My fileserver is 875/900GB filled. I need to make a decision. I'm going crazy trying to decide what to do. I'm going to either buy a NAS with 4x SATA and RAID5, or build my own FreeNAS. I'm a big DIY guy but this time, I really have to think about it. Maybe you guys can help.
Do-It-Yourself FreeNAS:
I don't have any spare PC parts, so I'd have to spend time finding some. I also have to spend a few hours reading reviews on RAID5 cards before I buy one. Then I'd have to spend a few hours looking for HDD deals to buy. Say I spend $400 on related PC hardware, WITHOUT disks. I'd search For Sale/Trade forms for used CPU, mobo, PSU, Gigabit ethernet, RAID5 card, enclosure, cooling, cables, etc etc. 4x250GB costs about $300. Then I'd have to spend a days building, installing, and testing the configuration with FreeNAS. Doesn't sound like a lot of fun. Maybe I just made my decision.
Network Attached Storage
Zero hours invested in build, install, and test. Completely plug-and-play. Even comes with HDDs so I don't have to look for any deals. 1TB Buffalo TeraStation costs $600 from Dell SB right now.
1TB FreeNAS: $700 plus countless man-hours of deal hunting, building, configuring, testing.
1TB Buffalo Terastation: $600 and ZERO man hours of fiddling around
Do-It-Yourself FreeNAS:
I don't have any spare PC parts, so I'd have to spend time finding some. I also have to spend a few hours reading reviews on RAID5 cards before I buy one. Then I'd have to spend a few hours looking for HDD deals to buy. Say I spend $400 on related PC hardware, WITHOUT disks. I'd search For Sale/Trade forms for used CPU, mobo, PSU, Gigabit ethernet, RAID5 card, enclosure, cooling, cables, etc etc. 4x250GB costs about $300. Then I'd have to spend a days building, installing, and testing the configuration with FreeNAS. Doesn't sound like a lot of fun. Maybe I just made my decision.
Network Attached Storage
Zero hours invested in build, install, and test. Completely plug-and-play. Even comes with HDDs so I don't have to look for any deals. 1TB Buffalo TeraStation costs $600 from Dell SB right now.
1TB FreeNAS: $700 plus countless man-hours of deal hunting, building, configuring, testing.
1TB Buffalo Terastation: $600 and ZERO man hours of fiddling around