How Do You Backup Your Stuff?

LLifeLearner on 25/11/2018 - 19:08
Last edited 26/11/2018 - 14:05

Hey clever folks

Was in a thread about a deal re WD portable hard drive and a OzB member recommended steering away from them which prompts the conundrum I'm guessing a few members would also be in

Our family has 3+2 (5) devices
2 laptops
1 desktop
2 mobiles

laptops and desktop predominantly for work
mobiles capture all of the family photos and videos

what is a simple AND cost effective backup method to use?

across both mac and pc
where you dont have to be Einstein

  • use a cloud service?
  • buy multiple drives?
  • buy a NAS drive?

if physical, have to pay for hardware and replace every few years
if cloud, takes lot of time to upload

from what i've researched of all the cloud services, backblaze is the most cost effective one
but not sure if it'll last through the ages

Poll Options

  • 35
    Cloud service (please post which one you use in thread)
  • 8
    Single desktop hard drive
  • 11
    NAS drives
Computing

Comments

  • dylo on 25/11/2018 - 19:15
    +15

    I print out my favourite OzBargain deals.

  • No Username on 25/11/2018 - 19:21
    +2

    I use One Drive. Simply because I have unlimited storage on my account. I also have a local copy for fast restore located on my FreeNAS server.

    • jace88 on 09/12/2018 - 18:16

      How'd you get unlimited? I also use OneDrive from Office 365 to get 1TB.

      • No Username on 09/12/2018 - 18:59
        +1

        I have access to my company Office Admin account which allows me to create up to 500,000 user accounts with 5 TB each. If I wanted I could create a script that would zip the backup and split into parts where the parts can be uploaded to different accounts if the main one is full. So technically speaking my account only has 5TB but I can get up to 2500 Petabyte using the script method.

  • imolared on 25/11/2018 - 19:31
    +1

    Synology NAS, use windows default backup to shared network drive. You can also download the free DS File app which lets you backup photos etc from mobile/tablet devices.

    You can also configure the NAS to sync to offsite service such as Dropbox during a specific time so it won’t affect your bandwidth.

    • dimitryp on 26/11/2018 - 12:08

      i do this, although i use software called Macrium to do a disk image of my desktop nightly to the Synology. So if my HDD dies i can recover the system completely from the image (to a new hdd)

  • Nugs on 25/11/2018 - 19:34

    'generally' - hdd not in PC

    'special stuff' - photos, financials - also copied to DVD and stored at another location
    .

  • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2018 - 19:39
    +4

    None of option, you should have multiple backups methods… I use combination of all three with additional to off-site backup on important files. If you use a single backup location putting trust on a service provider/hard drive to keep your data safe.

  • ihbh on 25/11/2018 - 19:52

    How Do You Backup Your Stuff?

    With redundancy x3:

    • x2 NAS/external HD
    • x1 offsite with rotation to update

    Some photos & critical files in the cloud; also some stuff on DVDs - will burn more in medium term for additional backup.

  • oscargamer on 25/11/2018 - 19:53
    +2

    Everything gets backed up to a NAS at home and I make a copy of that once a month onto ext HDD that I keep at work

  • Godric on 25/11/2018 - 19:59

    Somethings Cloud,
    All things on External HDD (8TB) where i write to every few months

  • N1NJ4W4RR10R on 25/11/2018 - 21:01

    I need to do this myself…will probably use google drive till I get a portable drive (SSD). Either that or I'll just back up via my laptop/desktop.

    All photo's are backed up onto google drive.

  • CodeXD on 25/11/2018 - 21:04
    +1

    Plenty of free options on the cloud.

    One Drive, DropBox, Google Drive just to name a few.

    • Wystri Warrick on 26/11/2018 - 01:21
      +1

      And Mega, they have 50GB of free cloud storage :).

  • Neptunesblood on 25/11/2018 - 21:07
    +2

    A single ozbargain member is hardly an authority on WD devices good or bad.

  • jaybmate on 25/11/2018 - 22:08

    If your going to need more than 15GB, and so you are happy to pay, go for dropbox. 1TB included and about 13 per month, or cheaper if pay annually. syncing is quick and seems to be most reliable.

  • Gunther on 25/11/2018 - 22:54

    Dropbox does the job for us.

  • Mad Max on 25/11/2018 - 23:21

    How safe for privacy are the cloud options like One Drive, DropBox, Google Drive, etc

    • Clear on 26/11/2018 - 00:10
      +2

      There is software out there that links with OneDrive etc. and encrypts your backup so no one but you can see the contents.

      My cloud backup is hosted on my own offsite server so I have no major privacy concerns but still encrypt my backup images before they're sent.

      • Wystri Warrick on 26/11/2018 - 01:25

        My cloud backup is hosted on my own offsite server so I have no major privacy concerns but still encrypt my backup images before they're sent.

        That you Assange?

      • batrarobin on 10/12/2018 - 15:59

        offsite server

        That sounds interesting, care to provide more details? :)

        • Clear on 10/12/2018 - 16:16
          +1

          I have quite the homelab setup. At my other place is a rack mount server, NAS and other goodies that I send my encrypted files over the internet to. That way I have a true cloud backup that isn't in the hands of a third party.

          In terms of software I'm still playing around to find a software solution that I like. Windows Server by trade so I tend to avoid Linux where I can. Currently rocking some Acronis NFR 😊😊

          As for hardware it's currently going into a VM on a HPE Proliant DL360.

          For a much basic setup home setup many people just backup to NAS and have that NAS backup to cloud. Obviously it's with a third party but gives you extra layers of redundancy and reliability over a USB hard drive. Encrypt the files first if you're really paranoid.

          Also look into Nextcloud. It's not something I've tried yet but a lot of people in the community swear by it.

          • batrarobin on 10/12/2018 - 17:18

            @Clear: Sounds great mate, I also need to come up with something as reliable as that. Will look into the stuff that you linked.

            My existing arrangement is pretty basic atm and nowhere close to be reliable, I have sideloaded files to my Netgear R8000 DDWRT to run NAS service via USB storage. It works but I know can fail anytime. :)

            • Clear on 10/12/2018 - 17:23
              +1

              @batrarobin: Always good to have something cloud with revisions. No matter how good your local backup is, ransomware always has the chance of undoing it all.

  • altomic on 26/11/2018 - 08:05

    I'm wary or losing my photos

    I back up intriplicate.

    laptop HDD, desktop HDD, external HDD.

    though if an EMP hit then I'd be screwed. really should protect my data from that….

    • Member 0230 on 26/11/2018 - 09:48

      If an EMP hit I dare say you have bigger problems than backups…

      Okay, to be fair, a significant solar flare event can cause (I believe) similar damage to an EMP, unless protected by a faraday cage.

    • Gandalf the Thrifty on 26/11/2018 - 14:50

      Build your own Faraday Cage from this reliable source :)

  • bonezAU on 26/11/2018 - 08:14
    +1

    This thread is a fantastic read if you have this browser extension. The more this topic is discussed the better it's gonna get.

    Chrome
    Firefox

    Anyway, I keep things in my butt. Actually, two different people's butts. Dropbox for documents (have collected about 15GB of free space over the years, only using about half of that).

    Microsoft's butt, OneDrive for photos. I have an app on my phone called OneSync that uploads photos and videos as soon as there's WiFi. For any other special photos that have been taken on cameras I just upload them manually.

    Both Dropbox and OneDrive sync across several computers at my house so there's a copy in my butt and also a copy at home. OneDrive I got 200GB free quite a while ago from a deal that was posted on this site, approaching 180GB so have to think about what I can scam for free next, and from who's butt.

  • blwnhr on 26/11/2018 - 08:15
    +2

    Photos on phones push to Google cloud via Photos app.
    Laptops have nothing stored on them, everything is on a Windows server (substitute with a NAS) with RAID 5. Server then pushes to OneDrive (lots of storage included with my O365 accounts).
    Periodically coppy all photos off phones to server, pushed up to OneDrive too.
    Added bonus, server manages home security camera monitoring and storage.

    • jace88 on 09/12/2018 - 19:01

      I used to use my NAS for this too before I moved to Arlo.

  • pinnacle on 26/11/2018 - 09:57

    Dropbox and iCloud.

  • whooah1979 on 26/11/2018 - 09:58

    On flash drives with 256bit encryption.

  • BigBirdy on 26/11/2018 - 10:11

    I auto backup my files (not windows or apps) nightly to a second hard drive within the PC, and copy the last few backups to a large flash drive plugged into my router in another part of the house. Raspberry Pi does similar. These backups could easily be copied to a cloud service. If you have a router with USB, especially if tucked away from your computer gear (where a burglar wont notice it), it makes a great, always powered on, target for backups

    • bonezAU on 26/11/2018 - 10:32

      What about when your house burns down that one day nobody is home?
      That's why cloud services are invaluable IMO. You can't put 100% trust in them, still wise to have as many copies as you like at home in different parts of the house if you wish, but off site, especially in another city or even country is going to give you that extra layer of protection you won't get from the spare bedroom down the end of the hallway.

  • dimitryp on 26/11/2018 - 12:09

    for documents & photos you're best off just going for an easy cloud backup. Dropbox or Google or similar. If you want to protect the entire system then using software to do a disk image nightly is best, and send that to a NAS in your house. Or do both.

  • Plug on 26/11/2018 - 13:17

    I use external drives that I have spare at the time. Tbh I have no real idea what is backed up at this point in time and what isn't. Good thread as it reminds me I should really address this. That 2Tb Barracuda from Newegg could be the answer.

  • LifeLearner on 26/11/2018 - 14:08

    Great sharing peeps

    I've got a mac laptop and 2 windows (desktop and laptop)

    can NAS drives be connected to all 3 devices of different OS?

    • moar bargains on 26/11/2018 - 21:39

      Yeah you can connect to a NAS from all of them. Most modern backup software should pick up network drives (I.e. a NAS), and have it as an option for backup. Bear in mind, if you have a NAS, you really should still have an offsite copy (cloud or removable drive stored elsewhere seem to be the most popular options).

  • Bystander on 26/11/2018 - 19:23

    Cloud all the way.

    Photos and Videos automatically backup to Google Photos. Set & forget, unlimited storage, free.

    Data, and by that I mean documents only, the stuff that really matters. It all gets automatically synced to Google Drive. 15GB free per account is more than enough.

    Music. Same story Google Music. 50,000 songs worth of storage for free.

    Movies and other bulky stuff. Whenever you buy a Chromebook you get 100GB Google Drive free for 2 years. Open a new Gmail account just for this and load stuff that you're happy to leave there as a sort of archive. They had a promo a while back where they gave 1TB free and that's what I grabbed.

  • chumlee on 26/11/2018 - 19:27

    Plenty of fibre and some prunes when needed

    • BenK-Oz on 13/02/2019 - 09:04

      thats how to unback it up

  • moar bargains on 26/11/2018 - 21:47
    +1

    I have a NAS that I backup things to locally, and also use Idrive (not to be confused with iCloud). Apps for all major platforms (PC and mobile), huge amount of storage for a reasonable price (5Tb for USD$6.95 first year, ~$69.90 after that) and offers encryption with a personal key. I'm still wary of their encryption though, and so I'm considering other options, but overall it's pretty good. Backblaze is another good option, but offers less control over backed up files.

    Others have mentioned Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive etc as backup options, but they're not really. They're a lot better than they used to be with versioning, but the major problem is that they still propagate deletes. So if you (or cat/toddler/other) accidentally delete a file on your PC, it's gone from all the other locations too.

    • jace88 on 09/12/2018 - 18:32

      If you notice it you can recover them from cloud services; or even then, ask nicely and they may be able to get it from tape archives too. Happened to me with both Dropbox and Microsoft.

  • jace88 on 09/12/2018 - 18:29

    After losing important photos before, I now place a lot of value on backups so I have a multipronged overkill solution but once you've been burnt (lost proposal video) you learn your lesson.

    1. OneDrive
      First backup is OneDrive for everything - photos, videos, documents. I use Office 365 Home so we have 5 accounts (might be 6 now?) which get 1TB each as well as the other benefits (Office for all our laptops/computers/tablets/iPhone, Skype, good mobile apps, etc) and is seamless between devices. Also great because when travelling I can even upload photos to OneDrive either from my phones automatically or using another PC (eg Hotels in Taiwan often include a computer + high speed internet in rooms) if taken from an SD card. I treat OneDrive as a source of truth. I've found MS support to be excellent when I needed help trying to retrieve a deleted folder from many months prior.

    2. Google Photos
      Free, unlimited storage for high quality photos/videos - only cost is upload bandwidth which I take as unlimited at home.

    3. Synology NAS
      Set to mirror OneDrive and Dropbox (admittedly redundant but just in case internet goes down)

    4. Dropbox
      I only have limited space so I upload important photos/videos here as a redundancy eg Wedding.

    5. External HDD connected to PC intermittently and mirrored OneDrive & Dropbox using Goodsync (connected to my eGPU so not always connected). Currently carries my iTunes library but I use iTunes Match (along with Apple Music and Spotify Premium anyway).

    6. External HDD connected to PC once every month and mirrored OneDrive & Dropbox using Goodsync, and stored in a safe. Also carries iTunes. Doubly redundant and protected.

    7. Local OneDrive clients on my main gaming laptop and my secondary mini laptop for important documents and selected data (not all my photos/videos/etc). Since these are hot, if something bad happens (eg deletion) it will flow through to the others… hence the need for the external HDDs not connected.

    8. iCloud / Device backup - not the most useful but helped me locate some missing/lost photos in aforementioned incident.

    Oh and everything is encrypted at rest just in case I lose something…

    • isthisreallife22 on 17/05/2019 - 16:18
      +1

      @jace just replying here for props on your great post!

  • BigLeviathan on 08/03/2019 - 19:12
    +1

    Nas (QNAP) and cloud (backblaze) with Syncovery app

  • welcomeUniverseWorld on 09/03/2019 - 15:54

    all bkups goes to icloud

  • Planky on 22/05/2019 - 15:38
    +1

    I'm using google drive for my photos/documents. I'm paying about $3 per month for upgraded storage.

    Computer backups Im using Win10 file history and storing on an NAS, as well as taking a system image.

    I'm using Duplicati to backup everything else which gets uploaded to Amazon S3/Glacier. Not the cheapest, but works for me.

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