|
|
| Author |
|
eejeep
|
|
Post subject: NAS suggestion for advanced home use?
Posted: Sep 25, 2008 - 09:08 PM CST
|
|
Joined: Sep 25, 2008
Posts: 2
 
Status: Offline
|
|
Well I have combed the web and read RSS until I am sick…and looking for some suggestions/discussion.
Had myself convinced the Netgear SC101T was the way to go until I realized it is not a a real open SAN system.
My goal is to provide network storage at home for media AND create a simple way to back it up.
My ideal is to have a 1TB drive in the NAS and keep the 2nd in my fire safe and periodically insert the 2nd drive and update the files then back into the safe.
Secondary need is to access the video files from my Xbox
Anyone else on a similar quest? |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
NetworkGuy
|
|
Post subject: RE: NAS suggestion for advanced home use?
Posted: Sep 26, 2008 - 04:43 PM CST
|
|
Site Admin
Joined: Apr 18, 2005
Posts: 195
    
Status: Offline
|
|
| Your plan is a pretty solid one. The only problem is the NAS in the fire safe- I'm not sure how you can power it and connect a network cable to it. You could go for a wifi NAS, but there's still the power issue. I have heard of a "fireproof" external hard drive, though it is not a NAS. There are probably some specialized solutions out there though, like a firesafe that allows cables. The best way is to also backup data OFFSITE. A firesafe can't always provide 100% protection- depending on the severity of a fire and how long it burns. There are inexpensive (and even free for like 2 gigs) offsite backup services out there like Mozy. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
eejeep
|
|
Post subject:
Posted: Sep 27, 2008 - 11:45 PM CST
|
|
Joined: Sep 25, 2008
Posts: 2
 
Status: Offline
|
|
Thanks NetworkGuy. Just to clarify, I would only “Store” the drive in my safe between backups, leaving the NAS with only 1 drive in it. Every Friday (the day I back up my work laptop) I would insert the 2nd drive into the NAS and have it mirrored to the 1st or primary drive.
I am unsure of how RAID would approach appending drive 1’s content to drive 2. Total re-write would be fine but was hoping a RAID-5 device could do an append function between 2 drives. OR in a 3 drive NAS maintain 2 mirrored drives and allow me to insert the 3rd back up drive when I want to make a fire safe copy.
Again my goals are just to have a simple network storage location. My “fire safe” trick is just a way to avoid both drives being out of commission due to lightning or NAS failure.
Agreed on the off site storage but I have about 300 Gig of family photos and videos and this will grow. My fire safe will withstand any onsite fire and already holds about 80 years of family photographs and other stuff. I made an investment to secure my physical records, photographs and 8mm movies (the fire safe) and am looking to emulate the same thing for electronic files.
Was hoping to find someone that has done the same and could share their experience. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
keneisman
|
|
Post subject:
Posted: Oct 08, 2008 - 06:06 PM CST
|
|
Joined: Oct 08, 2008
Posts: 1
 
Status: Offline
|
|
Be careful using your fire safe. It may keep your stuff from actually burning, but in a fire the inside of the safe will still get very hot. It will definitely get hot enough to melt any tape media like videos or tape backups. It will probably get hot enough to discolor things like paper and photos.
As far as your idea to swap drives (at least that's the way I read it), that will only work with a RAID 1 (mirror). Any other RAID only writes a portion of the data on each disk. (For instance, a RAID 5, like you mention, requires at least 3 drives - one drive is a parity drive and the rest of the drives in the RAID set get the data striped among them.) What you may want to consider instead is getting an external USB or eSATA drive. Most NAS's have one or both of those ports that you can plug an external drive into and then use the backup that is also built into most home NAS's to backup to that external drive. Then you could store that external drive in a safe deposit box or the home of a very good friend (you could offer to store his/her backup drive in return).
HTH
Ken |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
reeyano
|
|
Post subject:
Posted: Jan 21, 2010 - 11:01 PM CST
|
|
Joined: Jan 21, 2010
Posts: 1
 
Status: Offline
|
|
Hi there,
I'm on a very similar quest. I'm not as concerned about things being fire safe, as the plan is to have a NAS device that supports 2 mirrored drives, of which one would be stored off-site at my parents' place. But essentially it's a very similar plan to the original presented as I would want to collect that second backup drive every so often to update the backup.
I'm looking to use it as a file server as such as I have a Popcorn Hour C200, a laptop that I use at home on a wireless network and will now take to work which would be great to be able to access files from the NAS. I also like the idea of being anywhere in general and being able to access those files from home via the internet on my laptop.
I'm looking for a system that would support 1 or 1.5 TB drives, methods of connection other than simply the network, and software that (unlike the stupidest backup system known to mankind: Windows OneCare) makes backups that at a certain time period defined by me starts replacing old backups instead of continually just backing up til the drive fills. Or at the very least does incremental backups that doesn't backup eventually at ridiculous amounts larger than the actual backup space required.
Can someone please make a suggestion about a suitable solution that won't destroy a budget of around $500? If it's over I'll still consider it but surely there's an option for around that price that has most of the things I've mentioned.
Thanks for the help in advance,
Reeyano |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
|
|