FreeNAS is a free and open source storage operating system based on FreeBSD and the OpenZFS file system. You can easily create SAN and NAS storage using this OS. This blog explains how to install and Configure FreeNAS.

1. Download the ISO image from FreeNAS website and make it bootable using a USB or any other media.
Website URL : http://www.freenas.org/download-freenas-release/

2. Boot the OS from USB and you can see the first menu as shown in the screenshot below. Select the “Install or upgrade “option and press Enter.

3. Select the destination drive where the OS should be installed and click OK.

4. You will see a ‘warning window’ about data loss, Click ‘Yes’ and proceed with the installation.

5. Enter the root password for the software and proceed to the next step.

6. Select the appropriate BOOT mode, In most cases select ‘Boot via BIOS’. UEFI stands for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, read more about it here.

7. Now you can see the main configuration window with different options numbered from 1 to 11.

Let us have a close look at each of it.

• Configure Network Interfaces : To configure Network interface and IP
• Configure Link Aggregation: To manage and create link aggregation
• Configure VLAN Interface : To Add or delete VLAN
• Configure Default Route : To set the Gateway for IP
• Configure Static Routes: To Set static route
• Configure DNS: To set DNS host name and corresponding IIP address
• Reset WebGUI login credentials: To reset the root password
• Reset to factory default: To delete all settings
• Shell : To open the shell
• Reboot: To reboot the system
• Shutdown: To power off the system

Here, we are focusing on option no:1 as we need to set an IP for the FreeNAS.,input option 1, and press Enter.

8. In the next screen, select the appropriate network interface and press Enter

9. You can configure DHCP for FreeNAS in this screen or you can add a static IP. Enter “y/n” for each option accordingly

10. Enter the static IP and Netmask

11. Once the IP configuration is completed, you will see the main menu with a URL based on the IP configured.

12. Enter the IP in the browser and you will see the FreeNAS console asking for password. Enter the root password ( the same password given on Step number 5 ) and login to the console.

13. The FreeNAS OS is installed and configured.

That’s it!

Storages are a must for any infrastructure, but remember the most important part – Backup!

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