Stuck: 5/6 bay, QNAP or Synology

[canuckle]

I've narrowed down my choice to either the Qnap TS-669L 6bay, or the Synology DS 1512+ 5 bay. Either way, it will be loaded with 2TB Seagate Barracuda (7200) as Raid 5 + Spare. This will serve as our media server, backup location for 5 computers, and file serving when I'm out of town. I'm currently running the following:

Cable modem in bridge mode (no NAT or DHCP) (100 down/10up)
ASUS RT-N66U
ASUS 8 port gigabit switch (to be added when activating the new NAS
Various PC/Mac/iphones/tablets/appleTV/PVR etc
Will also be adding a USB3 backup for NAS

So, now to the rest:

My wife is an amateur photog, so large file access speed to/from the server is a consideration. Typical of most creative types, if the reaction isn't instant, there must be something wrong "with the damn thing", lol.

From my research, both are close in specs, both seem to have good UI, though the nod might go to Synology there.

Questions:

1. Do you have a preference for the above use, or is it user familiarity?
2. Best setup? 6 bay would be tempting to use 4x2TB for Raid5, 1x2TB Spare, 1x 2TB backup? Just spitballing, I'm learning as I go here.
3. What, if any, features are CRITICAL in your decision when choosing?

My intention would be to use link aggregation via the switch to ensure plenty of headroom when streaming, accessing for photo storage/editing, etc.

I hope this is clear, as I said I'm new to NAS but my current media storage/backup situation dictates the need for a more elegant solution. I am aware that RAID 5 is NOT a backup if it's the only location for the files, so we can skip the admonition on that part

All and any help/responses appreciated, I'm here to learn, and I take correction well.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[thiggins]

Don't use another drive in a NAS as "backup". Backup must be on a physically separate device.

Synology and QNAP: flip a coin. It comes down to which user interface you prefer.

Link aggregation: This helps only for multiple clients and requires a switch that supports link aggregation. This means a "smart/managed" switch.

From How To Set Up Switch Link Aggregation

A final interesting aspect about a LAG is it doesn't increase throughput for individual data flows. Each data flow is limited to the bandwidth of a single link in the LAG. In a LAG with two or more 1 Gbps links, the best throughput an individual data flow will see is 1 Gbps. The real value of LAG is in increasing total (or aggregate) throughput between devices. Read this brief presentation for a nice and clear explanation.

 

[stevech]

In the QNAP vs. Synology debate, try the user interface demos on each vendor's web site. They keep a NAS on the Internet for sales demos.

I agree - that the backup of irreplaceable data needs to be on an external USB3 or eSATA drive. One you can place out of view from thieves.

In my case, that's the 3rd level backup. The 2nd level backup is a volume within my NAS that has a time backup - going back several months on all files. Plus a backup of VIP files to a 32GB SD card in the NAS. The card and the external drive are NTFS to simplify disaster recovery.

For the photo xspurt... use an external eSATA or USB3 drive on the PC. Fastest possible times. Assuming the NAS via gigE isn't fast enough. Put shares on that drive and have the NAS scoop up those files every day in a scheduled backup. Or plug that drive into the NAS (e.g., USB3) and do a manual backup every week or so.

 

[canuckle]

In my case, that's the 3rd level backup. The 2nd level backup is a volume within my NAS that has a time backup - going back several months on all files. Plus a backup of VIP files to a 32GB SD card in the NAS. The card and the external drive are NTFS to simplify disaster recovery.

Could I ask what you run for NAS? Did you build your own?

 

[stevech]

"Could I ask what you run for NAS? Did you build your own? "

I tried a DIY approach with an unused Atom Mini-ITX PC I had. I tried all the free software for NAS. None was anywhere near as complete in features and as easy to config and forget as in good commercial NAS.

After excessive research (my wife says I over-study), I am happy with my Synology DS212. I bought it diskless, and used 2TB drives that I already had (dissimilar drives), in a non-RAID config.

 

[canuckle]

So now that I've had a little more time to research things, it seems that Synology's DSM 4.x has full support for OSX Mountain Lion, can someone confirm?

My NAS will be used in a 100% Apple Environment (my PC's are being phased out). It would seem that QNap are having some trouble in the Apple environment, but I haven't completely confirmed this. To be more specific and elaborate on my first post, my intended uses are:

• iTunes Library resides on NAS and is available on the network
• iPhoto Library/Aperture Library reside on the NAS and are available on the iMac
• All desktop/laptop backups are on the NAS via TimeMachine
• Files I need to access when on the road will be on the NAS
• ftp will be set up and made available to my contacts that need it
• I'm building a robust library of HD movies, and will want to play them back from the NAS

I'm currently shopping for a switch that will work with LAG, but I'm sure I can figure that part out.

My outstanding/new questions:

• Considering the above specific use cases, do you see any problems?
• Will Synology 1512+ allow storage of all files, time machine backups, etc for use by OSX Mountain Lion?
• Can someone point me to a step by step on how to set up the NAS out of the box? Specifically, partitions for backups, file storage, etc that can be used in the OSX Mountain Lion environment? I am sorry if these are elementary questions, this is new to me.
• My understanding is the the file format will have to be native to the NAS, correct? In other words, I won't be able to format the drives in the box to HFS+

Again, I'm appreciative of your patience

 

[stevech]

I'm not MACintosh literate. But the SMB standard is what most all devices use to ensure interoperability. Though Apple and Microsoft have their own private schemes for file sharing as well, both and all NASes support SMB.

Setting up one of those NASes - if you've not done it, needs a mentor. Most important is to understand your options and plan carefully. If you make the wrong choice on strategy, you lose a lot of time rolling out all the data, reformatting/restructuring, and rolling in the data (assuming you have an external device).

I'd say the first question is: do you want the NAS to have just one volume spanning ALL drives? I didn't go this way, because if that volume (file system) becomes corrupt, even without a drive fault, RAID does you no good. So an option is to have two volumes, each half-sized, one backing up the other (automated). AND you need an external eSATA or USB3 drive to backup VIP folders. And maybe keep that external drive away from risk of theft.

 

[relax]

@canuckle
I use a DS1511+ in a Apple-only environment to do most of the things you asked about.

Will write more later today about the specific setup.

 

[relax]

This is what I have:
DS1511+ (running DSM OS 4.1-2661) with Intel D525 Atom CPU (dual-core @ 1.8GHz), 3GB RAM ( 800MHz DDR2 ), RAID6 volume of 5x 1.82 TiB HDD (Seagate Barracuda Green ST2000DL003, 64MB DDR400 cache, 4x 500GB platter) protected by APC Back-UPS ES 700 (BE700G-GR)

So now that I've had a little more time to research things, it seems that Synology's DSM 4.x has full support for OSX Mountain Lion, can someone confirm?

Confirmed, mine interacts fully with a MacBook running OS X Lion, and another MacBook running OS X Mountain Lion.

my intended uses are:

• iTunes Library resides on NAS and is available on the network

http://forum.synology.com/enu/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=52384#p200650

• iPhoto Library/Aperture Library reside on the NAS and are available on the iMac

http://forum.synology.com/enu/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=52384#p200861

• All desktop/laptop backups are on the NAS via TimeMachine

http://forum.synology.com/enu/viewtopic.php?f=159&t=51815#p198063

• Files I need to access when on the road will be on the NAS

http://forum.synology.com/enu/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=51449#p196696
http://forum.synology.com/enu/viewtopic.php?f=173&t=40649&start=15#p183733

• I'm building a robust library of HD movies, and will want to play them back from the NAS

http://forum.synology.com/enu/viewtopic.php?f=114&t=44251#p195503

 

[canuckle]

Thank you Steve for the reply sir.

@relax, THANK YOU for taking so much time with that reply! That is a massive help to me. Ok, off to order and plan a roll out

 

[relax]

My data path is the following:
(INTERNET) --- Cable 120/10 Mbps --- [Cable Modem] --- CAT 6a 1 Gbps --- [TimeCapsule Switch/Router] === 2xCAT 6a 1Gbps === [DS1511+]

The TimeCapsule is also connected via a CAT 5e cable to a Devolo AVMini 500 Mbps Homeplug device to allow network over powerline in the house. 4 security cameras are connected with other homeplug devices and controlled via the Surveillance Station running on the DS1511+.

A 3TB HDD is also plugged in via USB in the DS1511+ to backup some of its folders and settings using the Time backup

 

[canuckle]

So picked up everything tonight, went with the 1512+ and 5x 3TB Seagate Barracuda, which I'll run as a 4 disc raid 5 and hot spare. A couple of questions if you don't mind?

1. Is it better to run a normal Raid 5 or or the Synology Hybrid Raid (SHR) ? I get the difference but is one more reliable than the other?

2. Here's my data path: Internet-->Cable Modem (100/5 Mbps)-->Cat 6-->ASUS RT-N66U --> Cat 6 -->NetGear ProSafe GS105E Managed Switch-->Cat 6 x 2 for LAG -->DS1512+

My question on #2 is, can I have network devices plugged into both the ASUS and the Netgear switch? or does everything have to go to the switch? I believe both is fine, but want to confirm.

Again, thank you for your help, I'm pretty excited to start assembling tomorrow!

Mike

My data path is the following:
(INTERNET) --- Cable 120/10 Mbps --- [Cable Modem] --- CAT 6a 1 Gbps --- [TimeCapsule Switch/Router] === 2xCAT 6a 1Gbps === [DS1511+]

The TimeCapsule is also connected via a CAT 5e cable to a Devolo AVMini 500 Mbps Homeplug device to allow network over powerline in the house. 4 security cameras are connected with other homeplug devices and controlled via the Surveillance Station running on the DS1511+.

A 3TB HDD is also plugged in via USB in the DS1511+ to backup some of its folders and settings using the Time backup

 

[relax]

Were you able to finally set up VPN for remote connection to the NAS?

1. Is it better to run a normal Raid 5 or or the Synology Hybrid Raid (SHR) ? I get the difference but is one more reliable than the other?

If you employ 4 equal-size disks, it is my understanding that the SHR is actually implemented as a RAID 5 configuration, so there should be no difference in reliability

2. Here's my data path: Internet-->Cable Modem (100/5 Mbps)-->Cat 6-->ASUS RT-N66U --> Cat 6 -->NetGear ProSafe GS105E Managed Switch-->Cat 6 x 2 for LAG -->DS1512+

My question on #2 is, can I have network devices plugged into both the ASUS and the Netgear switch? or does everything have to go to the switch? I believe both is fine, but want to confirm.

I don't see reasons why it shouldn't work if you plug devices on any point of the data path.

 

[canuckle]

Hey relax, I'm working on it again tonite. Feeling a little dumb right now TBH but I will get it. It's just all new to me

 

[canuckle]

So I have the VPN working and can access via the iPhone app. Working on access via PC and getting iTunes running inside the network. So far so good

 

[relax]

An example on how to setup VPN client on a Mac: http://www.it.northwestern.edu/oncampus/vpn/native/mac.html
Here an example on how to setup a VPN client on Windows 7: http://www.pcworld.com/article/210562/how_set_up_vpn_in_windows_7.html

 

[relax]

I hope that you were able to set up the iTunes Library on your DiskStation.

 

[canuckle]

Yup I can see it from the computers, but still working on the Apple TV

 

[relax]

Are you using the iTunes Server running on the DiskStation or do you use the server of one of your PC with the library located on the NAS?

And, moreover, is your ATV jailbroken? If not, and if you are running the server on the NAS, the ATV cannot see it.
http://forum.synology.com/enu/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=48497#p196697

 

[canuckle]

Are you using the iTunes Server running on the DiskStation or do you use the server of one of your PC with the library located on the NAS?

And, moreover, is your ATV jailbroken? If not, and if you are running the server on the NAS, the ATV cannot see it.
http://forum.synology.com/enu/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=48497#p196697

it would seem that I'm getting the full deal without jailbreaking then, is it hard, and is it worth it?

Thanks for your continued interest