How-To Geek - Homelab

TrueNAS Scale vs Unraid: I ran both for a month, and the winner wasn't what I expected

Umair Khurshid — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:31:13 GMT

I went into my TrueNAS Scale versus Unraid test with a pretty strong assumption about how it would end. TrueNAS Scale had almost everything I normally look for in a homelab server. Unraid looked more convenient, but I expected that convenience to come with compromises I would eventually find annoying.

Before you turn an old laptop into a NAS, check these 3 BIOS settings first

Patrick Campanale — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:30:16 GMT

There are a few things you should double-check before turning a laptop into a NAS. While you definitely can just do it, these three BIOS options are definitely worth double-checking before diving down the rabbit hole.

UGREEN's new 'Ultra' NAS is excellent, but so was the one before

Bertel King — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 15:30:15 GMT

Despite the name, the UGREEN NASync DXP6800 Ultra is not among the most powerful NAS that UGREEN sells (far from it), but it does represent the pinnacle of what most of us might realistically ever need. It’s a great product, but unless you already know UGREEN’s excellent line of more affordable options aren’t capable enough, your money may be better spent on a slightly weaker NAS.

ASUSTOR Lockerstor 2 Gen2+ review: Business-grade control with impressive performance

Patrick Campanale — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 21:30:14 GMT

I've spent the past few weeks using the Asustor Lockerstor 2 Gen2+ NAS, and it is definitely a different experience than I'm used to. Focusing more on security and enterprise-grade features, this NAS is a great fit for small/medium businesses or enthusiasts, but it might not be the right choice for someone just starting out with homelabbing or self-hosting.

Movies without drama: Easily use Linux USB drives with Plex

Dave McKay — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:30:13 GMT

Plex is simple to install and use, and it performs marvelously. One thing that drives new users crazy though, is trying to access media on external USB drives. Here’s the easy way.

Used enterprise DAS enclosures are the storage hack nobody talks about enough

Umair Khurshid — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 11:30:14 GMT

There is an interesting part of the used server market that I think more homelab builders should pay attention to. Most of you probably already know that companies regularly get rid of perfectly usable enterprise hardware once it reaches the end of its supported life. The problem is that when people talk about buying retired enterprise equipment, they usually think about rack servers, workstations, CPUs, or workstation laptops. Disk shelves rarely get the same attention.

Streaming games from a NAS seemed like a great idea until I hit these 4 problems

Umair Khurshid — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 10:30:13 GMT

I wanted to see whether I could do something more interesting with my NAS than simply use it for storage. I decided to run games on it and stream them across my local network to another computer, with the NAS handling the rendering while the client handled the display and controls. I used a TerraMaster F4–425 Pro NAS and focused on games that matched the hardware rather than trying to turn it into a replacement for a dedicated gaming PC.

My new NAS only turns on once a month. Here's why that's not as crazy as it sounds

Umair Khurshid — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 19:00:13 GMT

My new NAS does not stream movies, serve files to every device, run containers, or sit there waiting for the next request. Most of the time, it consumes no power at all.

6 super-easy ways to repurpose a broken old laptop

Monica J. White — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 15:30:13 GMT

An old, slow laptop might seem essentially useless. I know I have a drawer that's essentially a laptop graveyard: old laptops that I no longer use or which have been gifted to me ages ago. But some of my old laptops have come in handy over the years.

Why I always "burn in" new HDDs before adding them to my NAS

Arol Wright — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 11:30:13 GMT

Hard drives rarely announce their flaws on day one. A new disk can sail through setup, then fail weeks later with your data on it. That's why I spend a fair amount of time stress-testing every new HDD first before I put it somewhere important. Here's what burn-in is, how it works, and whether you should bother.