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Network storage, what to do?!

D

Deadpool9

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Messages
1,508
I am trying to weigh the pros and cons out here.
I want some storage on my home network to provide a place to put important files. (pictures and videos of my kids, mp3 archive, etc.) and would be nice to be able to use to stream video to a media player or xbox.

Here are the three ideas I have so far:
1. Buy a NAS box.
I have seen a D-link one on Newegg for $150, and I could drop 2 1TB drives in it for Raid 1 storage, and would connect right to the network.

2. Attach a removeable hard drive to my router.
I am about to purchase the Netgear WDR37AV (as my old router is crapping out and I now have some christmas money.) It has a usb port on the back, on which I thought about getting something like a WD mybook that has the built in raid 1.

3. Build a file server.
I could grab some hardware and build a box for this and run a regular pc with raid 1 and just set up a file share. This seems like the most reliable to me, but also the most expensive as well. I have a cpu, vid card, small hd (for the OS), software, and CD rom, but would have to purchase the case, hard drives, power supply, etc. for it.

These are all viable I guess, but the first two options seem less reliable to me as far as disaster recovery goes.
 
Do you have a HTPC?

If not you could go with the last option and have it serve double duty.

Then you could easily diplay the picure of your kids/family on your TV (selling point for the Mrs.), and also connect that PC right to your stereo/HT system for access to all your MP3s you mentioned right in one spot. You alos wouldn't need a media player then either, since the HTPC would do that as well.
 
No HTPC unfortunately. I usually stream the video or music from my laptop to my Xbox in that situation.
 
Canna is right!

Go with the last option for HTPC use. Newegg and other online retailers always have great deals on cases with and without power supplies to complete your build. I guarantee you will benefit in the long run. That HTPC would suite all your needs as you will have the capability to stream HD ( even archive BD uncompressed) content if you wanted to via gigabit ethernet.

What kind of graphics card do you currently have for this build is you wish to choose option 3?
 
You know I was in the same Dilame and I bought a Bufalo Nas Pro Duo or something like that. It's a mini computer and it has a whole bunch of build in features. You can only access it vie ethernet and its control by its own web gui. The 2 main features I use on it are the FTP and the DLNA server. I put all of my movies, pictures and music there. Any device thats DLNA certified will see my NAs without having to do anything and start playing my media. I keep HD movies on it, and watch it on my PS3 with surround sound. My Ps3 also sees all the pictures and music. I have been very happy with that. Now when I format I dont worry about pictures because it's stores on my nas. Its very small too about the size of a small shoe box.

this is my IT room (the closet LoL) you can see it on the left side.

http://hardforum.com:80/showthread.php?t=1545739
 
I would go for option 3 hands down. However unlike the two posters above me, I do not recommend combining the HTPC and file server together. It does not work out that well as evidenced by the majority of these posts:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1419906

So keep the file server exactly that: a file server. Not a HTPC at all.

Now for specific parts recommendations for the parts you now need, what's your max budget for those parts?
 
Danny Bui said:
I would go for option 3 hands down. However unlike the two posters above me, I do not recommend combining the HTPC and file server together. It does not work out that well as evidenced by the majority of these posts:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1419906

So keep the file server exactly that: a file server. Not a HTPC at all.

Now for specific parts recommendations for the parts you now need, what's your max budget for those parts?
Click to expand...

It depends really. I have no problem streaming 720/1080 to two other devices, while simultaneously watching 1080 content on the host machine as well. No choppiness whatsoever.
 
canna said:
It depends really. I have no problem streaming 720/1080 to two other devices, while simultaneously watching 1080 content on the host machine as well. No choppiness whatsoever.
Click to expand...

What exactly is your setup?
 
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