I guess I'm a little surprised

[Gilligan]

Oh and get this, I've tried Synchronicity now twice, once with the sata dock connected via esata, and also with a USB drive.

Data transfer rates:

USB 2-4 MB/s

Esata 6-7 MB/s

I was expecting better speed, my network is Cat 5e/Cat6 cable and GB switches.

Any ideas?

As I just hinted at in my last post... "gigabit" is more theoretical than reality.   Doesn't take much to slow down gigabit a good deal.  I haven't even bothered with it in my home or office network yet.  I got killer switches already and don't feel like spending the money on a marginal improvement on my network speeds.

[squeegee]

Oh and get this, I've tried Synchronicity now twice, once with the sata dock connected via esata, and also with a USB drive.

Data transfer rates:

USB 2-4 MB/s

Esata 6-7 MB/s

I was expecting better speed, my network is Cat 5e/Cat6 cable and GB switches.

Any ideas?

As I just hinted at in my last post... "gigabit" is more theoretical than reality.   Doesn't take much to slow down gigabit a good deal.  I haven't even bothered with it in my home or office network yet.  I got killer switches already and don't feel like spending the money on a marginal improvement on my network speeds.

Yea, kind of what I figured.  I like the idea of dual GB cards in computer though, I've seen some specs on newer MACs using that, haven't had the time to look into it, but I think the newer NAS's have dual GB ports and it's easy enough to throw a second NIC in some of my machines.

Someday it may just be better to have a dedicated computer as a file server, just not sure I want to bite off the price tag for that, how much do you think a set up like you're mentioning would cost?

I'm thinking with the right setup I could even "trick" carbonite into letting me back up all my important data too.

[Dottonedan]

Tech talk tech talk. What a layman to do?

I don't understand the concept behind Cloud or any other back up method outside of your own physical drives. The idea of putting everything you own/about you on a "cloud" backup somewhere in skyvill is odd. Now maybe I'm so laymen with this stuff that your all laughing at me and I said something stupid. No matter. so, is it true that you are trying to back up to some place in skyvill a so called cloud or the like...and someone else stores all your information for you...and the benefit is that it's safer, more secure from crashes?  What about info theft?

[squeegee]

I'm not using a cloud at the moment, I do not like the idea *totally* either, what I really want is to make the task less of a task, I'd be happiest keeping all of my data in my grubby little hands too, but would like to have it happening on a schedule so I don't have to think about it as much.

[Gilligan]

Well, Dan... some are and some aren't and some are a combination.  I'm not speaking of any cloud other than the one I create.  My clients backup to "my cloud"... it lives at my house.  This is their offsite backup.  If they don't trust me then they need to stop paying me to manage their networks and computers.

Carbonite is pure cloud (I think... I haven't experienced it at all)... yes, someone else holds your data safe for you.  It's really cheap to do for them and makes them a TON of money (hence the hanity/limbaugh commercials left and right).

Dropbox is a combination type setup.  You have a cloud based storage (like Carbonite)... but you can run drop box on multiple systems and it keeps everything synced between the two.  My limited experience with that is my buddy's screen printing shop that I frequent.  He runs it and loves it.  He has it running on every system in his shop and all of his artwork files are "locally" on every computer.  So they all operate "independently" and then they sync everything back up to the cloud which then syncs all the other machines he's tuned into.  The benefit for him is that he's looking to get out of his shop more.  So he brings his laptop home and works on artwork and then sends and email/text or call to his shop saying "art work is ready for X job" and they can output films and print all from the comfort of his couch.

TECHNICALLY all this sort of thing could be done manually and he could even print films from his couch to his shop... but he's not interested in setting up the whole VPN setup though I would have done it for a marginal cost as he has taken care of me in the screen printing side of things several times.

Hope that helps... let me know if you are still fuzzy and I'll do what I can to clear it right up.

[Gilligan]

Someday it may just be better to have a dedicated computer as a file server, just not sure I want to bite off the price tag for that, how much do you think a set up like you're mentioning would cost?

Which setup are you referring to.   Options are endless.

[squeegee]

Someday it may just be better to have a dedicated computer as a file server, just not sure I want to bite off the price tag for that, how much do you think a set up like you're mentioning would cost?

Which setup are you referring to.   Options are endless.

The independent medium machine you were talking about, something that does RAID and all that jazz.  Scheduled back ups, ftp, RAID, dual GB?, remote access/RDP would be what I need, probably a Windows machine because that's what I know best.  Just wondering if that could be as cost effective as a NAS.

[Gilligan]

The independent medium machine you were talking about, something that does RAID and all that jazz.  Scheduled back ups, ftp, RAID, dual GB?, remote access/RDP would be what I need, probably a Windows machine because that's what I know best.  Just wondering if that could be as cost effective as a NAS.

And with ^ THAT word... you shoot yourself in the foot and the answer is no.

Windows in and of itself is $100 bucks.  Linux is FREE and a lot more robust.

Not only does Windows weigh you down financially it also bogs you down performance wise.  No need to have a complete GUI system constantly running that you never really log into.  Most of you configurations can be done via web interfaces though config files aren't that difficult.  I mainly stick to config files and live in command line.... I love it.  But I understand that it intimidates most.

Again... more specifics are needed which Raid 1 or 5 or 1+0?  How large of drives do you want (usable, because with raid 5 you lose a drive).

Fail over network cards can be done out of the box no other gear... but TRUNKING needs a (smart) switch that can handle it, so that is another added expense.

[Frog]

Since the concept of internet based backup was broached, along with the concerns of putting one's personal files "out there", I'm wondering if, like our email and phone traffic, is this stuff scrutinized by our government as well?

[tpitman]

Since the concept of internet based backup was broached, along with the concerns of putting one's personal files "out there", I'm wondering if, like our email and phone traffic, is this stuff scrutinized by our government as well?

Keep the porn and subversive material on a thumb drive . . . problem solved!

[squeegee]

The independent medium machine you were talking about, something that does RAID and all that jazz.  Scheduled back ups, ftp, RAID, dual GB?, remote access/RDP would be what I need, probably a Windows machine because that's what I know best.  Just wondering if that could be as cost effective as a NAS.

And with ^ THAT word... you shoot yourself in the foot and the answer is no.

Windows in and of itself is $100 bucks.  Linux is FREE and a lot more robust.

Not only does Windows weigh you down financially it also bogs you down performance wise.  No need to have a complete GUI system constantly running that you never really log into.  Most of you configurations can be done via web interfaces though config files aren't that difficult.  I mainly stick to config files and live in command line.... I love it.  But I understand that it intimidates most.

Again... more specifics are needed which Raid 1 or 5 or 1+0?  How large of drives do you want (usable, because with raid 5 you lose a drive).

Fail over network cards can be done out of the box no other gear... but TRUNKING needs a (smart) switch that can handle it, so that is another added expense.

Yea I hear you, so let's say Linux, as long as there's a web interface I'm good with that, it's the cmd prompt/dos style of stuff I don't do enough to remember.

Raid 1 I think is enough, 1.5 TB drives, 2.  So you're saying a 2 NIC card set up means smart switches are a must or can you get more throughput with a standard switch too?  If a smart switch is a must, I'd concede to a single NIC.  The only thing else I'd prefer is a small desktop/server style case.

[tancehughes]

I know I'm a little late to the party, but I use Carbonite for my backup. I've had trouble with external hard drives and what not and I just find it so much easier to pay Carbonite the $5/month and be done with it. I love it so far. I do have a slight reservation about the cloud, but I believe it's pretty secure.

[Evo]

I have a 1TB drive in the desktop, a 2TB external drive specifically for media and data (pics, music, etc) and a 3TB external that backs up the first two.

It works.

Looking into a Drobo for the new recording studio.

[Command-Z]

I use Super Duper (MAC) to back up to 4 external drives every week, two of which are rotated between an offsite location.

http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html

I also back up whatever I'm currently working on daily to whatever is around me... ipod, flash drive, etc.

[squeegee]

I know I'm a little late to the party, but I use Carbonite for my backup. I've had trouble with external hard drives and what not and I just find it so much easier to pay Carbonite the $5/month and be done with it. I love it so far. I do have a slight reservation about the cloud, but I believe it's pretty secure.

Sh!t, I didn't know carbonite would allow external drives, I thought not, but $5/month is well within my budget 

I don't think my data is particulary "dangerous enough" to be stolen or otherwise so unscrupulous to arise a government intervention, so yes I'd go with the "cloud", leave it to Apple to think up these colorful and carefully marketed terms.