I have tried to follow discussions on this and other forums on this issue, but I remain confused. I have a Mac Mini serving as a HTPC, with a miniStack to store my media attached directly to the Mini.

I want to setup a reliable backup for the Mini and the media storage. Can I simply buy another 1 Tb miniStack and connect it to my home network (wifi with an Apple Airport) via the Airpot USB? Use backup software to send backup to the networked miniStack?

What are the advantages of spending much more and learning the ins and outs of a NAS device?

Thanks in advance.

I have NAS storage and I can try to tell you the advantages from a layman's perspective (in no order of importance).

1) You do not have to have the storage in the same room as the HT.
2) The storage potential is higher (2, 3, 4, 5) hard drives (internal type) per NAS drive
3) RAID configuration (I use RAID 5) which means that in thoery if one drive goes bad, you can hot swap the bad drive for a new one and restore your data. I use a 3-drive (1TB each) NAS system so 2TB is used for storage and 1TB is used for RAID 5.
4) I think cost if you are going to buy multiple external 1TB hard drives is going to be a wash because the hard drives you buy for NAS are internal.
5) NAS systems can serve multiple computers easily.

Hope this helps.

I have NAS storage and I can try to tell you the advantages from a layman's perspective (in no order of importance).

1) You do not have to have the storage in the same room as the HT.
2) The storage potential is higher (2, 3, 4, 5) hard drives (internal type) per NAS drive
3) RAID configuration (I use RAID 5) which means that in thoery if one drive goes bad, you can hot swap the bad drive for a new one and restore your data. I use a 3-drive (1TB each) NAS system so 2TB is used for storage and 1TB is used for RAID 5.
4) I think cost if you are going to buy multiple external 1TB hard drives is going to be a wash because the hard drives you buy for NAS are internal.
5) NAS systems can serve multiple computers easily.

Hope this helps.

Thanks. Great summary. Question remains whether a second miniStack connected to the AirPort will work as an alternative. Perhaps others know the answer.

Paul

Paul, a drive connected to the USB of an Airport Extreme would work like a poor man's NAS; you could even plug a Drobo, or other multi-drive enclosure, into the Extreme, and then backup to it, either with Time Machine or SuperDuper. If you do go the USB AirDisk route, I suggest you get a drive/enclosure that will spin down when not in use.

One caution, though, of this route: it can be pretty slow writing to an AirDisk volume, even when you're wired up to the basestation. Wireless would be painful--so do your first Time machine over ethernet.

A better question might be do you do you really need "network attached storage?" Will other users access that drive, or is it really just to backup your mini and media? If it's just for TM backup, I probably wouldn't use AirDisk at all: it's faster and more reliable to daisychain a second drive, let TM and SuperDuper do their thing, then disconnect it and put it away. (Yes, I'd recommend doing both TM and a SuperDuper bootable clone--they're complementary. Having a SuperDuper clone on that 1TB external means you can boot from it if your mini internal drive fails.)

What are the advantages of spending much more and learning the ins and outs of a NAS device?I think the question you are asking is "What are the advantages of spending much LESS and learning the ins and outs of a NAS device?

For less than $150, you can get yourself an inexpensive mobo/cpu combo, stick of RAM and desktop case w/PS. Add Ubuntu, configure mdadm & NFS, plug into the airport, and you're done - you can run the OS off the live CD, a usb stick, or an old HDD you have lying around. So, before we start considering advantages of storage capacity, that's already less than the pair of ministacks.

Now that the price issue is cleared up, mikefl52 gave a good run-down of the (significant) advantages of raid/nas.

For less than $150, you can get yourself an inexpensive mobo/cpu combo, stick of RAM and desktop case w/PS. Add Ubuntu, configure mdadm & NFS, plug into the airport, and you're done - you can run the OS off the live CD, a usb stick, or an old HDD you have lying around. So, before we start considering advantages of storage capacity, that's already less than the pair of ministacks.
Whoa Nelly! Here's a bunch of new jargon (for me): mobo, Ubuntu, mdadm, NFS. After a little Goggling I think what you're suggesting is putting together a really cheap Unix computer for NAS. Is that right? For me that seems like a level of complexity I'm not wanting in my life. I'm guessing that would be the fastest solution, but can I ask, would a simpler solution be fast enough for the following:

Airport Extreme Base Station (n) tucked away in a closet, Mac Pro attached via ethernet, Mac Mini in family room attached to TV communicating wirelessly, and a couple of laptops. I'd like to connect a drive to the AEBS USB port to hold media to be accessible to all the computers, not for backup. Would this be fast enough? If not, would something like a LaCie Ethernet Disk or NewerTech MiniStack NAS attached to the AEBS be better?

--snip--

Airport Extreme Base Station (n) tucked away in a closet, Mac Pro attached via ethernet, Mac Mini in family room attached to TV communicating wirelessly, and a couple of laptops. I'd like to connect a drive to the AEBS USB port to hold media to be accessible to all the computers, not for backup. Would this be fast enough? If not, would something like a LaCie Ethernet Disk or NewerTech MiniStack NAS attached to the AEBS be better?

You could just add a 1TB drive or two to the Mac Pro and use them. I have my 4x1TB drives in my G4 Quicksilver as my media storage (iTunes and ripped DVDs) and access the media over an 802.11n Airport network. I had a few video problems with 802.11g, but none with 802.11n.

Even easier: in my country, many stores sell hard drives with an ethernet port built in the drive case. I assume there's even more in the US. This mean no extra hardware beside the hard drive.

Whoa Nelly! Here's a bunch of new jargon (for me): mobo, Ubuntu, mdadm, NFS. After a little Goggling I think what you're suggesting is putting together a really cheap Unix computer for NAS. Is that right? For me that seems like a level of complexity I'm not wanting in my life.
Sorry - didn't mean to overload you with the jargon. But your initial post asked for the advantages of "learning the ins and outs of a NAS device". So, if the advantages were to your liking, I was assuming you're willing to do a little research.

Bottom line - for your home network/HTPC, you can _never_ have enough storage. In my experience, just when you think you have enough, you need more. Adding it one drive at a time using expensive single drive enclosures seems unattractive to me. Having a single 4TB RAID 5 storage server that all my machines can access for backups and/or media via the same standard protocol (NFS) is a level of simplicity for which I am continually grateful.

For the network layout you describe, I don't think the transfer speed between the AEBS and devices will be an issue - it will be the strength of the wireless connection. Streaming high-bitrate media usually means you have a strong 802.11 link - minimal distance and few walls/floors to go thru.

Bottom line - for your home network/HTPC, you can _never_ have enough storage. In my experience, just when you think you have enough, you need more.

So true. I figured 1TB storage plus 1TB for redundancy would be enough for me. I am 3 months in, and I am out of space!

Hi. Just to be sure I didn't miss something: OP says s/he has a Mac Pro attached via wired ethernet to the Airport Extreme. Wouldn't that put the Mac Pro pretty high up (top?) on the best-place-to-put-lots-of-storage list? Very easy access to multiple drive bays and essentially unlimited storage capacity.

Paul, a drive connected to the USB of an Airport Extreme would work like a poor man's NAS; you could even plug a Drobo, or other multi-drive enclosure, into the Extreme, and then backup to it, either with Time Machine or SuperDuper. If you do go the USB AirDisk route, I suggest you get a drive/enclosure that will spin down when not in use.

One caution, though, of this route: it can be pretty slow writing to an AirDisk volume, even when you're wired up to the basestation. Wireless would be painful--so do your first Time machine over ethernet.

A better question might be do you do you really need "network attached storage?" Will other users access that drive, or is it really just to backup your mini and media? If it's just for TM backup, I probably wouldn't use AirDisk at all: it's faster and more reliable to daisychain a second drive, let TM and SuperDuper do their thing, then disconnect it and put it away. (Yes, I'd recommend doing both TM and a SuperDuper bootable clone--they're complementary. Having a SuperDuper clone on that 1TB external means you can boot from it if your mini internal drive fails.)

Thanks, chefklc, you hit the nail on the head for me. I think a second drive is the simplest solution for me right now. I may still try it as an Airdisk. Time is not so much of any issue for backups, which can be scheduled anytime. The attraction of an Airdisk is that I can set it and forget it, whereas with a plugin and remove hard disk I need to remember to do backup. Of course, to be safer, I should store the backup disk offsite...

Thanks to everyone else for a very informative thread.

Paul