Use Raspberry Pi to Build Home Network Storage System (NAS)

In modern homes and small offices, data storage and management become particularly important.

With the popularity of IoT devices, we often need to process large amounts of data, which requires a reliable and efficient storage solution.

Raspberry Pi is a powerful single-board computer that we can turn into an affordable and easy-to-use NAS (Network Attached Storage) server by combining Samba services and external hard drives.

This article will introduce in detail how to build a Raspberry Pi NAS storage server through the Samba service and external hard disk to ensure that the content is easy to understand and fits the current practical application scenarios.

I. Preparation.

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1. Hardware preparation.

- # Raspberry Pi #: Raspberry Pi 4 is recommended because it is more powerful and more suitable as a NAS server.

- # External hard disk #: It is recommended to choose a hard disk of 2TB or above, and choose the appropriate interface type (such as USB 3.0) according to the needs.

- # Power Adapter #: Ensure that there is sufficient power supply to avoid system instability due to insufficient power supply.

- # Network Device #: If remote access is required, make sure the router is configured correctly and the Raspberry Pi is connected to the local area network.

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2. Software preparation.

- # Operating System #: Install the latest Raspberry Pi OS (formerly known as Raspbian) to ensure that the system is updated to the latest version.

- # Samba Service #: Samba is an open source software for implementing the SMB/CIFS protocol that enables Linux systems to share files and printers with Windows systems.

II. Install and configure Samba services.

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1. Update the system.

First, we need to update the Raspberry Pi's package list and installed packages to ensure that all components are up to date.

Open the terminal and run the following command:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

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2. Install Samba.

Next, install the Samba package.

Run the following command:

sudo apt install samba samba-common-bin -y

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3. Configure Samba.

After the installation is complete, we need to configure Samba to be able to share files with the external hard disk.

Edit Samba configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Add the following at the end of the file:

ini
[shared]
   path = /media/usbdrive
   available = yes
   valid users = pi
   read only = no
   browsable = yes
   public = yes
   writable = yes

Here, pathSpecifies the location of the shared directory, valid usersSpecifies the users who are allowed to access, read onlySetting to no means that the user can read and write files.

After saving and closing the file, restart the Samba service to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart smbd

3. Mount the external hard disk.

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1. Identify the hard drive.

After inserting the external hard disk, use the following command to check whether the hard disk is recognized by the system:

sudo fdisk -l

Find the device name of your external hard drive, e.g /dev/sda1。

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2. Create a mount point.

Create a directory as a mount point:

sudo mkdir /media/usbdrive

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3. Mount the hard disk.

Mount the external hard disk to the directory just created:

sudo mount /dev/sda1 /media/usbdrive

To ensure that the hard disk is automatically mounted each time it is booted, it can be edited /etc/fstabFile:

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Add the following line at the end of the file:

ini
/dev/sda1    /media/usbdrive    ntfs    defaults    0    0

Save and close the file.

Now, the external hard disk has been successfully mounted and will be automatically mounted every time it starts up.

Fourth, set user permissions.

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1. Create a Samba user.

In order for other devices to be able to access shared folders, we need to create a user for Samba.

Run the following command:

sudo smbpasswd -a pi

Follow the prompts to enter the password.

This password will be used to access shared folders from other devices.

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2. Modify folder permissions.

Make sure that the permissions for shared folders are set correctly so that Samba users can read and write files:

sudo chown -R pi:pi /media/usbdrive
sudo chmod -R 775 /media/usbdrive

V. Test and access shared folders.

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1. Local access test.

On the Raspberry Pi, open the file manager and navigate to \\localhost\shared, you should be able to see and access files in the shared folder.

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2. Remote access testing.

On other devices, open File Explorer, enter \\\shared, Then enter the previously set Samba username and password, you should be able to access the shared folder.

VI. Practical application and optimization.

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1. Security enhancements.

To improve security, consider enabling firewall rules to restrict access to Samba services, allowing access only to specific IP addresses.

In addition, regularly back up important data in case of accidental loss.

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2. Performance optimization.

If you find that the access speed is slow, you can try the following methods to optimize performance: - Make sure to use a high-speed USB interface (such as USB 3.0) to connect to an external hard drive.

-Regularly check and clean up disk fragmentation.

-Adjust the parameters in the Samba configuration file as needed, such as increasing the cache size, etc.

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3. Extended functionality.

In addition to basic file sharing functions, you can also consider installing other software packages, such as Nextcloud or OwnCloud, to achieve richer functions, such as file synchronization, version control, etc.

VII. Summary.

Through the above steps, we have successfully built a NAS storage server based on Raspberry Pi.

This process not only shows how to use Samba service and external hard disk to realize file sharing, but also provides some practical optimization suggestions and extension functions.

Hope this article can help you better understand and apply these technologies and improve your data storage and management efficiency.