SmallNetBuilder

Configuration

After the install, you can unplug the monitor and keyboard and stick the computer back into the closet since all the administration is done from a very polished web interface. Point your browser at FreeNAS IP and log in using the default username and password: admin and freenas. You'll be greeted by the status page (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Web Configuration Home

The configuration page is very nicely laid out and intuitively organized. Here's a brief run-down of the sections:

• System: Manage static routes, update the firmware (FreeNAS), change the hostname and domain, and enable HTTPS for the web based control page.
• Interfaces: Configure network options including IP address mode (static, DHCP), IPv6 configuration, set the MTU (allowing for jumbo frames on gigabit Ethernet, if your card supports them) and interface speed.
• Disks: Manage RAID arrays, disk encryption, formatting and mounting.
• Services: Set up all the file transfer and backup services.
• Access: Set up user and group accounts and authentication.
• Status: Monitor the health of the disks, processes, and interfaces.
• Diagnostics: View logs, ARP tables, run traceroute and ping, backup and restore the system and reboot or shutdown the system.

Applying configuration changes was a little confusing at first—most require a three step process: make the change, "Save" the change, then "Apply" the change to have them take effect. Additionally, some changes required a "Save and Reboot" step which was a bit of a misnomer. For almost all changes, the device doesn't actually reboot (this isn't Windows), just the service is restarted.

Figure 3: Save and Apply