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NAS for backup only? - Enquiries - 02-28-2020
I'm an advanced user, have had many servers and various boxes over the years. In this case, I just want a simple RAID1 or RAID3/5 NAS for local backup (time machine) of family computers. That's it.
Seems easy, right? But I want to avoid, if possible, the dreaded scenario where the box or raid fails and you are left with a proprietary junk and can't rebuild your drives or recover your data.
I don't want plex, or any other server apps for this usage.
Based on your writing on this site, it seems like the Asustor LockerStor 2 AS6602T might be the best bet-- but I never heard of them, don't know how realiable their hardware is, and if it will last 4 years minimum (that's my usual tech replacement timeframe).
Thanks!
NAS for backup only? - ed - 02-10-2021
When choosing NAS for backups there are few things to look out for. Any NAS will be able to run a file server and therefore automated can be done on a computer side. But some other NAS will automate backups on the server-side. If you want a snapshot technology you may want a NAS with Celeron based processor. This will protect your NAS against things like ransomware and accidental data deletion. You will also get file version control just like on Dropbox. So if you made some changes in the file by mistake, you can always roll back to a few previous versions. Some models also come with a USB quick copy button at the front. This is a configurable button and will automatically copy data from/to the attached USB drive. This is helpful if you do weekly backups on the external disk. You can also set up a remote replication service with another NAS over the internet. Either it is your seconds NAS or friend's NAS, your data will be automatically stored remotely and be encrypted. This protects your data against disasters like floods/fire/thieves.If you are looking at the future proof and reliable solutions then Synology will be the best choice. Plus series such as DS220 /420+ would be a great choice. Not only Celeron will keep things fast but you can also easily upgrade it later.I hope this helps.