Basics

A Network Attached Storage unit that uses a Raspberry Pi as the computer
Can have an OTS or custom (often [[3D Printed) Enclosure
Typically uses USB External Hard Drives , although SATA / NVME drives can be used, especially with more recent Raspberry Pi's

Existing DIY/OS Options

1x Raspberry Pi 5 ( ~$80.00U USD) (+ 10 USD for USPS to my house when i filled out all the stuff to see the actual price on The Pishop Website's Page )

An Article by "Tech Radar" Titled "I thought a Raspberry Pi NAS was a good idea - here’s why I'm wrong By Luke Hughes published August 12, 2023"
- Clickbait title aside it was a good relatable read:
  - Quote: "I have started writing this article three times, each time trying to provide helpful information, and each time having the copy tainted more and more by misery. It has become a millstone around my neck, and almost mythical, like that Guns ‘n’ Roses album. And when the article at last tumbles from my runny brain, into the website tin, and onto your monitor plate (which it has now, because I’ve gone back and added this bit in, cheers), it will be like that album: a damp squib, a void. It is not a slight on the Raspberry Pi, Linux, or the very idea of cheap DIY tech projects to say that, because of the former, I now see life in cold monochrome. In a world where one operating system has achieved boot-human-face-stomping dominance despite its own deeply ingrained frustrations, they are utopian ideas. It is a slight on me: an idiot. I won’t dwell on my failures too much, for I may at last physically shrivel into nothing from embarrassment, like a Franz Kafka novel. Do be aware, however, that I’m aware that my experience is the direct parallel of ‘games journalist plays Cuphead’, so don’t write in."
  - TLDR: Beware Integration Hell , Be Aware of your Skillsets/Limitations, and Plan (Or you will suffer endless stressful troubleshooting)