Building Your Own Cloud Storage Isn't As Crazy As You'd Think

Cloud storage is the modernization that consumers need. With more pictures, music and overall data dominating the digital storage of our lives, watchers, callers, and listeners are turning with great haste to streaming services, data storage options, and many other revolutionary technologies built on cloud servers.

Strictly speaking, cloud storage is simply the remote utilization of data, rather than relying on physical storage amenities within your handheld or desktop machine (via Amazon). With a cloud server, you can call up video, text files, music, games, and more to your phone, computer, or television without having to save files directly to your device — a system often working with its own data storage limitations already.

Broadly speaking, cloud storage requires a server of some type, used as the core hard drive and networked location for saving and retrieving information when the need or whim calls for it. While you could develop your own monstrous computer and link it into the home network for consistent personal access, there are simple alternatives that won't require the same legwork.

Alongside a motivation to cut the cord on storage and monthly subscription costs for commercial cloud solutions, there are some tips that can bring you to the finish line when building your own cloud power.

Simplicity is often the most important aspect of a file access system for the typical user. Fortunately, building your own cloud-sharing infrastructure can be done with the help of free services that make transfer easy. Popular Science recommends platforms like Resilio Sync or Syncthing, noting that these services offer a file transfer tether between your known devices. With a sync service, you won't need to build a file storage system at home. More importantly, you won't have to run it around the clock to provide access to important resources.

Sync services cut out the need for a central server by essentially reimagining each of your connected devices as nodes within a larger network. For this to function correctly though, you'll need a device that you want to access to be powered on. Simplicity is crucial, and for users trying to balance movie and video files, music, and important documents (like your lease, school work, etc.), keeping certain sets of files on a tablet with great battery life and others on your phone can provide consistent access to a library of content without having to manage the storage requirements of the entire volume on a single, heavily-used device.

With this type of setup, you could connect a small personal computer that's been fitted with increased hard drive capacity to function as a home server. Options are vast with this simplified approach.

Network Attached Storage (NAS) takes care of the problem of file sharing in a more permanent way. Instead of working around uptime limitations or charging needs on various mobile devices, NAS setup allows you to hardwire your storage system directly alongside your wireless internet connection and maintain constant access to remotely stored files.

Tech Radar notes that medium and small businesses are often stung by a lack of preparation when it comes to managing data, but this problem extends beyond the business world and affects consumers of all stripes.

With the technology packed into phones today, the average consumer is carting around a powerful camera, and often using it to its full potential. Photutorial reports that the average person has 2,100 photos stored on their smartphone, hindering already limited storage capacity in many instances. A NAS device is easy to setup and can be used as both a direct backup for new photos, downloaded music, and more, and as a primary storage repository that's simple to call up and browse for required files.

NASMaster reports that a moderately powered CPU, FreeNAS or Open Media Vault as an operating system, and lots of hard drive space is all that's required to build out the system. For those looking to skip the assembly, NAS devices have become a commonality on the tech marketplace, making this resource more accessible.