Best NAS backup solution for Mac

[soundbase]

I am currently working with quite a big source of video and audio material. I am wanting to back this data up, but still be able to access it on my network. Currently the backup data is all sitting on DVD's, and other external HD's. I want to move all this data to a central location. I was thinking of some sort of NAS solution for Mac. What do you guys recommend? I am looking at about 4-6TB of Data. I also want some form of redundancy in case a drive fails.

Is there some sort of NAS drive available, or should I be looking at a Mac Data Server. I don't want to go the XServe route, as it is merely a data store. I do not need all the other features.

I looked at Apple's Time Capsule devices, but I need something bigger than the 2TB.

 

[bwana]

Drobo. http://www.drobo.com/

 

[soundbase]

Thanks Bwana.

Do you know of a local supplier of the Drobo product?

 

[MidnightWizard]

Rackmount

I am currently working with quite a big source of video and audio material. I am wanting to back this data up, but still be able to access it on my network.

Not everyone has rackmount -- but I think that going for one of those "used" 1U / 2U DELL servers and online SAS storage racks might be a better more bang for the buck scenario.

It is what I am looking at when I can find what I want at the right price.


MW

 

[bekdik]

Look at Seagate freeagent:

http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/external/

 

[phiber]

Thanks Bwana.

Do you know of a local supplier of the Drobo product?

Heres a url of the listed suppliers of drobo. I would also go drobo.

http://www.project3.co.za/pages/droboF.html

 

[Stefan!]

Have you checked out synology?

 

[koffiejunkie]

How skilled are you with linux? Building a big RAID-5 is pretty easy. Share it via NFS or SMB - OSX is happy with both. Setting up an iSCSI target is child's play too - too bad Apple still hasn't added an iSCSI initiator...

 

[2handy]

I have been using FreeNAS for many months without a problem. It is very easy to install, & sets up very easily. It has client browser based configuration access which is very polished indeed.

I have it installed on an old Athlon 3500+ 64bit system, that has drive drawers. So I can easily stick the couple of drawers into the machine & boot FreeNAS, then I backup my data, after which I shut down FreeNAS & remove the drives for safe keeping.

My client is a 2007 model 24" iMac, which dual boots OS X & Arch Linux. I only use FreeNAS via Arch.

OS X can be setup to use FreeNAS there is a how-to on the FreeNAS site.

If you have access to an old computer (my Athlon is much too powerful for the FreeNAS job), FreeNAS is a free, highly polished NAS solution for anyone who has a few hours spare to install it & setup the client(s).

 

[Sputnik]

QNAP http://www.qnap.com/

Built in bit torrent client. Plus you can install Transmission BT and many more.
NFS/FTP/CIFS SAMBA/ SFTP....
Itunes Media Server, play share content from the NAS.
Many ipkg's available.

I have one and love it.

I just rsync my pics and photo's to it.

 

[ambo]

I have been using FreeNAS for many months without a problem.

I'm very happy with FreeNAS. I have a number of boxes running FreeNAS with 2 or 3 drives.

I am now looking for something a little bigger: A box that I can run FreeNAS with about 6 or 8 drives. Any know of anything decent?

 

[koffiejunkie]

I am now looking for something a little bigger: A box that I can run FreeNAS with about 6 or 8 drives. Any know of anything decent?

Noise is a big factor for me (since my storage box is in my bedroom at the moment). So I'm using 2.5" drives mounted with mounting plates (two for each 3.5" bay). I have five drives in the machines at the moment, and I can't hear them at all. I just need to replace the PSU with a quiet one too.