I've got three computers:
Win7 64bit PC with 320GB hard drive (my main rig)
WinXP PC with 320GB hard drive (wife's rig, will eventually be upgraded to Win7 64bit when she lets me)
Mac Mini with 60GB hard drive (for my web browsing and email) currently running Mac OS X 10.4 (I am holding out for 10.7 before upgrading the OS, I know that will be awhile)
I've got a Verizon FIOS router, the Actiontec MI424WR. All three computers are connected to that by ethernet, with one ethernet port remaining.
I would like to have a simple hard drive (1TB would be enough) which I could plug into the router using ethernet and be able to back up all 3 computers onto it with reasonably easy applications.
I don't really care about web sharing, media hookups to TVs, etc. This is just going to be my backup solution.
Looking around in newegg's NAS section, the Buffalo LS-XH1.0TL seems to be the cheapest NAS with good ratings, and it's $175. In the external hard drive section, I find the LaCie Network Space 2 1TB for $120, and its description seems to say it'll do everything I want.
I don't have anything like an external hard drive case, and have managed to give away all my old crappy PC cases to friends and family, so I don't know if a build-my-own FreeNAS box would be worth bothering to build over the options I've already mentioned.
Any alternatives or problems I haven't thought of? Would I want to use FreeNAS instead of whatever comes with the stuff I'm looking at?
Win7 64bit PC with 320GB hard drive (my main rig)
WinXP PC with 320GB hard drive (wife's rig, will eventually be upgraded to Win7 64bit when she lets me)
Mac Mini with 60GB hard drive (for my web browsing and email) currently running Mac OS X 10.4 (I am holding out for 10.7 before upgrading the OS, I know that will be awhile)
I've got a Verizon FIOS router, the Actiontec MI424WR. All three computers are connected to that by ethernet, with one ethernet port remaining.
I would like to have a simple hard drive (1TB would be enough) which I could plug into the router using ethernet and be able to back up all 3 computers onto it with reasonably easy applications.
I don't really care about web sharing, media hookups to TVs, etc. This is just going to be my backup solution.
Looking around in newegg's NAS section, the Buffalo LS-XH1.0TL seems to be the cheapest NAS with good ratings, and it's $175. In the external hard drive section, I find the LaCie Network Space 2 1TB for $120, and its description seems to say it'll do everything I want.
I don't have anything like an external hard drive case, and have managed to give away all my old crappy PC cases to friends and family, so I don't know if a build-my-own FreeNAS box would be worth bothering to build over the options I've already mentioned.
Any alternatives or problems I haven't thought of? Would I want to use FreeNAS instead of whatever comes with the stuff I'm looking at?