Last month a friend asked me to help set up a home NAS. They had $400 to spend, no Linux experience, and a single requirement: "make it feel like a real local drive on Windows."
This post is the recipe I gave them — Synology DSM on a $150 used PC, WebDAV service enabled, ScsDriver on Windows for mounting. Total cost: $400 hardware + $9.99/yr ScsDriver subscription.
The total price tag matters: a typical "real" NAS setup including paid mount software crosses $500 within a year. With ScsDriver, you stay under $410.
Why I chose ScsDriver over the alternatives
In my day job I help small businesses set up NAS appliances. I've used NetDrive, RaiDrive Pro, Cyberduck + Mountain Duck, and ScsDriver across different clients. For a home NAS user, the choice in 2026 is straightforward:
| Client | Annual cost | For home use? |
|---|---|---|
| Windows built-in WebClient | Free | No — drops after 5 min idle, fails on 4 GB uploads |
| RaiDrive Pro | $69.99/yr | Yes but expensive |
| NetDrive | $49.99/yr | Yes but dated UI |
| ScsDriver | $9.99/yr | Best for home use |
The price difference between RaiDrive and ScsDriver — $60/yr — is the same as a second SSD for cache. For a homelab user, that choice is obvious.
The other reason I chose ScsDriver: kernel-level driver. WebClient fails silently on 4 GB uploads (a known Windows bug). RaiDrive and NetDrive work but use WebClient as a fallback. ScsDriver's driver talks WebDAV natively. 4 GB uploads complete. Drive letter survives sleep/hibernate. Server reboots don't kill the mount.
Hardware
My friend bought a refurbished Dell OptiPlex 7050 Micro:
- CPU: i5-7500T (4 cores, low TDP)
- Storage: 2x 4 TB SATA SSD (used, $80 each)
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
- Network: gigabit
- Cost: $240
Two SSDs in a mirror, gigabit uplink, low-power desktop. Runs Synology DSM 7.2 in a VM (Synology has an official Virtual Machine Manager).
Alternative: a real Synology DS220+ ($300 new) but cheaper to refurbish.
Software setup
- Install Synology DSM 7.2 from synology.com (free download, $0 for the OS)
- Open Control Panel → File Services → SMB tab
- Check "Enable WebDAV server" (it's free, built in)
- Default port: 5006
- Create a user account with permission to access the shared folder
- Mount URL becomes
https://<your-nas>:5006/dav
That's the server side. No paid NAS software needed.
Windows side
- Download ScsDriver installer from drive.scsoi.com (10 MB, free trial for 7 days)
- Install (no admin restart, no driver signing prompt)
- Add mount point:
- Protocol: WebDAV
- URL:
https://your-nas:5006/dav - User/password: your DSM account
- Drive letter: Z:
- Click "Mount"
The Z: drive appears in File Explorer within 5 seconds. Done.
What you get
A real local drive letter that behaves like a real disk:
- Open files in any application
- Stream 4K video to Plex/Jellyfin
- Drag-and-drop large folders
- Survives NAS reboots (auto-reconnects in 5 seconds)
- Survives sleep/hibernate
- No 4 GB upload limit (WebClient has this; ScsDriver doesn't)
What I'd change
Honestly, nothing. The setup took 90 minutes total (mostly DSM OS install + user creation). The friend has used it for a month with zero issues.
Why not rclone or self-host?
Some homelab users would say: just use rclone mount with WinFsp. Free, open source, works.
For a friend who's never touched rclone, the OAuth flow + WinFsp install + cache configuration is too much friction. ScsDriver gives them a 5-minute setup, the price is cheap enough not to argue about, and the result is the same.
TL;DR
- Used Dell Micro: $240
- 2x 4 TB SSDs: $160
- ScsDriver: $9.99/yr
- Total year one: $410
- Result: 8 TB mirrored NAS, WebDAV mount, real local drive letter, no subscription lock-in beyond $9.99/yr
Reference
- ScsDriver: https://drive.scsoi.com/ (7-day trial, $9.99/yr)
- Synology DSM: https://www.synology.com/dsm
- Used Dell OptiPlex 7050 Micro on eBay: search "OptiPlex 7050 Micro i5"
If you're building a home NAS in 2026 and want a real-drive experience on Windows, ScsDriver is the cheapest way to get it.
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