Storage for Ubuntu, Mac, Windows, and Android

WD External Drives My Passport Wireless
1

I was hoping to get a single solution for our family to backup all our data at home.

I have a DLink router with an open port, so whether we can use this or not to attach to a storage device, I don’t know.

These are the devices we have:

My wife has a macintosh computer, an iPad, and an android phone.

I have an Ubuntu computer, an andoid tablet, and an andoid phone.

Eldest daughter has a Chromebook (probably uncessary to tie into the backup matrix), and an android phone.

Youngest daughter has an android tablet and an android phone.

There is a computer in the living room with a Windows and Ubuntu dual boot system.

What can I do to get everything to backup onto one device?

2

  What can I do to get everything to backup onto one device?

I have a MPW, and I would not back up any data to it.  Data on it is duplicate of my media files for streaming to mobile devices at home or away from home network.  It is basically a device that acts as a hard drive for mobile devices when traveling.  For those who need to back up camera SD cards, it also has that function.

You need a My Cloud device that acts as a RAID or NAS unit connected to your home network.  The models start with basic devices ,to others with many more features and capability.  The newest of these were released a few weeks ago, and they are called the Expert Series and Business Series.  Go to WD main site and get informed about the many choices.

Since these devices connect to your home network, you need a modern, fast, dual band router since I presume many of you will be using wireless only, and not wired connections. 

3

Welcome to the WD Community.

I believe your best option will be a network drive copying the files over the network.

4

Does My Cloud work with several formats at once?  (i.e. backing up a Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, etc?)

And, yes, our router also is wireless, with 4 wired ports in addition.  (3 are used for Voip, and other things).

5

What product would this “network drive” be?

Is this the same (or better than) (or worse than) (or the same as) My Cloud?

6

sunshinelock wrote:> Does My Cloud work with several formats at once?  (i.e. backing up a Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, etc?)

And, yes, our router also is wireless, with 4 wired ports in addition.  (3 are used for Voip, and other things).> What product would this “network drive” be?

Is this the same (or better than) (or worse than) (or the same as) My Cloud?

 

OK, first about your router, which is so important in home networking today (and if you don’t have a home network set up, you will need one for any kind of home cloud you set up, and  you can back up to,  Many people purchase a cloud device and hook it to a slow router and get poor results and blame their new product.  Today’s home network needs “fast” meaning a gigabit speed router, with at least dual-band wireless, because mobile devices (and many computers) can use the faster 5GHz wireless band.  Many computers also are gigabit speed today when wired to network as well

The number of ethernet ports is not that relevant  – if you run out of ports, you purchase what is called a network switch you plug into the router ethernet port to “add more lines.”  It should be the speed of the router (if router is gigabit, then switch must be, too.)

A Cloud device will work with any device that connects to the network, either wired or wirelessly.  You do not connect directly to cloud device; if your devices work with internet, then they will with the cloud device.

For your last two questions, I refer you here:   http://www.wdc.com/en/

Here, you will currently see the newest WD devices featured on splash page.,.

Click on Personal Cloud tab for the simpler My Cloud devices, and click on Network Attached Storage (i.e. NAS) tab for the more feature-filled products.

Have fun finding your most appropriate product.