G+_Andy Arkusinski Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 The FreeNAS episode was timely, as I need some hefty storage added to my home network. However, I don't have old computers lying around in my basement. How would one go about installing a FreeNAS when you also have to procure the hardware? Is buying a used computer off craigslist or eBay a good option? I'm not averse to building my own with components such from Fry's Electronics, but I have never done that so would need tips on what to select. There are also NAS boxes for sale. If I have to buy the hardware, how does a FreeNAS compare with a turnkey solution? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Tyger Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 If you do find some old / used hardware make sure it is FreeBSD supported. That is the biggest cravat. Then, depending on how many drives you are planning to run, look at case that has the drive slots and power that you need. Make sure your mother board has enough SATA interfaces for all of you drives. If the mobo doesn't have enough onboard SATA interfaces, make sure to get a PCI-Express SATA card. DO NOT USE PCI SATA CARDS. SATA PCI cards often have issues since a single SATA port flood the whole PCI bus. If you plan on using ZFS, plan for a 64bit processor and 4GB of RAM base. Then add another 1GB of ram for each TB of disk space use have after the first TB of disk. Also using ECC RAM is highly recommended. The ECC RAM can be either unbuffered or registered. Make sure the FreeNAS box is also connected to UPS. ZFS doesn't like hard shutdowns at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 You can get by with old hardware... but if you want a fast system that can run a lot of plugins, make sure you go for something dual core or better (AMD will work just fine) with AT LEAST 8GB of memory. Look for a motherboard with a good reputation (no use in getting a bargain basement MB if it's going to die in 6 months and take your data with it) with at least 4 SATA ports and Gigabit ethernet. Everything else is gravy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Andy Arkusinski Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 Thanks for the tips. How does one determine whether a motherboard has a good reputation? Is there a site where the community rates various motherboards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Tyger Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I usually just get the make and model of a board. Then I look up the user reviews on Newegg and amazon. You can also use hardware review sites you trust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Russ Hall Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 A Raspberry Pi takes less current to keep running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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