Build your own Network Attached Storage(NAS)

Need a network attached storage (NAS) ? Feel expensive to get one from the store ? Now, you can make your own with a normal desktop PC !!! Want to know about NAS ? Click here

Before you get started, make sure your hardware requirements as :

• Minimum of 96MBytes of RAM.
• A bootable CD Room.
• or you may also install it in a virtual drive.

FreeNAS, is a open source FREE network attached storage running on FreeBSD 6.2 distribution and it is web-based GUI. I had just installed one FreeNAS on a server, and comparing it to Buffalo NAS, it is more powerful and more features!!!

FreeNAS, not only able to provide you the storage access using NFS and FTP, you may also use it a rsync server! Besides, it do support Samba (SMB) used by Microsoft Windows Network FIle System.

FreeNAS is probably one of the easiest installations out there. I can’t believe that it takes only a few minutes to perform a complete installation of an operating system.

FreeNAS can be downloaded from it website or through the FreeNAS SourgeForge Site. Choose the latest image (ISO) and get it downloaded. It would takes you some times if you are using a low bandwidth Internet access.. :) Burn the image into a CD and start your installations.

Simple guide to install FreeNAS :

1. Boot up the burned ISO CD until you reach the console text-based installation menu as below :

   "Console setup"
   "*********************"
   1) Assign Interface
   2) Set LAN IP address
   3) Reset WebGUI password
   4) Reset to factory defaults
   5) Ping host
   6) Shell
   7) Reboot system
   8) PowerOff system
   9) Install to a hard drive/memory drive/USB Pen, etc

2. First, assign the interface by clicking "1" then followed by setting the IP address, option "2".

3. Then, you may proceed on the installation by clicking option "9". ( This option will be disappeared if you had installed successfully into the hard drive. )

   "Install"
   "*********************"
   1) Install on HD, CF or USB key: Create 1 UFS partition
   2) Install on HD: Create 2 UFS partitions (OS and DATA)
   3) Upgrade existing installed version from CDROM
   4) Return to main menu

4. You can select either install the FreeNAS boot partition and data partition on the same partition or you can seperate it for both boot partition and data partition. It is recommended to select option "2" here so that you can use the remaining space in the HDD as Data storage.

5. Once the FreeNAS is install completed, remove the CD.

6. Then select "4" to exit to the main menu, and select "7" to reboot the system.

7. Now, you may access the Web interface by browsing to the http://<IP_ADDRESS_CONFIGURED>.

8. The default username : admin and password : freenas

9. Download the manual here, or browse to the online manual. Proceed with the configurations.

10. Then, you NAS will be ready to use! Good luck ya...