Hi everyone, first post for me here, and I am quite glad to find a forum that seems to be dedicated to the general NAS issue and not have to post my question on the forum for a single manufacturer, or on a forum devoted to one NAS OS or hardware.
I have read through the sticky at the top of this NAS Buying Advice section of the forums. I didn't quite get through all the article, but I take this question:
"What do you want it to do?"
and so here is roughly what I am looking for:
1. Backup my computers in an extremely reliable automated way and allow for restoring with near-zero hassle, near-zero technical capability. I am not a pro or technician, nor a hobbyist. In my home-office environment I have owned and tried to administer to my windows computers for 20 years, but am trying to avoid spending time on the joys of computers.... I've done it in the past but these days ---- no, some other time maybe. I just want to be prudent and have great backup available and so the next time my laptop hard drive dies and I buy a replacement driver or computer, I don't have to scratch my head and say "ok, so what do I do now, and have I just lost 2 weeks of email and work because something wasn't going well with my not-rock-solid backup plan, and after 20 years couldn't I just learn the lesson?"
This is the primary goal.... a really reliable excellent efficient backup plan that does not require me (any more than is inherent to the matter) to become some sort of super-uber-hobbyist.
2. Backup its own files properly.
For example, If I use the NAS as the "primary" place to store files (for example, keeping music on the NAS and not on my laptop), then there should be reliable backups of those files.
3. Assuming I may buy another 4-drive device, not reguire a degree in computer engineering or a 3 hour phone call every time a drive or two goes bad (including not losing any of the above backup information). Note here that I do not understand the discussions of different networking and RAID choices and probably never really will. (For example, QNAP sounds very good, and they seem committed to the market, but it sounds like it is a bit more oriented toward technically-savvy folks, so I am a bit wary). I can probably follow instructions properly on a well-designed machine that has been consumer-idiot-proofed via some years out there on the markets (please excuse the blunt terminology, I am just trying to cut to the chase here).
4. Save Energy. If possible, I would like to avoid a device which keeps 4 drives spinning 24x7x365. I have four drives in my HP MediaSmart Server (I think EX 475?.... bought shortly after they came out, circa 2007-2008) and I had to go to great lengths to install and make work properly the "lights out" add-in which helps me keep it turned on only a few hours a day, for backups. Synology looks very good, on this point. I am wary of machines which seem to indicate that their hibernation or stand-by or spin-down features are a battle or problematic to get working insofar as I have been-there and done-that with Microsoft and HP. I am slightly wary of whether DROBO would actually deliver energy-saving features without my having to spend a lot of time on the matter.
5. Reasonable support pathway in the event of an issue: Since I would be using this for critical backup, that means either phone support available most or all of every day, or, if no phone support, then robust forums support (Synology may fall flat on this point, from what I've synthesized here and there?).
5a. While some support I think should come for free, note that I am generally only too happy to pay for support, and I mean it. I don't want to get away with paying little for support, what I want is to avoid losing data, ever. So, if on occassion I can pay for an extra level of support (or advice) then I say this is great. I often pay for software or services rather than use free software or services - partly because it improves my odds of having a support pathway when something goes wrong.
6. Manufacturer signs of real commitment: this requirement may make more sense if one sees how both HP and Microsoft seemed at first to be good choices (I thought with such large organizations I would have good support recourse and maybe an upgrade path) but in the end both organizations gave off mixed signals and this has affected my WHS ownership experience. Note that I do not hate WHS, but will list a few pros and cons below. So, to me, commitment signs include continued innovation, aggressive quick addressing of major issues that come up in 1st and 2nd gen hardware and software, etc.
Other features - lower priorities -
7. home and road media serving, accessing when I am on the road (but without messing up the energy saving? and with good security? may not be possible).
8. Integration with secure reputable (EMC/MOZY?) offsite backup?
9. I am perhaps open to different architectures such as just using one or two single drives for backup and worrying about file-serving with some other machinery.
My existing device, pros and cons:
Pros:
1. Have not had a lot of hardware issues. I don't think I've ever actually lost a drive, perhaps partly because I only run the machine a few hours per day.
2. Great phone support two or three times.
3. Has served me a couple of times at an emergency backup level where another measure I had in place did not seem to work out so well.
Cons:
1. Extremely difficult (15-30 minutes of dealing with systems which often did not recognize the existence of the product) to reach phone support, when I did need it.
2. HP commitment to product and future products seems to have flagged. Have been out in the cold for two or three years (it seems), if something did happen with my setup.
3. Way (way) too difficult to save energy and (related) get Wake-on-LAN into place.
4. With apparent lack of commitment of manufacturer, have not myself committed to using the device for more than backup. Would like to have tried remote access and primary file serving and (eventually) fun features.
I realize this is a long initial post from a newbie and a devoutly non-technical one at that, but anyway, these are my answers to the question posed in the sticky, and so any thoughts appreciated on sorting things out. I guess like most people I have given consideration, roughly in order, to :
Synology
DROBO
QNAP
Western Digital?
Pogo?
I have read through the sticky at the top of this NAS Buying Advice section of the forums. I didn't quite get through all the article, but I take this question:
"What do you want it to do?"
and so here is roughly what I am looking for:
1. Backup my computers in an extremely reliable automated way and allow for restoring with near-zero hassle, near-zero technical capability. I am not a pro or technician, nor a hobbyist. In my home-office environment I have owned and tried to administer to my windows computers for 20 years, but am trying to avoid spending time on the joys of computers.... I've done it in the past but these days ---- no, some other time maybe. I just want to be prudent and have great backup available and so the next time my laptop hard drive dies and I buy a replacement driver or computer, I don't have to scratch my head and say "ok, so what do I do now, and have I just lost 2 weeks of email and work because something wasn't going well with my not-rock-solid backup plan, and after 20 years couldn't I just learn the lesson?"
This is the primary goal.... a really reliable excellent efficient backup plan that does not require me (any more than is inherent to the matter) to become some sort of super-uber-hobbyist.
2. Backup its own files properly.
For example, If I use the NAS as the "primary" place to store files (for example, keeping music on the NAS and not on my laptop), then there should be reliable backups of those files.
3. Assuming I may buy another 4-drive device, not reguire a degree in computer engineering or a 3 hour phone call every time a drive or two goes bad (including not losing any of the above backup information). Note here that I do not understand the discussions of different networking and RAID choices and probably never really will. (For example, QNAP sounds very good, and they seem committed to the market, but it sounds like it is a bit more oriented toward technically-savvy folks, so I am a bit wary). I can probably follow instructions properly on a well-designed machine that has been consumer-idiot-proofed via some years out there on the markets (please excuse the blunt terminology, I am just trying to cut to the chase here).
4. Save Energy. If possible, I would like to avoid a device which keeps 4 drives spinning 24x7x365. I have four drives in my HP MediaSmart Server (I think EX 475?.... bought shortly after they came out, circa 2007-2008) and I had to go to great lengths to install and make work properly the "lights out" add-in which helps me keep it turned on only a few hours a day, for backups. Synology looks very good, on this point. I am wary of machines which seem to indicate that their hibernation or stand-by or spin-down features are a battle or problematic to get working insofar as I have been-there and done-that with Microsoft and HP. I am slightly wary of whether DROBO would actually deliver energy-saving features without my having to spend a lot of time on the matter.
5. Reasonable support pathway in the event of an issue: Since I would be using this for critical backup, that means either phone support available most or all of every day, or, if no phone support, then robust forums support (Synology may fall flat on this point, from what I've synthesized here and there?).
5a. While some support I think should come for free, note that I am generally only too happy to pay for support, and I mean it. I don't want to get away with paying little for support, what I want is to avoid losing data, ever. So, if on occassion I can pay for an extra level of support (or advice) then I say this is great. I often pay for software or services rather than use free software or services - partly because it improves my odds of having a support pathway when something goes wrong.
6. Manufacturer signs of real commitment: this requirement may make more sense if one sees how both HP and Microsoft seemed at first to be good choices (I thought with such large organizations I would have good support recourse and maybe an upgrade path) but in the end both organizations gave off mixed signals and this has affected my WHS ownership experience. Note that I do not hate WHS, but will list a few pros and cons below. So, to me, commitment signs include continued innovation, aggressive quick addressing of major issues that come up in 1st and 2nd gen hardware and software, etc.
Other features - lower priorities -
7. home and road media serving, accessing when I am on the road (but without messing up the energy saving? and with good security? may not be possible).
8. Integration with secure reputable (EMC/MOZY?) offsite backup?
9. I am perhaps open to different architectures such as just using one or two single drives for backup and worrying about file-serving with some other machinery.
My existing device, pros and cons:
Pros:
1. Have not had a lot of hardware issues. I don't think I've ever actually lost a drive, perhaps partly because I only run the machine a few hours per day.
2. Great phone support two or three times.
3. Has served me a couple of times at an emergency backup level where another measure I had in place did not seem to work out so well.
Cons:
1. Extremely difficult (15-30 minutes of dealing with systems which often did not recognize the existence of the product) to reach phone support, when I did need it.
2. HP commitment to product and future products seems to have flagged. Have been out in the cold for two or three years (it seems), if something did happen with my setup.
3. Way (way) too difficult to save energy and (related) get Wake-on-LAN into place.
4. With apparent lack of commitment of manufacturer, have not myself committed to using the device for more than backup. Would like to have tried remote access and primary file serving and (eventually) fun features.
I realize this is a long initial post from a newbie and a devoutly non-technical one at that, but anyway, these are my answers to the question posed in the sticky, and so any thoughts appreciated on sorting things out. I guess like most people I have given consideration, roughly in order, to :
Synology
DROBO
QNAP
Western Digital?
Pogo?
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