can only house two 2.5" SATA drives, not regular 3.5" hard disks commonly used for cheap mass storage. 2.5" hard disks seem to peak at 5TB per drive so the potential capacity is limited unless you go with SSD at much much higher cost. The PiBox's 15W power supply leaves very tight margin for its components: Pi4 peak power consumption is about 6.5W, two SATA SSDs will peak over 5W each as well, so you should watch for power for stable operation. I couldn't find a 2.5" 2-bay NAS model so the form factor isn't identical, but the closest match is probably QNAP TS-230 w/ similar 4-core ARM A53 SoC supporting two 3.5" drives for $199. The obvious downside is that RAM is capped at 2GB and that might be a deal breaker if you want to run lots of apps, but for entry-level storage needs it should be sufficient.
- szszrk 5y ago
  PiBox with 2x3.5" is in the making, I'm actually waiting for it to be "released". On Qnap and Linux - I'm not talking linux support. It... exists. I'm talking hardware product support. 2-3 years of warranty are standard in my region. But if I can't provide them with "proper" logs and allow them access using their software, they just won't investigate further.