How to Create a Network-Attached Storage Server with Raspberry Pi 3

Introduction

 

This article demonstrates how to create your own network-attached storage with Raspberry Pi. We also discuss NAS for your home, to access the data across multiple computers wirelessly like Mac Book, Android Mobiles and also Windows.

 

About NAS

• Network-attached storage removes the responsibility of file serving from other servers on the network
• This NAS server offers quite a considerable amount of business agility, cost improvements and service efficiencies to commercial organizations.
• Free from capital expenditure(i.e)There are no huge costs for hardware in our cloud technology.
• The Internet of Things (IoT) enhances a new class of applications to this server architecture that can benefit from the normal server infrastructure. 
• NAS uses the SMB Server

If you have a lot of devices that are connected to the same network, then you need to get ready to transfer the data from one device to another device wirelessly. If using an Android device and you need to copy the whole backup to the server, you must automatically ensure that all connected devices are directly accessed from the server data. 

 

 

 

Step 1

 

First, the Raspberry Pi must be connected to your desktop. Then, connect your wi-fi on your Pi or connect your ethernet. After that, open the terminal of your Operating System using the following code.

hostname -I

Next, open PuTTY or VNC software and paste the Host Name (or IP Address) on this PuTTY.

 

 

 

After that, open the terminal box and enter your default PI name and password.

 

Username (pi)

Password (raspberry)

 

Step 2

 

Next, we need to update the Raspberry Pi. So, install the latest packages. You can do that using the following commands.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

or

sudo apt-get update && upgrade

Step 3

 

Next, we will need to install the samba server. Just use the following commands.

sudo apt-get install samba samba-common-bin

 

 

About Samba Server

• Samba is a free software re-implementation of the SMB networking protocol.
• Samba is the standard Windows interoperability suite of programs for Linux and Unix. 
• Samba provides file and print services for various Microsoft Windows clients and can integrate with a Microsoft Windows Server domain. 

Install the New Technology File System (NTFS) Package.

• The NT file system (NTFS) provides a combination of performance, reliability, and compatibility developed by Microsoft. 

sudo apt-get install ntfs-3g

 

 

Step 4

 

Create a new directory in the root 

sudo mkdir /Ecternal

HDD connected to the Raspberry Pi through the USB.

 

 

 

Now type the command lsblk, then list out all of the connected devices through the USB.

lsblk

 

In this case, I have connected the external hard drive showing as the -sda1 but it is not mounted to any directory, so type the following command:

sudo mount /dev/-sda1  /External/

Finally, configure the samba file.

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Add these lines at the bottom of the smb.conf file 

[RaspberryPi NAS]
comment = Pi Server
public = yes
writeable = yes
browsable = yes
path = /External
create mask = 0777
directory mask = 0777

 

Step 4

 

Next, restart the samba server following the given command line.

sudo /etc/init.d/samba restart

Mobile Output

 

Go to a local network directory and found the Raspberry Pi NAS hard drive.

 

 

Windows Output

 

On a Windows computer, open file explorer >> click on a network. It will take a few mins, then you can see Raspberry Pi.

 

 

Finally, you have built your own cloud server using Raspberry Pi.

 

Summary

 

In this article, you learned how to create own network-attached storage with Raspberry Pi.

 

If you have any questions/ feedback/ issues, please write in the comment box.