Install and configure FreeNAS

FreeNAS is a comprehensive and free NAS operating system. We explain how to install and configure it in this practical tip.

What you need for the FreeNAS installation

Before you get started, you should check that you have all the necessary things ready for installation. You need:

• A computer with one or more hard drives
• A USB stick with at least 2 GB storage capacity or alternatively a small SSD
• A blank CD for installation
• The right version of FreeNAS (32 or 64-bit).

32 or 64 bit: Select the correct version of FreeNAS

FreeNAS is available in a 32-bit and a 64-bit version. Download the system as an ISO file so that you can later burn it to a CD:

• You can choose the 64-bit version if your processor supports it. You only benefit from this if you have more than 4 GB of RAM in your computer.
• If you are using an older computer that has a Celeron or Sempron processor installed, you should definitely use the 32-bit version of FreeNAS.
• You can also find other beta versions on the manufacturer's website. However, you should not use them, as there are often inconsistencies.

Preparing to install FreeNAS

Before you start, a few final steps:

1. Burn the downloaded ISO to a CD using burning software. How to burn an ISO on Mac can be read in another practical tip. Windows users can use the free CDBurnerXP to burn the ISO.
2. Insert the USB stick into the future FreeNAS computer. It is used as the boot medium for the operating system. FreeNAS needs a complete hard drive (or a USB stick) for itself.
3. If you use an SSD instead of a USB stick, also mount it in your computer before installation.

FreeNAS: The installation

Even if you can configure FreeNAS well later via the web interface, the installation will first take place on the computer. So you should have connected the monitor and keyboard; if everything goes well, you can remove it later.

1. Start the computer and use the correct key to open the boot menu of your BIOS. For some BIOS chips, this is the F11 key. If the shortcut does not work, change the boot order in the BIOS. Since you are installing FreeNAS from the CD, you must first specify your optical drive.
2. Now insert your CD and confirm the boot process. The FreeNAS installer starts automatically and shows you a simple text menu after a while. Select number 9 "Installation / Upgrade" and confirm with [Enter].
3. In the next window, the installer asks for your installation medium. In any case, now select your USB stick or SSD. Please note that FreeNAS deletes all data from this medium! Confirm the dialog with "Yes".
4. Wait for the installation and then select the "Reboot" option. Prepare to press the BIOS menu button. Set up your USB stick (or SSD) there as the first boot medium. From there you can start FreeNAS.

Configure FreeNAS: The correct network settings

After the installation you get to a text menu in which you can make the network settings. FreeNAS should now show you your IP at "You may try the following URLs to access the web user interface:". If your IP address is not displayed, proceed as follows:

1. First check the network connection and click through option 1 "Configure Network Interface". Then select your network card (such as "em0") and confirm the configuration with [Enter].
2. Specify whether the NAS should get an address from the DHCP server or not. If not, select "No" in the corresponding step. Now assign an IPv4 address in your network and leave "IPv6" outside. You also do not have to assign a name.
3. Reboot the NAS, write down the IP and switch to another computer on the same network. Start your browser there and enter the IP of your NAS. This will take you to the configuration page. The installation is now complete.

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The final steps: Configure FreeNAS

Now it's almost there. Set up an account and network drive to finish setting up your NAS:

1. First log in. The standard user is "admin" and the password "freenas".
2. Change your password for security. To do this, click on the "Account" item on the left, search for the "Admin Account" and select "Change Admin User". It is best to enter a new user name and a different password so that strangers cannot log into your NAS.
3. On the left in the bar you will also find the "Storage" menu. Then select the "Create Volume" option in the right window.
4. In FreeNAS, a "volume" consists of one or more hard drives. You can now select as many hard disks or "member disks" as you want to use for the server. It is best to choose "ZFS" as the file system.
5. If you have installed several hard disks, now determine how the storage should be used. "Stripe" connects several hard drives to a larger drive, "Mirror" mirrors the data of several drives and "RAID" forms a RAID array. If you are unsure, just choose "Stripe".
6. Click "Add Volume" to format your hard drives with "ZFS". All previous data will be lost.
7. When formatting is complete, you can set up new folders on your NAS and share them with the network. To do this, click on "Sharing" in the menu bar on the left. Under "Windows (CIFS) Shares" select "Add Windows (CIFS) Share". Give the shared folder a name and check "Browsable to Network Clients" and "Allow Guest Access". So you can share the folder without a user account.
8. If you want to share some folders only with certain users, you can create new users under "Account"> "Users"> "Add User". You then assign the rights for the users under "Sharing".

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You have now installed and configured FreeNAS. You can now connect your new network storage in Windows like a network drive.