Discussion
Wireless NAS boxes like the Western Digital "My Cloud" and Synology Diskstation stuff might work for you depending on your needs.
There's a lot to go for depending on budget, space requirements, if you want the data backed up in case a disk fails (a 2, 3 or 4 bay NAS type setup) or there's SSD ones now.
Most modern ones come with apps for allow phone backups etc
There's a lot to go for depending on budget, space requirements, if you want the data backed up in case a disk fails (a 2, 3 or 4 bay NAS type setup) or there's SSD ones now.
Most modern ones come with apps for allow phone backups etc
Edited by thetapeworm on Saturday 21st December 22:21
thetapeworm said:
Wireless NAS boxes like the Western Digital "My Cloud" and Synology Diskstation stuff might work for you depending on your needs
The current Synology software DSM 7 no longer supports a wifi dongle, only a direct ethernet connectionOP, can you site an ethernet NAS like Synology next to your router? Alternatively, does your wifi router have a USB-3 port?
Is this just to free up some space from your PC/laptop and you will still be backing everything up to cloud, or are you looking for a local backup?
As mentioned wd or synology but I read bad things about wd nas devices (not their drives).
Not sure if they generally do WiFi though... be aware some of the nas drives can be quite loud. Not something to worry about till you are selecting.
Do you know how much data you will need?
Generally speaking it might be easier just go the cloud route. Google drive is brilliant value.
I bought a synology this year it's great for what I wanted but it's a hobby too. It's much easier to go the cloud thing and probably cheaper unless you have a lot of data.
Not sure if they generally do WiFi though... be aware some of the nas drives can be quite loud. Not something to worry about till you are selecting.
Do you know how much data you will need?
Generally speaking it might be easier just go the cloud route. Google drive is brilliant value.
I bought a synology this year it's great for what I wanted but it's a hobby too. It's much easier to go the cloud thing and probably cheaper unless you have a lot of data.
As others have said you can get many types of NAS or home servers. Once you have one rather than just dragging and dropping the photos. You could use an app to backup your photos. I use Folder Sync Pro on my android phone. It backs up my photos each night at a scheduled time. I'm sure there will be similar tools for Apple IOS.
I've got a WD Ex2Ultra NAS which is pretty ancient now but works well.
If you have a lot of data it's not a cheap option, disks specifically. I've had several die over the years and it's a few hundred quid each time.
If you've got some old hard disks and an old computer or parts you should be able to home make one with the right software, but I've never investigated that myself.
That'll probably cost far more to run in power terms though and won't be as reliable.
If you have a cloud that works, I don't because of low speeds, then that's always going to be a lot less hassle.
If you have a lot of data it's not a cheap option, disks specifically. I've had several die over the years and it's a few hundred quid each time.
If you've got some old hard disks and an old computer or parts you should be able to home make one with the right software, but I've never investigated that myself.
That'll probably cost far more to run in power terms though and won't be as reliable.
If you have a cloud that works, I don't because of low speeds, then that's always going to be a lot less hassle.
^As above. I use to run a Synology NAS with Raid 1 back up, but after the 2nd hard drive failure it's was turning into far too much effort. Google is £25/year for 200gig, FlickR is £50/unlimited, I pay for both, not what I don't use any other photography gear but the phone cameras life is much easier with cloud backup.
As well as backed up all photos are accessible on any device, any where, any time.
As well as backed up all photos are accessible on any device, any where, any time.
Or give up on the hassle of managing data (& unlikely risk that house goes up in smoke & loses all your data) & pay for cloud storage.
After a career in managing data, I sold my soul to Google: the photo management works brilliantly for me.
I do also use Microsoft OneDrive (with O365 subscription), a little free Box, Dropbox & Sync….life is much easier…
After a career in managing data, I sold my soul to Google: the photo management works brilliantly for me.
I do also use Microsoft OneDrive (with O365 subscription), a little free Box, Dropbox & Sync….life is much easier…
Another shout for considering Cloud.
Unless you've got poor broadband or have TBs of info it's much simpler to just set the phone or laptop to sync to iCloud or Google Drive or whatever is built-in.
If you want the comfort of something local buy a NAS but I'd still use it as secondary storage.
Unless you've got poor broadband or have TBs of info it's much simpler to just set the phone or laptop to sync to iCloud or Google Drive or whatever is built-in.
If you want the comfort of something local buy a NAS but I'd still use it as secondary storage.
Depending how important the photos/documents are then having more than 1 copy is advised.
I have a Synology NAS which backups photos and documents automatically, it also runs as the server for a couple of CCTV cameras and is capable of 101 other things besides. The ongoing cost is minimal, but the up front cost maybe £300 or so. You could spend more if you wanted 2 or 4 drives and a better spec of hardware.
As well as that I pay £1.50/m for Google storage, mainly for family members but the storage is shared and so all my photos are backed up into the cloud as well.
I have a Synology NAS which backups photos and documents automatically, it also runs as the server for a couple of CCTV cameras and is capable of 101 other things besides. The ongoing cost is minimal, but the up front cost maybe £300 or so. You could spend more if you wanted 2 or 4 drives and a better spec of hardware.
As well as that I pay £1.50/m for Google storage, mainly for family members but the storage is shared and so all my photos are backed up into the cloud as well.
I use an ap called Wifi file transfer to move photos to my laptop.
Then I copy them onto a spare hard disk in a USB caddy.
A few really important things are backed up at my Brother's place.
Although, as time goes on, much of it reduces in importance.
As with sheds, the important thing is being able to find the stuff you want, not storing as much as possible.
I'm starting to use icloud for a few things, a 5GB free limit encourages being selective.
Also email servers can be handy for the odd thing you may want to access out and about.
Then I copy them onto a spare hard disk in a USB caddy.
A few really important things are backed up at my Brother's place.
Although, as time goes on, much of it reduces in importance.
As with sheds, the important thing is being able to find the stuff you want, not storing as much as possible.
I'm starting to use icloud for a few things, a 5GB free limit encourages being selective.
Also email servers can be handy for the odd thing you may want to access out and about.
Another vote for Synology NAS, although their Bee Station may be more suited to just copying a few photos to. I use my Synology to do my cloud backups, everything goes to the NAS, then from the NAS to the cloud, so I don't need to worry about leaving my laptop connected for long enough for the cloud sync to happen.
OutInTheShed said:
I use an ap called Wifi file transfer to move photos to my laptop.
Then I copy them onto a spare hard disk in a USB caddy.
A few really important things are backed up at my Brother's place.
Although, as time goes on, much of it reduces in importance.
As with sheds, the important thing is being able to find the stuff you want, not storing as much as possible.
I'm starting to use icloud for a few things, a 5GB free limit encourages being selective.
Also email servers can be handy for the odd thing you may want to access out and about.
Nail on head with the bold bit.Then I copy them onto a spare hard disk in a USB caddy.
A few really important things are backed up at my Brother's place.
Although, as time goes on, much of it reduces in importance.
As with sheds, the important thing is being able to find the stuff you want, not storing as much as possible.
I'm starting to use icloud for a few things, a 5GB free limit encourages being selective.
Also email servers can be handy for the odd thing you may want to access out and about.
I regularly search for pictures and am the supplier in our 'friends group' of them at a moments notice. Worth my now-£80 to Google for the outsourcing of managing my tens of thousands of snaps.....although I wish they would make album management a little easier...
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hstewie said:
hstewie said: Another shout for considering Cloud.
Unless you've got poor broadband or have TBs of info it's much simpler to just set the phone or laptop to sync to iCloud or Google Drive or whatever is built-in.
If you want the comfort of something local buy a NAS but I'd still use it as secondary storage.
This, unless your data need is huge. My key data and photos go to my 1TB Onedrive, backed up, including replacable data (music, Films, TV0 non key re a the rest goes to a Synology NAS...............which has just may/may not have trashed a disk after a power cut. Just looked at the uptime on the disk and its 8 years 9 months, so probably running on borrowed time anyway. Both are available anywhere anytime, but the onedrive is far speedier. Unless you've got poor broadband or have TBs of info it's much simpler to just set the phone or laptop to sync to iCloud or Google Drive or whatever is built-in.
If you want the comfort of something local buy a NAS but I'd still use it as secondary storage.
The daddy of 'home' NAS, are Synology and QNAP, But QNAP generally need a bit more savvie users. Synology are more user friendly, but that definition is 'relative'. In some ways a NAS is overkill, they are hugely capable machines in their own right and you pay for that capability.
But the cost including disk(s) would be many many years of subscription to a cloud service.
One option would be a second hand Synology NAS, the hardware is pretty robust, and just stick new disk(s) in and get many years out of it.
I use "mycloudhome" and find it very good; however, sharing folders is a bit rubbish since they dropped access to the public folder via the app.
The mobile app has an auto backup for phone photos.
The only think that makes me nervous of cloud only storage is the story's on pistonheads of people having their access blocked.
The mobile app has an auto backup for phone photos.
The only think that makes me nervous of cloud only storage is the story's on pistonheads of people having their access blocked.
barryrs said:
I use "mycloudhome" and find it very good; however, sharing folders is a bit rubbish since they dropped access to the public folder via the app.
The mobile app has an auto backup for phone photos.
The only think that makes me nervous of cloud only storage is the story's on pistonheads of people having their access blocked.
Yep the cloud just means someone else’s computer. There are stories of accounts being shut down because an algorithm thinks there are illegal photos on their services. Most people won’t have a problem but super critical data needs to be kept somewhere locally as well just in case the account gets lost. The mobile app has an auto backup for phone photos.
The only think that makes me nervous of cloud only storage is the story's on pistonheads of people having their access blocked.
Brainpox said:
Yep the cloud just means someone else’s computer.
I wouldn't be too worried about losing access, but I'd never put anything vital in the cloud anyway. Shifting goalposts is the problem.
The amount of 'lifetime' deals that turn out to be strangely... not. Or takeovers trimming allowances or erasing sites completely has happened multiple times.
Plenty of notice of course, but you may end up with a monstrous task retrieving everything.
Brainpox said:
Most people won’t have a problem but super critical data needs to be kept somewhere locally as well just in case the account gets lost.
The most critical data I deal with is the stuff on my work managed OneDrive account. I cannot actually use any physical storage devices on my work laptop (no USB sticks), and for certain file they will only save to the OneDrive account rather than local hard drive. Essentially at the enterprise level personal devices and storage is seen as the biggest risk. We are about to migrate our email client from 365 to a UK based one, that will be interesting to see how data transfer is managed.
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