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[not_MrFrost]

Hi everyone! I wanted to get something to use as an archive with RAID 1, so I can put there all my various data and backups. I don't need anything fancy, like a NAS, I just want something that I can plug in the computer, upload files / look for what I need in the backups, then unplug and keep it as an ornament on the desk lol.

Currently, I'm using an old laptop's HDD, and I was thinking about getting 2 2TB HDDs (I don't need that much space, and I've heard that you need to replace your HDDs anyway every few years, so I might upgrade in the future to come). So, I wanted to ask for help from you fine people; what hard disks should I buy? Do I buy an "external RAID box" from Amazon, or do I buy an already available solution like the WD My Cloud Home or something similar? I was also thinking about throwing in my desktop pc 2 HDDs, but it's getting crammed in there, and I don't know if it's convenient (or if I can do it, from a technical point of view); I know that it is probably the most cost-effective solution, but... idk.

Can you please help me?

Thank you very much!

 

EDIT: I said that it might not be convenient to put 2 HDDs in my PC, for mainly 3 reasons:

1) I will not access often the data, maybe like once a month, and I don't need them to run uselessly while the PC is on.

2) I also want them to be separate from the PC, in the event that I get a virus... again.

3) I have dual boot, and I don't know if that might be a problem with a RAID 1 "archive".

[Needfuldoer]

I'd recommend a prebuilt solution over a potentially sketchy no-name USB RAID box.

 

You're sure you don't want a NAS? For the prices some of those external drives fetch, you could get a used 2-bay Synology. 

[not_MrFrost]

Just now, Needfuldoer said:

I'd recommend a prebuilt solution over a potentially sketchy no-name USB RAID box.

 

You're sure you don't want a NAS? For the prices some of those external drives fetch, you could get a used 2-bay Synology. 

I don't have much experience nor knowledge about NAS/DAS, that's why I'm asking. I said that I don't need a NAS, in the meaning that I don't need a Network Attached Storage. It's ok if it is a Direct-Attached Storage, something that I can plug and unplug when I need. As I said, I need something that I'll use as an Archive, not as an active storage which I will use everyday frequently.

And what do you mean by prebuilt solution? Like the ones that WD sells? Also, I'd like to get something new and not used; you never know how they've been used, and I don't trust people with it, expecially in my country lol.

[Needfuldoer]

1 minute ago, not_MrFrost said:

And what do you mean by prebuilt solution? Like the ones that WD sells?

Yes, like a MyBook Duo. (Not the MyBook Cloud, those are NAS devices.)

 

The only problem with those is that they're expensive. Cheapo solutions exist, but I'm not sure how not-sketchy they are.

[not_MrFrost]

3 minutes ago, Needfuldoer said:

Yes, like a MyBook Duo. (Not the MyBook Cloud, those are NAS devices.)

 

The only problem with those is that they're expensive. Cheapo solutions exist, but I'm not sure how not-sketchy they are.

The WD are very expensive, and also have too much storage; if that's the whole storage, I need half than that, and if that's the already mirrored space... well, I need even less than that! My original idea was about buying something like THIS or THIS, then buying 2 HDDs and doing it myself, but that also isn't much cheaper. And I agree with you; I also don't like those cheap and sketchy solutions. Too cheap to be good.

[Electronics Wizardy]

I"d get a single drive external drive. Then get 2 drives to have 2 copies of the data, and keep one offline. Should be cheaper and keep your data safer.

[Crunchy Dragon]

A NAS sounds like a more efficient/elegant solution to your problem -- the SMB protocol doesn't care about operating system(I read and write to one of my network drives from Windows, Linux, and Mac without issues), so you don't have to worry about dual-booting. The storage won't be directly attached to your computer, and should be somewhat safe in the event of a virus(always have backups of your backups, though).

 

If you're deadset on not having a NAS, then yeah the cheapest and most simple solution is like what @Electronics Wizardysaid: buy some external drives, back up to those, keep one of them offline, maintain multiple copies of your data.

[not_MrFrost]

3 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

I"d get a single drive external drive. Then get 2 drives to have 2 copies of the data, and keep one offline. Should be cheaper and keep your data safer.

But then it's too much of a hassle to update all the copies; when I do the backup of my phone for example, there will be duplicates from the previous backup, and then I have to update and clean 3 copies. And at that point, with 3 drives, I wouldn't be much far away (talking about expenses) from buying and external raid box / nas box + 2 drives.

[Electronics Wizardy]

2 minutes ago, not_MrFrost said:

But then it's too much of a hassle to update all the copies; when I do the backup of my phone for example, there will be duplicates from the previous backup, and then I have to update and clean 3 copies. And at that point, with 3 drives, I wouldn't be much far away (talking about expenses) from buying and external raid box / nas box + 2 drives.

Id backup your phone and store important files on the drives in your PC. Then backup to  external hdds, and swap the drive being used every month or two so you have a offline copy. Better yet store it offsite. Software can be setup to automatically backup to which ever external drive you have plugged in.

[not_MrFrost]

4 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

A NAS sounds like a more efficient/elegant solution to your problem -- the SMB protocol doesn't care about operating system(I read and write to one of my network drives from Windows, Linux, and Mac without issues), so you don't have to worry about dual-booting. The storage won't be directly attached to your computer, and should be somewhat safe in the event of a virus(always have backups of your backups, though).

 

If you're deadset on not having a NAS, then yeah the cheapest and most simple solution is like what @Electronics Wizardysaid: buy some external drives, back up to those, keep one of them offline, maintain multiple copies of your data.

Well, maybe I got the wrong idea about how a NAS works... to put simply, how would that work? Like, I get a NAS box, 2 drives, configure the thing, and then... where do I plug it? In the computer, router...? I want a NAS, but, you know, not network-attached, because I don't use it often. If it's ok to just plug in the thing, do what I have to do, unplug it, and then keep it away for one month... then ok, I'll go for it. Even if, talking that much about a network-attached storage, which I can access even with my phone... it doesn't sound all that bad. I'll think about it, after I'll understand better how it works.

[not_MrFrost]

2 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Id backup your phone and store important files on the drives in your PC. Then backup to  external hdds, and swap the drive being used every month or two so you have a offline copy. Better yet store it offsite. Software can be setup to automatically backup to which ever external drive you have plugged in.

That's interesting... but what software should I use for that? Also, the whole point of having a not-always-attached-to-the-pc archive, is in the case of a malware or something. Call me paranoid, but that a pretty important thing for me. Already got scars from past experiences, if you know what I mean.

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, not_MrFrost said:

That's interesting... but what software should I use for that? Also, the whole point of having a not-always-attached-to-the-pc archive, is in the case of a malware or something. Call me paranoid, but that a pretty important thing for me. Already got scars from past experiences, if you know what I mean.

Veeam can do backups to switched external drives. I'm sure other software can aswell.

 

 

[Crunchy Dragon]

2 minutes ago, not_MrFrost said:

Well, maybe I got the wrong idea about how a NAS works... to put simply, how would that work? Like, I get a NAS box, 2 drives, configure the thing, and then... where do I plug it? In the computer, router...? I want a NAS, but, you know, not network-attached, because I don't use it often. If it's ok to just plug in the thing, do what I have to do, unplug it, and then keep it away for one month... then ok, I'll go for it. Even if, talking that much about a network-attached storage, which I can access even with my phone... it doesn't sound all that bad. I'll think about it, after I'll understand better how it works.

Usually it'll connect to your router. You don't have to keep it connected all the time, but I've not done much with proper NAS systems myself yet.

 

Network-attached is really convenient, even if you don't use it that much. I have a drive in my workstation available on my network that I might use once a month to transfer something to/from my laptop or even a virtual machine on occasion.

[not_MrFrost]

7 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

Usually it'll connect to your router. You don't have to keep it connected all the time, but I've not done much with proper NAS systems myself yet.

 

Network-attached is really convenient, even if you don't use it that much. I have a drive in my workstation available on my network that I might use once a month to transfer something to/from my laptop or even a virtual machine on occasion.

But won't other people on the network, or even from the internet, be able to access the NAS?

[Crunchy Dragon]

11 minutes ago, not_MrFrost said:

But won't other people on the network, or even from the internet, be able to access the NAS?

Not from the internet, unless you do some really silly things in your network firewall configuration.

 

From the network, possibly, that might vary by type of NAS and how you set things up. Sharing a drive via network on Windows for example, you can set it up so that only certain accounts on the sharing PC have access, and you can lock it down that way.

[Blue4130]

2 hours ago, not_MrFrost said:

That's interesting... but what software should I use for that? Also, the whole point of having a not-always-attached-to-the-pc archive, is in the case of a malware or something. Call me paranoid, but that a pretty important thing for me. Already got scars from past experiences, if you know what I mean.

This is why I agree with Wizardry, Two single disks would insulate you from malware better than a single unit with two drives. Swap which one you use every backup job, then you always have the previous one to fall back on if you accidentally back up the virus, or delete something that you need still.