Building a NAS on a peer to peer network

[Alokm]

Hi everyone,

I have a 4 devices at home which I use actively
1. A windows 8 notebook
2. A Macbook pro (Mavericks)
3. An iPad
4. An iPhone

I also have a quad-core desktop which I am not using

They're not really networked... but basically access internet through the same router.

-Is it possible to build a NASbox on the desktop and have all devices backup onto it without building a domain network?
-I would also like to travel with my iPad and access my files through it rather than lug my computers around... hence a need for remote access...
-If there is already a guide for this ...PLEASE point me towards it... else I could start a step by step How-to thread (of course under all the guidance I get here) for such a network for absolute newbies... who have no idea about domains... DNS etc...

regards
Alok

 

[pirateghost]

You do not need a domain in order to run a file server. If they are all on the same router, on the same subnet, then they are indeed networked.

A guide? Just read the FreeNAS documentation and decide if it is right for you. You do not need to understand domains, DNS, or networks for a simple file server. You will, however, need to man up and learn something about VPN if you want remote access, or learn how to set up OwnCloud plugin.

 

[Alokm]

Thanks Pirateghost... I've been trying... :(
Can't seem to get the hang of VPN as yet (doesn't mean I'm giving up)... but isn't a domain server a part of VPN setup... or am I getting muddled up.. :P ... How can I use dyndns for remote access... can't seem to find the right direction...

 

[pirateghost]

Dyndns is merely a DNS entry on the internet that points to your IP address. Nothing more. It is a pointer, telling machines that request the domain name where they should be directed.

You simply sign up for a dynamic DNS service, and configure your router or FreeNAS box with that domain name. Then instead if having to remember an IP address, you jut remember that domain name.

Don't get hung up on VPN yet. Wrap your mind around the simple basics of the home network. It isn't quite as complicated as you act it is.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

I also have a quad-core desktop which I am not using

-Is it possible to build a NASbox on the desktop and have all devices backup onto it without building a domain network?

Please be aware that desktop hardware is often not well suited to running FreeNAS, for various reasons, including things like lack of support for ECC RAM. Depending on your risk tolerance, you can choose to use it anyway, but you'll find it harder to get help from the most experienced members here if things go wrong.

 

[Alokm]

Thanks Robert.. I am trying to set it up on

CPU: AMD FX-4100
MBD: ASUS M5A97-R2.0
RAM: 2x 8GB Kingston DDR3-1600 ECC (KVR16E11/8)

it was meant to be setup as a server but it never happened... :P

@pirateghost... thanks for the tip.. and reassurance... I'll first get it talking to my devices and then look at the VPN

 

[danb35]

Keep in mind, when talking of domains, that "Internet" domains (i.e., domain names like example.org) and Microsoft domains (a way that you can set up Windows servers) are two completely unrelated things. You don't really need to worry about either at this point, but just be aware that they're different.

 

[Alokm]

Keep in mind, when talking of domains, that "Internet" domains (i.e., domain names like example.org) and Microsoft domains (a way that you can set up Windows servers) are two completely unrelated things. You don't really need to worry about either at this point, but just be aware that they're different.

Thanks Dan... that was indeed a point of confusion....

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

CPU: AMD FX-4100
MBD: ASUS M5A97-R2.0
RAM: 2x 8GB Kingston DDR3-1600 ECC (KVR16E11/8)

CPU: Intel is preferred.
MBD: no comment.
RAM: 16GB should be plenty for a modest NAS used primarily as a backup destination. Although it's ECC RAM, the key question is whether ECC is active on your motherboard/CPU combination. In some cases an AMD chipset will tolerate ECC RAM without actually utilizing ECC. You'll have to do your own research on that, or just accept the potential risk.

 

[ktosik]

I make something similiar with FreeNAS, and works very well.
Step by step for you:
1. Install FreeNAS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-mRgeDS8rk
2. Setting up CIFS (windows sharing at home) https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/cifs-windows-sharing-guide.20948/
3. Setting up AFP (apple sharing at home) http://olddoc.freenas.org/index.php/Apple_(AFP)_Shares (i don't use and no familliar with apple products but it looks ok)
4. Install OwnCloud https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...talling-owncloud-in-freenas-or-freebsd.19605/ (for sharing your resources via internet from all your devices in all world ;-) ) - use video tutorial on YouTube from this topic. Or u can use plugin (i used mix - installed plugin and suport this awesome tutorial).

If u wanna increase upload max files size in OwnCloud in newest version u need edit /usr/pbi/owncloud-amd64/www/owncloud/.htaccess lines:
php_value upload_max_filesize
php_value post_max_size
php_value memory_limit (it must be 1 less than upper lines - DrKK guide)

Of course that what i wrote is only proposition, u don't need to use it. But if u do and u wanna better performance u will need also to generate self signed certficiate for this OwnCloud and buy some domain name (cheap as hell) to use it from internet :)

I don't make automatic copy but there are some tools, but maybe someone else can speak (i don't use this tools).

PS. Sorry for my English :)

 

[Alokm]

Thanks Ktosik.... your English is very comprehensible to me and your guidance is very appreciated... (y)

I will try and follow your guides to see if it works out for me too.... Also I have 3x3Tb hard disks and I'm wondering if making a mirrored backup would be better for now with 2 hdd's and later adding 2 more (if I need to upgrade storage).... or making a raidz 1... though from what I've read till now... mirrored seems a better option...

 

[Alokm]

A BIG THANKS to all of you especially Ktosik for all the help.... I followed Ktosik's outlined steps and
installed the defaults in FreeNAS and post installation I used the wizard taling care to leave the DNS settings alone...
Followed DrKK's guide mentioned by Ktosik
in the end I have enabled
dyndns
Webdave

It is now accessible on all my devices through LAN and through internet too...

One last question... how can I check if both my drives are mirrored and a copy of all that I keep is saved on each...??

Regards
Alok

 

[danb35]

The volume status page should show you your pool configuration. If you've set up a mirror, it will tell you.

 

[Alokm]

Thanks Danb35... did not check the little button at the bottom....

Any other recommended steps for a basic usage as mine.... there seem to be an awful lot of things out there on the interface... datasets... zvols... snapshots... etc...
I have one user ... data needs to accessed from all over the world...

I suppose security should be one of my major concerns... since I may access from public terminals too... :8

regards
Alok

 

[danb35]

Yes, you should be concerned about security. The best answer is to install a VPN server on your router, and use a VPN client to connect whatever remote device you want to use. That way, you're only exposing the VPN server to the Internet, and VPN server software is usually pretty well-hardened to resist remote attacks. However, if you're wanting to use public terminals, that may not be possible. In that case, you'd need to decide what you wanted to do from the public terminals. If you wanted to be able to access Owncloud, you're relying on that plugin being reasonably well-hardened, you'd definitely want to use strong passwords, you'd want to use SSL, and you'd really want to look into setting up Fail2Ban on the Owncloud jail. But given all that, it'd be a matter of forwarding the correct port from your router to the Owncloud jail.

You could probably allow ssh access to the FreeNAS server as well, though I don't know how likely it is that the public terminals would have an ssh client. In that case, you'd want to set up an unprivileged user to log in via SSH (and then su to root as necessary), disallow root logins, disable passwords, and enable public key authentication. Use the public key to log in. Some folks suggest changing the port as well; I don't believe that's necessary--they can hammer away at it all day, but won't get without the correct private key.