Can a Dell Mini run FreeNAS?

[jjminch]

So I'm a novice when it comes to this stuff, but have been trying to do some reading.

I have a Dell Mini 9 netbook, Atom single core processor, 1GB ram, 8GB SSD running on XP. Haven't touched it since I got an Ipad, and figured I might be able to use it for something. I want a network storage device to back up files/photos from Win7 laptops, and maybe at a later date stream my music library to my blu-ray player and i tunes.

Storage will be roughly 2TB on external USB drives connected to the mini.

This will be installed in a fireproof gun safe (or at least that is the plan, haven't tested reception). So ideally the software should work with the built in wifi. If it has to use Cat5 then maybe I can run an access point outside of the safe. Also the mini doubles as small form factor, don't want a huge tower in my safe.

So is my hardware up to par? I have no budget for this but don't want to waste my time if it can't be done.

 

[pirateghost]

I am going to say no. USB is a bad idea, and FreeNAS is not a good option for that. You might have a look at just running Windows or something like Xubuntu/OpenMediaVault, etc

 

[cyberjock]

USB is very unreliable. When a hard drive starts having problems (even minor ones) the hard drive will end up "disconnecting" itself from your computer. If you value your data, don't go with any external interfaces. It's just not reliable. USB/Firewire/esata works great for portable disks, but for servers.. heck no.

If you plan to put the whole computer in a fireproof safe I can guarantee you that you will have heat issues. No matter how low you go in power, you're going to start cooking stuff. Fireproof safes are designed to have very little heat transfer, and that's precisely what you don't want a computer inside. Many fireproof safes have no "safe" properties with any wires of any kind sticking out of it. The one's I've used in the past have an outer shell that is plastic and is designed to melt and literally seal in the safe's contents in an airtight fashion. This won't happen if you have cables running out of the safe.

Wifi for server access isn't a very good option either. You'll learn quickly that 720p/1080p streams will often not be able to be streamed over wifi reliably. Not sure how well a wifi signal will travel through a fireproof box either.

I think that this whole idea is just ill conceived :(. If you are concerned about fire safety for your data you could setup remote zfs replication to a second backup FreeNAS server at an alternate location.

 

[jjminch]

Well thanks for shooting down the idea, looks like ill just have to save up for a real NAS solution. In the meantime ill just back everything up to an external.

Also most gun safes now come with a power outlet installed inside, for dehumidifiers and such. So while heat may well become a problem, it won't affect the fire rating as its a manufacturer installed power source.

 

[cyberjock]

Also most gun safes now come with a power outlet installed inside, for dehumidifiers and such. So while heat may well become a problem, it won't affect the fire rating as its a manufacturer installed power source.

Wow! Never heard of that before. But I've only seen 2 gun safes. :P