Network Storage

[EACarlson]

Looking for recommendations for the simplest way to attach a network storage device to my home network. I want the ability to access the drive from any of the chromebooks in the house and to save files there from across the network. I don't need huge storage space, probably only 100 gbs or less. Can it be as simple as plugging a flash drive into my router?

 

[sam_gordon]

Not sure if a flash drive plugged into the router will work. Check your router's manual. You can always get a networked hard drive. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Link...9&sprefix=network+hard+dr,aps,115&sr=8-4&th=1
And connect it to your router via ethernet.

 

[EACarlson]

So, I messed around with it and found my 1TB backup drive for my old desktop. Plugged it in and set it up using the desktop, no problems. Try to set it up with my Chromebook, no go. Find out that my ASUS Router only supports something called SMB1, which ChromeOS won't play nicely with, it requires SMB2. Shouldn't be a problem since SMB2 has been out since 2011 right? Nope, ASUS refuses to put it in their firmware. I found a software app as a workaround, or I can put a 3rd party firmware on.

 

[longboard55]

after dealing with portables, now everything is saved to google drive. Easy to use and secure

 

[MillauFr]

Ditto. I use Google Drive. Its free.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Get something like this:
BUFFALO LinkStation 210 2TB Home Office Private Cloud Data Storage with Hard Drives Included https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00JKM0A36/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_7BQ29B3QNQGNQ04XKJY9
It will plug into your router and be accessible throughout your network. I know you said 100 GB, but storage is so cheap these days that you should get at least 1 TB or more. You won’t regret it.

 

[sam_gordon]

Get something like this:
BUFFALO LinkStation 210 2TB Home Office Private Cloud Data Storage with Hard Drives Included https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00JKM0A36/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_7BQ29B3QNQGNQ04XKJY9
It will plug into your router and be accessible throughout your network. I know you said 100 GB, but storage is so cheap these days that you should get at least 1 TB or more. You won’t regret it.

Wow. I posted the exact same link in post #2.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Wow. I posted the exact same link in post #2.

Sorry, I missed your post. I actually bought a WD 12 TB My Cloud EX2, but the smallest that comes in is 4 TB which is vastly more than the poster was looking for. For those looking for more storage, I can highly recommend the WD which has been trouble-free and is now available up to 36 TB (utterly mind blowing to me as someone who once owned a Conmodore PET with 32K of RAM).

 

[EACarlson]

after dealing with portables, now everything is saved to google drive. Easy to use and secure

Google drive is great for documents but not great for the 60GB of music files I want to have, or the 10GB of pictures I like to keep backed up in multiple places. I don't really want to spend monthly for something that I already have the hardware for.

 

[neverlandsky]

DH bought an external hard drive that is stored in our fire/evacuation backpack.

 

[GreatLakes]

If you are backing up document and pictures you can't lose don't rely on just one drive. At the very least get two separate hard drives and keep one at another location. A house fire that destroys your original and all you copies would be bad.

Single drives like what were posted here are fine but if you want a little easier access with some additional fault tolerance look for a small NAS with RAID built in. I like Synology and QNAP. I'd get one of those and use the cloud as my secondary backup encrypting anything with non-public private information before upload. For pictures it is easy since both Google and Amazon Photos can be configured to look at folder with pictures and upload automatically.

A NAS that has the shares configured properly should be OS agnostic.

 

[sam_gordon]

Single drives like what were posted here are fine but if you want a little easier access with some additional fault tolerance look for a small NAS with RAID built in.

Actually the Buffalo drives linked do have a two drive option w/RAID 1.

 

[GreatLakes]

Actually the Buffalo drives linked do have a two drive option w/RAID 1.

There you go, I didn't read close enough.

 

[EACarlson]

I think I have my solution. My pictures and documents are stored on Google Drive, a USB stick, two separate computer drives, the external drive and the really important pictures are on DVDs as well. The Music and Videos I have are on the computer drives, a USB, and the external drive. What I wanted was instant availability from any of the devices that are in my house, and the ability to move the files wirelessly. My solution is to use a third party file managing software on my android and ChromeOS devices. I already used managing software on my phone that allowed this.

 

[_19disnA]

To me it depends on what exactly you are using it for. If the main purpose is to have a backup of important files, I would prefer something offline that can be physically stored at a different location. As others have mentioned, if your house burns down, having all of your backups in that one location is not a good idea. I don't consider cloud storage as a place for backup since you have no idea who else might have access to it. I don't want copies of my tax returns (for example), in someplace where others can hack into them and prefer they be kept offline.

If you are interactively updating the same file from various PC's, then you are looking more for some type of network connected device.