Set up FreeNAS for the central File server - part 1

In this article, I will show you how to set up a free NAS or network drive using the open source FreeNAS program.

Network administration - Sharing files in Windows is always quick and simple, but this way has some disadvantages. Meanwhile, the use of NAS has many advantages, such as centralized access, network recycling bin, support for multiple operating systems. So in this article we will show you how to set up a free NAS or network drive using the open source FreeNAS program.

If you regularly share files on your home or office network, you'll probably want to see what's inside network drives, or still called network attached drives (or NAS). Instead of sharing folders with Windows and configuring files from computers, NAS devices connect directly to the network. They are mini computers, so they can store files on them and access them from all computers.

Another reason is because NAS devices are designed specifically for network sharing, so they support multiple operating systems and have many additional features.

If you have an old computer, plus a little free time, then you can completely set up a FreeNAS machine. Using a source LiveCD, you will have an advanced NAS device.

You can then host the old computer's hard drives or plug in the USB drives to share.

Obviously, if you buy a nice NAS device for about $ 100 or more, then you must also load it with a drive.

However, you can get a similar device completely free if using an old computer and an existing drive. This two-part tutorial will help you set up and configure FreeNAS.

The advantages of using NAS devices

We have briefly explained some of the benefits that NAS devices provide by simply setting up shares in Windows, though below is the complete list:

Recycle bin support : If you or any user deletes files from shared folders in Windows on other computers, then they will not be transferred to the recycle bin but will be permanently deleted.

Obviously this can be a big problem if you later want to recover the files. However, some NAS devices (such as FreeNAS) have a recycle bin feature that can help you in such situations.

Computers do not have to turn on to share access : Using Windows to share files means that those computers must be turned on so that other computers can access its files. The NAS device gives you a centralized storage location, so you can always access the files you want, whether or not those computers are turned on.
Better control and easier sharing : You can manage users and user groups, using some specific permissions. Because NAS provides password authentication, computers do not need to have matching accounts.

When accessing password-protected shared folders on a remote Windows computer, you must type the user and password for the Windows account that is configured to the remote computer name.

So if you want to secretly store user information, you must create each account for each person on each computer, at least those who are sharing the file. However, because the NAS only controls access, it is not necessary to have Windows accounts on all computers.

Support native file sharing protocols for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X : No need to install adequate protocols between different operating systems; NAS works with all default operating system protocols.

FreeNAS protocols and features

FreeNAS supports all popular sharing protocols. For Windows computers, it supports Common Internet File System (CIFS), also known as SMB or samba.

For Mac users, it supports the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP). It also supports Network File System (NFS) for those Unix-style computers. When setting up the disks, you can enable encryption.

FreeNAS also provides access via File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and can even set up incoming connections from the Internet.

Do this by entering a port forwarded to your Router, for the FTP port and the IP address of the FreeNAS computer. FreeNAS also has a web server that you can set up for your internal intranet or add port forwarding to access the Internet.

FreeNAS also implements RSYNC for file-transfer, self-test and software-based RAID (0,1,5).

In addition, it supports UPnP, TFTP, SSH and Unison. It also has an iTunes / DAAP server, so you can share files between your iPods. Plus it's a BitTorrent server attached.

Build a FreeNAS computer

First, you need to find a computer to use in this case. Make sure it has a network adapter, a CD drive, and a minimum of 128MB of RAM.

You also need some drive for storage: drive, USB drive. If you are going to use the LiveCD, you need to have a blank drive and a floppy disk to store the configuration.

Next, you need to download and burn the FreeNAS image to CD or DVD. Alternatively, you can download and install the packaged version on a drive.

Make sure you plug the FreeNAS computer into the network using the Ethernet cable between its wired network adapter and your Router or switch. Then insert the LiveCD disc into the drive, install the packaged version and start the computer.

If you use the LiveCD method, you need to make sure that the floppy disk must be inserted before booting. FreeNAS will search and use the configuration that exists in the floppy drive or start a new configuration during the boot process.

If prompted for Invalid System Disk , do not remove the floppy disk until you see that the FreeNAS program actually starts.

Since you must format the drives used for sharing / storing for the UFS file system, you can install FreeNAS on a drive, instead of always using FreeNAS.

If you only work with one drive, you can choose the option to automatically format and partition the drive for: FreeNAS and configuration, data storage space and sharing, exchange space. To do so, boot from the LiveCD, type 9 on the main interface menu and press Enter .

Run FreeNAS on the network

When FreeNAS starts, you will see the default IP, 192.128.1.250 , displayed with the Console Setup menu (see Figure 1). The program will automatically select the interface, so it will not be properly configured for the network adapter.

Set up FreeNAS for the central File server - part 1 Picture 1
Figure 1: Menu of the main interface of FreeNAS

To check that you have the right interface, type 1 and press Enter . You will then see a list of interfaces, some interfaces with active connections will be marked UP .

Conversely, disconnect any network cable and see which interface is the interface that is connected to your network. Then scroll the interface and press Enter to select it.

To get a custom interface, you can select the None option. Then in the configuration dialog box, select Yes and press Enter .

If your network is set up in a subnet other than 192.168.1.x , then you will have to change the default static IP address of FreeNAS or enable DHCP to receive the IP address automatically. In this case you should have a static and fixed IP because it is easy to remember.

To change the details of the IP address, type 2 into the main menu of the FreeNAS interface, then press Enter .

To use DHCP, select Yes , or set a static IP address, select No , then press Enter .
When setting up manually, you should use the default subnet mask of 24 (ie 255.255.255.0 ) and enter the Router's IP for the default gateway and DNS server. If using IPv4, ignore IPv6.

Conclude

In the second part of this series, we will introduce access to the graphical user interface and perform some initial configuration. Later, I will show you how to set up the disks and start sharing with the usual protocols.