Convert an Old Gaming PC to a Home Server using Unraid - (SMB, Terraria, Home Assistant, Jellyfin)
Hardware Haven・35 minutes read
Repurposing an old PC into a home server using Unraid allows for file storage, sharing, streaming, and hosting game servers, offering benefits such as NAS, data redundancy, and various functionalities. The setup involves hardware changes, user account creation, share configurations, and installing community applications like Terraria and Jellyfin for media streaming, with specific settings tailored for optimal performance.
Insights
- Repurposing an old PC into a home server using Unraid provides a versatile solution for file storage, sharing, streaming, home automation, game server hosting, and more, offering benefits like network attached storage (NAS), data redundancy, and diverse functionalities.
- The setup process involves hardware modifications such as utilizing spare hard drives, installing Unraid via a bootable USB drive, configuring user accounts and SMB settings, customizing shares for privacy, and leveraging community applications like Jellyfin for media streaming with Nvidia hardware transcoding capabilities.
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Recent questions
How can I repurpose an old PC into a home server?
By setting up Unraid, you can repurpose an old PC into a home server for file storage, sharing, streaming, home automation, and game server hosting.
What are the benefits of having a home server?
Having a home server provides benefits such as network attached storage (NAS) for file sharing, data redundancy for protection, and functionalities like media streaming, home automation, and game server hosting.
What hardware is needed for a home server setup?
The home server setup requires a Xeon E3 1231 v3 processor, 16GB DDR3 RAM, GTX 1650 GPU, 128GB SSD, and a 650W power supply.
How do I set up user accounts and file sharing on a home server?
Setting up user accounts involves creating accounts for accessing the server and sharing files, with custom shares created for file storage. Adjust SMB settings to make shares private and require user authentication.
How can I install and configure applications on Unraid for a home server?
Install community applications on Unraid to set up servers like Terraria, media streaming applications like Jellyfin, and enable hardware transcoding using Nvidia drivers. Customize settings for optimal performance and functionality.
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Summary
00:00
"Repurposing Old PC into Home Server"
- Repurposing an old PC into a home server is explored in the video.
- The home server setup using Unraid enables file storage, sharing, streaming, home automation, game server hosting, and more.
- Benefits of having a home server include network attached storage (NAS) for file sharing, redundancy for data protection, and various functionalities like streaming media, home automation, and hosting game servers.
- The PC used for the home server setup features a Xeon E3 1231 v3 processor, 16GB DDR3 RAM, GTX 1650 GPU, 128GB SSD, and a 650W power supply.
- The necessity of a graphics card for system boot due to the Xeon processor lacking an integrated GPU is highlighted.
- Hardware changes involve removing the SSD and utilizing two spare 2TB hard drives for storage.
- Setting up Unraid involves creating a bootable USB drive, installing the software, and configuring the server through a web interface.
- User accounts are set up for accessing the server and sharing files, with a custom share created for file storage.
- SMB settings are adjusted to make the share private, requiring user authentication for access.
- The process of setting up the home server involves creating user accounts, setting up shares, and configuring SMB settings for file access from Windows machines.
14:33
"Securely share files, set up servers, and stream media"
- To access the Haven share, create a secure password and enable the remember option.
- Add files to the shared folder by dragging and dropping them.
- Configure existing shares like isos and domains to be accessible from the Haven user by setting read and write permissions.
- Customize shares to be private and require user access.
- Install community applications on Unraid by clicking install and agreeing to the disclaimer.
- Use community applications to set up a Terraria server by searching for Terraria, installing the server, and configuring settings like version and ports.
- Monitor the Terraria server through the Docker section, ensuring it's up to date and running without errors.
- Modify the Terraria server settings by changing the seed, world size, password, and other parameters in the server config file.
- Set up a virtual machine on Unraid by downloading the Home Assistant OS, extracting the file, and creating a VM with specified settings.
- Install Jellyfin, a media streaming application similar to Plex, and enable Nvidia hardware transcoding by installing Nvidia drivers through the community applications plugin.
29:06
Enable Nvidia hardware transcoding in Jellyfin.
- Install ich777 h777s from the repository to enable hardware decoding/transcoding using Nvidia graphics card.
- Add extra parameters "--runtime=nvidia" in Jellyfin settings under advanced to ensure proper setup.
- Create folders for movies, TV shows, and music in the Jellyfin directory for library organization.
- Set Nvidia visible devices to GPU ID in the Jellyfin settings to utilize the graphics card for transcoding.
- Add a new variable "nvidia_driver_capabilities" with the value "all" in the Jellyfin settings to enable hardware encoding properly.
