Hello folks,
I’m looking at putting my CDs onto a storage device for streaming to my Qb 2.
I don’t know much about it, I’m okay with computers and have built a few but upnp and NAS is all new to me.
I was thinking about this westerndigital recertified/cloud-storage/wd-my-cloud-home-recertified
What are your thoughts please?
Thanks
Phil
Hi, music storage and serving is not a very demanding task for a NAS, but choosing a good, well supported UPnP server is key, and you’ll want a NAS that’s able to run it.
The two brands of NAS that are tried and tested for music are Synology and QNAP, so I would go for any of their entry level enclosures.
Asset is a great UPnP server that will run on either of them, and it’s produced by the same people who do DBpoweramp, which is the ripping and editing software of choice for many.
Minimserver is another well regarded server.
Make sure you choose drives that are suitable, the traditional choice of HDD is the WD Red. SSD will cost quite a bit more, although prices are not as high as they used to be.
3 Likes
Thank you for your informative reply, it may not be demanding for a NAS but it is for me, I’m a complete numpty with anything remotely networking based, I seem to have a mental block with it. I just about manage my One Drive 
Wouldn’t that WD unit work?
I’ll check out the things you’ve mentioned though,
Thank you
Phil
The WD models look cheap and convenient, and I use one to back up my computer. It’s fine for stuff like that, but really not a great option for music serving. I wouldn’t say it’s impossible to get it to work, but the options I mentioned are really the right tool for the job.
Setup might involve a little bit of head scratching, but if I can do it with very limited IT skills I’m sure you can. Also the software is very well supported by its developer, so they can help you if you run into problems, as can forum members here as there are lots of us who have been using this stuff for years.
1 Like
I’ve owned one of these in the past, and to say it’s pretty poor is being generous. The most important thing is to run a good upnp server if you want an enjoyable experience. Asset is probably the best. They make versions for Qnap and Synology, (not WD) hence the logic of getting one of those. Buy cheap, buy twice, applies in this case.
You can also run Asset on Windows or Mac. If you store you music on the computer, it needs to be switched on. The advantage of a nas is that you can hide it away and forget about it.
3 Likes
AssetUPnP and other server software is not demanding on computer power. I use an old HP Windows PC running 24/7/365 as a dedicated server and an attached USB 2TB WD Elements external HDD drive for holding my media library for the last 5 years. Configuring Asset on a PC is simple and probably easier if you are not so knowledgeable in NAS matters. The PC is hidden in a cabinet and rarely touched. Even new media is added over the network.
I have tried to remove everything or stop other things running on the PC. It runs both AssetUPnP and Serviio (another server used for photos and video, and Internet Radio) and anti-virus only under Windows 10.
I have three other WD Elements HDD - one on my test machine (4TB) and two as backup (4TB and 2TB).
ISTR WD units usually have a copy of Twonky. I’m not a fan but it does the job.
Thanks for all your help.
I’m starting to understand a little bit more now. I’m starting to think I can get rid of my OneDrive account, I know I’ll need a backup copy kept off site but that’s okay.
I can then use a NAS, tucked away out of site as my backup cloud and a streaming device for my Qb2.
How would be the most economical but reliable way to do this? 2TB is more than enough.
What about this?
Thank you for your help.
Phil
These are my thoughts too. You NEED to be able to run a robust UPNP server package on whatever nas you pick. I do not think that you can run Asset or MinimServer on a WD MyHome nas.
I had a WD network storage drive. It was problematic as it ran all the time and I had to start it up each time I wanted to use it then shut it down afterwards. I now use a Synology and it has a timed shut down each night and hibernates during the day when not in use. The advantage of the automatic nightly shut down is that is refreshes the network setting and is always visible to the NDX2.
Thanks,
So if I got this I can run a upnp server on it?
Also what about these security issues?
Thanks
If you have a PC you don’t need a Nas. Rip your CDs to the PC, load asset or miniserve on the PC, stream from the PC.
You shouldn’t put any commercial links in your posts in the hifi corner - and this post has two! If your nas is on your network it’s quite safe if you set it up properly. A lot of modern routers have security software built in. You turn off any upnp stuff that comes on the nas and just run Asset.
I only have the Synology media server running. Would another server (minim? Asset?) offer some performance or practical advantage? Everything plays on my well on my NDX2 through the Naim app.
Asset is a lot more flexible and reliable. You can get a free trial version and then upgrade to the pukka paid version if you like it. There’s nothing to lose, other than a bit of time.
The upnp security issues that your deleted link probably referred to are outward facing from your router towards the internet and nothing at all to do with using upnp to stream music from a NAS on your network to streamers on your network. If you search on the forum you will find several threads that explain this.
Thanks, I had thought of that and I do have a PC and a powerful laptop but I don’t want to leave them on all day and I don’t want to boot either of them up when I want to have a quick listen to music. Also I’m thinking of using it to replace OneDrive, I know that means having a backup that I can remove from my home but I can live with that.
Cheers
Thanks,
I thought I’d put a link in the very first post here, and that was approved by a moderator so I thought maybe it was only advertising links I couldn’t put in. Turns out it wasn’t an actual link.
My router is down stairs, my Qb is upstairs, will I be able to detect it wirelessly from the Qb? Also, I’ve been reading that Asset is only audio server, how can I utilise the NAS as a cloud too for normal files?
Thanks
Thanks, lots to learn.
If the Qb can access the router it can access the NAS. I’m no expert and use my nas only for music. All our other files are in the cloud.