Hey all,
I am looking into a NAS for home use. My current setup is 2 macbook pro's, 1 Mac Mini, iMac, Time Capsule, networked printer, and HP Procurve 1400-24G gigabit switch. The house is wired with CAT5e in all rooms and hoping to add either Sonos ZonePlayer network speaker or other networked audio system in the future. My needs are as follows:
1. File server (most likely AFP as all machines are Macs) for:
*centralized iTunes library
*large iPhoto library
*streaming large movies and tv
*stream library to networked mac mini acting as HTPC, and networked iMac
2. Time Machine backup for mac mini, iMac, and two macbook pro's.
3. Remote file access from work on iPhone (if possible) and work PC, and access NAS files from college. If any more info about the college network and system, i can provide some info, but not a lot. As a primary priority, I need the connection to be secure. What protocol would this likely be? FTP(secure)?
4. Need relatively rock-solid operation as the parents aren't super tech savvy for maintenance.
5. Capacity isn't really an issue as long as it is equal or exceeding 2 TB in any RAID setup. 2 or 4 bays is fine, although I know that more bays allows expandability and more flexible RAID setups.
6. I know a little about RAID (just RAID 0,1) but would like to know more and the benefits of each.
I am not set on any specific NAS manufacturer, although I have looked into QNAP products and they seem workable. However, I do not know enough about iSCSI targets and all of the other applications that come with a quality NAS. Some of the models appear to support Time Machine backup for OSX 10.6
Price or brand isn't really a factor. Obviously cheaper is better, but I am really looking into a quality setup; one that runs just as stated, dependable, and doesn't require too much technical expertise to upkeep. Hoping to pick up some computer science courses in the coming semesters, but for now just general info. I do have some working knowledge, but am in over my head when it comes to NAS features and abilities.
I saw that some of the QNAP NAS's had a capability of sending email or SMS to alert of system problems or malfunctions.
Any input on models or if this is even feasible would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
I am looking into a NAS for home use. My current setup is 2 macbook pro's, 1 Mac Mini, iMac, Time Capsule, networked printer, and HP Procurve 1400-24G gigabit switch. The house is wired with CAT5e in all rooms and hoping to add either Sonos ZonePlayer network speaker or other networked audio system in the future. My needs are as follows:
1. File server (most likely AFP as all machines are Macs) for:
*centralized iTunes library
*large iPhoto library
*streaming large movies and tv
*stream library to networked mac mini acting as HTPC, and networked iMac
2. Time Machine backup for mac mini, iMac, and two macbook pro's.
3. Remote file access from work on iPhone (if possible) and work PC, and access NAS files from college. If any more info about the college network and system, i can provide some info, but not a lot. As a primary priority, I need the connection to be secure. What protocol would this likely be? FTP(secure)?
4. Need relatively rock-solid operation as the parents aren't super tech savvy for maintenance.
5. Capacity isn't really an issue as long as it is equal or exceeding 2 TB in any RAID setup. 2 or 4 bays is fine, although I know that more bays allows expandability and more flexible RAID setups.
6. I know a little about RAID (just RAID 0,1) but would like to know more and the benefits of each.
I am not set on any specific NAS manufacturer, although I have looked into QNAP products and they seem workable. However, I do not know enough about iSCSI targets and all of the other applications that come with a quality NAS. Some of the models appear to support Time Machine backup for OSX 10.6
Price or brand isn't really a factor. Obviously cheaper is better, but I am really looking into a quality setup; one that runs just as stated, dependable, and doesn't require too much technical expertise to upkeep. Hoping to pick up some computer science courses in the coming semesters, but for now just general info. I do have some working knowledge, but am in over my head when it comes to NAS features and abilities.
I saw that some of the QNAP NAS's had a capability of sending email or SMS to alert of system problems or malfunctions.
Any input on models or if this is even feasible would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
