I’m looking at getting two PR4100 (or EX4100) units to take care of home and small office needs and have several pre-sale questions before I shell out the cash. I am hoping I can replace my MS Widows Server with these. Can anyone comment on if any of the requirements below will be an issue? I’m fine with purchasing extra software, as long as the price is reasonable.
I will set one unit up at home, the other at my small office with the idea that they back up to each other. I currently have about 3TB of data I intend to put on the unit to be shared by a half dozen users. They should:
- Be able to do both bare-metal and file backups on a scheduled basis of Windows and Mac computers. It is important that it can do both. The file backups should be able to have easily accessible “previous versions” like windows server, preferably though the normal windows previous versions window. Using “Second Copy” to file back up to a network drive is acceptable.
- Be able to do file and full backups of both Android and iPhones.
- Have easy network access for Android phone, preferably using ES File Explorer and similar iPhone interface both locally (in network) and remotely (out of network).
- Be able to log in both locally and remotely for file access even if I do not have a static IP address. Ideally both with a web interface and a VPN network drive access.
- The two units, at different locations across the county, should be able to back up to each other in case of fire or theft at one location.
- There should a complex rights management system so that each user has a protected log in user folder as well as shared folders that can be given to individual users / or not (users and groups). Users can be given full read/write access or just read access depending on needs.
- There should be remote “client” folders I can give to clients. I can get in their client folder to add/remove files as well as my own folders but clients can only get into their folders.
- Is there a listing somewhere of the costs of the add-on software mentioned? How can I find the cost of these extra software options?
- Is there a way to have SFTP/FTP log ins to the unit remotely?
- Any issues if I mix and match EX/PR4100 units? Perhaps EX at home and PR at office?
In addition:
• Can I order a unit with 2 drives in it and the other two unused for future expansion or if I do that do I need to order with 0 drives and add my own drives?
• Can I have two pairs of RAID 1 drives so that drive 0/1 is a RAID 1 and 2/3 is a separate RAID 1? Reading the forums I hear mixed answers to this. It appears it should be doable however those who tried did not figure it out.
• Is there any way to “mount” my existing RAID NTFS drives in the unit? I’m cool with a conversion. I just want to put the old Windows server drives in the unit without moving data to new drives. Read only is acceptable.
• Can I format drives externally and use them? Are the ext3 or what format?
• Given the above simple needs is there really any reason I need the PR4100 or should I just go with the EX4100? The only other thing I may do is stream some MP3s to various devices to play.
• If populating my own drives I assume WDC Red. Any reason, for my simple needs to need 7200RPM? Are the 3TB, 4TB, 6TB etc drives any less reliable than the 2TB or Pro VS regular?
