Best NAS storage solution for iPads
I currently have data stored in two different places...
1. PC whose 500GB extrnal drive is full of photos (taken on an SLR camera)
2. iPad whose storage is full of photos (taken on the iPad itself)
There's too many to put in the cloud.
I use the camera/iPad to take RAW photos, and movies - so Flickr is out.
I'm looking for a large (domestic) NAS solution that will hold data from there two places, but will present itself to the two devices the same their individual storage currently does, so that the solution to be as seamless as possible, i.e. I want the iPad (if/when possible) to see this storage just as though it was iCloud or local storage. Also if possible I want all apps (e.g. Photos) to be able to use this storage, so that I don't need to download a specific 'viewer' app to see the files.
Is this possible? Are some NASes more friendly towards iOS than others? Is there an Apple standard for storage similar to what AirPrint is for printing?
Also I want to be able to map the NAS storage to a drive on the PC, but of course this won't be an issue.
Thanks for any advice.
1. PC whose 500GB extrnal drive is full of photos (taken on an SLR camera)
2. iPad whose storage is full of photos (taken on the iPad itself)
There's too many to put in the cloud.
I use the camera/iPad to take RAW photos, and movies - so Flickr is out.
I'm looking for a large (domestic) NAS solution that will hold data from there two places, but will present itself to the two devices the same their individual storage currently does, so that the solution to be as seamless as possible, i.e. I want the iPad (if/when possible) to see this storage just as though it was iCloud or local storage. Also if possible I want all apps (e.g. Photos) to be able to use this storage, so that I don't need to download a specific 'viewer' app to see the files.
Is this possible? Are some NASes more friendly towards iOS than others? Is there an Apple standard for storage similar to what AirPrint is for printing?
Also I want to be able to map the NAS storage to a drive on the PC, but of course this won't be an issue.
Thanks for any advice.
ASKER
OK well the Synology might be a good Plan B.
I just want to make sure that I can use this as a 'repository' to dump things into, rather than a mirror image of the contents of the iPad.
I accept that having a 'viewer' app is unavoidable, but do you know if there's an easy way to move stuff from the iPad to the NAS? Better still, is there a way to automatically move things that are either x days old, or automatically move things when the iPad storage is getting a bit full? What I really need is a systematic way of siphoning my files off to the NAS, and not keep having to do this manually whenever I get a 'no storage left' message on the iPad.
Thanks.
I just want to make sure that I can use this as a 'repository' to dump things into, rather than a mirror image of the contents of the iPad.
I accept that having a 'viewer' app is unavoidable, but do you know if there's an easy way to move stuff from the iPad to the NAS? Better still, is there a way to automatically move things that are either x days old, or automatically move things when the iPad storage is getting a bit full? What I really need is a systematic way of siphoning my files off to the NAS, and not keep having to do this manually whenever I get a 'no storage left' message on the iPad.
Thanks.
Bad News .. no AUTOMATIC way I'm aware of to move photos to an external location when they're X days old that I'm aware of.
Even worse .. deleting photos from Photo App on iOS .. puts them in a 'Recently Deleted' folder where they sit for up to 30 days. Using up space you might want and you have to in effect delete them twice by removing them from the Recently Deleted folder as well if you urgently need the space.
Probably better to drop iCloud Photo Sharing and use something like Google Photos .. as you can find a lot of options to get Google Drive and Google Photos on the NAS device however it does mean your photos are now on a Cloud-based service as well as on your PC and NAS depending on how you configure it.
Even worse .. deleting photos from Photo App on iOS .. puts them in a 'Recently Deleted' folder where they sit for up to 30 days. Using up space you might want and you have to in effect delete them twice by removing them from the Recently Deleted folder as well if you urgently need the space.
Probably better to drop iCloud Photo Sharing and use something like Google Photos .. as you can find a lot of options to get Google Drive and Google Photos on the NAS device however it does mean your photos are now on a Cloud-based service as well as on your PC and NAS depending on how you configure it.
ASKER
Well, Apple really do have us all by the balls don't they?
I don't use iCloud anyway - I used OneDrive for a while because I could store 15GB for free, but now that they've reduced that to 5GB I'm having to find another solution.
OK, so Automatic transfer of photos isn't possible. The existence of the Recently Deleted folder isn't that much of a big deal. So how does one move photos to the NAS?
I don't use iCloud anyway - I used OneDrive for a while because I could store 15GB for free, but now that they've reduced that to 5GB I'm having to find another solution.
OK, so Automatic transfer of photos isn't possible. The existence of the Recently Deleted folder isn't that much of a big deal. So how does one move photos to the NAS?
As I said .. either
1. Using iTunes you backup your photos to a PC based photo management application and in turn back that up to the NAS
2. Use Google Photos as a relay by backing photos there and then using a Cloud Drive app on the NAS to pull them down to the NAS where you can manage them
3. Using a 3rd party app to push them from the iPad to the NAS .. for example this one supports FTP . .so you enable FTP on the NAS and push photos directly from the iPad
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photosync-wireless-photo-video/id415850124?mt=8
1. Using iTunes you backup your photos to a PC based photo management application and in turn back that up to the NAS
2. Use Google Photos as a relay by backing photos there and then using a Cloud Drive app on the NAS to pull them down to the NAS where you can manage them
3. Using a 3rd party app to push them from the iPad to the NAS .. for example this one supports FTP . .so you enable FTP on the NAS and push photos directly from the iPad
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photosync-wireless-photo-video/id415850124?mt=8
ASKER
Thanks for the suggestion about the photo transfer app - this is probably what I need. I've had a look at this but the screenshots are too small for me to see properly - do you know if this app will let you view the photos/videos on the NAS without re-downloading to the device first? If you don't know I'll just email their support.
One more thing - if you're suggesting a third party app to do the transfer, and it's using FTP, then do you still suggest the Synology NAS? If I go for the PhotoSync app, then does the Synology do anything that any other one wouldn't do?
Thanks.
One more thing - if you're suggesting a third party app to do the transfer, and it's using FTP, then do you still suggest the Synology NAS? If I go for the PhotoSync app, then does the Synology do anything that any other one wouldn't do?
Thanks.
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ASKER
Thanks for your help.
ASKER
A month later, I thought I'd come back in with feedback on this, for the use of others. Based on eoinsullivan's Synology recommendation, I bought a DiskStation DS-216J, and a 4TB drive with it, and I must say I'm VERY impressed with it.
I put all my photos in the '/photo' share, which is used as a repository for the Photo Station element of the NAS. I can then access this in so many different ways:
1. Local via broswer, by IP or hostname
2. Remotely via browser, at http://quickconnect.to/(my-user-ID)
3. Remotely by the DS file app, to view them as files
3. Remotely by the DS photo app, which lays the files/folders out as a nice tiled interface
By the way eoin - I'm happy to say that my desire (above) to have "a way to automatically move things that are either x days old, or automatically move things when the iPad storage is getting a bit full?" is actually fulfilled by this NAS! The photo/video upload feature in the DS photo app (iPad and Samsung Galaxy) has a "Delete Original" option, but underneath it there is a "Only when x days old" option. Exactly what I was wanting, so my iPad will never fill up due to the photos/videos.
Before this I used Flickr, with all albums set to private, which has a generous 1TB free storage. But the Synology NAS is much better option for photo storage if you can afford it - you can upload videos and RAW photo, the app to view them is better, it's much easier to let others privately view specific albums, and the uploading feature is much easier.
I put all my photos in the '/photo' share, which is used as a repository for the Photo Station element of the NAS. I can then access this in so many different ways:
1. Local via broswer, by IP or hostname
2. Remotely via browser, at http://quickconnect.to/(my-user-ID)
3. Remotely by the DS file app, to view them as files
3. Remotely by the DS photo app, which lays the files/folders out as a nice tiled interface
By the way eoin - I'm happy to say that my desire (above) to have "a way to automatically move things that are either x days old, or automatically move things when the iPad storage is getting a bit full?" is actually fulfilled by this NAS! The photo/video upload feature in the DS photo app (iPad and Samsung Galaxy) has a "Delete Original" option, but underneath it there is a "Only when x days old" option. Exactly what I was wanting, so my iPad will never fill up due to the photos/videos.
Before this I used Flickr, with all albums set to private, which has a generous 1TB free storage. But the Synology NAS is much better option for photo storage if you can afford it - you can upload videos and RAW photo, the app to view them is better, it's much easier to let others privately view specific albums, and the uploading feature is much easier.
iPad with iOS has to work through a Windows or Mac PC running iTunes and could backup from there to a NAS.
The Synology NAS products offer a couple of apps which offer some limited backup and sharing of files and photos DS Photo and DS File .. these might be the best options but these are "viewer" apps.
https://www.synology.com/en-global/solution/Apple
You will NOT be able to just work with Photos on iOS and have it backup to anywhere other than iCloud or iTunes.