Host your own cloud
Don’t trust a third party with your data? Discover how to build your own personal cloud service using a network hard drive.
There are numerous worries about trusting your backups to the cloud. Who can see or access your data? What happens if your cloud provider ceases trading? Several have over the years, and while they usually give you notice, you’re still left with the task of retrieving your files and transferring them elsewhere.
There’s also the ongoing cost, particularly if you’re storing hundreds of gigabytes of data online. If you’ve the money for a one-off purchase, you can invest in a ‘cloud’ network hard drive instead, with the capacity for terabytes rather than gigabytes of data.
These are like regular networkattached storage (NAS) devices, so accessible to any locally connected computer, but go further by providing cloud-like functionality in the form of a desktop sync tool, remote access (enabling you to get at your data while on the road) and support for mobile devices through dedicated apps. The fact they’re on your local network means data transfers to and from the drive are much quicker than over the internet — at least when you’re at home. Obviously on-the-road access will be via your slower Internet connection.
PICK A STORAGE DEVICE
You can check out APC’s most recent NAS roundup (where we reviewed four-bay devices) in issue 445, page 52, but there are various things you should consider to help steer you towards a solution that works for you. First, do you want a basic cloud network drive — these restrict you to the manufacturer’s own proprietary cloud network tools (My Cloud in the case of Western Digital or Seagate, for example) — or are you looking for something with more power and flexibility? Drives like those offered by QNAP, Synology and ASUSTOR offer
a wide range of apps and services that enable you to stream music or video, for example, or choose an open-source, platform-independent cloud storage solution such as ownCloud or nextCloud. You can also host your own website, run multiple types of servers from a single always-on device, set up secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections and even set up virtual PCs on selected models.
Another key consideration is how much storage you’ll need — if you want to house your digital media collection alongside your cloud backups, for example, then you’ll have to pay more for a larger capacity drive. But what if your needs grow? Most network drives offer USB connections to enable you to plug in regular external drives as one way to expand your storage; while others offer two or more drive bays, enabling you to grow your storage as your needs and budget allow. These models cost more and — in the case of QNAP and Synology — you’ll need to purchase the hard drives to populate your network storage separately (we recommend Western Digital Red NAS drives for this purpose), which will, of course, push up the cost further, but may be worth it in the long run.
SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS
If you plan to access your data when away from home, you’ll also need to find a way to securely open up your NAS to the Internet without comprising the rest of your network (or even the NAS itself). Networkattached storage box manufacturers offer their own personal cloud offerings that are designed to make this as secure and convenient as possible — examples include My Cloud (Western Digital) or myQNAPcloud (QNAP). Your router should detect traffic requesting access to the cloud device and route it correctly — if it doesn’t, check to see whether Universal Plug ‘n’ Play (UPNP) is enabled; if not, you’ll need to consult the NAS’s documentation to manually open the correct ports for internet access. Meanwhile, the connection to your NAS should be secure and encrypted — verify this by checking whether the web address has a green padlock or is prefixed by ‘https://’.
If you host your own cloud storage solution, such as ownCloud, you’ll need to consult its documentation to open it up for access outside your home network. You’ll also need to set up a dynamic DNS address paired with an SSL certificate pointing to that address to enable you to connect to your server over the Internet. Free options can be found at www.noip.com/free and letsencrypt.org respectively, but check that your NAS supports both services — QNAP does, but if yours doesn’t you’ll need to see what it does support and possibly be prepared to pay for the privilege.
You should be able to link your DDNS address through your NAS settings, or try your router instead. SSL certificates are usually applied through the NAS — in the case of QNAP models, go to ‘Control Panel > Security > Certificate & Private Key’ to apply for a free Let’s Encrypt certificate. Note: it will expire every three months, so be sure to check back 10 days before expiry to renew it.