As I've mentioned here, the Start9 Embassy Server is one of the best pieces of tech that the average person can have because it helps you maintain control of your personal data.
On top of that, if you use a Raspberry Pi, it uses very little electricity and takes up almost no space.
In my experience, the server is reliable and works well.
But it can be a little tricky to set one up the first time. The instructions on the Start9 website aren't as clear as they could be.
I did a lot of experimenting before I found something that worked.
So to save you some time, here are the exact parts that I used and what's currently working for me.
Embassy Server Parts
Here are the parts that I used for my server.
- Raspberry Pi 4 (8GB)
- Raspberry Pi 4 power supply
- microSD card (64GB)
- Powered fan case with heat sinks
- Ethernet cable
- SSD (1TB)
A few notes on the parts list…
- When I first setup my Embassy, Start9 recommended using an external 1TB SSD drive with a small microSD card (32 GB minimum). They have since changed their recommendation and now suggest using a large, high-endurance microSD card. You can get a 1TB microSD card here. Although my setup above is working well, that is their recommendation, so it's your call on what you want to do. I'm personally sticking with my current setup and have no plans to change.
- It's best to plug your Raspberry Pi directly into your router with the ethernet cable. The connection will be faster and more stable.
- Start9 recommends a 20W power supply, but my server works well with the Raspberry Pi branded 15W power supply, even with the external SSD and the powered fan case. But I've linked to a highly rated 20W supply because it can't hurt to have a little more juice. If I did it over again, I would buy the 20W.
- Start9 used to recommend a microphone. I did not buy a microphone. It's not necessary. The microphone can make things easier by giving you the status of the server without a monitor, but I've been fine without it. But if you don't buy the mic, it's helpful to have a video cable, so you can plug the Raspberry Pi into a monitor and see what's going on.
- You can use a spinning disk hard drive (HDD) for storage, if that's all you have. A HDD can be used for storage, not the operating system. You'll still need a small microSD card with a HDD. This is a good temporary solution if you just want to test things out and don't want to invest in a full-blown setup. The server will be slower and the hard drive might not last as long, but it will work. I've done it. However, you should replace it with a SSD or larger microSD as soon as possible.
- It's very important that you buy the 8GB Raspberry Pi. More memory (RAM) is always better.
- The case I bought is not available anymore, so I've linked to a similar case.
Software Downloads
Once you have all the parts, follow their software download and installation instructions here.
Note: I found that flashing the microSD with the Embassy operating system doesn't always work if you use balenaEtcher. If that's the case for you, use the Raspberry Pi Imager instead.
That's it, have fun!
See more of my privacy tech solutions here.
Buy a Prebuilt Server
If this is too much for you, then consider buying one of their prebuilt systems.
It will cost you more, but it's ready to go and your purchase supports this fantastic project.