According to XDA-Developers, many tech enthusiasts reflexively install Docker containers on their NAS devices as the next logical step after initial setup, treating it like a badge of honor in home server circles. The author maintains two separate NAS systems—one primary device dedicated solely to storage, backups, and Plex streaming, and a secondary unit reserved for Docker experiments and testing. This approach keeps their main archival machine reliable and maintenance-free while containing the complexity of containers to a disposable testing environment. The writer acknowledges Docker’s power but argues that every additional container becomes another potential point of failure in a system that holds critical personal and work data.
The Docker rabbit hole
Here’s the thing about Docker—it’s never just one container. You start with something simple like Pi-hole or Tailscale, and before you know it, you’ve got a full stack of containers running. And let’s be honest, how many of those do you actually understand completely? The maintenance starts piling up immediately. Some days it’s updates breaking things, other days it’s configuration files needing attention. Even when nothing’s broken, there are always updates waiting that require manual intervention.
Now, if your NAS is basically a weekend project, that might be fun. But when you’re talking about the machine that holds all your freelance work, family photos, and important documents? That’s a different story. I refuse to debug container issues on a Tuesday morning when I should be working. The reliability just isn’t worth compromising.
When simplicity wins
There’s something incredibly refreshing about having a NAS that just works without daily maintenance. I used to treat my NAS like a Swiss Army knife—trying to make it replace every cloud service I used. But that mindset has changed completely. Now I recognize what my NAS is actually good at and use it only for those things.
My main NAS handles folder syncing across devices, backs up laptops, stores family photos, and runs Plex. That’s it. Everything else gets delegated to services that do those jobs better. Google Docs for collaboration, cloud services for what they’re good at. This hybrid approach gives me the best of both worlds without the maintenance headache. Docker would make my Synology more powerful, sure, but it would also make it more demanding.
The overbuilding trap
Like most tech enthusiasts, I had that reflexive urge to overbuild just because I could. Modern NAS devices like the TerraMaster F4-424 Max with their Intel Core i5 processors and 10GbE ports certainly tempt you to push them to their limits. But actual implementation often adds more friction than freedom.
Docker itself isn’t terribly complex. But every new container becomes another moving part, another potential failure point. I can afford that on my test system, but not on the NAS responsible for keeping my data safe. And honestly? Even after setting up a bunch of containers, I found I wasn’t using half of them regularly. Once the excitement fades, they just sit there consuming resources. Wouldn’t it be better to simply offload them and save the compute power?
Knowing your limits
Maybe someday I’ll install Docker on my main NAS if I find something truly essential. But it would have to be something I genuinely need, not just something cool I can do. For now, I’m perfectly happy keeping my data setup separated—one NAS for reliability, another for tinkering.
And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with recognizing that sometimes, less really is more. In a world where we’re constantly encouraged to maximize every piece of hardware we own, there’s wisdom in understanding what actually serves your needs versus what just creates more work.
