c'mon back

So, over a month has passed since I started using FreeNAS – what do I have to say about it?
To put it simply, it works.
The networked drives are always on my network and accessible from any computer on my network (not a security problem given that wireless is protected by a WEP key and physically plugging in is… well… difficult), I have never had a hiccup from the FreeNAS software, and SyncBack successfully synchronizes all of its designated directories once a week without the slightest difficulty.
The simple fact is that if you have an old, unused computer and hard drives laying around the house (and, these days, who does not?), you have no excuse for not having a NAS system – the setup for FreeNAS is a little intimidating, especially given the cantankerous nature of FreeBSD, but if you follow the instructions, even a *nix newbie like me can manage it. And once it is set up, once the drives are formatted and partitioned as you desire, and once all the network mapping is completed, you can pretty much forget about it, which is just about ideal in my world.
And, trust me, you can never have too many backups – for example, I have a smallish laptop drive currently functioning as the daily partial backup for my computer, and the FreeNAS server performing its weekly backup of everything. Having had to pack up and boogie for not only a hurricane but also wildfires, being able to grab one, small piece of equipment (i.e. the externally-enclosed laptop drive) and know that all of your important digital documents and pictures are on it is definitely a good feeling indeed.