11 FreeNAS Tips

Today, I'm writing some tips I've picked up or read about since I started using FreeNAS. These are all relevant for version 0.69 of FreeNAS. I've written more about FreeNAS recently. You can find my previous posts at 9 Great Things About FreeNAS and 9 Reasons To Use FreeNAS At Work.

1. Don't enable Samba Recycle Bin. Though it works, it will continue to take up disk space. If you don't mind that then go ahead and enable it.
2. FreeNAS is not Linux. FreeNAS is based on FreeBSD, which is base on UNIX.
3. Upgrades are usually the best way to install a new FreeNAS version.
4. Downgrades may work, but may not due to new features not implemented in older versions.
5. If you downloaded files using BitTorrent, you may not be able to delete them via CIFS or FTP. Use the Quixplorer file Manager feature under the WebAdmin tools. It's located under Advanced - File Manager, you need to login with an account that has the proper rights, such as the admin account.
6. Always backup your configuration. Very useful if you have problems after an upgrade. You can find it in the WebAdmin under System - Backup/Restore.
7. Start Simple. When configuring FreeNAS initially, use a system with one disk, one NIC, etc.. Have as few variables as possible. Once you get familiar configuring it, you will learn and know the details and how to get around certain issues.
8. Running a LiveCD system works just as well as an installed version. Just remember that your settings will be gone upon Shutdown. If you need to save it, save it to a floppy disk or USB key.
9. Getting a Disk up and running caused me the most amount of problems. Just remember you need to first Define a disk in Disks - Management, then Format the Disk in Disks - Format, finally Mount the Disk in Disks - Mount Point. Only after doing all this can you Share the disk via CIFS/SMB, FTP etc..
10. The FTP Service via anonymous login is the easiest way to test your setup. This also will by-pass any hidden SMB shares you may have setup.
11. Remember to Save and Restart the service after you make a change or enable a service. The Button is at the very bottom of the service enabling page.
    

Do you use FreeNAS? What features do you like best? Share your thoughts and comments. You can get the current iso of FreeNAS here. Do you have other useful resources for FreeNAS?

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My Favorite Remote Support Tools

One of the things that most if not all Technical Support types will come across is doing remote support. I've used a good number of remote support tools, ranging from the built-in windows netmeeting (yes you can use this to do remote support) to services like GoToMyPC.

Those of you at home who end up helping family or friends have probably used remote support tools at one point or another. What do you use? Is it better than the alternatives? Have you tried the alternatives? Here are some remote support software that I have tried and used.

• Windows NetMeeting - It's free and works well when you have someone on the other side who knows a little bit of what they are doing on a pc. Most likely you already have it on your windows pc.
  
• Windows Remote Desktop
• LogMeIn - I've used and really recommend this. There is a free service, which I use and it works very well. The paid versions give you more control and features.
  
• Teamviewer - I wrote about Teamviewer in a previous post. It is very simple and works very well.
  
• Timbuktu - I first came across this software years ago through a colleague supporting Macs. This is cross platform compatible and has many enterprise features as well.
  
• PCAnywhere - at $200 its one of the more expensive ones out there. It has some good features. Personally, I don't use it since there are free alternatives.
  
• GoToMyPC - You probably know this one, since they advertised a good deal in the past and still do in technical magazines. They have other features for meetings etc, that they try to push on you. It works and works well.
  

Here are some more, that I have not tried. They do seem pretty good though, at least according to what I read on the websites and reviews from others.

• CrossLoop - an online service, site looks simple enough to navigate.
• mRemote - for the more advanced, this tool supports many protocols.
• UltraVNC - Very popular with some sys admins and server folks. It's free, though they accept donations.
• TightVNC - Like UltraVNC, this is also free. Available for windows and linux
• Mikogo - Andrew Donnelly from Mikogo pointed out his company's solution. This looks like an alternative for GotoMeeting and allows you to do remote support and meetings.
  

You can find some reviews from Lifehacker about some of these solutions above. Here is a list of 40 from Mashable's Remote Access list from September 2007. What software do you use for remote support? What is your favorite and what do you recommend to others?

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC or FrugalTech in any way (guest posts, articles, ideas, interesting links, advice, financial assistance, or anything else), feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add this to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalTech by Email.

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