| Firewall/Router | UDM Pro |
| Primary POE Switch | US 8 60W |
| Primary AP | U6 Lite |
| Secondary AP | AC Mesh |
| NAS/Server | 2014 Mac Mini w/GRaid 4TB |
| Smart Home Server | RaspberryPi 4 Running Home Aasistant |
| Backup NAS | RapberryPi 4 Running openMediaVault |
My latest project has been setting up a Mac Mini server. I chose the Mac Mini because I already had it, it’s too slow to use as a primary desktop, and it’s power-efficient and quiet. It’s not an ideal home server—macOS has far fewer software options for running a NAS—but it works well enough for my needs.
For storage, I found a deeply discounted 4TB G-Technology G-RAID 0G02289 Thunderbolt external hard drive for under $100 on eBay. I also splurged on an open-box Apple Original Thunderbolt cable to maximize data transfer speeds.
I’m not using any specialized NAS software. My first thought was to use macOS’s built-in file sharing for access. However, since that relies on mDNS, I couldn’t get it to work over my VPN. Instead, I switched to SMB, which works very well both at home and remotely through VPN.
This project feels like a great way to put “outdated” technology back to use, saving both waste and cash! I’m still holding out for a proper Synology setup eventually, but for now, I’ll see how far this build takes me.
