I cannot say enough nice things about my 3TB Time Capsule. Quiet, unobtrusive, automatic – has saved my whole family’s bacon numerous times. $500 well spent.
Walter
On Aug 29, 2012, at 7:37 PM, DeltaDave wrote:
For what I need (network backup/storage) NAS is ideal.
This assumes that you will be backing up from more than 1 computer as a NAS is not required if it is only attached to a single unit. But you knew that.
I don’t know how much the Synology unit costs but depending on what your BackUp /Storage requirements are it may not be the most cost effective method.
I agree there are a lot of good options besides NAS, I’ve amassed quite a wish-list! But I like the wireless aspect and there are 2 computers that will be using it.
Todd
On Aug 29, 2012, at 6:37 PM, DeltaDave email@hidden wrote:
For what I need (network backup/storage) NAS is ideal.
This assumes that you will be backing up from more than 1 computer as a NAS is not required if it is only attached to a single unit. But you knew that.
I don’t know how much the Synology unit costs but depending on what your BackUp /Storage requirements are it may not be the most cost effective method.
If you’re going to use it as a file server, then it’s an excellent choice. If you’re only running backups on it, I wouldn’t say it’s such a good deal. We have in our house 3 laptops (used to be 4 before the oldest went to college), two desktops, and one file server. All of them back up their system drive to the TimeMachine hourly, and have been doing so for more than a year. The 3TB drive is still half-empty.
Walter
On Aug 29, 2012, at 7:45 PM, Todd wrote:
I agree there are a lot of good options besides NAS, I’ve amassed quite a wish-list! But I like the wireless aspect and there are 2 computers that will be using it.
Todd
On Aug 29, 2012, at 6:37 PM, DeltaDave email@hidden wrote:
For what I need (network backup/storage) NAS is ideal.
This assumes that you will be backing up from more than 1 computer as a NAS is not required if it is only attached to a single unit. But you knew that.
I don’t know how much the Synology unit costs but depending on what your BackUp /Storage requirements are it may not be the most cost effective method.
It’s a server-class disk and wireless base station and 4-port Gigabit Ethernet switch all in one tasteful Jony Ive package. Imagine an Airport Extreme that’s the same height and about 1 inch wider and deeper.
Walter
On Aug 29, 2012, at 7:47 PM, Todd wrote:
Time Capsule slipped through my net. I never looked into it. Nice, huh? I’ll take a peek.
The Synology model I’m looking at does come with php, phpmyadmin, mysql and support for other 3rd party apps though I don’t know if that stuff can be updated/customized by me or not. But given the php/mysql stuff I’m wondering if I could also use it as a dev platform. Anyway, it comes bundled with a load of stuff which, for all I know, may be typical of NAS software.
Todd
On Aug 29, 2012, at 4:13 PM, Walter Lee Davis email@hidden wrote:
It’s unlikely that there is MySQL running on it, the configuration files are changed so infrequently that they probably use text files for that, and the logs are either maintained in memory or tailed onto another text file.
If you like tinkering with things then they can be great fun to root and load up with anything you like; PHP, MySQL, Perl etc. Alternatively of the box both boxes do Time Machine backups for me as well as act as iTunes servers. There is a load of stuff that I don’t use that is built in; DNLA media streaming to other devices, unattended peer to peer downloads, automated FTP backups from remote servers.
I certainly wouldn’t say they are ‘best in class’ but if you are looking for something to do automated backups, maybe FTP serving and are interested in hacking them at a later date then they are worth a look. I would say, however, that I got the firmware sorted on mine and (touch wood) they run fine with my Macs and PCs here although I have read reports from others who have updated their OS and found that their D-Link has stopped working. D-Link aren’t great at releasing firmware updates all that often.
Regards,
Tim.
That’s an interesting point, one I could comment on. These are “appliance” products, built to do a job and sold at a price point. While you can press them into further service, they are not built as general-purpose servers, nor would you find one in a data center anywhere (the rent on a single rack space would far exceed the cost of the hardware almost immediately).
The TimeCapsule is not a server-class product any more than these NASen are, either. It’s even more of an appliance than the embedded Linux marvels you and Tim have detailed. It does have a very nice disk in it, though, but still a single disk.
If you have multiple off-site and on-site backups, then any of these devices will be a great addition to your data storage plan. If you were putting all of your eggs in one basket, I would want a better basket.
Walter
On Aug 30, 2012, at 12:17 PM, Todd wrote:
Tim Plumb wrote:
I certainly wouldn’t say they are ‘best in class’
Hi Tim,
By this do you mean NAS in general or specifically the D-Link?
Hi Todd,
Specifically I was talking about the D-Links. They are OK (mine are hidden away from the world in a well ventilated cupboard) although the build quality isn’t amazing and there can be a few rough edges with the software at times. I suspect I’ll eventually replace them with a dedicated Time Capsule as that will keep up with the Mac OS upgrades without dropping a beat.
NAS is generally OK as a technology although I’ve had some truly dreadful transfer speeds with some older generic enclosures. If all you want is a networked backup drive then even a slow NAS will be fine but if you want to update your data in real time then look for something that can handle the throughput or you’ll soon be pulling your hair out.
Regards,
Tim.
On 30 Aug 2012, at 17:17, Todd wrote:
By this do you mean NAS in general or specifically the D-Link?
If all you want is a networked backup drive then even a slow NAS will be fine but if you want to update your data in real time then look for something that can handle the throughput or you’ll soon be pulling your hair out.
Thanks Tim. It appears the new Synology models should be very fast -
certainly fast enough for my needs, though I’m waiting for a couple of
professional reviews to come out before I put down my $.
These are “appliance” products, built to do a job and sold at a price point. While you can press them into further service, they are not built as general-purpose servers
Thanks Walter. I’m learning a lot.
I certainly don’t require a server-class product and I do think I would
find a lot of the NAS bundled software (at least with the Synology
models) useful. I think an “appliance” product is best for my needs
right now, though I have to say I’m glad to have learned what these
different products are best-suited for. It would be very easy to make an
expensive mistake.