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Raspberry pi

Build Your Own Raspberry Pi NAS with OpenMediaVault

Sudeep Shrestha

• 3 min read
Build Your Own Raspberry Pi NAS with OpenMediaVault
openmediavault

If you’ve ever thought about building your own NAS (Network Attached Storage) at home, the Raspberry Pi is one of the most affordable and efficient ways to do it. With the power of OpenMediaVault (OMV), you can transform your Pi into a reliable, lightweight, and feature-packed NAS server that’s perfect for home storage, backups, and even media streaming.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the steps to set up OpenMediaVault on a Raspberry Pi and turn it into a powerful NAS.

Why Use Raspberry Pi as a NAS?

The Raspberry Pi is a small but capable single-board computer that’s perfect for lightweight server tasks. When paired with OpenMediaVault, you get:

  • Low Cost – A Pi is far cheaper than traditional NAS devices.
  • Energy Efficient – Consumes far less power than a PC-based server.
  • Customizable – Add drives, configure shares, and install plugins as needed.
  • Perfect for Home Use – Store documents, backups, photos, and media.

What You’ll Need

a close up of a raspberry board on a table
Photo by Jainath Ponnala / Unsplash
  • Raspberry Pi 4 or Pi 5 (recommended for performance)
  • MicroSD card (32GB or more) for the OS
  • External USB 3.0 drives or SSDs for storage
  • Power supply for the Raspberry Pi
  • Ethernet connection (recommended for better speeds than Wi-Fi)
  • Computer to access the web interface

Step 1: Download and Flash OpenMediaVault

  1. Download the Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit) from the Raspberry Pi website.
    (OMV is not an image anymore; it installs on top of Raspberry Pi OS.)
  2. Flash the image onto your microSD card using Raspberry Pi Imager or Balena Etcher.
  3. Boot up the Pi with the microSD card inserted.
  4. Update the system:sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install OpenMediaVault

Run the following command to install OMV:

wget -O - https://github.com/OpenMediaVault-Plugin-Developers/installScript/raw/master/install | sudo bash

This script will install the latest version of OMV, configure the system, and automatically reboot.

Step 3: Access the Web Interface

  1. Find your Raspberry Pi’s IP address:hostname -I
  2. Open a browser on your PC and go to:http://<your-pi-ip-address>
  3. Log in with default credentials:
    • Username: admin
    • Password: openmediavault
  4. Change the password immediately for security.

Step 4: Configure Storage

  1. Plug in your USB external drives or SSDs.
  2. Go to Storage → Disks in the OMV interface.
  3. Wipe and format the disks as needed (EXT4 recommended).
  4. Create a File System and mount it.
  5. Under Shared Folders, create your first network share (e.g., “Media” or “Backups”).

Step 5: Enable SMB/CIFS for File Sharing

  1. Go to Services → SMB/CIFS.
  2. Enable the service and add your shared folders.
  3. From your computer, open your file explorer and type:\\<your-pi-ip-address>
    Now you should see your NAS folders!

Step 6: Add Users and Permissions

  • Go to Access Rights Management → Users to create users.
  • Assign them access to specific shared folders.
  • This helps secure your NAS so only authorized people can access certain data.

Optional: Extend with Plugins

OMV has a wide range of plugins and Docker support. You can run additional services like:

  • Plex or Jellyfin for media streaming
  • Nextcloud for personal cloud storage
  • Transmission for torrenting
  • AdGuard Home for network-wide ad blocking

Performance Tips

  • Use USB 3.0 drives for faster transfer speeds.
  • Always use Gigabit Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi.
  • Consider using a powered USB hub if connecting multiple drives.
  • Keep your Pi and drives on a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) to avoid data loss.

Final Thoughts

Building a NAS with a Raspberry Pi and OpenMediaVault is one of the most rewarding DIY projects for any tech enthusiast. It’s affordable, reliable, and gives you full control over your data. Whether you’re backing up family photos, streaming movies, or hosting personal files, your Raspberry Pi NAS will handle it all.

So go ahead—set up your own Raspberry Pi NAS today and enjoy the freedom of self-hosted storage!

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