# FreeNas Machine



## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

Hi guys, as topic says. Can you please help me with building specs for FreeNas x64?

Just to let you know I want to have at least 4 SATA slots so I can expand my hard drives. For the time being, Id like to have 2TB Green Hard Drive.

Please help me with specs. Ive heard it doesnt have to be so powerful.

I want to save as much money as I can on build.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

For a complete list of builds look here: http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...ams-recommended-new-builds-2012-a-668661.html


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

FreeNas x64 will require a minimum of resources and you should find one that will suit those needs in the link provided by, as well as primarily composed by, Masterchiefxx17.


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

Would you recommend AMD built or Intel? AMD is cheaper so its better for myself.
I have had a look on Recommended AMD Builds in specified thread and found some UK prices but some components are missing.. (the one in red). Do you know what is it? And would you recommend any cheaper components just to cut the price? Its just a FreeNas server and price is so high..

£300 AMD Build: 

ASUS F1A75-M LE VGA+SND+GLN+U3 SATA 6GB/S DDR3 Motherboard: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

AMD Llano A4 3400 Dual Core 2.7GHz Processor with APU, Socket FM1, HD Graphics Controller: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories


Corsair CMZ4GX3M2A1600C9 4GB 1600MHz CL9 DDR3 Vengeance Memory Two Module Kit: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

*http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooler-Maste...5&sr=1-2-fkmr1*

XFX 450W Core Edition Bronze 80+ Certified Wired PSU: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

*http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-DRW-24B...3&sr=1-1-fkmr0*

Subtotal: £220.06


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Intel or AMD is a personal choice. AMD is the better choice economically.
Corsair and G.Skill are both good quality and 1333 or 1600NHz will be fine.
Post a link to where you can purchase from and we can assist in finding a good quality PSU.


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

This is my current Amazon.co.uk wishlist:

Amazon.co.uk: Jakub Paliwoda: My new Server

*- Motherboard*

ASUS F1A75-M LE VGA+SND+GLN+U3 SATA 6GB/S DDR3 Motherboard: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

*- Processor*

AMD Llano A4 3400 Dual Core 2.7GHz Processor with APU, Socket FM1, HD Graphics Controller: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

*- Memory*

Corsair CMZ4GX3M2A1600C9 4GB 1600MHz CL9 DDR3 Vengeance Memory Two Module Kit: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

*- Power Supply*

XFX 450W Core Edition Bronze 80+ Certified Wired PSU: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

*- Case*

Cooler Master RC-430-KWN1 Elite 430 Midi Tower with Window - Black: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories


*- I need one 2TB green hard drive.*


Would you change anything to make price going down a bit? I can purchase components from:

United Kingdom Websites:

· Scan.co.uk
· Novatech.co.uk
· dabs.com
· Amazon.co.uk
· overlclock.co.uk - Alternative to Newegg 
· yoyotech.co.uk
· eBuyer.com
· aria.co.uk
· Maplin.co.uk
· Microdirect.co.uk

I would also need one small hard drive for OS


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

You really don't need 2TB of HDD space. That will help on the price.


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

I do need 2 TB of HDD for my data, otherwise how would you store it?
Additionally I need small HDD dedicated to OS  Am I right? Later on, I might get anoter 2 TB HDD to make a raid.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Get a small 150GB for the OS and store all the rest on the 2TB.

Otherwise the build looks pretty soild.

If anything I would go for the 500W PSU that way if you get more HDD's it won't fail on you.


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

Yeah, that's my plan. What HDDs would you then recommend? 
And what PSU would you get from Amazon or any other website?

current price is 188.75 GBP.

what do you think about this HDD?

Western Digital 2TB SATA 6Gbps Power Saving Internal Hard Drive OEM - Caviar Green: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

there is also newer model..


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

We only recommend XFX or Seasonic for PSU's as they are top quailty.

As for your 2TB HDD I would recommend atleast getting 2 x 1TB that way if the whole thing goes bad you don't lose the whole drive. WD or Seagate are both fine for the HDD.


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

can you please give me some links to PSU you would recommend and hard drives?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Newegg.com - XFX Core Edition PRO550W (P1-550S-XXB9) 550W ATX12V 2.2 & ESP12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

2x Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Just search for the model numbers on any UK websites.


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## visseroth (Oct 25, 2010)

FreeNAS has patched for the new hard drives utilizing the 4K sectors though many still prefer drives with 512b sectors for performance reasons.
If you are trying to build your system to save power as many have then you'll want to go with something that is built for power saving. Many use the Atom processor all in one boards for this reason.
As a word of warning FreeNAS performs best with 1GB of RAM per 1TB of storage. I personally have confirmed this as I have a 24 TB array in a 2 X 6 RAIDz2 configuration. Basically 2 pools of 6 2TB drives. My server consists of dual 3.2Ghz dual core Xeons with 12GB of RAM. I currently only have 9TB in use and a total of 15TB usable due to redundancy.
Here is a example of a Atom build....
My new NAS box, running on 8.0.2
for your OS drive it is best to use either a compact flash card or a USB flash drive as once the OS loads it doesn't often access the drive in which the OS is loaded. This is because the OS is designed to run primarily from RAM.


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

You are completely right about using flash card or USB for OS storage; I completely forgotten about that! I've just read some articles about freeNAS on USB yesterday. Too much information going on for myself 

I love the setup link you have given me, but the parts included in it are so expensive  I'm looking for simple solution for home network and I would love to have this kind of server, but too expensive for today. 

This is my updated server list:

Amazon.co.uk: Jakub Paliwoda: My new Server

Anything else would you change? You know the case.. I don't need space for DVD, so do you have any other case which is more suitable for home server? Like the one in the link you have given me, but cheaper.

Also you said:

FreeNAS has patched for the new hard drives utilizing the 4K sectors though many still prefer drives with 512b sectors for performance reasons.

Will hard drives on my list have an affect on performance? I mean is there any other HDD which is similar in the price, and would work faster?


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

Sorry for double post. I have also found some threads on the internet about FreeNAS. What do you think about that one?



> Well here's what I put together as a potential NAS system for you, it should suit your needs just fine without breaking the bank. Well at least up until you buy hard drives since those are still a bit on the high side:
> 
> CPU: AMD Sempron 145 - You don't need a lot of computing power for a NAS so this is plenty. $39.99 on Newegg
> 
> ...



For instance this link is also helpful.. I don't know.. I just like our forum as you guys are so helpful and I know you are IT professionals and can help myself to take proper decision. I don't want to waste my money and this is why I have so many questions..

I have read so many opinions about FreeNAS as it doesn't have high spec requirments, and now my PSU is so high, and I'll have 4 HDDs max.. The guy is giving other specs, and my specs on amazon are quite high.


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

Can anyone help with final decision please?


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## visseroth (Oct 25, 2010)

As soon as I'm able ill help later today but ultimately the decision is yours as u have to decide what is and isn't in your budget


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

Thanks man, I'll be waiting. My budget for diskless build is 200 GBP. I would love you to help me choosing the best set-up for home environment as you know I'm fool with building. I have so many options out there, I'm not sure about power, CPU, and what about the case.. cause there are so many cases designed for server but it may have an affect on price, if yes, i'll stick to the cheapest one and I'll get the better one within the next few months time.. for today, I'm just looking for a cheapest set-up with 2TB or 4 TB storage so I can store my data, stream videos, and also bitorrent. Nothing special. It doesn't have to be so powerful as I'm 100% sure next hard drive i will be getting will be within the next 6 months time or maybe more.. So I just want a simple build with optionality to expand.


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## visseroth (Oct 25, 2010)

OK, a couple things you need to keep in mind that when building a server and when storing all you data on that server it comes at a price. A proper server has data redundancy. Even if you have multiple hard drives it is still a good idea to keep a backup of that data, preferably offsite in case of fire, theft or catastrophic failure.
It does look like your motherboard would be a good candidate for FreeNAS as it supports quite a bit of RAM and has 6 SATA slots which means you'll be able to support 6 drives without needing to expand to an additional sata card.
According to this post it seems it is compatible as well..... Help about hardware (E35M1-I or F1A75-M LE)

Keep in mind that with your setup your server will more than likely draw about 100 to 150w of power. If running all the time that is like leaving a 100w light bulb on all the time so expect a small increase in your electrical bill.

Now getting back to redundancy. As Masterchief mentioned earlier it is best to use more than one drive if all you want is 2TB of storage. You have a choice of RAID 1, 5 and Z if you setup redundancy but keep in mind raid 1 requires at least 2 drives as they will mirror each other. Raid Z and 5 requires at least 3 drives because it is striped with parity bits. Raid Z has more memory overhead than RAID 5 but has a lot more features than RAID5.
Personally for 2TB of space I would go with 3 1TB drives in a RAIDz1 or 2 2TB drives in a mirror. My preference is RAIDz as it will monitor your data for bit-rot and repair data on the drives as it degrades. Do keep in mind that RAIDz is still in its infancy and isn't without it's flaws but the perks out weigh the flaws.

You can do just a single drive to start with but keep in mind that all the data on that drive is vulnerable to loss if you don't have a backup or some sort of redundancy built in.
If you aren't concerned about data loss and want to keep a small budget to start then your setup is good but use a USB flash drive instead of a 1TB hard drive for your OS and keep backups of your server configuration in case of flash drive failure. I have personally had this happen before due to a power outage. The power outage didn't allow for the data in memory to be written back to the flash drive and caused data corruption. The OS had to be reloaded and the config uploaded to the OS. I had the server back up and running in 15 minutes.
Another option is to use a compact flash card and IDE to compact flash adapter so that you don't have a USB drive sticking out of the back of your tower. Really either will work and since I starting using FreeNAS I have moved to a compact flash card and have no trouble with it.
Also keep in mind that if you decide to use RAIDz, as you expand your storage you'll also need to expand your memory to match to avoid performance issues. Just remember that 1GB of RAM for every 1TB of storage will keep your server transferring fast.
Also keep in mind that if you're going to be using SAMBA (AKA CIFS) which is used for file transfers between your server and Windows machines you'll need a CPU with a fast processor. Any more than 2 cores is a waste unless the server is going to be in a multi-user environment. This is because SAMBA is a single thread service that won't use more than one core at a time per connection.
Do also keep in mind that FreeNAS is still in development. They are still trying to add features to the GUI (Web interface) that will allow users to more easily administrate it without using a command prompt. For example; on my system I manage folder permissions and creation from the command prompt then mark them as shares via the GUI because to my knowledge there is no way to manage folder permissions and create folders from the GUI. Keep in mind I am in no way a FreeNAS wiz but I do have some experience with it.
Other operating system options are Nexenta, Openfiler, OpenIndiana, NAS4Free, Synology and I'm sure there are more. My recommendation is to try them all, toy with them and decide which one you like the most.


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

visseroth said:


> OK, a couple things you need to keep in mind that when building a server and when storing all you data on that server it comes at a price. A proper server has data redundancy. Even if you have multiple hard drives it is still a good idea to keep a backup of that data, preferably offsite in case of fire, theft or catastrophic failure.
> It does look like your motherboard would be a good candidate for FreeNAS as it supports quite a bit of RAM and has 6 SATA slots which means you'll be able to support 6 drives without needing to expand to an additional sata card.
> According to this post it seems it is compatible as well..... Help about hardware (E35M1-I or F1A75-M LE)
> 
> ...



Great, I understand you about the hard drives so I'll go with the 3x1TB hard drive in RAIDz1.

This is my current Amazon list:

Amazon.co.uk: Jakub Paliwoda: My new Server

Would you change anything else? No any other case etc? What about PSU? 
Also I would love to have my stick plugged into the motherboard, is this gonna increase cost of the built?

What stick would you recommend to run OS on it?


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## visseroth (Oct 25, 2010)

Your case is a good start. Your CPU is 65W and I doubt your motherboard with the RAM you installed will draw more than 100W. I think you setup is a good start. You can change the case at another date if you choose to do so.
Remember to disable unused components in the CMOS setup to help free up additional resources and reduce power usage even if it is only by a watt or two.
Your power supply looks to be enough for your current setup. I doubt you'll need to upgrade it for quite some.
For internal USB and so you don't have a USB flash drive sticking out the back or the front use a USB header.
For USB 3.0 here is a couple headers... DeLOCK USB 3.0 Pin Header female > 2 x USB 3.0 41865 female - oben, übereinander: Amazon.co.uk: Office Products
http://www.amazon.co.uk/LINDY-USB-M...IM/ref=sr_1_72?ie=UTF8&qid=1351591452&sr=8-72
For USB 2 here is a header... StarTech 2 Port USB Motherboard Header Adapter: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
For a USB flash drive it is best to use a 4+GB flash drive to leave yourself some headroom for OS growth. Freenas uses about 1GB of space but they recommend at least 2GB of available space. This allows for further growth due to addons, modifications and OS growth. Personally I do not know which brand of flash drive would be best but I would go with OCZ, Corsair or crucial. Speed isn't critical but long life is so as to avoid replacement and because the OS doesn't access the flash drive all the time. Just occasionally once the system is loaded.
For a compact flash adapter I used this.... Startech IDE 40 Pin to Compact Flash SSD Adapter: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
If you need any further assistance once your server is built feel free to make another post and PM me the link as to get my attention. Also keep in mind that using any open source NAS server will be a learning experience as not everything will be done from the gui. Then again "If you are not learning you are dead".


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

Thanks Visseroth for your help! I appreciate it so much! I hope this is pretty much for now with my built, but I might have some questions later on so please don't close this thread  I'll keep you updated.

For USB adapter I might go with DeLOCK USB 3.0 Pin Header female > 2 x USB 3.0 41865 female - oben, übereinander: Amazon.co.uk: Office Products but, it is additional cost for now.. I might just get new USB drive as my old one is quite slow


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## visseroth (Oct 25, 2010)

Slow is not a problem.
Hope you enjoy your new build.


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

I knew I'll have more questions  As it will be obviously a server, speed with also depend on a network devices such as router, switch or even network card. As my motherboard will have integrated Ethernet port, I saw a lot of FreeNAS builds with additional network card with for instance 3 gigabit port etc. I tried to find the link but suddenly its gone  Do you know why people do that? Is additional gigabit network card going to improve transfer speeds?


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## visseroth (Oct 25, 2010)

Additional cards are only necessary for multiple network setups, network card teaming or vlans. You're using your setup for home use. I doubt you'll need more than one gigabit NIC and as long as your home network already has a gigabit switch or a router with gigabit ports then you'll be fine for home use.


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

Well.. I'll be getting new router and switch with new server as my current setup is out-dated and messed up. Basically I want to get fresh gigabit router + gigabit switch with at least 5 ports. So shall I get one gigabit NIC? If so, which one? And also do you know any good routers or switches? I had a look on thread in networking section and theres plenty of routers but no switches. And you may have your own opinion..


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## visseroth (Oct 25, 2010)

Per the motherboard specs the motherboard already has a gigabit NIC.
Also, depending on how many devices you have a switch may not be needed. I personally have a Linksys SLM2024 24 port gigabit switch but this is because I have about 11 devices connect to my network and my FreeNAS box is setup with teamed NICs. Is teaming necessary, no but I have the ability so why not. I highly doubt you'll need teaming or even use it.
As for home use a Linksys wireless router will do you just fine. If you prefer additional security you can build one but then we're talking about additional costs, setup and time learning your new setup. Maybe one day you can look into setting up a PfSense box out of a old machine you having laying around and then utilizing a gigabit switch such as I have but for home use a Linksys router with gigabit ports will suite you just fine.


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

I have created another topic for network devices so more people can get involved.

http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f31/new-network-equipment-673234.html#post3936377

I'll have 5 workstations connected to switch by cable plus obviously freeNAS box soon. I don't know so many ports as you have, and I just try to imagine how geek your network is  Nice one. 

I just need MAC DHCP reservation as most router nowadays does, VPN, and high speed data transfer on local network. Nothing else. What do you mean by teaming? 

Is this kind of vLAN? For instance, wireless devices to one network, and wired to another? For security etc..?


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## visseroth (Oct 25, 2010)

This is what I'm using.....
Link aggregation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

The solution you gave me is perfect, I might go for it as soon as I'll grab some old piece of equipment from college 
I just wonder if running Windows Server 2008 R2 would be better solution as my home is not running different OS. Just Windows. What do you think about that? Obviously Windows will be using more CPU and memory..
Using Windows Server could make my job easier regarding shares, active directory etc. Would you stick to FreeNAS?


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

What do you think about these servers? I'm just asking as I'm curious.

HP ProLiant Turion II N40L MicroServer - £100.. | Ebuyer.com

Many people buys it for a price as it is 139.99 but specs are not soo good.


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## visseroth (Oct 25, 2010)

Instead of server 2008 I would recommend Windows home server for home use
What are you thinking of changing? How Technically skilled are you?


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

Why would you go for Windows Home Server? I have a bit of experience with Windows Server and that's why I thought about possibility of changing OS to Windows Server or Ubuntu Server for instance. What do you think about specs I have? Will it run smoothly? I wish so. You know.. I like freeNAS as it has a lot of features when compared to other NAS software but I think with those specs I could go with proper Server OS as mentioned. Also one of the reasons why I thought about going with Windows/Ubuntu server is my specs are higher than I expected so why not.. 
We used to run Ubuntu Server on college machines with veeery low specs and that was smooth. 

What do you mean by how technically skilled I am?


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## visseroth (Oct 25, 2010)

Well you are bouncing around from one OS to another so I thought I'd ask how technically skilled you are. I was wondering how much you know about various operating systems.
To each OS there are pros and cons.
Pros to a Windows OS is ease of use (most the time), GUI interface to the OS, compatible with other Windows OS', ect
Cons are more expense in the OS, no support for ZFS, prone to viruses, less secure.

Pros to FreeBSD OS' are more secure, stable, supports zfs
Cons to FreeBSD OS' are not as user friendly, needs a knowledge of file system structure, typically modified via command line, ect.

If you went with a Windows Home Server then all you would need to do is install the WHS connector software on each machine and not only would that allow each machine to access the server as long as the user name and password matched the user list on the server but it would also back the machines up each night. However this does require more space as each machine will utilize space on the server to complete a backup. If you wish to have more advanced features then Server 2008 would be suitable but this will require more advanced knowledge to complete the same tasks.
You have to weigh the pros and cons to each server option. Yes Windows Server will require less RAM but that is because ZFS is very memory intensive. This is because the ZFS file system offers features that NTFS, Fat32 and other file systems do not offer.
Here is what looks like a good thread to read up a bit on ZFS in regards to the same situation you are referring to... NAS - ZFS system versus NTFS or EXT4 system - Super User
I personally chose ZFS because of the data protection that ZFS offers that is not offered by any other file system. I use my server for personal and business use. It is used to store my personal data plus customer backups. These are separated out into different folders with different permissions to insure that local users are unable to access customer backups.
None the less I wanted file system reliability. Yes this requires more hardware but reliability comes at a cost. In the short term it's kind of expensive, in the long run it's extremely cheap compared to data recovery as some files are simply not replaceable once they are lost.
We (the techs on this forum) can not answer what is important to you. You have to decide what is important. Once you have decided we can help point you in the general direction of how to get such a task done but ultimately the decision is yours and at the moment you seem a bit undecided on how you want to go about creating a network share.
I admit, I myself have been in your place before. I once ran a Windows Home Server but gave up the convenience of a WHS to the reliability of a ZFS file server. I also wanted to be able to create a very large array without needing expensive raid hardware. Granted in version 2 of WHS this was corrected for by adding the capability to create a software raid but that did not correct for things like bit rot or the ease of installing the OS onto a flash drive and backing up the configuration to a html file so that the OS could be reloaded restored to a functional state within 15 minutes of failure.
If I were you I would write down a list of pros and cons of things that are important to you for each OS.
If you are set on creating a network server then buy the hardware to do so but play around with a couple operating systems. Download a trial version of Windows home server, FreeNAS and a couple other operating systems and try them out. See which you like best and expand on your pros and cons list but do NOT fully implement your server until you know which OS you want to use so as to avoid any accidental data loss and/or extra work than already necessary.
If you choose to go with FreeNAS then understand that backing up each machine on your network is not as easy as Windows Home Server but the data you do have on your FreeNAS box will be more secure and that your FreeNAS box will correct for errors on your hard drives automatically where as Windows will not. Again, something I know from experience as I currently have 11 drives with a SMART status of failed due to a firmware bug. I get a report once a week during the scheduled sweep that errors have been corrected and this will continue until my replacement drives arrive later this week and I start rotating out drives.

You can search the web and find varying opinions all over the place but YOU have to weigh what is important to YOU.


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## Jacob92 (Dec 30, 2011)

I'm sorry I did not reply to your post. I do appreciate your work. Ill try to reply as soon as I can. I'm quite busy last times. 
Do you guys know, how could I calculate average cost of running my set-up about 17 hours daily? If its hard to calculate, how about 24 hours?

Look forward to hear from you,
Jacob


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