Networkable Storage Solutions

maddog.mark

maddog.mark

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The option i went for is to add one of these to my network. This then allows you to use standard cheap USB2 HDDs as network storage. If your a bit techy, you can even install Linux on it and use it for a whole host of other things too!

They can be a bit fiddly to setup, but its a decent alternative given how cheap USB hdds are compared to NAS drives
 
Haven't used the Linkstations, but I do run a couple of Terastations. Good bits of kit and I was very grateful for the RAID 5 when I had an issue with one of the drives. Only downside I find with the Terastations is they seem pretty slow to write to over the network, but that could way be the RAID configuration.
 
maddog.mark said:
OK so the down side to this photography habit is that my harddrive is filling rapidly.
Tell me about it - I've just had to buy an additional 500Gb as I'd run out of room on the external drives I already have (320Gb and 250 Gb) as well as my PC (350Gb) and Laptop (80Gb) HDDs.

Can't comment on the drive your looking at as I went for a bog standard USB2 version at £75.

I will say though that with a single drive solution whether network attached or USB2 attached you are at risk of data loss if a HDD fails, so should be used with that in mind and have a method of backing up all the photos (e.g. DVDs).

Personally I am saving for a full RAID5 NAS solution that has built in Web Server, Media Server and Bit Torrent download agent but even a cheap on is £300+ without any drives and you need an extra drive to ensure your data is protected so to get 1.5Tb of storage you need 4x500Gb HDDs (another £200ish). Unfortunately I don't have that sort of cash at the moment so I had to go down the other route. At least with the NAS I'm after I can attach the USB HDDs as extra (unprotected) storage.
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We've used Thecus 4100 and 5200 Nas boxes. Very good, Gb switch built in, USB support etc.

You can buy a fully raid 5 version with 5 x 750Gb drives for about £1300 (+vat). Gives you about 2,8Tb of usable storage
 
SimonTALM said:
Personally I am saving for a full RAID5 NAS solution that has built in Web Server, Media Server and Bit Torrent download agent
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Surely thats something like a Linux server rather than just a dumb NAS box..

In answer to the original question, the Buffalo is a good device for the money, although you will find over ethernet its probably not as fast as an external USB2 drive.

Depends how fast you want the thing to run...
 
Thanks for all the responses folks, it's certainly given me something to think about:thinking:

Don't let that stop anyone else chipping in with ideas, I like thinking it keeps me from getting bored:D
 
You can get straightforward HDD enclosures with Ethernet sockets on too, if you're not after anything too fancy - I have one of these hanging off my router. Has a Samsung drive inside. In terms of speed, USB2.0 will (in theory) top out at 480Mbps, but rarely gets there, whereas I've yet to see a gigabit-equipped HDD enclosure, and so these will transfer at 100Mbps.
 
I have a WD Netcenter 500Gb NAS unit. I chose it because it has USB host ports to act as a print server and can have added usb drives if it became necessary. Works well. It is my main backup device and as such the fact that data transfer over the network (wired or wireless) is a bit slow does not matter. I would not use it for working files.
Very nice not needing a particular computer turned on when someone wants to print something.
 
marky_h said:
In terms of speed, USB2.0 will (in theory) top out at 480Mbps, but rarely gets there, whereas I've yet to see a gigabit-equipped HDD enclosure, and so these will transfer at 100Mbps.
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There are several NAS type boxes out there with gigabit ethernet on them, however whether or not the performance is less than or greater than a USB2 attached device is a bit of a moot point.

It *might* be more, but there are a lot of factors that could mean its less.
 
desantnik said:
There are several NAS type boxes out there with gigabit ethernet on them, however whether or not the performance is less than or greater than a USB2 attached device is a bit of a moot point.

It *might* be more, but there are a lot of factors that could mean its less.
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Indeed. In the great scheme of things, there are probably more interesting things to worry about than whether you're wringing the last few Mbps out of your chosen connection.

Like taking pictures!
 
Or watching Nigella cooking breakfast in her slinky dressing gown :D
 
I'm looking into the same thing at the moment. The one I'm looking is here, it has 2 additional usb ports so extra drives can be added at a later day.
 
Wile E. coyote said:
I'm looking into the same thing at the moment. The one I'm looking is here, it has 2 additional usb ports so extra drives can be added at a later day.
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A few too many http(s) in there but thanks for the link:thumbs:

Speed isn't a major issue for me as I'm generally not very quick myself:D

As with everything it comes down to cost and how much time you want to spend making the things work, I'd rather not much of either really.:)
 
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