Full NAS Setup Wizard

You don't know what you need yet — that's fine. Answer seven quick questions, and we'll build a complete plan: how much storage you actually need, which drives to buy, which NAS unit fits your comfort level and budget, which operating system makes sense, and how to keep the whole thing backed up. Direct-buy links included where they exist.

What will you actually store on it?
Pick everything that applies. This drives how much space you'll need and which apps the NAS should run.
Pick at least one. Multiple selections are normal — most home NAS users end up doing three or four of these.
How much data do you actually have right now?
Rough total across all your external drives, cloud services and PCs — the stuff you'd want to consolidate.
How fast will it grow in the next 3 – 5 years?
Photographers and 4K collectors underestimate this every single time.
How comfortable are you with tinkering?
Be honest — this decides whether you get a click-through appliance or a project that pays off later.
What's your total budget?
Include the NAS unit or DIY parts, drives, and one UPS. Not networking / TV / peripherals.
Where will it physically live?
Noise and heat rule out entire product classes if the NAS ends up in the living room.
How much do you care about the data?
This decides your backup strategy — and whether you can afford single parity or want double.

Your NAS plan

Open calculator → Read buying guide