Apologies if you've you've seen this posted on another discussion board, but I'm not getting much response there - maybe you guys might find my query worth a reply...
I'm looking to set up my first NAS hooking it into to my Virgin WiFi quad ethernet port router (Netgear VMDG280, nearest retail unit is CG32000D). This is located under the stairs for house-wide access, and I want the assembly to be a share station along with my 2 printers - one colour, one b/w.
I have a few small queries and ONE big query, all prefixed by * if you want to skip straight to them, but to I'll give the background context first:
My desktop Windows Vista PC is already split into software on the C: drive and data on the G: drive (with two others for email and temp work).
By data I mean all my texts, spreadsheets, accounting, music and photo and home video files.
I currently have everything on RAID 1 to give me more chance of swapping in disks to keep data safe, which has proved invaluable. [I know RAID isn't backup, but it gives you more chance to backup if a drive goes down. I do also have a backup!]
My G-drive data 500GB disk has already overflowed. My photos/home videos are already 300GB and accelerating fast, and have had to be put on to off-line disks. I'd like to reunite all my data from the online PC and offline photo archive to a RAID1 NAS to enable live access from any WiFi PC in the house, plus streamers (and who knows, a tablet down the line).
First duty would be standard daily WiFi desktop access from a different room, but increasingly want to access via WiFi from the TV and my media streamer (Western Digital TV Live, old version) for music & photos, though if I were shut out from seeing my 1080p home videos made on the camera, that would be annoying (for info, my WiFi connection is easily good enough to stream HQ video from the BBC iPlayer). HiFi audio steaming will be a target when the NAS is in place.
A priority is a unit that can expand with my future needs.
As I said, home pictures are rapidly accelerating, but I've also been holding off converting 10,000 CDs (including ~2,000 singles) until I have a robust place to put them. The music files will probably be hi-rate mp3, but FLAC may be a possibility, depending on some listening tests I'll conduct when the NAS is set up (ideally have flexibility to go either or both ways).
I'd also like to be able to access my data via the web when elsewhere (probably download only) and in a few years time I can see I'll be looking to set up my own website. Down the line I can see the potential to hook in a future burglar alarm/house monitoring system.
With electricity costs forever increasing, low energy when not actively accessed is important. Not being a noise intrusion is a real plus.
I've been looking at a the QNAP TS 412, as it is on a good deal right now, plus an initial installation of 2x2TB disks as a RAID1 pair at startup.
I've been doing research and believe that most of what I need is available in the 412. I'll list what I believe are key features for the above - PLEASE correct me if any of these beliefs are wrong:
Relevant key properties of the QNAP TS-412:
RAID1 array sizes can be expanded by addition of discs when needed.
I should be able to run both my colour and b/w printers.
Data accessible via web browser from off-site & capable of being a website server.
4 bays, can take up to 3TB discs in each, can have a max capacity of 16TB enabled by adding units via 4USB and 2eSATA ports.
* (does that mean 8TB max in RAID1, or 16TB in each half of a RAID1?)
* Or should I just go for EXT4 disk formatting from the beginning?
* (& does that have any implications about what I can plug into the USB/eSATA ports?)
Providing PC data access is reasonably fast and one-at-a-time streaming works OK, I'm not too bothered about it taking a while to copy all my files to the system, as I don't plan to do that too often.
MAIN QUERY: (this is quite possibly very dumb!):
* What I find unclear is how my data is accessed via the Windows PC:
** Does the NAS data appear as a drive in Explorer & have a normal windows Filepath on bootup?
** If not, can a script be run to make it so?
* Cost isn't a dominant issue, but future-proofing is (expansion, possibly speed).
* In normal "access" use, would the 419P+ be significantly better? Or even the 459 Pro+ or 459Pro II?
(bearing in mind the others are at least twice the price of the 412 & the difference could put in the 2x2TB drives)
I read posts citing Samba/CIFS on this, but they assumed I knew what they were referring to, but I don't....
...pointers to outline guides are welcome!
I can't even see an online tutorial for "use a QNAP NAS as a central, shared data store".
Perhaps it is deemed too trivial...?
Finally:
* My data file structure has been carefully built up over time. Can I put my photos etc in my existing data tree, or will I be forced to put photos/movies/music in some predefined area, perhaps with a different drive letter mapping?
Very finally:
* If you use a NAS & Windows and have experience of QNAP as well as Netgear and/or Synology, I'd welcome advice about how well each of these NAS interfaces integrate with the Windows OS, which often seems low on the discussion priorities...
I'm looking to set up my first NAS hooking it into to my Virgin WiFi quad ethernet port router (Netgear VMDG280, nearest retail unit is CG32000D). This is located under the stairs for house-wide access, and I want the assembly to be a share station along with my 2 printers - one colour, one b/w.
I have a few small queries and ONE big query, all prefixed by * if you want to skip straight to them, but to I'll give the background context first:
My desktop Windows Vista PC is already split into software on the C: drive and data on the G: drive (with two others for email and temp work).
By data I mean all my texts, spreadsheets, accounting, music and photo and home video files.
I currently have everything on RAID 1 to give me more chance of swapping in disks to keep data safe, which has proved invaluable. [I know RAID isn't backup, but it gives you more chance to backup if a drive goes down. I do also have a backup!]
My G-drive data 500GB disk has already overflowed. My photos/home videos are already 300GB and accelerating fast, and have had to be put on to off-line disks. I'd like to reunite all my data from the online PC and offline photo archive to a RAID1 NAS to enable live access from any WiFi PC in the house, plus streamers (and who knows, a tablet down the line).
First duty would be standard daily WiFi desktop access from a different room, but increasingly want to access via WiFi from the TV and my media streamer (Western Digital TV Live, old version) for music & photos, though if I were shut out from seeing my 1080p home videos made on the camera, that would be annoying (for info, my WiFi connection is easily good enough to stream HQ video from the BBC iPlayer). HiFi audio steaming will be a target when the NAS is in place.
A priority is a unit that can expand with my future needs.
As I said, home pictures are rapidly accelerating, but I've also been holding off converting 10,000 CDs (including ~2,000 singles) until I have a robust place to put them. The music files will probably be hi-rate mp3, but FLAC may be a possibility, depending on some listening tests I'll conduct when the NAS is set up (ideally have flexibility to go either or both ways).
I'd also like to be able to access my data via the web when elsewhere (probably download only) and in a few years time I can see I'll be looking to set up my own website. Down the line I can see the potential to hook in a future burglar alarm/house monitoring system.
With electricity costs forever increasing, low energy when not actively accessed is important. Not being a noise intrusion is a real plus.
I've been looking at a the QNAP TS 412, as it is on a good deal right now, plus an initial installation of 2x2TB disks as a RAID1 pair at startup.
I've been doing research and believe that most of what I need is available in the 412. I'll list what I believe are key features for the above - PLEASE correct me if any of these beliefs are wrong:
Relevant key properties of the QNAP TS-412:
RAID1 array sizes can be expanded by addition of discs when needed.
I should be able to run both my colour and b/w printers.
Data accessible via web browser from off-site & capable of being a website server.
4 bays, can take up to 3TB discs in each, can have a max capacity of 16TB enabled by adding units via 4USB and 2eSATA ports.
* (does that mean 8TB max in RAID1, or 16TB in each half of a RAID1?)
* Or should I just go for EXT4 disk formatting from the beginning?
* (& does that have any implications about what I can plug into the USB/eSATA ports?)
Providing PC data access is reasonably fast and one-at-a-time streaming works OK, I'm not too bothered about it taking a while to copy all my files to the system, as I don't plan to do that too often.
MAIN QUERY: (this is quite possibly very dumb!):
* What I find unclear is how my data is accessed via the Windows PC:
** Does the NAS data appear as a drive in Explorer & have a normal windows Filepath on bootup?
** If not, can a script be run to make it so?
* Cost isn't a dominant issue, but future-proofing is (expansion, possibly speed).
* In normal "access" use, would the 419P+ be significantly better? Or even the 459 Pro+ or 459Pro II?
(bearing in mind the others are at least twice the price of the 412 & the difference could put in the 2x2TB drives)
I read posts citing Samba/CIFS on this, but they assumed I knew what they were referring to, but I don't....
...pointers to outline guides are welcome!
I can't even see an online tutorial for "use a QNAP NAS as a central, shared data store".
Perhaps it is deemed too trivial...?
Finally:
* My data file structure has been carefully built up over time. Can I put my photos etc in my existing data tree, or will I be forced to put photos/movies/music in some predefined area, perhaps with a different drive letter mapping?
Very finally:
* If you use a NAS & Windows and have experience of QNAP as well as Netgear and/or Synology, I'd welcome advice about how well each of these NAS interfaces integrate with the Windows OS, which often seems low on the discussion priorities...