Highly Rated Online Storage Options

[Lewis]

Can you folks chime in on good picks for online cloud-type file storage for home file backup?

I need something that can backup an external hard drive - if that's at all possible.

Probably something with unlimited storage space for pictures, etc.

Who to stay away from?

Some thoughts on high value providers would be helpful.

Thanks in advance!

[freonr22]

Storage:
You are currently using 0 MB (0%) of your 1024 MB.
Only stored files (.PDF, .DOC, .JPG, etc.) count towards your storage limit. Google Docs formats don't use up your storage space.
Need more space? Upgrade storage




How much storage? Google docs maybe?

https://docs.google.com/settings?hl=en_US

[Lewis]

Storage:
You are currently using 0 MB (0%) of your 1024 MB.
Only stored files (.PDF, .DOC, .JPG, etc.) count towards your storage limit. Google Docs formats don't use up your storage space.
Need more space? Upgrade storage

How much storage? Google docs maybe?
https://docs.google.com/settings?hl=en_US

I'm thinking something more automated for backup (like Carbonite?) And, probably around a few hundred giggas.

[freonr22]

oic

Select a plan:

20 GB ($5.00 USD per year)

80 GB ($20.00 USD per year)

200 GB ($50.00 USD per year)

400 GB ($100.00 USD per year)

1 TB ($256.00 USD per year)

I am sure there is better pricing, but since the window was open here it is

[Akers]

Carbonite is good, but the question is how much would you want to spend? Or how automated?

I know a little about a lot, but a lot about storage (Storage Engineer for 15 years for a cloud provider "ASP").

[Lewis]

Carbonite is good, but the question is how much would you want to spend? Or how automated?

I know a little about a lot, but a lot about storage (Storage Engineer for 15 years for a cloud provider "ASP").

I'd like to be able to backup an external hard drive (this is key) - less concerned about my laptop. I don't have to have scheduled backup ability, but some type of "sync" capability would be great. Drag and drop / managed through Windows Explorer would be nice too.

I guess I'm thinking between the $50 - $100 per year range?

Am I asking for too much?

[Nose Nuggets]

i have had experience with

http://mozy.com/

http://www.carbonite.com/en/

both are okay.


for me personally, i dont really like the whole cloud idea when it comes to critical data. for one, you are handing your data to an unknown company. some people dont have a problem with this, some do. secondly, you might have legal recourse in the event they suffer data loss but will you really be willing to go down that road?

as i see it, you have an external hard drive for backups. just duplicate your own setup and mirror your own drive once a week to another drive.
easy, painless, fully controllable, cheap.

[Harbinger]

I use the free version of CRASHPLAN to back up to remote systems over the internet. I have two-way backups running between my dad's computer and mine. My wife's computer backs up to mine over our LAN though CRASHPLAN as well.

Mike

[winnre]

I use carbonite but trying to get 2TB online takes forever. I'm leaning towards a SATA drive and just put the drive in my safe.

[Lewis]

i have had experience with

http://mozy.com/

http://www.carbonite.com/en/

both are okay.


for me personally, i dont really like the whole cloud idea when it comes to critical data. for one, you are handing your data to an unknown company. some people dont have a problem with this, some do. secondly, you might have legal recourse in the event they suffer data loss but will you really be willing to go down that road?

as i see it, you have an external hard drive for backups. just duplicate your own setup and mirror your own drive once a week to another drive.
easy, painless, fully controllable, cheap.

Nuggets - Thanks for the input. I'm not thrilled with the notion of handing the data over to "unknown company". My biggest hang up is that I feel I need some additional redundancy - I store a lot of stuff on one external drive that doesn't live in my laptop. I don't have a lot of confidence in those finicky external drive to begin with (my experience).

I guess I can backup my backup...and keep one at the office.

[Lewis]

I use the free version of CRASHPLAN to back up to remote systems over the internet. I have two-way backups running between my dad's computer and mine. My wife's computer backs up to mine over our LAN though CRASHPLAN as well.

Mike

Crashplan sounds promising.....at least as a conduit to back things up at different locations.

Thanks for the tip

[Ricky-Ray]

I'm currently using Carbonite right now.

Carbonite is ok, for $60 a year you get unlimited storage. HOWEVER I found a few things out that bugs me about Carbonite.

When you first signup and do your initial backup it can take a long time before your whole backup is complete. I left my computer one 24/7 for about a week and it barely finished backing up the data that I wanted. And that was about 5 gigs. Once everything is backed up, the little increments of data that you've newly created/edit get's uploaded very quickly.

Carbonite does not automatically back up video files. You will have to manually select the video files to backup. (This might have changed as I know where is a new version of the software that I have not yet updated to).

Carbonite does not backup external drives. (Damit..there goes my backup p*rn collection...I mean home movie, umm.. nevermind....

[meaty-btz]

If it does not exist in three places, it does not exist.

A cloud backup is an example of an "off site tertiary backup or archive". The critical part here is that it be offsite. This is the redundancy to cover fire/theft/disaster.
You need a Local Backup as well.

[Lewis]

Carbonite does not backup external drives. (Damit..there goes my backup p*rn collection...I mean home movie, umm.. nevermind....

Ricky-Ray,

How bout we use CRASHPLAN and you can backup your "home movie" collection to my computer? That way you're covered.

Thanks for the feedback on Carbonite.

[Nose Nuggets]

Nuggets - Thanks for the input. I'm not thrilled with the notion of handing the data over to "unknown company". My biggest hang up is that I feel I need some additional redundancy - I store a lot of stuff on one external drive that doesn't live in my laptop. I don't have a lot of confidence in those finicky external drive to begin with (my experience).

I guess I can backup my backup...and keep one at the office.

So in the IT world the rule of thumb is "keep your data in two places, and your important data in 3".

in the end it really all comes down to budget. With a big enough budget, we could make your entire backup system automated with offside redundancy etc - but its just not practical.

i would say your weariness regarding external hard drives is not unfounded. the best solution on that front is an external raid enclosure. This would give you redundancy at the drive level first and foremost. so instead of having 1 external drive you would have 2, but only have access to half the space, as the enclosure would wright all your data to both drives in concert. This in and of itself is not a total solution, as RAIDs can become corrupt, or a controller failure could ruin the entire array. its just 'better' then a single external drive.

i still like DVDs for archive level data, which would be xmas pictures of the kids from years ago. you know, the stuff you want to keep but dont have to reference often. burn it, put it in a plastic jewel case, and file it or better yet, toss it in a safety deposit box. i like optical media because there are no moving parts, and they have a respectable shelf life in proper conditions.

i still think for most home users the best solution is mirroring external drives, and archive level data on optical media. its more user labor intensive but you know what you backup, and how often.

for those with a larger budget and multiple home computer and maybe some home theater A/V needs, going with windows home server is a solid choice. use windows backup for replicating your system files, and then use windows backup to mirror changes to an external. big up front cost but virtually no reoccurring costs and you get all the snazzy benefits of windows home server.