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FreeNAS is server software that allows you to turn any computer with a hard drive into a dedicated network-attached storage (NAS) box. It is based off of FreeBSD and is open-source. FreeNAS takes up less than 64 megabytes when installed is is configured via the FreeNAS WebGui, which is accessed by typing in the IP address of the FreeNAS server in any web browser. FreeNAS also can be used as a software RAID. All hardware RAID cards that support FreeBSD are supported by FreeNAS.
MSRP $0.00
Release date --
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Pros & Cons17
Reviews18
Details
Buy It
Competitors4
Related1
Gallery2
Pros & Cons
15 positive
1 mixed
1 negative
![[i]](/images/info.png)
How is the ProSCORE calculated?
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The ProSCORE is calculated based on the ratio of Pros & Cons about this product as voted by
approved reviewers from the ProductWiki community.
ProSCORE = 100 x (Pro votes) / [(Pro votes) + (Con votes)]
Numbers used for this ProSCORE:
Pro votes = 109
Con votes = 31
Total votes = 140
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Details
Additional Information
FreeNAS can be installed on a partitioned hard drive (done for you during installation), or on a compact flash (CF) or USB drive. Installation on a seperate drive is recommended, as then additional power and encryption options are avaliable. External USB hard drives, such as MyBooks, can be plugged into a FreeNAS server and shared. FreeNAS requires a monitor and keyboard for inital installation and configuration, however once that is completed no monitor or keyboard is required. Additional and advanced configuration is done via the WebGUI. FreeNAS requires 64 megabytes of RAM for a basic installation, however more (up to 512 mb) is required for RAID configurations. FreeNAS supports SMB/SAMBA/CIFS Windows File Sharing, FTP, NFS, SSH, RSYNC, AFT, and UPnP. It also can be used to encrypt drives on the server.
Feature List
- No monitor/keyboard is required after inital installation.
- Web-browser based configuration
- Software and some hardware RAID support.
- USB , Firewire, and CF support.
- CIFS/SMB/SAMBA, NFS, FTP, SSH, RSYNC, AFT, UPnP networking.
- Schedueled shutdown and other power saving settings.
- File encryption.
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Competitors
FreeNAS is ranked 1st among it's competitors.
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Other Software »
MSRP $650.00
Released November, 2007
Pros
- Easy to setup
- Good backup functionality (incremental backups)
- much more expandable than a network drive
Cons
- No connectivity to a AV system
- no native RAID
- price availability
FreeNAS
75%
vs.
HP MediaSmart Server EX470/EX475
25%
FreeNAS
vs.
CryptoNAS
FreeNAS
vs.
Openfiler
MSRP --
Released February, 2008
Pros
- Includes Windows Server Virtualization
- Simple, easy setup - uses Vista setup
- Improved Server Manager - better UI
Cons
- No SSH support
- Doesn't include secure FTP feature
- Relatively slow interface
FreeNAS
100%
vs.
Windows Server 2008
0%
Reviews
Wednesday, 8:36 PM
approved
reviewer
Pros
- Free and open-source.
- Turns a computer into a NAS device
- Minimal system requirements
- Supports many network protocols.
- No monitor required
- Can be used as a software RAID
- Supports external USB/Firewire drives, as well as Compact Flash.
- Can act as a media server (UPnP) and an iTunes server
- Hosts simple local websites
- Acts as torrent box
Cons
- RAID requires full drives - can't use the drive you install FreeNAS on
- Even basic configuration can be confusing for beginners.
- Doesn't support Writing in NTFS (Only read)
- Does not act, as a LAMP/WAMP Server.
- energy inefficient compared to dedicated NAS commercial offerings
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
Wednesday, 7:01 PM
approved
reviewer
love it
have it
Pros
- Free and open-source.
- Turns a computer into a NAS device
- Minimal system requirements
- Supports many network protocols.
- No monitor required
- Can be used as a software RAID
- Supports external USB/Firewire drives, as well as Compact Flash.
- Can act as a media server (UPnP) and an iTunes server
- Hosts simple local websites
- Acts as torrent box
Cons
- RAID requires full drives - can't use the drive you install FreeNAS on
- Even basic configuration can be confusing for beginners.
- Non-standard configuration can be difficult to setup.
- Doesn't support Writing in NTFS (Only read)
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
September 17, 2009
approved
reviewer
Pros
- Free and open-source.
- Turns a computer into a NAS device
- Minimal system requirements
- Supports many network protocols.
- No monitor required
- Can be used as a software RAID
- Supports external USB/Firewire drives, as well as Compact Flash.
- Can act as a media server (UPnP) and an iTunes server
- Hosts simple local websites
Cons
- Even basic configuration can be confusing for beginners.
- Non-standard configuration can be difficult to setup.
- Not all hardware RAID's are supported.
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
January 4, 2009
approved
reviewer
have it
love it
Pros
- Free and open-source.
- Turns a computer into a NAS device
- Minimal system requirements
- Supports many network protocols.
- No monitor required
- Can be used as a software RAID
- Supports external USB/Firewire drives, as well as Compact Flash.
- Can act as a media server (UPnP) and an iTunes server
Cons
- RAID requires full drives - can't use the drive you install FreeNAS on
- Even basic configuration can be confusing for beginners.
- Non-standard configuration can be difficult to setup.
- Not all hardware RAID's are supported.
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
March 11, 2008
approved
reviewer
have it
Pros
- Free and open-source.
- Turns a computer into a NAS device
- Minimal system requirements
- Supports many network protocols.
- No monitor required
- Can be used as a software RAID
- Supports external USB/Firewire drives, as well as Compact Flash.
Cons
- RAID requires full drives - can't use the drive you install FreeNAS on
- Even basic configuration can be confusing for beginners.
- Non-standard configuration can be difficult to setup.
- Not all hardware RAID's are supported.
Comments
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
September 23, 2008
approved
reviewer
Pros
- Free and open-source.
- Turns a computer into a NAS device
- Minimal system requirements
- Supports many network protocols.
- No monitor required
- Can be used as a software RAID
- Supports external USB/Firewire drives, as well as Compact Flash.
- Can act as a media server (UPnP) and an iTunes server
Cons
- RAID requires full drives - can't use the drive you install FreeNAS on
- Not all hardware RAID's are supported.
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
October 1, 2009
approved
reviewer
have it
love it
Pros
- Free and open-source.
- Turns a computer into a NAS device
- Minimal system requirements
- Supports many network protocols.
- No monitor required
- Can be used as a software RAID
- Supports external USB/Firewire drives, as well as Compact Flash.
- Can act as a media server (UPnP) and an iTunes server
Cons
- Does not act, as a LAMP/WAMP Server.
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
May 13, 2009
approved
reviewer
love it
have it
Pros
- Free and open-source.
- Turns a computer into a NAS device
- Minimal system requirements
- Supports many network protocols.
- No monitor required
- Can act as a media server (UPnP) and an iTunes server
- Hosts simple local websites
- Acts as torrent box
Cons
- Non-standard configuration can be difficult to setup.
Comments
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
June 17, 2009
approved
reviewer
Pros
- Free and open-source.
- Turns a computer into a NAS device
- Minimal system requirements
- Supports many network protocols.
- Can be used as a software RAID
- Supports external USB/Firewire drives, as well as Compact Flash.
- Can act as a media server (UPnP) and an iTunes server
- Acts as torrent box
Cons
Did not agree with any cons
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
June 3, 2008
approved
reviewer
Pros
- Free and open-source.
- Turns a computer into a NAS device
- Minimal system requirements
- Supports many network protocols.
- No monitor required
- Can be used as a software RAID
- Supports external USB/Firewire drives, as well as Compact Flash.
Cons
- RAID requires full drives - can't use the drive you install FreeNAS on
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
/
No
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