What you need for the FreeNAS Installation
Before you get started, you should check whether you have all the necessary items for the Installation ready. You will need:
- A Computer with one or more disks
- A USB Stick with at least 2 GB of storage capacity or, alternatively, a small SSD
- A blank CD for the Installation
- The correct Version of FreeNAS (32 or 64-bit).
CD, Stick and Software ready for
32 or 64 bit: The correct Version of FreeNAS select
FreeNAS is available in a 32-bit and a 64-bit Version. Download the System as an ISO file to burn later to a CD:
- You can choose the 64-bit Version if your processor supports it. You have but one advantage, if you have more than 4 GB of memory in your Computer.
- You should use an older computer that has installed a Celeron or Sempron processor, use the 32-bit Version of FreeNAS.
- On the manufacturer page, you can also find other Beta versions. You should not use but, rather, as there are often inconsistencies occur.
Select the FreeNAS Version
Preparations for the Installation of FreeNAS
Before we go, a few last steps:
- Burn the downloaded ISO with a burning software to a CD. As an ISO on the Mac, burn, read, in a further practical tip. Windows Users can use the free CDBurnerXP to ISO to burn.
- Insert the USB Stick in the future FreeNAS Computer. It is used as a boot medium for the operating system. FreeNAS needs a full disk (or USB Stick) for yourself.
- If you use an SSD instead of a USB stick, mount them also before installing it in your Computer.
FreeNAS: The Installation
Even if you can configure FreeNAS later prima via the Web interface, the Installation on the Computer. Screen and keyboard, so if you are connected to; if everything works, you can remove the back later.
- Restart the Computer and press the correct key, the boot menu of your BIOS. Some of the BIOS Chips is the F11 key. Does the Shortcut not, change the BIOS boot order. Because you install FreeNAS from the CD, you need to specify your optical drive as the first.
- Now insert your CD and confirm the boot process. The FreeNAS Installer will start automatically and after some time, a simple text menu. Here, select the number 9 in the "Installation/Upgrade" and confirm with [Enter].
- In the next window, the Installer asks for your installation media. Now select your USB Stick or the SSD. Note that FreeNAS will delete all the data from this Medium! Confirm the Dialog with "Yes".
- Wait for the Installation and select the Option "Reboot". Prepare to press the key for the BIOS menu. There, you can enter your USB Stick (or SSD) as the first boot medium. You can start FreeNAS.
FreeNAS boot from CD
FreeNAS configure The correct network settings
After the Installation, you enter in a text menu in which you can make network settings. FreeNAS should now show your IP in the "You may try the following URLs to access the web user interface:". Your IP address should not be displayed, proceed as follows:
- First, check the network connection and the click through Option 1 "Configure Network Interface". Then select your network card (e.g., "em0") and confirm with [Enter].
- Indicate whether the NAS should get an address from the DHCP Server or not. If not, select the corresponding step is "No". You can assign an IPv4 address into your network and you can "IPv6" on the outside. A name you do not need to forgive also.
- Reboot the NAS again, make a note of the IP and switch to a different Computer on the same network. Start your Browser and enter the IP of your NAS. This will take you to the configuration page. The Installation is now complete.
Bootscreen (Source: FreeNAS.org)
The last steps: FreeNAS configure finished
Now it is almost ready. Set up an Account and the network drive to your NAS ready to set up:
- First, log. The default user is "admin" and the password is "freenas".
- Change to the security of your password. To do this, click on the left "Account", locate the "Admin Account" and select "Change Admin User". To enter a new user name and different password so that Strangers can't log in to your NAS.
- On the left of the bar, you can also find the menu "Storage". Then select in the right window the Option "Create Volume".
- A "Volume" is in FreeNAS from one or more disks. You can now choose so many hard drives, or "Member Disks" as for the Server you want to use. Best to select "ZFS" as the file system.
- If you have multiple hard disks installed, you can now specify how the memory should be used. "Stripe" that connects multiple hard drives to a larger drive, the "Mirror" reflects the data from multiple drives and "RAID" is a RAID group. If you are unsure, just select "Stripe".
- Click on the "Add Volume" to format your hard drives with "ZFS". All the previous data will be lost.
- The formatting is complete, you can set up a new folder on your NAS and the network. Click the links in the menu bar, click "Sharing". Under "Windows (CIFS) Shares", select "Add Windows (CIFS) Share". You give the shared folder a name and put the check in the "Browsable to Network Clients" and "Allow Guest Access". So you can share the folder without a user account.
- You want to share some folders only to specific users, you can create a new "Account" > "Users" > "Add User", new user. The rights for the user you assigned under "Sharing".
Web interface of FreeNAS
So you have installed FreeNAS and configured. You can Windows now your new network storage as a network drive.
