Over the last few days, I undertook a deep dive into expanding and optimizing my Unraid server. What started as a simple parity and storage upgrade turned into a full-on DIY exploration of memory upgrades, network enhancements, and full system monitoring. Here's a complete breakdown of everything I did, step by step.

Parity and Storage Expansion

I added two new 10TB hard drives to my Unraid array — one to replace an older data drive, and one to upgrade the parity disk.

Key Steps:

Pre-cleared and wiped the new disks using wipefs and parted
Swapped the parity drive and triggered a rebuild
Initially, the UI felt sluggish during the parity rebuild, which is expected for large drives
Verified rebuild progress using tools like:
- cat /proc/mdstat
- iostat -dx 5
- smartctl -a /dev/sdX

I also verified the SATA link speed via dmesg | grep -i sata | grep -i link to ensure all drives were running at 6.0 Gbps.

RAM Upgrade Troubleshooting

I added 16GB of extra RAM, bringing my total to 32GB. At first, Unraid didn't recognize the new sticks.

What fixed it:

Re-seated all RAM modules carefully
Ensured correct dual-channel placement (matched slots across channels)
Cleaned the RAM contacts and firmly reinserted
Ran dmidecode and free -h to confirm all memory was now recognized

This showed two new 8GB modules installed and the full 32GB available to Unraid.

Lesson: Unraid only reports what the BIOS sees. Always verify in BIOS first. Reseating and following the correct memory configuration per motherboard manual is essential.

Monitoring My Whole Network with Uptime Kuma

To monitor all services (Unraid, Raspberry Pi, main PC, Plex, etc.), I self-hosted Uptime Kuma on my Raspberry Pi.

Features Configured:

Ping + HTTP monitors for each device
Uptime graphs and operational status
Public-facing status page (hosted via Cloudflare Tunnel)
Discord alerts configured per-service
Grouped monitors into logical sections (Core Services, Media, Network, etc.)

Setup Highlights:

Installed Kuma via Docker on the Raspberry Pi
Created multiple monitors: local ping, service port, Plex UI, Unraid HTTP, and more
Built a clean status page with uptime bars and group headers
Used Discord webhooks for instant alerting on critical services only

Lesson: Uptime Kuma is lightweight, extremely flexible, and a perfect fit for homelab users. Hosting it outside of Unraid ensures that the dashboard stays online even if Unraid itself is unreachable.

Networking Upgrades (In Progress)

To remove bottlenecks and prep for high-speed file access, I'm planning a 10GbE upgrade between my main PC and the Unraid server.

What I've Done So Far:

Selected the Intel X520-DA2 NIC for both endpoints
Chose 10GTEK SFP+ transceivers with OM3 multimode fiber for a 40ft run
Evaluated peer-to-peer direct connection without needing a 10GbE switch

Next steps will include:

Installing the NICs and SFP+ modules
Testing throughput and thermal behavior
Monitoring fiber cable routing and potential switch integration later

Lesson: Fiber is cheaper than expected for short distances. SFP+ peer links are a great way to test 10GbE affordably without jumping into enterprise switches right away.

Final Thoughts

This whole process was a hands-on journey to improve the performance, resilience, and observability of my Unraid setup. From upgrading parity and storage to implementing network-wide monitoring and preparing for 10GbE, I now have a much clearer picture and tighter control over my homelab.

If you're running Unraid or any DIY NAS, these small changes can lead to significant long-term reliability and performance improvements.

Stay tuned for the next update where I bring 10GbE online and further automate my monitoring and alerting.

Have questions or want help with your own setup? Drop a comment or reach out.

Upgrading and Optimizing My Unraid Server: A DIY Journey