The Hive

Soldato
Joined
23 Apr 2010
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West Sussex
If you have followed my build threads you would realise I have three Alienwares. An old P2.1 Area 51, a 2008 Area 51 and a 2014. They are all now fully operational, with the older of the rigs (Dianoga, the P2.1) taking Ubuntu duties for multimedia (as MS screwed networking in all of their other OSes it would seem).

The only downside to this is I am running three separate rigs, all with their own storage but the data I use daily (like music and films and TV shows) is not consolidated. This makes it a pain. I either download/rip it all again, copy it to an external drive etc or just go without large chunks when I am on the Linux box. So my aim is to set up a NAS, but any one who knows me will know that I couldn't just buy a NAS, bung some drives in and use it.

To follow the theme on I wanted to use some sort of Alienware case. My first port of call was this, the Graphics Amplifier.

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Which I wanted to gut and mod and fit some NAS guts into. Only problem is they are quite pricey, and the £80-£100 with missing cable ones all seem to have evaporated and they are now commanding £200. I am not paying that.

So the next best thing was the Kolink K6T. It looks like this, if you are not familiar with it.

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I really hate the windowed side panel, but really love the black one. Problem is if I paint the windowed panel it will probably not match the black one so I have to paint both. Not decided if I am going to run with flat black, or, something more funky yet. Time will tell.

So the NAS I am using is this.

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It cost me £20 and is known for being very noisy. We'll soon sort that out ;)

First job - rip it all apart. Yes.

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An idea of how compact it is, where it will live when it is operational.

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It shall live on the floor below the router and modem (and incoming switch).

The main idea is to basically gut it (done) then make a cover panel for where the USB ports etc all lived and fit a 8mm latching switch. Then gut and rewire a ATX PSU to run the NAS and the cooling I have in mind. Oh yeah, and also the case lights which are really cool and chase around the front panel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA9VkogT1HE

Apologies for the noise, that's open back cans for you. Also, a couple of the colours only appear as white due to the camera.

Expect some sort of orange theme on the inside, that of course you won't see because the side panels will be a solid colour :D

Storage is simply two 250gb laptop drives. More than enough to hold my films and music :)
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
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Posts
11,896
Location
West Sussex
Modding has begun. First I got some tools and a piece of acrylic I cut to width a couple of days back.

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Marked it so I could cut it to length and the centre point of the hole.

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Lower front panel.

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Cut to length.

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Plastic weld.

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And a short while later.

ri8WpIp.jpg
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
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Posts
11,896
Location
West Sussex
I'm confused, you say you are using a dlink NAS, then set apart ripping up the Kolink (which you appear to have discounted due to the window?)

I am using the guts of the NAS, fitted into the Kolink. They both have to completely come apart so I can work on the Kolink preparing it. I have not discounted the Kolink, I am going to paint both side panels black because I don't like the window.

Sorry if it was confusing :)
 
Caporegime
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Leafy Cheshire
Ah, In which case I'd ditch the NAS completely and build a nice Xpenology server into the Kolink.

Xpenology on a decent MITX board offers some pretty decent performance and features, granted it will cost you more than the £20 NAS though.
 
Soldato
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Joined
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West Sussex
Ah, In which case I'd ditch the NAS completely and build a nice Xpenology server into the Kolink.

Xpenology on a decent MITX board offers some pretty decent performance and features, granted it will cost you more than the £20 NAS though.

Yeah I did weigh that up, but literally all I need to do is have something that is accessible to all three PCs. It doesn't need to be anything special, just host my music collection :)
 
Soldato
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Joined
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Posts
11,896
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West Sussex
Cool well if it works out OK post some pics man :)

The PSU is now with me. Bit busy with my other rig ATM but this shouldn't take too long (he said, hopefully, knowing it will probably be a nightmare).
 
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