The original post: /r/datahoarder by /u/Antihero89 on 2025-01-15 14:36:49.

Hi there,

I’m planning to get a NAS early next year, and I’ve been considering the Synology DS923+ (or its successor, if one is released by then). I currently use Linux (EndeavourOS) and Windows in a dual-boot setup, along with an Android smartphone. My wife, on the other hand, is an Apple user with a MacBook Air and an iPhone 13 Pro.

The NAS will serve as a central hub for our media, including games, eBooks, music, movies, TV shows, and photos. This also includes videos and pictures from our smartphones, my wife’s system camera, and digitized family photos. Additionally, I plan to store documents such as invoices and other important files. Beyond storage, I want to use the NAS to host Plex or Jellyfin and run lightweight Docker containers like Mayan/Paperless, a small web server, and other experiments.

What’s most important to me is reliability. Everything needs to work smoothly, especially for my wife’s Apple devices, with minimal tinkering. Features like automatic backups to external drives and seamless folder syncing between the NAS and her MacBook are essential.

I’m a web developer and generally tech-savvy, so I’m not opposed to building hardware or setting up software myself. A DIY NAS could offer better value for money, but I also value a system that works well out of the box. For example, I once tried setting up OpenMediaVault on a Raspberry Pi 4 with USB-connected 2.5-inch HDDs. While functional, I ran into frequent compatibility issues with Mac devices, which made the experience frustrating and unreliable in the long run.

This leaves me unsure whether a DIY setup is the right choice or if I should go with a prebuilt solution like the Synology DS923+, which seems to offer better integration with Apple devices and polished features like external backup automation and folder syncing.

What do you think? Would a prebuilt NAS like Synology be a better fit for my needs, or is there a way to make a DIY NAS as seamless and reliable, particularly for Apple devices?