🛠 Configuring a Compact NAS with the PICO-PTH4

Objectives

This tutorial aims to transform the AAEON PICO-PTH4 board into a high-performance, compact NAS (Network Attached Storage) server. Thanks to its two Intel I226 2.5GbE Ethernet ports and M.2 PCIe Gen5 slot, this Pico-ITX card offers minimal latency and high bandwidth, ideal for 4K streaming or light virtualization. We will configure NVMe storage and network link aggregation to maximize throughput.

Required Hardware

• AAEON PICO-PTH4 board (Ultra 5, 7, or X7 variants)
• M.2 2280 M-Key NVMe PCIe Gen5 SSD (e.g., 1TB or 2TB)
• Compatible 12V DC power supply
• Cat6 or higher Ethernet cables
• Network switch supporting 2.5GbE
• Keyboard, mouse, and HDMI monitor for initial installation
• OS Support: Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS or Debian 12

Steps

1. Physical Installation: Insert the NVMe SSD into the M.2 2280 M-Key slot. Ensure the card is securely mounted in its case for thermal dissipation, especially with the Ultra X7 variant which generates more heat under AI load.
2. OS Installation: Boot from a bootable USB drive. Install Ubuntu Server. During partitioning, format the NVMe as ext4 with mount point /data. Enable the SSH service for remote administration.
3. Network Configuration: Edit the Netplan configuration file (/etc/netplan/00-installer-config.yaml). Configure the two interfaces enp1s0 and enp2s0 in bonding mode (mode 4, LACP) if your switch supports it, or mode 0 (balance-rr) for simple failover. Assign a static IP in the YAML file.
4. Apply Network Changes: Run sudo netplan apply. Verify that both ports are active with ip a. The Intel I226 controllers should appear as bonded.
5. Share Configuration: Install Samba with sudo apt install samba. Create a dedicated user: sudo useradd -m -s /bin/false nasuser. Set a Samba password: sudo smbpasswd -a nasuser. Edit /etc/samba/smb.conf to share the /data folder with read/write permissions.
6. Optimization: To leverage PCIe Gen5, ensure the NVMe driver is up to date. Add noatime to mount options in /etc/fstab to reduce unnecessary writes to the SSD.

Verification

From another PC, mount the share via smb://PICO_IP/data. Copy a 10GB file. Use iftop on the PICO-PTH4 to observe network traffic. You should see throughputs approaching 250 MB/s per port (2.5GbE). Check the SoC temperature with sensors; it should remain below 85°C during sustained transfer.

Going Further

Explore adding a Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module via the M.2 E-Key slot to provide wireless access to data. You can also use the AI power (180 TOPS) of the X7 358H variant to automatically index photos and videos stored on the NAS with local models.