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NAS storage device and Backups

I want to get a NAS storage box for backing up 3 servers. How do they work. If I buy the Maxtor Shared Storage II how does the security work? Is it setup like a ftp server, or like a network drive?

Is there a NAS that will let me use the domain to set permissions.

Lee W, MVP

This is not necessarily a good idea. How do you take it off site? What are you doing for off-site backups? NAS devices - except for the REALLY expensive models - are usually not worth the money - a cheap server or simply adding disks - internally or externally - is usually a cheaper more efficient solution.

I would suggest reading over my backup comment - that I turned into a web page it got so long.
http://www.lwcomputing.com/tips/static/backup.asp

Tom_Hickerson

ASKER

I wanted to buy 2 of the maxtor 500 network drives and swap them out every week. I would keep as many backups as would fit on each. I know this is not an ideal backup system. Your webpage has some good reading thanks for the info. I am really just curious about the setup on these low end NAS drives from maxtor.

knoxzoo

The Buffalo LinkStation and TeraStation NAS units will configure for workgroup or domain. You can set them up for both FTP and network server drives. I've got two of these in place right now and have found them to be excellent little workhorses. The LinkStations even let you add a secondary USB drive to them, which you can configure as a backup drive to the main.

I've got servers in two buildings quite a distance from each other. I use the one in building B to back up the servers in building A, the one in building A to back up the servers in building B. And, they back themselves up to their external USB drives. Works very well.

Lee W, MVP

Is there a reason you apparently don't want to use external USB hard drives?

Lee W, MVP

External USB hard drives are cheaper, easier to setup, easily use permissions (though you SHOULD be using some form of Backup Software, even if it's the NTBACKUP program included in Windows), can be easily swapped off site, are faster (unless you have a gigabit network), and can overall provide a better backup. Your resistance to anything other than NAS is perplexing.

My friend has a maxtor NAS device (he's got this tendency to buy things he thinks looks cool... then I burst his bubble when I explain how he just wasted his money. They do not have domain capability - they have their own user accounts.

Tom_Hickerson

ASKER

I was considering NAS for the speed. After reading some I might of made a wrong assumption.

Is a USB 2.0 drive faster or as fast as a NAS box?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Lee W, MVP

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