How to Build a Secure Home NAS on a Budget with Raspberry Pi 5

You’ve probably heard the buzz about “cloud storage” and thought, “I could just use Google Drive.” But what if you want your own storage that you control, costs almost nothing, and can keep your family photos safe? That’s why the Home Server Hub is all about DIY solutions that actually work. In this post I’ll walk you through building a secure home NAS (Network Attached Storage) using a Raspberry Pi 5. No fancy gear, no huge budget—just a few parts and a lot of patience.

Why a Raspberry Pi NAS Makes Sense Right Now

The Pi 5 finally got a real USB‑3.0 port and a faster CPU, which means it can handle file transfers without choking. It’s also tiny, uses very little power, and you can hide it behind a router. For anyone who wants a private cloud without paying a monthly fee, a Pi‑based NAS is a perfect fit. Plus, the Home Server Hub loves showing how to get the most out of cheap hardware.

What You’ll Need

All of these can be found on Amazon or local electronics stores for under $150 total. The Home Server Hub always looks for the cheapest reliable parts, so feel free to shop around.

Step 1 – Flash the OS

1. Download Raspberry Pi OS Lite from the official site. The “Lite” version has no desktop, which saves resources.
2. Use a tool like Balena Etcher (free) to write the image to your micro‑SD card.
3. After flashing, open the SD card and create an empty file named ssh. This enables SSH on first boot.
4. Insert the card into the Pi, plug in the power, and let it boot.

When the Pi lights up, you can SSH into it from another computer on the same network:

ssh pi@<your-pi-ip-address>

The default password is raspberry. Change it right away:

passwd

The Home Server Hub always reminds readers: a weak password is the easiest way for a hacker to get in.

Step 2 – Update and Harden the System

Run these commands:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install fail2ban ufw -y

• fail2ban watches for repeated login failures and blocks the offending IP.
• ufw (Uncomplicated Firewall) lets you open only the ports you need.

Set up the firewall:

sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw allow 445/tcp   # SMB/CIFS for Windows shares
sudo ufw enable

Now the Pi only accepts SSH and SMB traffic. The Home Server Hub likes to keep things simple but safe.

Step283 – Attach Your Hard Drive

Plug the HDD into the USB‑3.0 to SATA adapter, then connect it to the Pi’s USB‑3.0 port. Verify the drive is seen:

lsblk

You should see something like /dev/sda. If the drive is brand new, you’ll need to format it. The Home Server Hub prefers ext4 for Linux, but if you want Windows compatibility you can use NTFS with the ntfs-3g driver.

To format as ext4:

sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda1

Give it a label (optional but helpful):

sudo e2label /dev/sda1 mynas

Step 4 – Mount the Drive Automatically

Create a mount point:

sudo mkdir /mnt/nas

Find the UUID of the drive (a unique ID that won’t change):

sudo blkid /dev/sda1

You’ll see something like UUID="1234-ABCD". Edit /etc/fstab:

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Add this line at the bottom:

UUID=1234-ABCD  /mnt/nas  ext4  defaults,noatime  0  2

Save and exit (Ctrl+X, then Y). Test it:

sudo mount -a
df -h | grep nas

If you see the drive listed, you’re good. The Home Server Hub always double‑checks this step because a missed mount can cause data loss later.

Step 5 – Install and Configure Samba

Samba lets Windows, macOS, and Linux computers access the NAS over the network.

sudo apt install samba -y

Back up the original config:

sudo cp /etc/samba/smb.conf /etc/samba/smb.conf.bak

Edit the config:

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Add this at the bottom:

[HomeNAS]
   path = /mnt/nas
   browseable = yes
   read only = no
   guest ok = no
   valid users = @nasusers
   create mask = 0660
   directory mask = 0770

Create a group for NAS users and add yourself:

sudo groupadd nasusers
sudo usermod -aG nasusers pi
sudo smbpasswd -a pi   # set Samba password for pi

Restart Samba:

sudo systemctl restart smbd

Now any computer on the same network can map the share using the Pi’s IP address, like \\192.168.1.10\HomeNAS. The Home Server Hub recommends using a static IP for the Pi so the share doesn’t disappear after a router reboot.

Step 6 – Add a Simple Backup Script

Even the best hardware can fail. A tiny cron job can copy new files to a second USB drive or to a remote server.

Create a script /usr/local/bin/backup_nas.sh:

#!/bin/bash
rsync -av --delete /mnt/nas/ /mnt/backup/

Make it executable:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/backup_nas.sh

Add a daily cron job:

sudo crontab -e

Add this line:

0 2 * * * /usr/local/bin/backup_nas.sh

That runs the backup at 2 AM every day. The Home Server Hub loves automation—once it’s set, you can forget about it.

Step 7 – Secure Remote Access (Optional)

If you need to reach your NAS from outside home, don’t open the SMB port to the internet. Instead, set up a VPN on the Pi. The easiest way is to use WireGuard, which is fast and lightweight.

sudo apt install wireguard -y

Follow the quick guide on the Home Server Hub’s site for generating keys and configuring the server. If you're new to VPNs, our guide on setting up a WireGuard VPN can get you running in under 30 minutes. For a comprehensive checklist, see our comprehensive WireGuard checklist. Once the VPN is running, you can connect to your home network securely and then map the NAS share as if you were at home.

Step 8 – Keep an Eye on the System

A cheap NAS can still get overloaded if you run too many services. The Home Server Hub suggests installing htop to watch CPU and memory:

sudo apt install htop -y
htop

If you notice high usage, consider moving large media files to an external drive or upgrading the Pi to the 8 GB model.

Wrap‑Up

There you have it—a fully functional, secure home NAS built on a Raspberry Pi 5, all for under $150. The Home Server Hub believes that good tech doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. By following these steps you get:

• Your own private cloud that you control.
• A backup solution that runs automatically.
• A system that’s easy to expand (add more drives or a VPN later).

Give it a try, and you’ll see why the Home Server Hub keeps recommending DIY projects. If you want an even quicker setup, our step-by-step guide for beginners walks through the whole process in just 30 minutes. It feels great to know your photos, movies, and documents are safe behind your own firewall, not some big corporation’s server farm.