[dougoftheabaci]

I hate having to always sit at my desk to listen to my music, which is on an external HD. Likewise I hate having to always be connected to my little WD Passport so I can use Time Machine. Defeats the point of having a laptop in the end. So I was thinking about going into NAS storage but I was hoping not to have to replace my drive to do so, not yet anyway. Though that is coming in the next year or two.

What I want to be able to do is attach my hard drive via USB to a device and have it shared over the network so I can have it mounted on my computer at all times as if it was local. Also the ability to have it connected to a USB hub so that I can connect more than one drive at the same time would also be preferable.

I was thinking about the Airport Express since that would also allow me to use my stereo wirelessly, but I am under the impression that Airport Express has no external hard drive support and that only Extreme has that ability, but not AirTunes. And I really don't want to have to buy both so I'm hoping I'm wrong. However AirTunes is not a necessity for me by any means.

Is there some simple way that I can connect my external to the network?

[Tom_Diola]

This is a tough one because of the way Time Machine works i.e. they want to use their stuff.
Since you don't back up very often (twice a month?) then connecting the external Hard Drive shouldn't be a problem.
Do you have your music on an external drive because you have like 15,000 songs on it or something like that?

When I want to hear tunes elsewhere I usually connect up the Wireless System and then can move the wrieless speaker
anywhere around e.g. back yard, other room etc. I guess you could get the apple tv too . . .

It is a tough problem to solve . . .

[smax013]

dougoftheabaci said:

I hate having to always sit at my desk to listen to my music, which is on an external HD. Likewise I hate having to always be connected to my little WD Passport so I can use Time Machine. Defeats the point of having a laptop in the end. So I was thinking about going into NAS storage but I was hoping not to have to replace my drive to do so, not yet anyway. Though that is coming in the next year or two.

What I want to be able to do is attach my hard drive via USB to a device and have it shared over the network so I can have it mounted on my computer at all times as if it was local. Also the ability to have it connected to a USB hub so that I can connect more than one drive at the same time would also be preferable.

I was thinking about the Airport Express since that would also allow me to use my stereo wirelessly, but I am under the impression that Airport Express has no external hard drive support and that only Extreme has that ability, but not AirTunes. And I really don't want to have to buy both so I'm hoping I'm wrong. However AirTunes is not a necessity for me by any means.

Is there some simple way that I can connect my external to the network?

If you are looking for an NAS device that will allow you to attach a USB drive to it and then access it over the network, then there are some options. Certainly a Airport Extreme as well as a Time Capsule (I believe you can also add a USB drive to a Time Capsule)will do it. There are some other NAS drives that will do the same. My older Western Digital NAS can add an external USB drive to expand the storage (although the firmware of that device limits the total to 500 GB, thus a 250 GB NAS can only really support an additional 250 GB external drive...and a 500 GB NAS will not allow any more). You can also take a look at this one. It appears to support adding up to two USB drives as well as installing an internal IDE drive. I am sure there are others.



Now, issues that you will likely face are that none of these options will support Time Machine that I am aware of. The only network attached storage that I know will support Time Machine over the network is Time Capsule. And then there is AirTunes. I believe your only way to get AirTunes is with an AirPort Express...which does NOT support attaching a drive. Thus, you will likely have to worry about one thing at a time.

[dougoftheabaci]

@ Tom_Diola
Actually I back up constantly. I'm a freelance web designer and if I lose my data, which I have been in the past, it can cost me weeks of work and thousands of pounds. Plus data recovery can easily hit the $1,000 mark so if I backup every hour I'm safe and at most will only have to guy a new laptop and not then have to go pay for someone to recover my hard drive.

As for why my music is on my external. Part of it is I have a large library. Part of it is I keep all my media and extra files on that external. But mostly it's because my work files take up a large portion of my internal drive (only 160GB with 32GB sectioned off for Windows). In the end it's just simpler to have it all sit on my external.

As for wireless speakers, that would still require me to be hooked up to something, or otherwise by more expensive equipment. I was hoping there was something similar to the Airport Express that would suite my needs but I'm getting the feeling that isn't the case.

@ smax013
I've been debating an AirPort Extreme, since I need to replace my wireless modem anyway... But that would still mean I'd have to buy a separate modem anyway, which I might do all the same. However, as you said, the AirPort Extreme has no AirTunes support... Which means I'd still need to buy an Airport Express if I wanted that functionality. Never quite understood why the Extreme didn't have all the features of the Express. Though that's just something I'd like and if I can get easily and cheaply I will.

As for buying a completely new external, that is in the cards, but not yet. I'm still mostly a student so until I graduate this summer and get a real job I'll have no money to purchase such things. Or at least not enough that I can do it reasonably. An when I upgrade my storage this time I'm looking into a more permanent option, something along the lines of an NAS RAID setup that could grow as I added larger drives.

However I was hoping for a stop-gap to hold me over for a year or so until I was able to afford another option.

[smax013]

dougoftheabaci said:

@ Tom_Diola
Actually I back up constantly. I'm a freelance web designer and if I lose my data, which I have been in the past, it can cost me weeks of work and thousands of pounds. Plus data recovery can easily hit the $1,000 mark so if I backup every hour I'm safe and at most will only have to guy a new laptop and not then have to go pay for someone to recover my hard drive.

As for why my music is on my external. Part of it is I have a large library. Part of it is I keep all my media and extra files on that external. But mostly it's because my work files take up a large portion of my internal drive (only 160GB with 32GB sectioned off for Windows). In the end it's just simpler to have it all sit on my external.

As for wireless speakers, that would still require me to be hooked up to something, or otherwise by more expensive equipment. I was hoping there was something similar to the Airport Express that would suite my needs but I'm getting the feeling that isn't the case.

@ smax013
I've been debating an AirPort Extreme, since I need to replace my wireless modem anyway... But that would still mean I'd have to buy a separate modem anyway, which I might do all the same. However, as you said, the AirPort Extreme has no AirTunes support... Which means I'd still need to buy an Airport Express if I wanted that functionality. Never quite understood why the Extreme didn't have all the features of the Express. Though that's just something I'd like and if I can get easily and cheaply I will.

As for buying a completely new external, that is in the cards, but not yet. I'm still mostly a student so until I graduate this summer and get a real job I'll have no money to purchase such things. Or at least not enough that I can do it reasonably. An when I upgrade my storage this time I'm looking into a more permanent option, something along the lines of an NAS RAID setup that could grow as I added larger drives.

However I was hoping for a stop-gap to hold me over for a year or so until I was able to afford another option.

I was going to say that if backup is a critical thing (which it should be) and you store you data on an external (thus want to store it on a NAS), then an NAS with RAID 1 suport would be a good thing. I just got a LaCie NAS with RAID 1 support and Gigabit ethernet. Have not gotten around to setting it up, but I do plan on having my data on it. The RAID 1 option will be my first "layer" of backup. I will then backup from that NAS to other desitnations as well.



If you are looking for a stop gap, then an AirPort Extreme might be the way to go if you also need/want a new router. It will give you the ability to hook your drive up to it (but not use that drive over the network for Time Machine...at least not yet). And it won't give you the ability to hook to your stereo to stream music, but it might be the most cost efficient way to get the networkable USB drive. Unfortunately, it does not look like there is a perfect all-in-one solution for you right now.

[dougoftheabaci]

Yeah, I figured as much... I just wanted to ask around. Please post back once your LaCie is set up and let us all know how it worked out. I've had their drives in the past and love them. My only wish is that I could buy just one of their cases and not the drives as I want to get Seagate drives when I upgrade to a NAS RAID.

I'm eventually planning on building a 4TB RAID of 4 drives with 2TB mirroring the other 2TB. This will also allow my to make my DVD collection digital so I can watch it all easier without having to worry about scratching discs. However I can't seem to find a decent case. I'd love a LaCie since I've used them before and they are second to none in my book.

[smax013]

dougoftheabaci said:

Yeah, I figured as much... I just wanted to ask around. Please post back once your LaCie is set up and let us all know how it worked out. I've had their drives in the past and love them. My only wish is that I could buy just one of their cases and not the drives as I want to get Seagate drives when I upgrade to a NAS RAID.

I'm eventually planning on building a 4TB RAID of 4 drives with 2TB mirroring the other 2TB. This will also allow my to make my DVD collection digital so I can watch it all easier without having to worry about scratching discs. However I can't seem to find a decent case. I'd love a LaCie since I've used them before and they are second to none in my book.

FWIW, in my searching, I had found this RAID NAS enclosure option (you supply the drives). It appears nominally equilvalent to the LaCie but you pick your own drives (the LaCie ends up cheaper as you can get the 1 TB version two 500 GB drives] that I got for about $380...by the time you pay $230 plus a little over a $100 per drive for this option, it will cost a little bit more). I don't know how well this brand stacks up to LaCie. On the downsde, it only has two bays, so it would kind of stymie your 4 TB RAID plans...at least until they come out with 2 TB drives.





LaCie does have [this 4 bay model, but it comes with drives included. I suppose you could do the 1 TB version (4 250 GB drives) and take out the 250 GB drives and replace them with 1 TB drives of your choice and use the 250 GB drives for other things. The prices is not too bad for that at $900. Still has Gigabit ethernet.



I know someone that has an earlier incarnation of this Netgear NAS (back when it was still Infrant). His version did not have Gigabit ethernet and he got it as an Infrant and before Netgear jacked up the price. It is now about $850. It comes with no drives, so you pick your own. I had not considered it back then due to cost and lack of Gigabit ethernet. Now, it would just be cost (as much as I might like it due to the "drool" factor , I just don't need 4 bays for a NAS RAID).

[dougoftheabaci]

Wow that first link was a great find! Indeed I don't know how reputable the company is, but they have a few 4-bay systems for under $500 a piece! This one caught my eye in particular though there are a few other options I'd be considering. However the brand says it can support the latest 1TB drives so that meets my 4TB quota. Only issue seems to be that this version doesn't have ethernet, though one of the new Deck series might.

Considering I can't do the upgrade now anyway none of this is a problem. However this particular option holds extra benefits for me. For instance, the power system is internal thus I could buy it in the states and buy the necessary cord back here in the UK. I've done that before with thinks like my display.

Thanks Smax013, very nice find! By the time I'm looking to upgrade I'm sure they'll have better features and the price of drives will have gone down. By my calculations, I could grab four Seagate 1TB Barracudas and this rig all for less than $1,500.

Looks like I'll be taking on more clients!
Message was edited by: dougoftheabaci
Messed up the link syntax.

[smax013]

dougoftheabaci said:

Wow that first link was a great find! Indeed I don't know how reputable the company is, but they have a few 4-bay systems for under $500 a piece! This one caught my eye in particular though there are a few other options I'd be considering. However the brand says it can support the latest 1TB drives so that meets my 4TB quota. Only issue seems to be that this version doesn't have ethernet, though one of the new Deck series might.

Considering I can't do the upgrade now anyway none of this is a problem. However this particular option holds extra benefits for me. For instance, the power system is internal thus I could buy it in the states and buy the necessary cord back here in the UK. I've done that before with thinks like my display.

Thanks Smax013, very nice find! By the time I'm looking to upgrade I'm sure they'll have better features and the price of drives will have gone down. By my calculations, I could grab four Seagate 1TB Barracudas and this rig all for less than $1,500.

Looks like I'll be taking on more clients!

Message was edited by: dougoftheabaci
Messed up the link syntax.

Be careful. I don't believe the one that you linked to is a RAID system...just a 4 drive bay system without RAID. I suspect that might be why it less expensive then most of the 4 bay RAID systems that I have seen. I could be wrong, but I did not see any indications of RAID...and considering the other product is the SOHORAID (the one you linked to was the SOHOTANK).

[dougoftheabaci]

SohoRAID is 2-bay only unfortunately, though you're right the SohoTank appears to be JBOD and not RAID. Missed that... Though I could always use OS X to do a software RAID, I remember reading that's possible somewhere... But that defeats the purpose since I want it to be accessible to anyone on the network and not just me, which I imagine a software RAID would be, or have some other limitations.

It also appears that any of their other RAID systems all are only two-drive. What I need is 4-bays and RAID1 capable... They have a new one coming out in June but I can't seem to find any info. Who knows? I won't be able to do this until fall at the earliest anyway.

[smax013]

dougoftheabaci said:

SohoRAID is 2-bay only unfortunately, though you're right the SohoTank appears to be JBOD and not RAID. Missed that... Though I could always use OS X to do a software RAID, I remember reading that's possible somewhere... But that defeats the purpose since I want it to be accessible to anyone on the network and not just me, which I imagine a software RAID would be, or have some other limitations.

It also appears that any of their other RAID systems all are only two-drive. What I need is 4-bays and RAID1 capable... They have a new one coming out in June but I can't seem to find any info. Who knows? I won't be able to do this until fall at the earliest anyway.

And my guess is that if/when they do release a 4 bay NAS RAID option, it will be in the same price range as the Netgear one that I linked to. The RAID controller will add cost as potentially with the NAS controller/chipset (a RAID NAS is basically like a little server computer, so it is not just a "dumb" drive).



And yes, Disk Utility has the ability to setup Software RAID. I have not heard the best things about doing software RAID, but it can work in a pitch. I would say you are likely better off spending the extra money to get a hardware RAID setup.

[dougoftheabaci]

That's what I figured, about software RAIDs. Right now I'm planning on budgeting $2,000 for the entire thing including $1,000 for the drives. Right now 1TB 3.5" Barracudas from Seagate are about $230 a pop. That's likely what I'll be getting since I hear nothing but amazing things about Seagate's drives.

The idea you suggested about buying a 4-bay system that meets my needs but buying the lowest capacity and selling off the extra drives as I replace them with the ones I want is a pretty good idea. I was also considering something with a more horizontal form factor. I was thinking because I could do something like this from Decluttered.com.

Either way, I have plenty of time to investigate my options. Thanks for the advice, I'm sure I'll be back when I actually have the money necessary to do this. Until then I'll continue my search for a stop-gap.

[smax013]

dougoftheabaci said:

The idea you suggested about buying a 4-bay system that meets my needs but buying the lowest capacity and selling off the extra drives as I replace them with the ones I want is a pretty good idea. I was also considering something with a more horizontal form factor. I was thinking because I could do something like this from Decluttered.com.

It is a potentially viable option, but you will DEFINITELY want to read the warranty before you go down that route as it is possible that if you swap out the drives, you will void the warranty.



BTW, that Decluttered site was interesting...thanks.