NAS Design with SYNOLOGY as an Alternative to Cloud Storage for Game Development

Cloud storage has become a critical digital infrastructure in supporting academic activities, particularly in the game development laboratory at the Faculty of Information Technology, Universitas Tarumanagara (FTI Untar). This laboratory requires large and well-managed storage capacity to accommodate various types of data, including students’ thesis documents, game development reference books, and digital assets obtained from platforms such as the Unity Asset Store. However, reliance on third-party cloud services such as Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive has introduced limitations due to restricted storage capacity, which affects the efficiency of managing and distributing digital resources. Previous research proposed a Network Attached Storage (NAS) solution based on a Single Board Computer (SBC) Raspberry Pi as a private cloud alternative. While functional, the solution requires considerable effort in system configuration and maintenance. In alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, this study aims to design and develop a NAS system using Synology NAS, offering a more reliable, manageable, and integrated storage solution for institutional use. The research methodology adopts the Network Development Life Cycle (NDLC), which includes analysis, design, simulation, implementation, monitoring, and management stages. The system is further evaluated through alpha and beta testing using questionnaires distributed to students, alumni, and lecturers within FTI Untar, particularly in the game development laboratory environment. The results indicate positive user responses, highlighting ease of file downloading, user-friendly interface, and accessible system usage. These findings demonstrate that the proposed system provides an effective, scalable, and user-friendly private cloud storage solution to support academic and research activities.