Help with NAS setup/suggestions

[brn2rnjk1]

I have done about as much research and now need to ask question if someone can help. I am a newbie on this so sorry if I am not asking this correctly. I have a wired home network with a power switch. We use mostly Macs (wired and ethernet). We run Sonos off of one of the macs for our music. Each computer has a standalone portable backup and I have started using Crashplan as an external backup. Here is what I want to do

1. Use NAS to run iTunes and Sonos. Manly want to put all of our libraries (music/movies) on the NAS to save storage and allow movie play on various computers.

2. Use NAS to store photos and home made Final Cut Pro

3. Run and Save bittorent (if possible, otherwise will just transfer from mac)

4. Use NAS (separate disk?) to act as a backup for all of this (if possible).

I think I want an expandable system and maybe start out with around 6TB

I need a system that can run in a hotter spot (may not be a perfectly temp controlled room). I have looked at Qnap and Synology but I am confused on what I really need. I have also looked at Seagate drives

 

[stevech]

I have done about as much research and now need to ask question if someone can help. I am a newbie on this so sorry if I am not asking this correctly. I have a wired home network with a power switch. We use mostly Macs (wired and ethernet). We run Sonos off of one of the macs for our music. Each computer has a standalone portable backup and I have started using Crashplan as an external backup. Here is what I want to do

1. Use NAS to run iTunes and Sonos. Manly want to put all of our libraries (music/movies) on the NAS to save storage and allow movie play on various computers.

2. Use NAS to store photos and home made Final Cut Pro

3. Run and Save bittorent (if possible, otherwise will just transfer from mac)

4. Use NAS (separate disk?) to act as a backup for all of this (if possible).

I think I want an expandable system and maybe start out with around 6TB

I need a system that can run in a hotter spot (may not be a perfectly temp controlled room). I have looked at Qnap and Synology but I am confused on what I really need. I have also looked at Seagate drives

Either QNAP or Synology has all those functions and a good user interface. I own the latter.

Suggestion: Decide if you really need 6TB of storage (this excludes any redundancy in storage). The price breaks in NAS are large when you go from a two drive product to a 4 or more drive product. And external backup at 2TB and up gets almost impractical for a home user.


Preachy: A NAS in RAID mode has no backup. Either use the NAS in a multi-volume mode with integral automated backup (as I do), and/or use eSATA or USB3 for backup to a large external drive.

 

[brn2rnjk1]

Thanks. There sure is a big difference in prices, but I may have to go with a bigger one to do all we are doing. Do you have a recommendation on drives and or NAS itself.

 

[stevech]

Research the reviews on this web site. Also some of the reviews on newegg are from reasonably erudite users but you have to ignore a lot of the comments.

And test drive on-line - QNAP and Synology have such websites.

 

[summerdream]

How do you backup to a large external drive? Do you use Synology's "local backup" or other software?

Also why is multi-volume integral backup is advantageous over simple RAID1? If one of the disks died in the multi-volume setup, would you have all your data intact?

Either QNAP or Synology has all those functions and a good user interface. I own the latter.

Suggestion: Decide if you really need 6TB of storage (this excludes any redundancy in storage). The price breaks in NAS are large when you go from a two drive product to a 4 or more drive product. And external backup at 2TB and up gets almost impractical for a home user.


Preachy: A NAS in RAID mode has no backup. Either use the NAS in a multi-volume mode with integral automated backup (as I do), and/or use eSATA or USB3 for backup to a large external drive.