NAS o not NAS....

[Redallert]

Hi to everyone,

I follow SNB for a while, I follow SNB by a bit 'of time, I read your useful reviews , but now I ask your advice to solve my problem. Probably the issue has already been addressed in the past, but I could not find my part.

I need to store data (including for working document), photos, music and videos and access them from 2 MacBook Pro, 2 iPhone, iPad and iPad mini, Smart TV from my home network and the need remotely. (When I or my wife travel to work to access the data stored at home). the dilemma is I really need a NAS?

My current home network is formed:
- wi-fi network is provided by an asus RT-AC68U router (great performance, and thanks Merlin for MerlinWRT) connected to ADSL modem
- every other devices (MacBook Pros, iPhones, iPads, Samsung SmartTv and Sony Bravia AndroidTv, wireless printer) have wireless internet access through the RT-AC68U
- a 2 gen 1Tb Time Capsule is used for the Time Machine's backup of the 2 MacBook Pros and is wireless connected ti the wireless network created by RT-AC68U

So...
- is it whort for my need buy a NAS (Qnap or Synology) ? And is better 2-bay NAS with no mirroring or just a 1-bay NAS?
- or silo be better simply connect an external HDD via USB 3 to the router or the Gigabit Ethernet ports on the router and make the WRT AiCloud accervi interface for remote or passing through the BackToMyMac TimeCapsule?

For the backup of all the data i will use another external drive with scheduled backups

Thanks you all

 

[pete y testing]

So...
- is it whort for my need buy a NAS (Qnap or Synology) ?

always

And is better 2-bay NAS with no mirroring or just a 1-bay NAS?

a 1 bay nas isnt really a nas in that it wont save your data is the hdd crashes

i guess it depends on how important that data at home is and if it where lost due to a hdd failure would it be a massive issue , if so then always go multiple hdd with raid type configuration / mirroring

or silo be better simply connect an external HDD via USB 3 to the router

worse thing you could do

or the Gigabit Ethernet ports on the router and make the WRT AiCloud accervi interface for remote or passing through the BackToMyMac TimeCapsule?

messy but might work

For the backup of all the data i will use another external drive with scheduled backups

so that in its self makes things complex , where if you got a real NAS with proper redundancy and backup solutions the whole lot would take care of its self

i think you knew the answer before you asked your question and just needed the push in the right direction

 

[Redallert]

thanks for your answer

as you say, I already knew the answer, but I needed to be addressed only in the right direction ...
But one thing still bothers me, I read in the forum that the RAID 1 does not put safe from accidental damage, malfunction, file system corruption, accidental deletion of data once they are deleted immediately even from the second hard and lost forever (unless last version on the monthly / weekly backups ... etc.) and that it would be preferable to use a disk to the NAS file system software and according to my information ...

but at this point neither would fail the usefulness of a 2-bay NAS?

and second, what can I do with my TC?

Thanks

 

[thiggins]

Any computer can be used to store and serve files centrally. A NAS is just a dedicated appliance that performs the same functions, plus usually many other services (media serving, FTP, etc.)

Good backup practice requires that data be stored on multiple physical devices, preferably in different physical locations. RAID, not matter what level, will not protect you from device failure, theft, fire, etc.

RAID 1 minimizes downtime in the event of drive failure. You can continue to access data while you replace the drive and the volume is rebuilt.

The storage sharing functions built into the ASUS router are fine for basic sharing. But the ASUS has no backup features. All that would need to be handled by programs running on the devices that are backed up.

If remote access is an important requirement, make sure you understand whether ports need to be opened on your router or whether a relay server is used. I have experience only with WD in this regard. Their remote access works well and reliably for both Windows and mobile devices.

 

[Redallert]

Thanks thiggins for your clarifications,

probably I did not realize the full potential / function of mirroring.

From what you wrote, for my needs might be fine a WD MyClour Mirror or EX2 Ultra, although the cost difference is not so much compared to a Ds216j or TS-228

 

[RMerlin]

RAID 1 minimizes downtime in the event of drive failure. You can continue to access data while you replace the drive and the volume is rebuilt.

It also greatly reduces the chance of data loss in case of a hard disk failure, since people rarely implement some form of CDP on their personal/SMB data, and your typical backup is done on a daily basis. Hard disk failure in a non-raid setup implies losing any data changed since the last backup.

 

[sfx2000]

Good backup practice requires that data be stored on multiple physical devices, preferably in different physical locations. RAID, not matter what level, will not protect you from device failure, theft, fire, etc.

I'll add - please make sure that the NAS is included in that backup plan... the primary NAS vendors all have backup apps in their suite of programs...

Too many folks back up workstations to the NAS - which is a good thing - and then miss backing up the NAS itself - which is doubly dangerous due to the consolidation/concentration of data on the NAS, and the higher probability of a NAS having a single disk issue in a RAID configuration...

(more disks in a RAID, the higher the probability of a single disk having an issue across the volume)