Mac mini as a server AND media player

[undeniable]

Hi!

I'm in need of file server for some time now. My WD Live is slowly dying and I'm looking for a replacement. Mainly I'd need it to:
- storing files
- storing TimeMachine backups
- hosting VPN server
- hosting HomeBridge
- whatever comes to my mind in the future

I consider a Synology NAS but there's one thing that it connot do: keep to date with iCloud Photo Library. Currently my library is too big to be stored on my MacBook Pro and I need to optimize storage there. That means that the only place where my originals are stored is Apple servers which bugs me

Here comes Mac mini as a server. It can do all the things I want from a NAS and also can download my iCloud Photo Library so I have a local copy. Content Caching is another advantage. Great! I'd put it somewhere near my TV set where my router resides and here's where my questions start.

I wonder if I'd be able to use it as a media player for my TV, sort of an Apple TV replacement. I want to be able to play some movies with VLC, watch photos. Basically a living room computer with some wireless keyboard/trackpad.
Will it interfere with its server purposes? I want the server to be always on and to reboot after a power outage but also I want the computer to be password protected. Can it be achieved? What happens after the restart? Does user profile has to be fully loaded to start services (VPN, file sharing, HomeBridge)? Can the user profile be password protected?

What Mac mini would you recommend for this purpose? I was thinking 2014 model to be able to install the newest MacOS

BTW, I have an IT background so I don't mind fiddling with the config

 

[Honza1]

My experience is, that if you have enough money, it is better to split the jobs. I have Synology NAS, Synology router, and mac Mini for living room TV service (flexible & expensive "apple tv"). I split all jobs you list above among these components. NAS provides file and media services, backup place etc. Synology can do all of that nicely. Synology router provides vpn and other network services. No need to expose NAS more than needed to outside. And living room mini has autologin account which serves all media needs (VLC and other players), browsing, messaging, and has copy of the Photos library. This mini is backup to NAS. It is quite expensive, but distributed and so you do not necessarily take down everything when maintenance is needed. Have you tried to troubleshoot VPN when your wife wants to watch movie? Guess who wins...
Back to your problem. I think it can be done, but will always be bunch of compromises. I would split the job to different hardware. Some services - e.g., vpn - could run on Raspberry Pi which is cheap and easier to maintain when needed.

 

[Boyd01]

I have two mini's that are used as servers, but my needs are more modest than yours so I can't answer many of your questions. One is a 2012 quad-core i7/16gb Mini Server that is used as a file server and time machine destination. It is headless and just sits there doing these things 24/7. I would not buy another 2012 Mini today, I already had it.

The other is a 2014 2.8ghz i5/8gb Mini that is used as an iTunes server. It just runs iTunes (under Mojave) 24/7 to host my large local library of media on a 4tb external SSD. I access it from two Apple TV's in addition to other Macs, an iPad and iPhone. It also has a 24" screen so I can watch video directly with iTunes and it's connected to my home stereo system (via the headphone jack). I got this machine in 2019 when B&H Photo was blowing them out for $500.

Today, I would forget about the 2014 Mini, this was not a good year. RAM is soldered and can't be upgraded, graphics are not great, with the Intel Iris on higher configurations and HD5000 on the bottom model. The top-spec i7 2014 Mini is only dual-core and much slower than the top 2012 Mini.

The bottom i3 2018 Mini would be a much better choice, with upgradeable RAM, USB-C, much faster CPU and other improvements. Have not looked, but gather they can be found at reasonable prices now that people are upgrading to the M1.

Perhaps the M1 would also be a good choice, but I have no experience with these.