Hello all, I am a newbie when it comes to this whole back up/ nas thing. I have a few questions, I would like to ask you all. If you finding reading all this bothersome you can skip down to the paragraph labeled problems and questions.
Background
I am generally ignorant when it comes to this whole back up/ nas thing. I did some preliminary research (did not do enough), watch some YouTube videos and read some amazon reviews. From this, I decided upon the ex2 (purchase the 8 tbyte model). I figured the ex2 would be a good device for a beginner to cut his teeth on.
Setup
I own a Surface Pro 2, that serves as my tablet, laptop and desk top (hook up to monitors, keyboard, mouse,.etc,). It is my everything device. I am not sure what type of router I have, it is one I got from Comcast (I will update this when I get home).
My Goal
Initially (my goals have changed, my new goals are listed further down), I was planning to back up my computer, all my files and essential programs. I was also planning to stream music and movies to my computer.
Concerns
I have no problem with learning as I go, my main concern however is making initial assumptions that I do not fully understand or that would negatively affect me later or long term (simple example would be changing the raid configuration). Which is why I am asking these questions.
Problems 1
After setting up my ex2, I realize that I may have over estimated my ability to achieve my goals with the ex2. There seems to be so many different options, software, etc. It kinda driving me nuts.
Questions 1
- Whats the general consensus on some of the best software programs to back up a computer, files and essential programs as well as restoring my computer? How does the accompanying software from wd rank amongst these selections?
- Is there any other software I should be concerned about.getting?
Problem 2
I am also thinking about expanding the storage on my SP2 (while docked) via usb 3 using the WD 4TB My Book Duo Desktop RAID External Hard Drive. My goal is to set it up with raid 0 (purely to expand my storage). I also plan to back up my entire hard drive as well as to unload all but the most essential files and programs to it ( leaving my sp2 with only the data I need for work) and additionally use it as storage for all my music and movies. In this scenario I would use the ex2 to back up the usb drive as well as stream movies and music to my surface (when not docked),tv, etc.
Questions 2
- As I understand it, the usb 3.0 should be good enough to stream music and hd movies (1080p) to my computer am I wrong with this assessment?
- Considering my goal (2), Would another nas be a better solution? Is there a better solution?
Problem 3
My overall plan is to use onedrive for the files I feel comfortable storing in the cloud. The usb drive as a back up as well as to add storage to my sp2. The ext2 as a back up to the usb drive as well as to stream movies, etc to my sp2 when not docked (while home). I will also take my sp2 everywhere I go, so I will always have my most essential data with me.
Question 3 - Is this a suitable data back up plan for a novice / home use?
Problem 4
I plan on putting a passcode on my account and encypting all the files.
Question 4
1)what should I be aware about when doing this?
2) what other security precaution should I be aware about?
I have a boat load of other questions, but I guess this will do for now. I would like to thanks those who took the time to read and respond to my questions, I am sure it gets bothersome to answer newbie question especially when a lot of questions are similar, again thanks.
