Each time I build a DIY NAS, I wind up deciding whether or not I can make use of it. On occasion, like with the DIY NAS: 2022 Edition, I wind up keeping it. But most of the time, I give the DIY NAS away in some sort of contest. This year, the DIY NAS: 2023 Edition is being given away to the winner of the contest.
I changed things up a bit this year and had the contestants publicly share their answer to this question along with a link to the DIY NAS: 2023 Edition:
If you won the DIY NAS: 2023 Edition, what would you do with it? What sort of problems would it solve for you?
I have genuinely enjoyed reading each and every one of the entries to the giveaway. It has been equally entertaining and interesting to see how others would put the DIY NAS: 2023 Edition to use.
I enjoyed reviewing the entries so much that I wanted to make sure this announcement included not only the winner, but a handful of my other favorite entries too.
Honorable Mentions
Each of these honorable mentions deserve being mentioned in this blog. While they fell just short of winning the contest, each one of them was compelling on their own. Having an abundance of great entries was a blessing, but it certainly made picking a winner a bigger challenge!
- @skyguardian talked about how interesting the Topton N2 N5105 NAS Motherboard is and how it’s equipped to handle a variety of self-hosted services.
- @Kennethtechguy wants to implement some much-needed backups for himself and friends using Tailscale. I was fond of Kenneth’s entry because backing up my PCs was where my own DIY NAS journey began.
- Nik’s NAS has been working really hard for the past 13 years, which inspired Nik’s entry about replacing his old NAS. Nik even touches on a few of the reasons I’d recommend building a DIY NAS rather than buying an off-the-shelf solution. Nik even managed to work in my pseudonym, “BrianMcMoses” into his blog’s title!
- Guilherme wrote a blog and listed one of the most unique uses of the DIY NAS, using it as a WebDAV server for Zotero, an application that organizes research papers.
Runner-up
When I first learned of the Topton N3 N5105 NAS Motherboard, I immediately shared it with Pat. At the time, I had not picked any parts for the DIY NAS: 2023 Edition. But in just chatting about the motherboard with Pat the next few days, it became obvious to me that it was the best option for what I wanted to do with this year’s DIY NAS. Pat wound up writing two of his own blogs; first an entry into the contest and second about what a nice pairing the Topton N2 N5105 NAS Motherboard and JONSBO N1 make for a DIY NAS.
- I Am Excited About the Topton N5105 Mini-ITX NAS Motherboard!
- The Topton N5105 and Jonsbo N1 Are An Awesome DIY NAS Combination!
In his entry, Pat wrote:
I know that Brian would agree with me that it wouldn’t be fair for me to win the NAS.
Pat’s correct; it would seem a bit unfair if he were to win the contest. Nevertheless, either of Pat’s two blogs are fantastic entries into the contest and very well could have won him the motherboard. If you’re considering building the DIY NAS: 2023 Edition, Pat’s two blogs are must-read!
I guess now I need to worry about Pat following through with his threat of sneaking off with one of the Topton N5105 NAS motherboards next time he’s over at my house!
And the winner is…
… Tyler S., for his blog, “What I would do if I won a NAS?” In the blog, Tyler talks a laundry list of things that anyone could do with a DIY NAS: back up critical data, create shared folders that can be accessed from other computers, set up a media server, host your own game server, and Tyler talks about several other homelab activities. What I really liked about Tyler’s entry is how he seems to be the spokesperson for anyone who doesn’t currently have a NAS, not just himself. Tyler listed off many problems that he’d solve with the DIY NAS: 2023 Edition, but he answered them in a way that applies to the reader too. If you’ve been wondering if you need a NAS or not, Tyler’s entry into this year’s giveaway is a fantastic resource!
Final Thoughts
Thanks again to everyone who entered! I appreciate each and every one of the entries. Thanks to the change in the giveaway format, there were far fewer entries than prior giveaways. But the quality of each entry was so much higher! I enjoyed reading each entry, sharing it on social media, and then poring over each one to pick a winner!
What’d you think about the giveaway of the DIY NAS: 2023 Edition? If you missed out on the giveaway, are you determined to build a DIY NAS of your own? Let me know in the comments, or come chat with us in the Butter, What?! Discord server.