Karandeep Singh

6 days ago | xda-developers.com | Karandeep Singh

For ages, Google Drive was my go-to for everything — work documents, photos, personal archives, even the writing projects I never finished. But somewhere along the way, the convenience began to feel like dependence. Between rising subscription costs, growing concerns about data privacy, and a newfound interest in building my own home server setup, I finally decided to jump ship. I replaced Google Drive with a NAS.

1 week ago | xda-developers.com | Karandeep Singh

Before I got my home NAS, I completely relied on various cloud services for everything, from photo and video backups to storing work files and scanned documents. It was convenient and just worked without me needing to set up the server and do the heavy lifting. But that convenience came at a cost that I didn’t fully grasp until I decided to take back control and manage my own storage.

1 week ago | xda-developers.com | Karandeep Singh

When I first got my Synology NAS, I thought I was making a future-proof investment. A sleek, black box that could handle all my device backups, media playback, remote access, and more. The icing on the cake was Synology’s polished software that’s quite beginner-friendly. But after living with a Synology NAS for years now, I have started to notice its quirks, limitations, and even some infuriating aspects that one could only learn by using the device for a stretch. I wish I had known them earlier.

1 week ago | xda-developers.com | Karandeep Singh

I have spent a lot of time optimizing my NAS to run quietly and power efficiently. One big way to achieve that is to have the drives run as briefly as possible — I had mine set up to spin down after 20 minutes of inactivity. That way, the drives not only stay cool but also use less power. They should last longer since HDD hibernation would lower the wear and tear. They should not age as quickly if they’re not moving. Right? Well, I don’t think so anymore.

2 weeks ago | xda-developers.com | Karandeep Singh

I had a rather humble start with my first NAS. I wanted something that could store my work files, backup my family photos, and maybe help me stream some media using Plex — nothing fancy. It was supposed to be a basic system that didn’t burn a hole in my pocket. So, I shopped around and went with the NAS system that met my bare minimum needs and didn’t cost a bomb. It looked like a sensible choice then, even for a few months afterward.