Setting Up and Optimizing a Terramaster NAS

1.1. The NAS

Previously, I had a Synology D115J, but its CPU wasn’t quite powerful enough for my needs. I wanted a NAS capable of running multiple Docker containers, which required a more robust processor. After researching Synology and QNAP models, I found that their budget options were often limited by outdated CPUs.

That’s when I came across the Terramaster NAS lineup. Although I initially had reservations about Terramaster’s Operating System (TOS), reviews suggested that it was straightforward to replace TOS with options like Unraid or TrueNAS if needed. Ultimately, I decided on a 2-bay NAS for simplicity, choosing fewer but larger disks for storage capacity. The Terramaster F2-424 offered the best balance of power and flexibility for my setup.

1.2. The Hard Drives

When selecting drives, I prioritized models rated for 24/7 operation, essential for NAS use. Initially, I purchased Seagate Exos X18 3.5 16TB drives because they were cost-effective. However, the noise level turned out to be too disruptive, especially with the NAS housed in a cabinet near my living room. Fortunately, I was able to exchange them for Seagate IronWolf Pro 3.5 NAS 16TB drives (at an additional 90€ per drive). Although pricier, the IronWolf Pro drives are significantly quieter and better suited to my setup.

1.3. The UPS

To protect the NAS from potential power outages, I opted for a UPS with a USB connection, enabling automatic shutdown of the NAS during an outage. I chose the Master Power (UPS 650 VA - 360W) as a budget-friendly option, which is ideal for low-power devices like my NAS. This UPS provides just enough backup power to safely handle brief outages and help prevent data loss.

2.1. Locating the NAS

To begin, you’ll need to locate the NAS on your network. With a Terramaster NAS, simply navigate to tnas.local. After a few clicks, you should see the NAS IP displayed. If that doesn’t work, you can use a network analysis app, such as Fing, to find the NAS IP.

2.2. Install Terramaster OS (TOS)

To install TOS on the SSD:

1. Choose a custom configuration during the setup process.
2. Select all the SSDs you want to use for the installation.
3. Proceed with the Online Install option.

This process will partition each selected SSD to install the OS. While the installation completes, it’s a good time to review your network setup for optimal connectivity.

3.1. Reserve an IP for you secondary router

To set up a DMZ, the first step is to assign a static IP to your secondary router:

1. Locate the MAC address of your secondary router.
2. Access your ISP router’s configuration page.
3. In the DHCP settings, create a DHCP binding for the secondary router, preferably using its current IP for simplicity.

3.2. DMZ

Once the IP is reserved, follow these steps to set up the DMZ:

1. Go to the ISP router’s configuration page.
2. Locate the DMZ settings.
3. Enable the DMZ and assign it to the static IP of your secondary router.

4.1. Creating a storage pool

The first step is to choose a RAID configuration. Here are some general recommendations:

• TRAID: Suitable if you have disks of different sizes, as it minimizes wasted space. It’s also beneficial if you plan to add more disks in the future since TRAID doesn’t require volume recreation.
• Standard RAID (0, 1, 5, or 6): Ideal if you have disks of the same size and don’t plan on adding more disks. Standard RAID setups are compatible with other operating systems and can be easier to recover in case of failures.

For storage formats, you can choose between EXT4 and BTRFS. While both have advantages, I opted for EXT4, as it is often regarded as more stable. For a more detailed comparison, refer to BTRFS vs EXT4 | Terramaster forum.

4.2. Hyper Cache

You can use one of the two M.2 SSD slots for caching. This can enhance read, write, or balanced performance, depending on your NAS’s primary tasks.

4.3. Options for adding data

The NAS model I chose has two 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports, which typically support file transfer speeds around 250–280 MB/s. Alternatively, you can use USB 3.1 Gen 1 with an external SSD, potentially achieving speeds between 300–400 MB/s. However, the Ethernet option is generally more efficient, as using an external SSD requires first copying data to the SSD, then transferring it to the NAS.

Note that your transfer speeds may be limited by the RAID configuration and the specific hard drives in use. For example, with the Seagate IronWolf Pro HDDs I installed, speeds top out at around 250 MB/s due to HDD limitations.

6.1. Plex

Plex setup is simple:

1. Open the app and sign in to your Plex account.
2. Create your libraries as desired.

For easier access, I recommend creating the Plex libraries within the Public folder.

6.2. qBittorrent

Upon installing qBittorrent, an admin user is created with the password adminadmin.

Suggested Download Configuration:

1. Save downloads in a shared location like (/Volume1/public/Downloads) for easy access.
2. Set up a monitored folder:

• Monitored folder: /Volume1/public/Torrents/
• Added .torrent files: /Volume1/public/Torrents/Added/
• Completed downloads: /Volume1/public/Torrents/Downloaded/

This setup keeps everything organized and makes it easy to monitor new and completed downloads.

6.3. Tailscale

Tailscale, a community app, enables secure remote connections. Download it from the Tailscale | TerraMaster Community Placeand install it manually via App Center/Settings/Install application manually.

Connecting the NAS to Tailscale:

1. After installation, find the login URL in the log file (/<your_user>/MOD_CONFIG/Tailscale/Tailscale_start.log). It will look like:

To authenticate, visit:

  https://login.tailscale.com/a/xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

2. Visit this URL to register the NAS with your Tailscale account. Once added, it will appear in your Tailscale admin console (optionally, rename it to nas for easy identification).

ssh [username]@nas -p [port]

tailscale set --advertise-exit-node

tailscale update
tailscale set --auto-update