Future Proof My First Setup?

[Enquiries]

Hope you’re well! Quick favour please. Here’s my current homelab setup and what I’m aiming for:
What I’m running now (in brief):
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Proxmox host with multiple LXC containers/VMs (incl. Syncthing and NextcloudPi), plus Home Assistant.
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Frigate NVR doing 24/7 recording from several PoE cameras.
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Mixed local storage + rclone mounts (OneDrive/Google Drive/custom “books” remote).
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Linux filesystems (EXT4/XFS), and I access shares from Windows too.
What I want:
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To future-proof with an 8-bay external enclosure/DAS (USB 3.x or faster; happy with JBOD).
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Must play nicely with Linux/Proxmox (UASP, SMART passthrough if possible, spin-down support).
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20 TB drive compatibility (e.g., Seagate Exos), ideally quiet cooling and a proper power supply.
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Use case is continuous CCTV writes from Frigate, so reliability > fancy features.
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If there’s a matching 4-bay sibling, worth knowing for a smaller build elsewhere.
• Could you please pick a specific 8-bay for me (model + where to buy in

[ed]

Thanks for the detailed breakdown of your setup, and you’re definitely thinking along the right lines. Based on your requirements for Linux and Proxmox compatibility, 20TB drive support, UASP, SMART passthrough, and reliable 24/7 write performance, the best option in your budget is still the QNAP TL-D800C.

It connects via USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), supports SMART monitoring and drive spin-down under Linux, and works well with Proxmox for both local storage and passthrough use. It’s also properly cooled with temperature-controlled fans and uses an internal PSU rather than a laptop-style power brick. You can easily populate it with 20TB Seagate Exos or WD Ultrastar drives and expand later.

You can find it in the UK from:
• Amazon UK: QNAP TL-D800C 8-Bay USB 3.2 DAS
• Ebuyer UK: QNAP TL-D800C
• Box UK: QNAP TL-D800C

If you ever want a smaller companion setup, the TerraMaster D6-320 (6-bay, USB 3.2 Gen 2) and D9-320 (9-bay, USB 3.2 Gen 2) are newer alternatives. They are Linux-compatible, support large drives, and have good cooling and power design, though they lack some of the monitoring and fan controls QNAP offers.

Between them, the QNAP TL-D800C remains the best long-term choice for reliability, compatibility, and build quality. It’s a proven option for Proxmox and CCTV-heavy workloads like Frigate.