Home use NAS with limited budget

[JohanLmk]

Hi,

Background; I currently pay for a CrashPlan subscription, but for the need I have (to mainly protect my photos and some personal documents that is not that extensive in volume) I think this is a bit overkill.

I'm thinking of moving all my documents, photos and videos to googles cloud service (i pay for some extra space anyway) but photos and videos still are reduced quality. This will make them available from any place and saved in the case my house gets struck by lightning. - In that case I can live with the limited quality of the pics, and no version history of documents.

I tried to read about the possibilities, and it seem like synology has the best product for my needs and budget; I don't know if the below would be feasible.

For not loosing (erasing) files accidentally or loose files by ransomware, I'd like to set up a local NAS that my PC(s) backs up to, and if possible, to protect that unit from failure (dropped or similar) have it to backup to a secondary place within the house.

I'd also like, if possible, the unit so serve as a media/file server with plex DLNA support for streaming to phones, chromecast, android- and samsung TVs. 4k is not necessary, at least not for transcoding.

I would like, if possible, for the documents part, to have versioning.

I don't need (as I can see now) to access the drive from outside my LAN, I have a windows machine always on I remote to when needed.

My budget I think could stretch to a DS220+ and start with one drive, but I will not afford yet another synology for backup of the backup so to say. If possible start with one drive, expandable to RAID for extra protection (or run smaller/cheaper drives to start with and step up to larger NAS spec driver later on). Then to let the NAS back the part where photos and docs are stored to a small celeron powered linux NUC with USB HDD within the same LAN.

One alternative is of course to build a linux server from scratch, but I feel I don't have the time and knowledge to do this, and want something that works pretty much out of the box. If I can reuse the small linux nuc I already have for other tasks to serve as a second backup, that would bring down the cost. Does the synology software cost anything? It's only my personal data that needs to be "double secured" so to say (or triple as I plan to have it also on google drive) - they are pretty limited in size - I don't store a lot of videos.

Is my thoughts somewhat in line with what a DS220+ provides?

 

[Rusty]

Is my thoughts somewhat in line with what a DS220+ provides

220+ sounds like a perfect choice. All of your wishes can work and be configured. Also, Synology software does not cost anything apart for certain apps/services that might offer some free licenses, but after that you will have to pay extra (surveillance or mail license for example).

Apart from that DSM will have you covered and 220+ will be more then capable.

 

[kiriak]

Of course you can use the NUC as a backup for a synology NAS. The bigger problem is that it has not enough space for internal disks.

I had a NUC and i had setup as a OpenMediaVAult and as a FreeNAS. They are easy to setup for a novice like me, but they require some time, They are not plug and play as DSM is.

The FreeNAS (now TrueNAS) can be installed on a USB stick or in an internal M2 disk
and the data can be on an internal 2.5 HDD or on an external 3.5 USB HDD. Be aware that USB HDDs are not considered the best solution on FreeNAS but they can work mostly without problems.
I have right now a FreeNAS (ok TrueNAS now) setup that I use as a test machine. I use HyperBackup to backup my (some of) data on the Synology NAS and also some of my data on my Windows and Linuc PCs to the TrueNAS test machine. Easy and reliable.

The major reason to avoid a solution like this is because of the need to have at least one off-site backup.
You can achieve this by using the very good HyperBackup app on the Synology NAS and a couple of encrypted USB HDDs that you can keep elsewhere,
Or alternativeley setup the NUC on another place and backup there, but this requires a higher level of knowledge.

(I have to say for one more time , that even if I am a fun of Synology, the lack of Linux client apps, forces me to look for other solution, hence the testing of other platforms like TrueNAS)

 

[JohanLmk]

Thanks for good answers. The second stage backup seem to be the challenge?

I should clearify, I use windows as my primary work computers. Linux is just for running some background tasks, no linux data are generating data that need to be backed up, it's just that I have a small NUC that is always on that could have provided a low noice / low power "free" storage if hooked to a moderate size USB drive.

My thought is that the Synology would be the source network storage for all files.

So HyperBackup cannot be easilly run on a Linux server to copy the part of the NAS that is most critical for me?
I'm not into NASes, but it seem that there is a protocoll for backing up, I also have a really old LG nas and a cheap WD Cloud NAS that would have enough space for the data, but I doubted that that could be of use? The idea was to use something I already had as secondary backup.

If I understand, if I were to buy 2 Synology NAS, then I could "out of the box" set up (for free) HyperBackup on both NASes, and then let one of them just keep a safe-copy of the data on the primary NAS that will act like a normal file server for me? As the "precious" data will not be large in size and not changed very often, is it possible to find an old Synology cheap to just act as a second "offsite" backup of the first NAS (it would be great if I could put that NAS say at a friend so then it will be even safer).

I don't like a solution that makes me to connect a USB drive that then should be stored elsewhere, even if I could consider that as a last resort if the other solutions will be complex or expensive. Then the primary "trust" would be that I keep the data also on Google Drive (that is probably good enough safety, but what I don't like is like ransomware or accidental delete may erase/corrupt also mirrored files on services like Drive).

 

[Rusty]

So HyperBackup cannot be easilly run on a Linux server to copy the part of the NAS that is most critical for me?
I'm not into NASes, but it seem that there is a protocoll for backing up, I also have a really old LG nas and a cheap WD Cloud NAS that would have enough space for the data, but I doubted that that could be of use? The idea was to use something I already had as secondary backup.

HB can backup to any rsync capable server

 

[JohanLmk]

Just googled the RSYNC part of hyperbackup and found this easy guide, it would be applicable on a linux NUC also?

Backup a Synology NAS to a Raspberry Pi using Hyper Backup

This tutorial we will look at how to backup a Synology NAS to a Raspberry Pi using Hyper Backup. https://youtu.be/ugMFtwcqgGI We will first setup an Rsync server on a Raspberry Pi so that it can

www.wundertech.net

-- post merged: 10. Dec 2020 --

HB can backup to any rsync capable server

Even as a non experienced Linux user, it seems like it's rather easy to get a free RSYNC capable server up and running and set hyperbackup to back up to it, that would cover my needs! It seems like most the config is set on the hyperbackup GUIed part, so once set up I guess I don't need to login to that Linux to check what is happening, that I will be able to check in the Synology GUI?

 

[Rusty]

that I will be able to check in the Synology GUI?

correct

 

[JohanLmk]

Great, then I will follow the price for a DS220+ and try to buy within some weeks... it seems (looking by price history) that the DS220+ is not on "sale" rather often here in Sweden, on BF it was not on sale, so I doubt it will be on the x-mas sale. I anyway will not have the time to set it up before xmas... Thanks for all good answers!

 

[Rusty]

Great, then I will follow the price for a DS220+ and try to buy within some weeks... it seems (looking by price history) that the DS220+ is not on "sale" rather often here in Sweden, on BF it was not on sale, so I doubt it will be on the x-mas sale. I anyway will not have the time to set it up before xmas... Thanks for all good answers!

It's a fresh unit, not sure it will be that easy to get it on some discounts just yet.

 

[kiriak]

@JohanLmk

​

Hyperbackup runs on Synology NAS and can backup the NAS or part of it to the cloud, USB HDDs, another synology or another server. Hyperbackup is one the reasons I'm still with Synology.

The NUC can be used as a backup for the Synology either setup as a Linux server or as a TrueNAS or as a OMV NAS or as a RockStor NAS. I have tested all these. There are other options also that I have not test myself.
A Linux server on the NAS is quite easy to be setup as a Ubunu or Fedora Server and can be controlled by GUI in the form of Cockpit. You can experiment with all these for free if you have a NUC and a spare HDD.

 

[JohanLmk]

@JohanLmk

​

Hyperbackup runs on Synology NAS and can backup the NAS or part of it to the cloud, USB HDDs, another synology or another server. Hyperbackup is one the reasons I'm still with Synology.

The NUC can be used as a backup for the Synology either setup as a Linux server or as a TrueNAS or as a OMV NAS or as a RockStor NAS. I have tested all these. There are other options also that I have not test myself.
A Linux server on the NAS is quite easy to be setup as a Ubunu or Fedora Server and can be controlled by GUI in the form of Cockpit. You can experiment with all these for free if you have a NUC and a spare HDD.

Great, then there are options to get it going...

-- post merged: 10. Dec 2020 --

It's a fresh unit, not sure it will be that easy to get it on some discounts just yet.

The list price is also within the budget, but I'm not in a hurry so I wait until end year sale.

 

[JohanLmk]

I seem to have both an ancient LG-nas (with raid and 2 old drives and RSYNC capable) and an old small mybook live (that seem to have RSYNC though need to be activated by SSH to the device), both been just collecting dust. May it be as simple as set up them as a second source backup for the "photos and docs" directory of the Synology DS220+? No need to set up an NUC with that service? I guess I may switch them to any other cheap NAS as long as it has RSYNC (which seem to be pretty standard).

 

[Rusty]

I seem to have both an ancient LG-nas (with raid and 2 old drives and RSYNC capable) and an old small mybook live (that seem to have RSYNC though need to be activated by SSH to the device), both been just collecting dust. May it be as simple as set up them as a second source backup for the "photos and docs" directory of the Synology DS220+? No need to set up an NUC with that service? I guess I may switch them to any other cheap NAS as long as it has RSYNC (which seem to be pretty standard).

If they can server as a rsync sever side, then you will have no problem using them for backups