Build a Personal NAS Using Raspberry Pi and OpenMediaVault

Things Required

• Raspberry Pi 3 or above
• Ethernet cable and stable internet connection
• Power supply for Raspberry Pi
• External monitor (HDMI)
• Laptop or desktop
• Keyboard for Raspberry Pi
• External hard disk / SSD (for storage)
• Empty microSD card (for Raspberry Pi OS image)

Important Note (College / Enterprise WiFi)

When I originally built this project, I was in college using a corporate WiFi network with MSCHAP v2 authentication. If you are in a similar environment, avoid this method. College or enterprise WiFi often disconnects frequently and blocks many installation steps, which can waste a lot of time.

👉 Recommendation: Use a normal router with a direct Ethernet connection.

If you have: - A stable Ethernet connection - Power backup near the Raspberry Pi

You are good to go.

Step 1: Prepare the SD Card

1. Insert the microSD card into your laptop.

2. Download Raspberry Pi Imager from the official Raspberry Pi website.

• On Linux:
• sudo apt install rpi-imager

3. Open Raspberry Pi Imager and configure:

• OS: Raspberry Pi OS (other) → Raspberry Pi OS Lite (32-bit)
• Storage: Select your SD card

4. Click the Settings (⚙️) icon:

• Enable SSH
• Set a strong password (do not forget it)

5. Click Write.

Wait until you see “Writing Complete” before removing the SD card.

Step 2: Boot the Raspberry Pi

Connect the following: - Ethernet cable (router → Raspberry Pi) - HDMI cable (Raspberry Pi → monitor) - Keyboard (mouse not required) - Power supply - Insert the SD card

Power on the Raspberry Pi. You will see boot logs scrolling on the screen.

At the login prompt: - Username: pi - Password: (the one you set earlier)

Step 3: Initial System Update

Run the following commands in order:

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade

ifconfig

From the ifconfig output, note down the inet IPv4 address. This is your Raspberry Pi’s network IP.

Step 4: Fix Keyboard Layout (Important)

By default, Raspberry Pi uses a UK keyboard layout, which can cause issues when typing special characters like |.

To change to US layout:

sudo raspi-config

Navigate to:

Localization Options → Keyboard → Other → English (US) → OK

Now the | symbol will work correctly.

Step 5: Install OpenMediaVault (NAS Software)

Run the following command exactly as shown (case- and space-sensitive):

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

⏳ This installation will take some time.

After installation, the DHCP server may assign a new IP address.

Run again:

ifconfig

Note the new IPv4 address.

Step 6: Access OpenMediaVault Web Interface

1. Open a browser on any device connected to the same network.

2. Enter:

http://<Raspberry-Pi-IP>

Default Login Credentials

• Username: admin

• Password: openmediavault

🔒 Immediately change the admin password:

System → General Settings → Web Administrator Password

Step 7: Connect and Mount Storage Disk

1. Plug your external HDD / SSD into the Raspberry Pi.

2. In the OpenMediaVault dashboard:

• Go to Storage → Disks
• Confirm your disk is detected

3. Go to Storage → File Systems

• Select the disk
• Click Mount

⚠️ Changes are NOT saved until you click Apply in the top bar.

Step 8: Create Shared Folder

1. Navigate to:

Access Rights Management → Shared Folders

2. Click Add:

• Select your mounted disk
• Set folder name
• Configure permissions

3. Click Save and then Apply.

Step 9: Enable Network File Sharing

Supported Access Methods

• Linux / macOS: NFS
• Windows: SMB (Samba)

Enable Samba (Windows)

1. Go to:

Services → SMB/CIFS

2. Enable the service

3. Go to Shares → Add

• Select the shared folder
• Configure permissions

4. Click Save and Apply

Step 10: Access NAS from Windows

1. Open This PC

2. Right-click → Add a Network Location

3. Enter the path:

\\<Raspberry-Pi-IP>\<Shared-Folder-Name>

• When prompted: Username: pi
• Password: Set this under:

Access Rights Management → Users

Once logged in, you can upload, download, and manage files like a normal drive.

Final Result

🎉 You now have a fully functional personal NAS / internal server accessible from any device on your network.

Credits

Inspired by

Inspired by NetworkChuck