The original post: /r/datahoarder by /u/thhrrroowaawwwaay on 2024-08-27 23:27:28.
It's not completely obvious to me if this type of post is allowed, but I figure that if anyone would be able to provide some well-considered input on this, it would be this subreddit.
I have a 2tb USB solid-state drive. I have hundreds of gigabytes of samples (audio files) that I've collected over many years stored on it (amongst other things). Normally this drive simply stays plugged into my home PC, but I need to be able to take this drive with me on-the-go. However, I'm scared to death that it will become lost or damaged and I will lose my collection.
I'm seeking a local backup solution for this problem. I could simply make a copy of this folder to my PC and automate that process somehow, but I figure that a NAS might be a better long-term solution. I have no experience with such things, however. To that end, there are a few characteristics that I desire:
- Easy and simple to set up. As close to plug-and-play as possible. (But if I have to do something more involved, then I'll just have to suck it up.)
- Backups are automatic. I want to back up the entirety of a single, specific drive, and I want it to happen automatically whenever changes to the drive's contents are detected. Bear in mind that this is a USB drive that may not always be available, but when I plug it in, I expect this process to initiate without so much as a thought on my behalf.
- Securely accessible over the internet, without a subscription of any kind. I figure that if I'm going to be investing in a NAS, then I would benefit from being able to access this drive remotely should the need arise. I will reiterate that, ideally, I should be able to accomplish this with as little work as possible.
- Quiet. My AC unit is noisy enough as is. I don't need another humming thing.
It does not need to be particularly fast, as the primary use case is just a reliable backup.
I'm prepared to spend about $300 or so on the machine itself. I intend on buying a 4tb SSD for this purpose, which is itself not an insubstantial expense. Any input is appreciated.