Build or Buy?

[Syntax42]

I just took over the only IT position at my company's office and there are a lot of things to improve. NAS is a new concept to me, but seems simple enough. Remote file access is high priority, and I think a NAS is a better solution than our current Windows 2008 server, which could be set up to do more useful things.

We definitely need secure remote access. Complex passwords should be enough, as long as the data is encrypted as it travels the internet. Other than that and ~2TB of storage, we won't be putting a ton of load on the system.

Is it possible to build a NAS for cheaper than an equivalent purchase? Which is more reliable for the cost? Can FreeNAS do everything we need for remote access?

 

[stevech]

My make/buy decision, after trying most all the freeeware NAS software, was that the extra features and ease of use of the NAS software, plus the relatively low cost of a small commercial NAS, led me to choose Synology.

 

[travisco_nabisco]

If you are doing this for a company I believe the best option is to buy. You do not want to be responsible for troubleshooting issues with hardware that you configured. It is much easier to have hardware that is already warranty supported and doesn't suck as much of your time.