Storage Solutions Need some idea about NAS

[MAGNeT]

Well this days i download lot of content...and since reliance is our power provider.....get huge bills ...so normally my comp is made one of high bill culprit

ALso due to space shortage i cant setup low power downloading pc at my place.... so was looking for an option than came across this NAS

stuff

I havent seen it ever so have almost noob knowledge about it

I Basically download lot of torrent stuff.....so how it helps??

1::I mean where it should be connected......should pc be kept on?or only router modem stuff??

2:: Why are they so expensive......i mean cant we get the box cheaper say within 2-3k and self attach hdd??

3:: What exactly is media streaming......does it mean u no longer need a dvd player...u can connect NAS box to tv and watch movies??

4:: Came across this stuff

Techtree.com India > News > Hardware > WD Unveils My Book World Edition NAS

Western Digital flashes home backup and media server

now since ard 13k is too much was looking for some 500gb option...but what i found for same was it didnt supported the media streaming stuff.....and all....is it true? and wht are its disadv over this 1tb one?

5 :: If i get this one.....does it mean it will make my poratble 120gb hdd of no use...i mean can it be used as portable usb hdd??

6:: And how does the interface work..suppose i place some torrent file and need to check regularly is it working downloading or not...how can i know about the same???

 

[blr_p]

ALso due to space shortage i cant setup low power downloading pc at my place.... so was looking for an option than came across this NAS stuff

All it takes is some cheap laptop with a big 2.5" HD and you won't need any of this NAS crap

Laptop stays on 24/7/365, you just copy over to your main PC every other day, when you switch it on.

This has the extra advantage for ppl that live with less fortunate power situation than you. UPS lasts longer.

 

[Naga]

You can get a 2 TB+ RAID Nas box in 20k from Thecus. The N299 or something was 10k approx a year back without the disks so it works out. Networks speeds aren't that great though.

For me a NAS box turned out better than crap. RAID1 storage + torrent box + Download box+ media server + Print server + support for USB HDDs for extra storage + low power consumption+ 1Kv UPS backup for more than 2 hours with router and modem also attached + inbuilt remote web management + embedded linux, so free from AV costs and the convenience of a hardware reset rather than a format/ install + it's so tiny, I have it bunched with the router and modem on a small shelf outta sight.

1. It can be connected straight to your network. A browser is needed to configure and mange the NAS. You can use your wi-fi mobile too.

2. Guess because it's a ready machine with embedded OS.

3. A Media Server transcodes , if necessary, your media files and streams it over the network so your compatible multimedia device can recognize and play it. It also presents a seamless library of your files to the end device. You'll have to have a Media streaming device which can play to your TV or other output.

4. No idea about WD NAS.

5. You can use your HDD for whatever u want

6. Thru a browser.

 

[blr_p]

low power consumption+ 1Kv UPS backup for more than 2 hours with router and modem also attached

That's interesting cause i could not manage more than an hr with same UPS & laptop + modem that only pulled 25W.

The rest can all be done via a HTPC + laptop rig. So either you have a spare laptop or get this baby.

Still feel its better if you have all your stuff in a PC (where you control all parts) than one of those boxes, but its the techie way. Some one not so inclined would be better off with a NAS.

 

[thetechmind]

Better and most adaptive option.....

on my last visit to lamington i saw a very small nice cabinet for the atom setup....with a 250w smps for the same......cost : 1.2k

Atom Setup : 3.5k *new* , used from TE : cheaper
512 MB RAM : 450 or less
An 80gig HDD from TE

A network card for your main rig so that use remote access to see wassup on the download rig and just move your stuff from there to the main rig. No way dependent on your main rig so you can shut it off and let it run. If you regularly need to see whats going on then get a cheap KVM switch.

A cross cable for the above point.

Alternatively you might need a switch/router , cabelled / wireless to split the internet connection or go wireless and let that box be located @ any corner anywhere.

Sorry for the messed up / interelated stuff mentioned above.....i guess u can figure out all that i meant to say...

 

[Naga]

That's interesting cause i could not manage more than an hr with same UPS & laptop + modem that only pulled 25W.

^^That's interesting as u don't even know which brand/ model UPS I'm using. Also, your laptop will draw significantly more power than a bare bone NAS box.

The rest as you've said can be done by any PC in the world, but that's not the point, is it? Does your lappy have RAID reduncy+ ease of use + low power consumption + more storage at the same price point as a NAS solution? I think not.

Edit: Control what parts in a cheap lappy? One doesn't have much options even in the higher priced lappies!

@hanzy, does make sense to build your own download rig+HTPC. That's what I'm going to do as soon as I buy a better TV than my 21 incher

 

[MAGNeT]

hanzy i m also plannin to get samsung nc 10 and already have wireless router can u share some video of same setup available on net.......

thanks guys for all the option...

will ask more question tomm when i get more stuff in my brain

 

[Edrill]

What Naga said pretty much sums everything up. A decent NAS setup won't be cheap to start off with, but you'll see the benefits in things like lower power bills, etc. If you don't wanna spend too much, the only option would be a cheap low-power PC.

 

[Arjit_b]

^^thanks for the info...i was planning to get a nas myself

 

[Naga]

You don't need anything else if you're getting a NC10. I presume you're not going to keep a hottie like the NC10 in a corner unused?!?

 

[Edrill]

Check these out.

Icy Box NAS 4220 Enclosure Reviews - OCIA.net

D-Link DNS-323 2-Bay Network Storage Enclosure Review - Overclockers Club

 

[MAGNeT]

You don't need anything else if you're getting a NC10. I presume you're not going to keep a hottie like the NC10 in a corner unused?!?

Naa But NC 10 is mostly for office use......and at the same time need nas option at home for download u c....lolz....but my nas budget is low right now...and i dont need so much hdd space on nas...even 320gb is enough...as i want to use it when i m not ard.....plus my internet allows me max 1gb download per day

 

[thetechmind]

hanzy i m also plannin to get samsung nc 10 and already have wireless router can u share some video of same setup available on net.......

thanks guys for all the option...

will ask more question tomm when i get more stuff in my brain

no video , but i will try and elaborate as much as I can in the posts to come......

since u already have a wireless router , its more easier.

This is the least i can elaborate in 5 mins....

@ others : if there is a problem in the diag , please fix and post the same.....Sleepy ..zzZzz.

 

[blr_p]

^^That's interesting as u don't even know which brand/ model UPS I'm using. Also, your laptop will draw significantly more power than a bare bone NAS box.

I don't, was assuming you were talking a UPS similar to an APC 1KVA without additional batteries. Now if my laptop pulled half as much then the time would be similar to what you said.

But if you have RAID1 with 2TB that means you have 4x1TB or 2x2TB + NAS ~ 15-20W which is already close to what my P3 is pulling. Vaguely recall the NAS power consumption was something like 5-10W.

Does your lappy have RAID reduncy+ ease of use + low power consumption + more storage at the same price point as a NAS solution? I think not.

If you went with less storage, i think you have a winner. can always transfer over to the main box...cos all that RAID stuff (if reqd) is already on the PC.

Can the NAS price then be 5-10k ?

This would be better than a laptop, if the purpose was only as a downloading rig.

Where you want the storage is if you have the NAS next to your TV and have a WAG factor to deal with. But a cat-5 cable is not intrusive either.

 

[superczar]

Head here if you want more details:

http://www.techenclave.com/storage-...mely-low-power-torrent-downloader-124188.html

1::I mean where it should be connected......should pc be kept on?or only router modem stuff??

No need for PC, but of course your internet needs to stay on (i.e. router + modem)

2:: Why are they so expensive......i mean cant we get the box cheaper say within 2-3k and self attach hdd??

They aren't..a basic WD World edition NAS costs ~ 6.5K or less with a 500 GB HDD

The reason why they are more expensive than regular ext HDDs is they actually do have a full fledged processor running a lite flavor of linux

3:: What exactly is media streaming......does it mean u no longer need a dvd player...u can connect NAS box to tv and watch movies??

media streaming = taking a media file of a given format , transcoding it and transmitting the data packets real time into a standardized format that can be recognized by another device on your network

This does not mean you can connect NAS directly to a TV..

What this means for example is that if another device on your network (say a Wii or PS3) can understand only FLV format data streams, the streamer will decode and re-encode say a divx file into FLV in real time so that your Wii can play it on your TV

Do note that NAS devices have pretty weak processors so expecting them to stream a 720p stream (that brings even fairly powerful computers to their knees) is outlandish

4:: Came across this stuff

Techtree.com India > News > Hardware > WD Unveils My Book World Edition NAS

Western Digital flashes home backup and media server

now since ard 13k is too much was looking for some 500gb option...but what i found for same was it didnt supported the media streaming stuff.....and all....is it true? and wht are its disadv over this 1tb one?

Err. I bought a WD World 500GB a few months ago at a much lower price...

Ther;'s no way a TB version costs that much, and even if it does, most NAS devices (incl. the WD world) support adding additional storage via external USB drives

5 :: If i get this one.....does it mean it will make my poratble 120gb hdd of no use...i mean can it be used as portable usb hdd??

No...Most NAS devices incl. the WD world will not plugin in via USB to a computer

6:: And how does the interface work..suppose i place some torrent file and need to check regularly is it working downloading or not...how can i know about the same???

The NAS will expose a web interface

so for example if you want to add a new torrent file from your desktop, you open your browser and navigate to a URL on your local network to access the interface

This interface will allow you to add/remove torrents, or do pretty much anything you can do via a regular interface

Also, if you port forward port 80 from your router to the device, you can add/start/pause torrents from outside your home also

If you went with less storage, i think you have a winner. can always transfer over to the main box...cos all that RAID stuff (if reqd) is already on the PC.

Can the NAS price then be 5-10k ?

This would be better than a laptop, if the purpose was only as a downloading rig.

Where you want the storage is if you have the NAS next to your TV and have a WAG factor to deal with. But a cat-5 cable is not intrusive either.

Err, why'd you want your NAS near the TV anyway...It's a network device..right ?

the best place for it is a dusty corner near your router

Also, no need to transfer stuff etc to main rig..a NAS is meant to act as a always on central hub for all your media so that it is accessible from your PC/laptop/whatever..and if you are running low on storage, just plonk another TB USB ext HDD into it

(also, the internal HDD is replaceable, so add a 2TB HDD if you want, as and when they arrive )

 

[blr_p]

Err, why'd you want your NAS near the TV anyway...It's a network device..right ?
the best place for it is a dusty corner near your router

Asuming it would be streaming to some receiver, but yes i guess not necessary.

Also, no need to transfer stuff etc to main rig..a NAS is meant to act as a always on central hub for all your media so that it is accessible from your PC/laptop/whatever..and if you are running low on storage, just plonk another TB USB ext HDD into it
(also, the internal HDD is replaceable, so add a 2TB HDD if you want, as and when they arrive )

Thing is what happens when you outgrow it as you invariably will. A tower or fileserver can be expanded easily,

how much storage space do you have in a NAS ?

Yes you could add more USB drives but its gets messy. Sure its absolute godsend for non-techs.

Course one assumes you want to have all your media online via a jukebox of sorts, if you can shunt it offline then all is good.

Other point is internal drives in a HTTPC are much faster to respond to user commands for video (large data) than a networked one, admittedly less of an issue over a gigabit network.

 

[superczar]

Actually, I currently have both..a full fledged Ubuntu based server and a standalone NAS..so I know both sides of the story

Now I absolutely love my server , but then I have my very specific reasons for it

For most people, incl. techies, a NAS box fulfills most of their 24X7 usage needs (and not to mention, substantially cheaper to buy and run vs even a Atom based PC)

Storage space isn't an issue coz even on a server box, you'll typically not add more than 2 HDDs... 1 bay + 1 external on a NAS isn't bad considering you can get 3 TB with the currently available disks

Other point is internal drives in a HTTPC are much faster to respond to user commands for video (large data) than a networked one, admittedly less of an issue over a gigabit network.

Not really, I haven't notice any lag while playback/seeking 1080p on a 100 mbps LAN

In fact I do have 320+80 GB of local storage on my HTPC which is never used

As your home network grows, local media files become something of an anomaly..unless you want to catch up with the latest episodes of 30 Rock on your laptop during your commute (and IF you have the luxury of being chauffeured around )

 

[Naga]

But if you have RAID1 with 2TB ...

I never said I have a 2TB RAID. I have 2 750GBs in RAID 1. Reduncy more important to me than space.

can always transfer over to the main box...cos all that RAID stuff (if reqd) is already on the PC.

The point of a Network Attached Storage being it be accessible to the network at all times, regardless of a PC's power status. I have 3 PCs, 2 lappies and 2 network multimedia players running in a Gigabit+ Draft N environment needing access to the files on my NAS at all times. Not to mention friend's who drop in with their wi-fi devices needing a file or two.

This would be better than a laptop, if the purpose was only as a downloading rig.

More so as a storage device with data reduncy.

Thing is what happens when you outgrow it as you invariably will. A tower or fileserver can be expanded easily,

how much storage space do you have in a NAS ?

Yes you could add more USB drives but its gets messy. Sure its absolute godsend for non-techs.

Course one assumes you want to have all your media online via a jukebox of sorts, if you can shunt it offline then all is good.

Other point is internal drives in a HTTPC are much faster to respond to user commands for video (large data) than a networked one, admittedly less of an issue over a gigabit network.

You're simply not getting the point of a NAS box. Low power consumtion, out of the box solution, network storage etc. at a reasonable cost is what a NAS strives to deliver. It's got nothing to do with the "non-techs vs techies" u keep stressing. It's about certain requirements and their solutions.

A PC/ HTPC/ Lappy all have their own merits and demerits but they're all not optimum for any given scenario/ requirement.

Btw, if you follow any popular NAS forum, u'll see there are tons of customizations, mods etc (techie behaviour) going on. More so than on lappies. PCs are a different thing.

Also, if something can be done in a easy and straight forward way, why should techies avoid it (as per your comments like "good only for non-techies) ?

 

[thetechmind]

if consumption of power is the main factor....beat this...

Coding Horror: Building Tiny, Ultra Low Power PCs

 

[Naga]

@ others : if there is a problem in the diag , please fix and post the same.....Sleepy ..zzZzz.

How about using remote desktop or some such software to control the independent headless dl rig once it has been setup using monitor/ kb/ mouse? That's what I was doing before getting a NAS but I don't remember the remote desktop software. Will post if I recall.

Edit:^^^ Nice stuff there@hanzy! Would be great for a dl rig!