Advice- Time Capsule or NAS?

tacojohn · March 4, 2008 10:50AM

Hi all-

I'm debating between one of two options. I currently have an Airport Extreme basestation (the old 082.11g "UFO" one) that's working perfectly. I want to add some type of networked storage to my home network for backup and plain storage for photos, music, movies, etc. I don't use Time Machine, but I use backup.app.

So should I

1. Get this LaCie 500GB NAS drive from Amazon for $177 and just add it to my existing network?

http://www.amazon.com/LaCie-301138U-...648653&sr=8-11

2. Get the 500GB Time Capsule for $299?

Currently I have no devices on our network that are 802.11N (so I don't really have a use for the faster router) and I have $125 to blow at Amazon from Christmas. We have a wired network in our house so I could just plug the LaCie into the wall and be done w/ it I guess...but I like the idea of the integration and good software w/ the Time Capsule, but $299 for 500GB seems like a lot.

Thanks for your help!

techound1 · March 5, 2008 2:21PM

I've used a couple of NAS devices (ximetas) on my wireless network. Their software is set up so that only one computer can access the HD at a time, which was a bit of a drag until we figured out how to work around it (mount and share the drive from one computer). I'm in the same boat myself, champing at the bit for a Time Capsule.

swing · March 6, 2008 7:08AM

I just received my 1TB TC today, in part to replace a RAID 1 connected via firewire 400 to my PB (I'll try a normal back up from the TC via annother USB disk connected to the TC). I'll give up speed but will eliminate clutter under my desk. The TC was a snap to set up, taking about 5 minutes to replace my AE BS (including MAC settings for all my peripherals) with internet via an external modem; the experience was Apple all the way- elegant ease.

Right now I am copying my PB's Time Machine backups (located on the RAID 1) to the TC while my wife's MB is also creating her first Time Machine backup to the same TC. My PB is running 802.11g and my wife's MB is running 802.11n, so my TC is running in the sub-optimal mixed environment. The process is slow, though the literature says the initial configuration will be.

In any case, the TC appears to allow simultaneous access- at least via Time Machine.

I have not yet tried to access regular files from two machines simultaneously, or tried to attach via USB another drive to the TC to allow me to backup files I will store on the TC. When I do so I will update this thread with my experience, unless someone else has already done so.

Based on my limited experience so far I'd suggest the TC. That would allow you to use 802.11n devices in the future and your configuration will be a breeze. Of course, you probably will not have the ability to create a RAID array though.

Hope this helps.

vinea · March 6, 2008 7:18AM

Mmm...it's more expensive but I'd get a NAS with multiple drives and RAID over a TC. Unfortunately that runs $300 for a 1TB 2 bay NAS that would give you 500GB in a RAID 1 configuration.

swing · March 6, 2008 7:29AM

Yeah, if RAID is important then you may not want the TC. I still harbor hopes that in the future I can somehow use a RAID 1 connected to the TC- but I do not have any idea right now whether I will be able to do so. It would seem to be a waste of the 1 gigabit ethernet ports on the TC if this cannot be done, and in any case the overall cost with the TC may be higher.

kuredood · March 6, 2008 7:36AM

I would love to hear how the TC backup to usb drive works! I struck out at the Dallas apple stores trying to get one in person while on business. I ordered one on-line yesterday and it goes out next week.

swing · March 6, 2008 7:44AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuredood

I would love to hear how the TC backup to usb drive works! I struck out at the Dallas apple stores trying to get one in person while on business. I ordered one on-line yesterday and it goes out next week.

I'll post my results soon (unless someone else does so first). By "soon" I mean after my two machines create their Time Machine backups on the TC and then after I copy about 200GB of other data from my RAID 1 to the TC.

After I do that and verify the results then I will attach one of the drives formerly used for my firewire RAID 1 to connect to the TC via USB, and try Apple's Backup. So "soon" may be a day or two.

tacojohn · March 6, 2008 10:39AM

My biggest thing is I don't want to spend too much money. If money was no object it would be a Drobo all the way....

I'm still not 100% sold on either solution and the LaCie also has a USB port for additional drives. If I had "N" devices it would be a no brainer.

swing · March 6, 2008 2:00PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuredood

I would love to hear how the TC backup to usb drive works! I struck out at the Dallas apple stores trying to get one in person while on business. I ordered one on-line yesterday and it goes out next week.

FWIW AppleInsider has a thread answering many questions implicated by this thread: http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=85092

tacojohn, thanks for the mention of the Drobo. I was not aware of that device.

swing · March 10, 2008 7:02AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuredood

I would love to hear how the TC backup to usb drive works! I struck out at the Dallas apple stores trying to get one in person while on business. I ordered one on-line yesterday and it goes out next week.

I do not really intend to resurrect this thread, given the comprehensive thread at http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=85092, but I'll sum up my experience with a 1TB TC so far. My environment right now is mixed 802.11g and n, so far with only a PB and a MB wirelessly accessing the TC drive and the TC's attached USB drive.

So kuredood, it appears a USB drive attached to the TC works, albeit slowly.

I can use Apple Backup to backup from a FW400 drive attached to my PC, from the Time Capsule drive, and from the internal drive on my PB- all to a USB drive attached to the TC. It appears Time Machine can also use the USB drive attached to the TC, as the option exists to change the backup drive within Time Machine preferences (and in those prefs I see my USB drive attached to the TC). And of course I can write directly to and read directly from that USB drive. So far it appears that my current two machines can simultaneously access the TC drive and the attached USB drive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacojohn

Hi all-

I'm debating between one of two options. I currently have an Airport Extreme basestation (the old 082.11g "UFO" one) that's working perfectly. I want to add some type of networked storage to my home network for backup and plain storage for photos, music, movies, etc. I don't use Time Machine, but I use backup.app.

So should I

1. Get this LaCie 500GB NAS drive from Amazon for $177 and just add it to my existing network?

http://www.amazon.com/LaCie-301138U-...648653&sr=8-11

2. Get the 500GB Time Capsule for $299?

Currently I have no devices on our network that are 802.11N (so I don't really have a use for the faster router) and I have $125 to blow at Amazon from Christmas. We have a wired network in our house so I could just plug the LaCie into the wall and be done w/ it I guess...but I like the idea of the integration and good software w/ the Time Capsule, but $299 for 500GB seems like a lot.

Thanks for your help!

The major constraints with the TC are speed and cpu overhead in a wireless environment. The initial Time Machine backup is slow, though this can be ameliorated by doing the initial backup with an ethernet cable; thereafter the wireless Time Machine backups are not so tedious (especially if one uses the software http://www.klieme.com/TimeMachineScheduler.html mentioned in the other thread to adjust the backups to occur less frequently than every hour). The speed writing to the TC is slow, something I expected, but the speed seems slow to even copy from the TC drive to the attached USB drive. I've resigned myself to using the TC's attached USB drive for daily backups using Backup or SuperDuper and which will run at night.

tacojohn, since you use Backup any Time Machine issues are no problem. And my experience using Backup to backup from my PB to the TC drive is positive- i.e. the speed does not seem too slow. But you said you use photos, movies, etc. and you may be disappointed with wireless speeds, especially at 802.11g. The speed of my wife's MB running at 802.11n seems quite a bit quicker (though I have not done nearly as much large file size reading/writing from/to the TC with her MB as I have with my slower PB, so my impression may not be well-balanced).

I bought the TC in part to replace a FW400 RAID 1 attached to my PB. I knew I would give up read/write speed but am still surprised how slow my 1TB TC in a wireless environment is. Copying from the TC's own drive to an attached USB drive is just super slow. The speed of my wife's MB to the TC is quicker than with my PB, and when I update my PB perhaps I will not have as much a problem with the speed of the TC.

In sum, I will eventually find either an ethernet drive or an ethernet RAID 1 solution hoping to connect to the TC's ethernet ports.

EDIT: Given my initial TC experience and your stated situation tacojohn, IMO the best solution for you is the LaCie NAS to attach to your existing AE basestation. That will save some money now, and if/when you upgrade to an 802.11n router you can still use the NAS in the future- especially its 1 gigabit ethernet. If possible I'd try to go with a larger drive, but that would cost more money.

bergermeister · March 10, 2008 7:22AM

I ordered a TC for backing up my MBA at home, but am looking for a Lan-based RAID for the office. My main requirement is to be able to remove one of the drives and store it off-site.

Will go to my local shop to look at several systems later this week. A quick call and my sales rep said to check out Buffalo (I live in Japan and don't know if it's available in the US).

swing · March 10, 2008 9:17AM

Bergermeister, FWIW I am still stuck with my 12" PB. I'd like to buy a MBP but they are still too big, and I need firewire to use my recording equipment. I'll wait a little longer and then may just buy a MBA after all.

Anyway, thanks for the reference to the Buffalo. I'll add that to my list of RAID-type solutions to check out when I address my desire for a RAID attached to the TC.

bergermeister · March 10, 2008 9:28AM

Looks like it is available. Here's a linkie:

http://buffalotech.com/products/netw...e/terastation/

Advice- Time Capsule or NAS?

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