Help Me Spend Money!!!

[rpr]

Hey guys...I've been building my own computers for years but I'm a bit new to NAS so bear with me. Here's some basic info:

• 
  I barely ever use my PC anymore and just use my laptops so I am looking for a network storage solution. I currently have a Netgear WNDR3700 wireles router and plan to connect a NAS to it for wireless access to all my files.

• 
  The NAS will be for ALL my files, Word Docs, spreadsheets, pictures (many), MP3's (not many but may grow substantially), etc.

• 
  I also need a backup solution. Was thinking RAID and just read that RAID is not reliable for primary backup purposes. Just connect a USP drive to the NAS via USB for backup? Any recommendations on an external USP drive for backup?

• I like the Synology products. The 710+ looks great. More than I need, but I would prefer to overbuy than underbuy. The two bays seems a bit limiting, but two 2TB drives should cover me...would be a bummer if I tapped this out though...I curently have less than 1TB of files.

• I'm looking for something fast. I tried just using a 2TB WD MY Book Essential connected to the Netgear WNDR3700 and it was unbearable (although that may just work as a backup solution...still returnable at this point).

Any recommendations???

 

[thiggins]

If you are going to be accessing the NAS via wireless, even 802.11n, you won't be able to use anywhere near the throughput that all current design NASes have. Best case throughput over wireless will be less than you get with a 100 Mbps wired connection.

You can use a USB drive for backing up the NAS. But backup to a completely physically separate NAS (or computer share) is preferable for security and robustness.

 

[rpr]

So would you say the Synopsis 710+ is overkill if its connected to an N++ wireless router (I consistently get minimum connection speeds of 150Mbps).

 

[thiggins]

So would you say the Synopsis 710+ is overkill if its connected to an N++ wireless router (I consistently get minimum connection speeds of 150Mbps).

Any current NAS will be limited by even the best 802.11n connection. You are most likely quoting link rate, not actual throughput. The two are quite different. See SmallNetBuilder's Wireless FAQ: The Essentials .