3 Reasons to Replace Your NAS' OS (and 3 Reasons Not To)

There are galore reasons to regenerate your manufacturer's operating strategy with thing else. However, determination are besides respective reasons to conscionable instrumentality with what came connected your NAS. Here's wherefore I deliberation you should (and wherefore you shouldn't) regenerate the OS connected your NAS.

What Is a NAS OS?

When you deliberation of an operating system, you apt deliberation of Linux, Windows, oregon macOS. A NAS operating strategy isn't overmuch antithetic and is often based connected Linux, but it functions successful a somewhat antithetic way.

With a halfway of Linux, astir NAS operating systems are focused connected retention and different related functions. You'll often find things similar Docker built into a NAS OS to tally containers, as good arsenic ZFS oregon immoderate signifier of parity for disk redundancy.

This is due to the fact that the precedence of a NAS OS is the extortion of your files and information supra each else. To execute this, a batch of functions mightiness beryllium constricted oregon outright blocked successful a NAS OS. You're not apt to beryllium capable to tally Microsoft Office oregon Call of Duty connected a NAS OS, for example, arsenic it simply lacks the drivers for functions similar that.

Now that you cognize what a NAS OS is, should you regenerate the operating strategy your retention server runs if your strategy supports it?

Replace Your OS if It Holds You Back

Sometimes, a NAS operating strategy could clasp you back. Synology, for instance, has an implementation of Docker, but it's not the aforesaid arsenic moving the modular Docker stack. UGREEN mightiness beryllium similar, offering immoderate functions but not others.

If the OS offers everything you request connected that side, does it let you to grip your disks successful the mode that you'd like? Unraid, for example, lets you person 1 parity thrust and past immoderate size thrust nether that to marque up your retention pool. Does your NAS OS fto you bash that?

What astir utilizing antithetic drivers for networking cogwheel oregon graphics cards? Can you instal older drivers (or newer ones) depending connected the hardware you're running?

If the reply to immoderate of the supra is "No, I can't bash that," past your NAS OS is apt holding you back, and you should see replacing it. Running a antithetic OS volition let you to instrumentality vantage of much features than you presently person entree to.

Replace Your OS if You’re Worried About Privacy

There are immoderate times that you privation to guarantee your backstage documents and photos stay, well, private. While a papers mightiness beryllium stored connected your section NAS, that doesn't mean cipher other has entree to it.

It's not unprecedented for a third-party institution (like the 1 who makes your NAS) to beryllium compromised oregon hacked. With distant entree to your NAS being handled by them, there's a accidental your files could besides beryllium compromised.

In the lawsuit of UGREEN's latest AI-powered NAS systems, which offer the quality to tally LLM AI models locally, you mightiness beryllium wary of utilizing it for that purpose. There's a batch of scrutiny astir the privateness of utilizing nationalist LLMs similar ChatGPT, and whether your conversations are genuinely private.

Running an LLM locally (or immoderate different AI tools) is the lone mode to guarantee privateness — but that lone works if your NAS oregon server is besides private. If you're disquieted astir the privateness of your instrumentality oregon operating strategy due to the fact that of potential unsecured backdoors into the OS, past spell up and regenerate your NAS unit's operating system.

Replace Your OS if Your System Becomes Unsupported

Sometimes, you mightiness beryllium utilizing a NAS that's a spot older. It's imaginable that, aft immoderate time, the shaper volition halt supporting it with updates and caller features.

If this is the lawsuit for you, there's a bully accidental the hardware could inactive beryllium supported by the assemblage done assorted operating systems. While not each NAS supports sideloading your ain operating system, if yours does, past loading thing similar Unraid, TrueNAS, oregon OpenMediaVault onto your retention server could beryllium greatly beneficial.

Depending connected what operating strategy you were moving previously, replacing the OS connected your NAS could nett you a batch much than conscionable information updates — you could besides summation features, similar Docker support, if you didn't person that previously.

Don’t Replace Your OS if You Value Ease-Of-Use

While replacing your NAS system's OS mightiness beryllium amusive and adhd immoderate caller features, it could besides marque things a spot much difficult.

The banal OS that your NAS runs is maintained by the shaper and is designed to beryllium casual to use. They cognize what drivers to use, what hardware it has, what capabilities it has, and what the champion settings are for everything. While you tin replicate immoderate oregon astir of that yourself, there's a accidental that things could spell awry.

If you are idiosyncratic who prefers things to conscionable simply enactment however they're intended, past replacing the OS of your NAS is apt not for you.

Don’t Replace the OS if It Voids Your Warranty

UGREEN and different NAS manufacturers mightiness let you to regenerate the operating strategy of your retention device, but not everyone is truthful kind.

Synology, for instance, has nary known oregon documented mode to regenerate its Disk Station Manager that runs connected their NAS units. Replacing the OS of your Synology NAS would apt void your warranty and marque it truthful Synology could perchance garbage repairs successful the future.

Just support successful caput your warranty presumption and whether that matters to you earlier deciding to regenerate the OS of your NAS.

Don’t Replace Your OS if You Can’t Maintain It

Replacing the OS of your NAS isn't ever a plug-and-play thing. Often, determination volition beryllium updates that you request to support connected apical of for information reasons.

If you're unfamiliar with Linux oregon Linux-based operating systems, oregon you don't consciousness comfy ensuring that the latest vulnerabilities are patched connected your NAS, past replacing the OS of your strategy is apt not for you. If vulnerabilities aren't patched successful a timely manner, past your NAS could perchance beryllium near unfastened and susceptible to attack, leaving your information compromised.