A few questions on my first NAS

[Majic12]

First off I want to thank everyone here for all the info I have gathered...My head is swollen so my questions may seem redundant...

my needs:

I have to put all my pictures/music/documents in one place... I have 4 pc's that need to access all the info

I want to have a backup of this info

I do not want the files stored on my original 4 pc's unless they are heavily accessed which very few are...

my questions:

I keep reading that using RAID is not very smart because of various issues like power failures and such but then what is the point of RAID? Im confused to the 10th degree on this...I need a backup of my files that I store on the NAS I want to buy and using a dual drive NAS seems so perfect it is scary... Is there even a reason to look into a RAID 1 configuration or will using a single drive NAS offer me a better solution even though it will most likely be powered off the same circuit

Here is what I widdled my choices to...

Linksys media hub... very simple to use and I wont have my wife asking me 10000 questions about where her pictures are... can add in a second drive for redundancy?!?!

Linkstation Pro ... seems like its faster performing and has better online security... Can this thing backup to another drive? and what kind of drive ?

I will be running this on my wireless network which I plan on upgrading which is another whole nightmare trying to figure out...

Does the Buffalo memeo software with only 1 license mean I can only send files from 1 computer automatically?

MOST IMPORTANT...lol

When I go to put files on the NAS is there anyway to stop multiple copies of files and pictures from landing on the NAS?

put it this way... I probably have 4-6 copies of every picture sitting on the 4 pc's because I lost a drive once and am still freaked out ... I want to do a big purge of redundant photos and files ...

 

[thiggins]

I keep reading that using RAID is not very smart because of various issues like power failures and such but then what is the point of RAID? Im confused to the 10th degree on this...I need a backup of my files that I store on the NAS I want to buy and using a dual drive NAS seems so perfect it is scary... Is there even a reason to look into a RAID 1 configuration or will using a single drive NAS offer me a better solution even though it will most likely be powered off the same circuit

RAID came about to allow multiple smaller drives to be combined to form a single larger volume. In these days of Terabyte drives, it isn't necessary for many users, since single drives can satisfy capacity needs.
Read this for a perspective on single vs. multiple drives.

For backup, please read Smart SOHOs Don't Do RAID.

Any NAS you choose should be put on a UPS.

Linksys media hub... very simple to use and I wont have my wife asking me 10000 questions about where her pictures are... can add in a second drive for redundancy?!?!

Yes you can.

Linkstation Pro ... seems like its faster performing and has better online security... Can this thing backup to another drive? and what kind of drive ?

It can back up to an attached USB drive. It also supports NAS-to-NAS backup to another Buffalo NAS.

I will be running this on my wireless network which I plan on upgrading which is another whole nightmare trying to figure out...

Wireless is definitely not recommended if you care about transfer speed. An 802.11g network will limit typical transfer speeds to 1-2 MB/s and draft 11n will raise that only to typically 5 - 7 MB/s. You need a Gigabit Ethernet connection to take full advantage of the speeds that both the Linksys Media Hub or LinkStation Pro can deliver.

Does the Buffalo memeo software with only 1 license mean I can only send files from 1 computer automatically?

You are limited to installing the Memeo backup software on one machine.

When I go to put files on the NAS is there anyway to stop multiple copies of files and pictures from landing on the NAS?

You'll need to do that manually or run an application to find duplicate files. No NASes perform data de-duplication.
I have no recommendation here. But search for duplicate file finder remover and I'm sure you'll find plenty of candidates.

 

[Majic12]

Awesome...thanks for clearing most of that up for me...

Just a few more questions and I think im finished with this part of my tech upgrading ...

So using a 2 bay drive system like a mediahub with 2 drives or a terrastation II would not be the best approach for me to take since im really concerned about file backup/redundancy. Basically because if the main box fails than so does my backups...

That being said using a single disk NAS and a seperate backup is a way better option for my backup needs.

This is all making more sense now

In regards to file transfer speeds for my nas...

You probably just saved me big time by alerting me to the fact that my transfer speeds will be horrible with wireless...that being said would powerline networking help that ? I have no ability to run cat5 in my house...at least economically.

I will post my network questions in a different forum...thanks

 

[thiggins]

Using another drive on the same device is not backup. If the CPU or power supply fails, or if the device is stolen, there goes all your data.

 

[Christian_IA]

Using another drive on the same device is not backup. If the CPU or power supply fails, or if the device is stolen, there goes all your data.

Power failure or CPU failure often won't currupt the whole data, especially with raid1.
Against burglars, there isn'rt anything else than remote backup or hiding the NAS well.