I' ve quit the ideea of USB hdd to router and want to buy a NAS

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

For how many cameras?

I'd say 4 or 5 max

 

[Tech9]

Different software packages may have different system requirements. I would start with selecting the cameras first, then the software compatible with my cameras (I would test it on another PC) and then find a suitable dedicated hardware to run it on. This same HP Elitedesk Mini PCs come with different CPU/RAM options. I have seen acceptable prices up to i5-6500 quad-core CPU (under $200). The newer ones are expensive. There is also DELL Optiplex Micro and Lenovo Tiny as options. A bit larger size Ultra Small Desktop (USDT) versions are usually cheaper for higher specifications. If you want the hard drive(s) inside the case and more expansion options (RAM, multi-port NIC, etc.), look for Small Form Factor (SFF) PC. You can build a new one as well, if you want to and the budget allows. Plenty of options for everyone.

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

Different software packages may have different system requirements. I would start with selecting the cameras first, then the software compatible with my cameras (I would test it on another PC) and then find a suitable dedicated hardware to run it on. This same HP Elitedesk Mini PCs come with different CPU/RAM options. I have seen acceptable prices up to i5-6500 quad-core CPU (under $200). The newer ones are expensive. There is also DELL Optiplex Micro and Lenovo Tiny as options. A bit larger size Ultra Small Desktop (USDT) versions are usually cheaper for higher specifications. If you want the hard drive(s) inside the case and more expansion options (RAM, multi-port NIC, etc.), look for Small Form Factor (SFF) PC. You can build a new one as well, if you want to and the budget allows. Plenty of options for everyone.

Are you referring to something like this? :-

HP EliteDesk 800 G2 - i5-6600 @ 3.9Ghz Max - 500GB HDD - 8GB RAM - Win10 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for HP EliteDesk 800 G2 - i5-6600 @ 3.9Ghz Max - 500GB HDD - 8GB RAM - Win10 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

BTW this is not 6500, but actually 6600 (3.9Ghz), so I assume it's a little more powerful? Would this do the job as a NAS and CCTV system?

 

[Tech9]

Are you referring to something like this?

This is SFF size PC with standard RAM slots, 4x PCIe slots, 2x HDD space. The CPU is fast, but 90W TDP. The case is MUCH larger than Mini series.

SFF (note the full size keyboard next to it):

Mini series (Micro for Dell, Tiny for Lenovo):

 

[Tech Junky]

Are you referring to something like this? :-

HP EliteDesk 800 G2 - i5-6600 @ 3.9Ghz Max - 500GB HDD - 8GB RAM - Win10 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for HP EliteDesk 800 G2 - i5-6600 @ 3.9Ghz Max - 500GB HDD - 8GB RAM - Win10 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

BTW this is not 6500, but actually 6600 (3.9Ghz), so I assume it's a little more powerful? Would this do the job as a NAS and CCTV system?

It would be fine. The only thing to think about is expansion if you want internal drives vs a DAS externally when it comes time to grow.

 

[Tech9]

What it looks like inside:

It's a nice computer, if you have the space for it.

 

[sfx2000]

Mini series (Micro for Dell, Tiny for Lenovo)

Also referred to 1L class (can use that as a keyword on searches)

Good info here on these units

TinyMiniMicro Archives

www.servethehome.com

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

Thanks @Tech9 @Tech Junky @sfx2000.

I just didn't realise how big that PC was. The Dell and the Lenovo look a lot better and easier to put on a shelf. For example like this DELL
I know you mention that I won't be able to expand internal storage, but surely if I wanted more storage, I can connect an external drive via USB / RJ45 / Switch???

 

[Tech9]

This DELL will work, but the price is low because you need to replace the SSD (too small, 32GB) and add 4GB DDR3L RAM (one RAM slot is empty). You can connect USB 3.0 external drive(s) to it for storage. This is the only option with Mini/Micro/Tiny computers.

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

This DELL will work, but the price is low because you need to replace the SSD (too small, 32GB) and add 4GB DDR3L RAM (one RAM slot is empty). You can connect USB 3.0 external drive(s) to it for storage. This is the only option with Mini/Micro/Tiny computers.

I'd be willing to do that, but I need to understand whether after adding more ram and an external, will this system be powerful enough to able to work as a NAS and a 4 camera (5mp) cctv system?

 

[Tech Junky]

It will work better than pricier off the shelf NAS/NVR systems because it has a better CPU and more RAM. I would also go das over a cheap external drive for better power to the drive rather than relying on the USB bus power. Your HDD will love you for that.

 

[Tech9]

will this system be powerful enough

I would expect full Gigabit NAS performance and full NVR software capabilities for 4x cameras with resources to spare. My own Mini runs on i5-4570T 2-Core/4-Thread CPU (i5-6500T is >40% faster 4-Core/4-Thread), and I get >100MB/sec LAN transfers (limited by the Gigabit NIC) and >180MB/sec drive-to-drive transfers (2x WD EasyStore 8TB). With cheap 240GB Kingston A400 SSID and 8GB RAM this Mini will run Windows 10 smooth as butter with CPU on mostly idle waiting to do something.

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

It will work better than pricier off the shelf NAS/NVR systems because it has a better CPU and more RAM. I would also go das over a cheap external drive for better power to the drive rather than relying on the USB bus power. Your HDD will love you for that.

I would expect full Gigabit NAS performance and full NVR software capabilities for 4x cameras with resources to spare. My own Mini runs on i5-4570T 2-Core/4-Thread CPU (i5-6500T is >40% faster 4-Core/4-Thread), and I get >100MB/sec LAN transfers (limited by the Gigabit NIC) and >180MB/sec drive-to-drive transfers (2x WD EasyStore 8TB). With cheap 240GB Kingston A400 SSID and 8GB RAM this Mini will run Windows 10 smooth as butter with CPU on mostly idle waiting to do something.

Thanks guys....This sounds absolutely brilliant! I know we've mentioned about transcoding before, but one problem I found with my current Asus router with a usb flash disk was that some movies won't play on the TV. I'm assuming that this is because some video formats have to be transcoded directly on the NAS? If so, would this spec PC be able to transcode? If not, what's the solution?

Also what's the different between a DAS and a usb-connected external drive? I know I can either use a cheap SSD or a USB flashdrive to boot up windows, but how would I connect a 4TB drive with DAS?

What IP cameras can you recommend that can handle good night-vision and have a reasonably sharp resolution? I'm thinking approx £40-£60 per camera MAX.

 

[Tech Junky]

transcoded directly on the NAS? If so, would this spec PC be able to transcode?

The solution for me on normal junk is to convert them to MP4 which almost every player can handle. I use mcebuddy to monitor my Plex folder and it auto runs on new files.

Also what's the different between a DAS and a usb-connected external drive? I know I can either use a cheap SSD or a USB flashdrive to boot up windows, but how would I connect a 4TB drive with DAS

A DAS is like a NAS without the networking and CPU. It has a power adapter instead of relying on USB for power and data. It also comes in different sizes for more drives it connects via USB and they range from 480mbps to 10gbps. Picking the right option make a difference. Adding a USBC card is minimal cost to get the higher speeds which might be useful for backups and the cams.

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

The solution for me on normal junk is to convert them to MP4 which almost every player can handle. I use mcebuddy to monitor my Plex folder and it auto runs on new files.



A DAS is like a NAS without the networking and CPU. It has a power adapter instead of relying on USB for power and data. It also comes in different sizes for more drives it connects via USB and they range from 480mbps to 10gbps. Picking the right option make a difference. Adding a USBC card is minimal cost to get the higher speeds which might be useful for backups and the cams.

So for any such files, I would autorun mcebuddy to convert them directly on the NAS?

I'm a little confused with the DAS/NAS - Are you saying that I would need to power a PC such as the DELL, then also power a seperate external HDD? Wouldn't that cost a lot of money in energy, especially in the current climate?

I've also been looking at the Dell Micro, Lenovo Tiny and I've realised that there's many variations/spec differences between them. Which one is the best spec and yet doesn't consume too much power?

 

[Tech Junky]

So for any such files, I would autorun mcebuddy to convert them directly on the NAS?

If you use Windows then you could.

The smaller PCs don't have room for drives. The das will help with drive endurance with consistent power and room for better cooling. It's a few watts of power like a light bulb. It's not going to spike your power bill.

There are trade offs between size and power. If you want small and efficient then you need external das. If you get small and efficient you could swap the case in some instances and put the drives internal and skip the das. It depends on your overall goal and comfort in hacking together your ultimate solution.

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

If you use Windows then you could.

The smaller PCs don't have room for drives. The das will help with drive endurance with consistent power and room for better cooling. It's a few watts of power like a light bulb. It's not going to spike your power bill.

There are trade offs between size and power. If you want small and efficient then you need external das. If you get small and efficient you could swap the case in some instances and put the drives internal and skip the das. It depends on your overall goal and comfort in hacking together your ultimate solution.

I see what you mean. Can you recommend a budget DAS? Although to be honest, I don't know if there's any point in going for a DAS, especially if my whole goal was to have a small size pc because all a DAS would do is it would be in another enclosure, so it sounds like I need to go for a slightly larger pc case which can have 1 or 2 hard drives installed on it.

 

[Tech9]

Thanks guys...

Thank you too, but when I see a post with 7 questions I prefer to leave the conversation. We were discussing what is better than USB drive attached to the router. You have all the information available, including hardware ideas, needed specifications pointers, some software ideas. Why the TV is not playing files, what IP cameras to get, should I run Plex or not... this is not the subject of this thread. DIY means you do-it-yourself and you have to know what are you doing. Otherwise you get Synology/QNAP box with whatever is available there and call a technician to install NVR with cameras.

 

[Tech Junky]

go for a slightly larger pc case which can have 1 or 2

That would be optimal. Two drives gives you the option of Raid 1 for redundancy or raid 0 for speed and size. Planning. Is key to not doing it more than once and spending more. Though starting small and growing over time is an option for now. Since we're not talking a high power rig it should still be relatively cheap. Pick up a used PC and a decent case and you should be able to cobble something together. The savings on a DAS gets you a decent case that fits what you're trying to do.

 

[ASUS-RT-AX82U]

Thank you too, but when I see a post with 7 questions I prefer to leave the conversation. We were discussing what is better than USB drive attached to the router. You have all the information available, including hardware ideas, needed specifications pointers, some software ideas. Why the TV is not playing files, what IP cameras to get, should I run Plex or not... this is not the subject of this thread. DIY means you do-it-yourself and you have to know what are you doing. Otherwise you get Synology/QNAP box with whatever is available there and call a technician to install NVR with cameras.

That would be optimal. Two drives gives you the option of Raid 1 for redundancy or raid 0 for speed and size. Planning. Is key to not doing it more than once and spending more. Though starting small and growing over time is an option for now. Since we're not talking a high power rig it should still be relatively cheap. Pick up a used PC and a decent case and you should be able to cobble something together. The savings on a DAS gets you a decent case that fits what you're trying to do.

Thanks to both of you for all your advice. I'm going to take some timeout to mull things over and once I've decided whether I want a DAS and small PC or a large PC, but no DAS, I will then go ahead and make a purchase. I just kindly request whether you can please recommend some decent quality cameras that have good night-vision and provide some links?