OS For Custom NAS

I am building a Custom NAS at home and need some suggestions on OS to use. Here is the configuration I will be using.

Intel Atom 1.8 GHz (D425) Processor - (Consume less power, and less noisy)
2 GB RAM
4 TB HDD Initially, which can go upto 12 TB

Only 300-400 GB of data in this will be super-critical, which I am planning to backup using Backblaze. For rest, in worst circumstances I can afford to loose. It will be basically dump of my DVDs and MP3 Collections.

I would also like to do following thing with it

Access it remotely via Windows XP (Graphical Interface will be a Plus)
Able to install Torrent Client
Give FTP access in Local Network
Ability to download Podcasts

At first I was thinking of going with Windows XP (with stripped down version using nLite), but now I am diverting towards having a Linux Installed. I checked FreeNAS but it don't look very promising for extending it to things like iTunes and Torrents.

Any suggestions? What problems will I face?

Ankit

Posted 2011-08-05T06:17:43.517

Reputation: 73

Answers

You might take a look at Windows Home Server. In additional to its out-of-the-box NAS functionality, there is also a healthy library of 3rd party add-ons which should be able to address your identified requirements.

user48838

Posted 2011-08-05T06:17:43.517

Reputation:

Will it be able to support Atom Processor? – Ankit – 2011-08-05T06:27:43.367

It's not even the processor line as much as 32 versus 64 bit processor support. The latest version only supports 64 bit processors as identified here - http://onlinehelp.microsoft.com/en-us/windowshomeserver2011/system-requirements-2.aspx. It was only released a few months ago, so the previous version is probably still available. It only required a 32 bit processor.

– None – 2011-08-05T06:48:46.063

Atom supports 64 Bit Instruction Set, right? http://ark.intel.com/products/49489/Intel-Atom-processor-D425-(512K-Cache-1_80-GHz)

– Ankit – 2011-08-05T08:38:16.500

For the particular model, yes, but that is the challenge with the current Intel processor lines - all over the board with cherry picked capabilities/limitations. – None – 2011-08-05T09:09:52.400

I would check out FreeNAS again, version 0.7 had a torrent client. And also it's stated in the version 8.1 roadmap that a bittorrent client will be available through a plugin and also a tool for migrating from version 0.7 to 8.1 - http://doc.freenas.org/index.php/Roadmap_for_8.1

Jonasss

Posted 2011-08-05T06:17:43.517

Reputation:

Version 0.7 also has DAAP, as well as UPnP for media streaming. – sblair – 2011-08-08T13:18:06.887