First I will list the parts I used:

• Zirco mAX Micro-ATX Desktop Case with 300W PSU
• VIA iDOT PC2500E  PC-1 Mainboard
•  Kingston 512MB 533MHz DDR2
• Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 x 2
• 2 x SATA cables

Total cost came to £221.19 inc vat.   Most parts from Linitx.  If mixing/matching suppliers, I could have got the disk prices down to make the total just over £200.

Okay, as mentioned, I installed Debian, but to do software raid on Debian requires a bit of a configuration guide - I adapted this one to my circumstances - http://www.planamente.ch/emidio/pages/linux_howto_root_lvm_raid_etch.php

I chose Debian as it’s the Linux I use most.    Samba configuration I am not going to cover here, its rather simple to sort out - just adding the relevant lines of configuration to add the relevant shares - and adding encrypted samba passwords for users to access the shares.   I then configured the iptables firewall to restrict access on all bar ssh to the local subnet only (I run a non-nat configuration with a /28 of IP’s routed to my house).

I also installed a basic X-windows configruation, Firefox + an email client, and my NAS is now my instant-on, low-power web station in the office - and it performs well desptite only having 512Mb of ram.

Overall performance of the box is excellent - only thing its lacking is a 1Gig NIC - however my network isn’t 1Gb currently - so this is academic.  Its quiet (unnoticable that its on in fact), very cool (in-case temps not registering above 34 celcius now) - despite the lack of case fans.      It also can average 99.9% of my 100Mbit network constantly when uploading a file or downloading also.

Downsides are I have already used 50Gb of the 200Gb of raid-1 space I have - just backing up essential documents and my photo album.    Once I sort out my mp3 collections tags, that’ll be another 30Gb used..    My aim is (if possible) to load 5 disks in time to the box, an addition 2x 1Tb disks in raid-1 for additional data, and a 5th one (which will probably need to be external) of 1Tb of scratch, non-raid storage.

Well, I have decided to build my own NAS with raid-1, as the chassis on the market just plain don’t do what I want for the price I want.

I want:

• min of 2 drive bays
• User installable disks

Looking online that left me with 3 options, a Dlink, a Qnap and a Linksys. All were resonably expensive when disks were added, and none really could recover from a lost disk with grace.. Also if the mainboard went I realised I’d be screwed if I couldn’t get an exact same controller in 3-4 years time (no mean feat).

Soo….

I’m building one. I’ve worked out prices for a system (including disks) are rough equivalent to a box without - if using a mini-itx box.. with 1.5 Ghz processor and 512Mb of ram, I can get case, cabling, mainboard, and memory + 2x 250 Gb disks for ~£220 (edited from original £150) - my calculations were a bit out.    With different parts sourcing I think I could get it down to £200 by sourcing the disks from an alternative.   Minus disks its still viable alternative to the Linksys and Dlink products (both going for £120-150 without any sata disks - and a lot more flexible).

Question is now freenas or go for a native Debian install (I’m prob going to do latter - purely as this allows me to add itunes etc server capabilities)!

And yes, to the nay-sayers, I know this will use a little more power than the linksys/qnap, but thats more than made up by the fact I can expand to 4 disks if necessary… such fun! And the box will be able to be ssh’ed into and run downloads remotely for me.. Such possibility.

Another downside though is the fact the case I’m getting is slightly larger, and thus will require me to free a little space. That said it does take 4 disks, not 2.

Upsides are of course in event of failure I can just replace mainboard with another mini-itx, powersupply etc easily. All bases covered, and equivlent price to a commerical soln, and a new home project.

(Note to all this is all in aid of getting the Sonos setup with a nas, as I don’t want the monster powered home PC with no raid acting as the server).

One word.    Sonos.

Upon reading and seeing a demo, it does exactly what I want in a music system.    Its just Expensive:

What does it do?

• Provide multi-room audio, with a ipod like controller - where rooms music can be linked together.    PC does not need to be on, it can pull the music off any CIFS share, meaning a NAS is all that is needed - it can read/index my entire music catalogue.
• Provide access to Napster’s library without your PC being on.
• Provide access to Internet radio stations
• Provide access to sources plugged into another Sonos box in another room from anywhere on the Sonos network..

I’ve specified my ideal system to cover the house, the downsides are it does cost a little more than I expected to pay.   Upsides are it will provide a small footprint that will mostly be hidden in the living room, and in the upstairs computer room & Bedroom area.   I then need a small additional investment to increase the coverage to the Kitchen.

Now I know the Squeezebox will do most of what Sonos will do but its currently missing the nice remote, the inbuilt amplifier and easy multi-room syncronisation (which will work lovely when I’m cooking).

So, I now just need to wait for the “xmas” bonus to pay for it all.   This will replace my old stereos around the house which have lasted the past 14 year - I do hope the Sonos system lasts at least 5 years.