If you have an old PC that still works perfectly well and you have a network, you can put it to good use by turning it into a network attached storage (NAS) device that can serve files to the network – free of charge. FreeNAS from http://www.freenas.org/ is an excellent network storage operating system that can convert any computer into a fully-featured NAS device that can also provide remote access via a web browser. The website provides all the information you need.
To create a bootable CD/DVD containing the operating system, that supports most x86 Intel and AMD platforms, you just have to download the ISO from freenas.org and burn it to a recordable CD or DVD using the image-burning option provided by disc-burning software. A good free ISO burner can be obtained from cdburnerxp.se.
FreeNAS can also be installed on a small SSD drive or flash drive. Flash drives of 4GB and 8GB capacities both work well. However, the process is more involved than creating a bootable CD/DVD. The following webpage provides instructions on how to do so.
Turn old PC hardware into a home server with FreeNAS –
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2243748/…
How-To: Set up a home file server using FreeNAS –
http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/01/how-to-set-up-a-home-file-server-using-freenas/
There are several other webpages dealing with this topic should you need further clarification. Just use freenas as the search query.
Here is the user guide for FreeNAS 9.3, which was the current version at the time of writing. You must make use of the user guide for the version you are using or intending to use. –
FreeNAS User Guide 9.3 –
