Thanks for reaching out, and congratulations on your Aoostar WTR Pro NAS Mini PC! Setting up a NAS for the first time can be an exciting journey, and I’d be happy to guide you through it.
Here’s a step-by-step process to get your NAS up and running:
1. Initial Setup:
Connect Your NAS: Plug your NAS into your network via Ethernet (preferably) for stable connectivity.
Power On: After connecting it, power on the NAS and note the IP address assigned to it (you can usually find this via your router’s admin panel).
Accessing the NAS: Open a browser on your MacBook Air and type the IP address into the address bar to access the NAS management interface. If you don’t know the IP, you can also use the default URL (e.g.,
http://aoostar.local), which works for many devices on your network.
2. NAS Operating System Setup:
Install the OS: Since your Aoostar NAS uses AMD Ryzen and has an SSD, it’s likely running Ubuntu or another Linux-based OS. If it’s not installed yet, you may need to install the system OS from the official website (check the instructions in the box or online resources from Aoostar).
Follow the on-screen setup to complete the OS installation (language, time zone, and user details).
3. RAID and Storage Configuration:
Since you have 3x3TB WD Red NAS HDDs, you might want to set them up in RAID for redundancy. RAID 1 (mirroring) will give you a 3TB usable capacity with redundancy, while RAID 5 (striped with parity) would give you 6TB usable with fault tolerance.
Use the built-in NAS management interface to configure your RAID setup. You should see an option under "Storage" or "Disk Management."
4. Connecting Your MacBook:
SMB/NFS Setup: On your Aoostar NAS, ensure that SMB (for Mac) or NFS is enabled for file sharing.
Accessing the NAS: On your MacBook, you can map the NAS as a network drive. In Finder, go to Go > Connect to Server, and type smb://<NAS-IP> (e.g., smb://192.168.x.x). This will give you access to your shared files on the NAS.
5. Managing Downloads and Plex Setup:
Torrents: You can install qBittorrent or Transmission on the Aoostar NAS to manage your torrent downloads. These apps can run in the background and allow you to access/download files remotely.
Plex Setup: Install Plex Media Server on your NAS to manage and stream your movies and media. You can do this from the Plex website or via a package manager. Once installed, you’ll configure your libraries (Movies, TV Shows, etc.), and your MacBook and other devices can connect to Plex via the Plex app.
Remote Access: Enable remote access in Plex to stream movies anywhere outside your local network.
6. Managing Photos/Videos from iPhone:
Syncing Photos: For iPhone photos, use Apple’s iCloud for backup or set up Nextcloud on the NAS for syncing photos/videos to a centralized location.
For seamless integration with your MacBook, you can also set up Time Machine backup on your NAS to back up your photos and videos automatically.
7. Backup Strategy:
Set up automated backups to ensure your files are safe. You can use rsync, Synology Hyper Backup, or even cloud-based backup services like Google Drive or Backblaze.
8. MacOS Integration:
Make sure Time Machine is set up on the NAS for automatic backups of your MacBook.
You can also install apps like Cyberduck for easier file transfer between your Mac and NAS.
