Offsite computer backup

Simplest way would be to use a paid for Google drive account.. last time I check d for 10USD a month you get 2TB but they have flexible pricing and storage plans.

You can set windows to backup your work partitions to Google weekly.. and should be able to set it to only back up new files and changes rather than the full amount each time

Just a crapshoot...have you looked into ftp? I think it should/could work if you set up your server (at your daughter's place) as an ftp drive. That way your computer could mount it automatically and backing up to it could work as if it was a local drive. But I have never actually set up such a configuration, so you would have to either test it yourself, or make an account on a computer forum and get advice there.

Jlgarbutt wrote:

Simplest way would be to use a paid for Google drive account.. last time I check d for 10USD a month you get 2TB but they have flexible pricing and storage plans.

About $99 if paid annually in full, plus a 10% discount on Google Store purchases

If your primary purpose is backup, meaning you are not looking to frequently access data that is in the cloud, but you want to make sure it is backed up, then I would recommend Backblaze. You pay per computer and you are not limited on space.

This is a service that works well and has nice security. End to end encryption and encrypts your data at rest. I have been using it from VN for over a year now with no issues. I can also confirm successful restores(as this is one of the true tests of any backup service).

The cost of the Backblaze service is as follows:

$6 per monthly license per computer.
$60 per yearly license per computer.
$110 per 2-year license per computer.

You get 30 days of file versioning and can pay a few dollars for longer.

It also allows you to backup external drives at no extra cost.

I have used several other cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, and Amazon S3. Based on your stated criteria, I would recommend Backblaze.

With 2.5TB of data, your initial backup will take some time, but as long as you are not on a metered connection this should not be a problem. Happy uploading!

The only thing about setting up a NAS at your daughter's home is that the IP address of her home is Dynamic which means it changes periodically or when she reboots the modem for any reason. You might be able to make it work if you get an app like Goodsync and test it out. It's $30 per year subscription with a free trial.

ejmom25 wrote:

If your primary purpose is backup, meaning you are not looking to frequently access data that is in the cloud, but you want to make sure it is backed up, then I would recommend Backblaze. You pay per computer and you are not limited on space.

This is a service that works well and has nice security. End to end encryption and encrypts your data at rest. I have been using it from VN for over a year now with no issues. I can also confirm successful restores(as this is one of the true tests of any backup service).

The cost of the Backblaze service is as follows:

$6 per monthly license per computer.
$60 per yearly license per computer.
$110 per 2-year license per computer.

You get 30 days of file versioning and can pay a few dollars for longer.

It also allows you to backup external drives at no extra cost.

I have used several other cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, and Amazon S3. Based on your stated criteria, I would recommend Backblaze.

With 2.5TB of data, your initial backup will take some time, but as long as you are not on a metered connection this should not be a problem. Happy uploading!

I checked their website, it looks very very interesting. They will even mail you a drive or USB stick if you can't restore via the Internet!

qnbui wrote:

The only thing about setting up a NAS at your daughter's home is that the IP address of her home is Dynamic which means it changes periodically or when she reboots the modem for any reason. You might be able to make it work if you get an app like Goodsync and test it out. It's $30 per year subscription with a free trial.

You can setup a Dynamic DNS service to map the IP address when it changes.  There are free services, such as www.noip.com, which I used to connect between two locations for a while.

Also check out the free SyncThing program [syncthing.net] to keep files updated/synchronized.

woule be cautious about having the usb stick mailed, it woukd most likely get held at cystoms to check the contents. Vietnam does lije to stop printed and digital documents in case tget contain propaganda materials

Jlgarbutt wrote:

woule be cautious about having the usb stick mailed, it woukd most likely get held at cystoms to check the contents. Vietnam does lije to stop printed and digital documents in case tget contain propaganda materials

Of course, it's certainly not the preferred method to restore your data, and if you managed to back it up via Internet, you'll probably be able to restore it that way. However, having the possibility of getting a drive mailed gives you additional peace of mind, IMO...

Sure a local phyducal back up is hood to have.....if it arrives
Small postal items here never arrive

Since the original post mentioned the feasibility of a NAS is the US, and since a few people have mentioned some hurdles to that, let me add a bit more info here...

Depending on what NAS you have, or are planning to have, there are some hurdles to be addressed. If you setup something on your own such as FreeNAS, as already mentioned you will need to use a dynamic DNS service, unless your daughter is paying her ISP for a static IP address(unlikely and usually not cheap).

However, if you are using one of the major NAS brands, this dynamic DNS service might be built-in. I have setup and use Synology NAS devices and I know that they include this.

Also, as has been mentioned, you will some kind of software that manages the backups. This includes such things as scheduling, versioning, encryption, and deduplication. Like the dynamic DNS and the NAS software itself, there are free solutions out there. Again, if using a major NAS brand, they probably include this. Synology's software for this works well.

The other thing to be aware of is the bandwidth usage that will happen on both ends. This will require download bandwidth on your daughter's end and upload bandwidth on your end. Probably not a big deal, unless either end is on a limited(metered) connection. Just something you should be aware of. And you should know that good backup software that can do incremental backups and client-side deduplication can have a big impact on bandwidth usage.

The other thing to remember is that your NAS at your daughter's house will have to be up and running when you want to use it which probably means being always on. While this is probably not a huge expense. It is a real part of the cost.

Now, having said all of that, I have a Synology in the US setup that can do all of this, and I still choose to use Backblaze. For me, and I would argue for most people wanting to backup a single computer, all of the management required to setup your own off site solution is just not worth it to try to save $60 a year. Not to mention the costs incurred to actually get all of that setup and running.

I do not work for or own stock in Backblaze. I just have thought through and setup all of this in the past, and find Backblaze to be a simple, high value solution that works.

ejmom25 wrote:

Since the original post mentioned the feasibility of a NAS is the US, and since a few people have mentioned some hurdles to that, let me add a bit more info here...

Depending on what NAS you have, or are planning to have, there are some hurdles to be addressed. If you setup something on your own such as FreeNAS, as already mentioned you will need to use a dynamic DNS service, unless your daughter is paying her ISP for a static IP address(unlikely and usually not cheap).

However, if you are using one of the major NAS brands, this dynamic DNS service might be built-in. I have setup and use Synology NAS devices and I know that they include this.

Also, as has been mentioned, you will some kind of software that manages the backups. This includes such things as scheduling, versioning, encryption, and deduplication. Like the dynamic DNS and the NAS software itself, there are free solutions out there. Again, if using a major NAS brand, they probably include this. Synology's software for this works well.

The other thing to be aware of is the bandwidth usage that will happen on both ends. This will require download bandwidth on your daughter's end and upload bandwidth on your end. Probably not a big deal, unless either end is on a limited(metered) connection. Just something you should be aware of. And you should know that good backup software that can do incremental backups and client-side deduplication can have a big impact on bandwidth usage.

The other thing to remember is that your NAS at your daughter's house will have to be up and running when you want to use it which probably means being always on. While this is probably not a huge expense. It is a real part of the cost.

Now, having said all of that, I have a Synology in the US setup that can do all of this, and I still choose to use Backblaze. For me, and I would argue for most people wanting to backup a single computer, all of the management required to setup your own off site solution is just not worth it to try to save $60 a year. Not to mention the costs incurred to actually get all of that setup and running.

I do not work for or own stock in Backblaze. I just have thought through and setup all of this in the past, and find Backblaze to be a simple, high value solution that works.

I agree, Backblaze seems like a better solution. You might save a few dollars if you set up your own NAS (which isn't free either), but with a service like Backblaze you don't have to worry about a piece of hardware somewhere thousands of miles away.

Hello, my 2 cents as well:
Option 1: Buy an external hard drive, do your back up on it, and store it at someone else place.
Pro: Simple, cheap, easy
Cons: Cannot access remotely, may need to encrypt the drive to avoid data leakage

Option 2: Use online back up services
Pro: Reasonable price, can access remotely, professional/resilient
Cons: will take a lot of time to upload your 2.5T of back up. if you have 100M Upload, you will still need several days to upload (3 days probably, assuming you can maintain 100m up). (You can ship your harddrive, but then you may have others issues)

Option 3: NAS server or similar at your family's place
Pro: Can access remotely, can do more services (Share pictures with family, online storage, etc...)
Cons: Same with the bandwidth + more difficult to implement (But can be fun to do).


On my side I do option 3, as i have 2 servers, one at home and one dedicated in Europe. I got some script that take care of doing a back up every week (Copying only the new files, etc..).
Option 1 is the most simple tho but quite "Old fashion"

External drive would work... though drive failure would be a worry...

Jlgarbutt wrote:

External drive would work... though drive failure would be a worry...

Having two external drives used in rotation would protect from drive failure.  The problem with external drive backup is that most people keep the drive in the same home or office as the computer.  To protect from fire, you need to store the drive in another location and have a firm routine that involves bringing it back for subsequent backups.  Human nature being what it is that could be difficult.  An alternative may be a "data-proof" fire safe but they are pricey and I don't know if they really work as claimed.

Years ago before I switched her over to dropbox and then sync, I setup my sisters company with a readynas nv and 4 drives in a raid. She didn't want to pay for another readynas for redundancy despite my advice so I took it upon myself to buy the same setup. Wasn't cheap at £750 10 years ago. 5 years later, I'm travelling in China and get a call that the units failed and she needs to retrieve her data. So during that time, the company got bought out by netgear and this was confirmed by their various technical staff, the new versions of the readynas would instantly format the drives from the old one because of the prioritary raid setup. So 5 years later, I finally got to say I told you so. Plugged her drives into my unit and she was back up and running. Based on that near miss, I switched her over to dropbox and then later sync.

Anyway, having owned a readynas for 5 years knowing it would one day save my sisters company, they can do what your after. I used it as a media streamer and ftp server. Mounted the unit (sitting in my apartment) and used it like a local drive on my mac. So look for a NAS that can do that.

Still better to stick with sync though.

For maximum security, I think there's no question that a reputable online backup service is a lot better than a setup at home. With a NAS at home, you aren't usually protected against fire, theft etc., that's where an online service really ‘shines'.

Kurterino wrote:

For maximum security, I think there's no question that a reputable online backup service is a lot better than a setup at home. With a NAS at home, you aren't usually protected against fire, theft etc., that's where an online service really ‘shines'.

Completely agree.... NAS using mechanical drives will fail eventaually.. online server will have 24/7 maintenance

Yes but most business nas units now have this built in so you can run your own dropbox style back up yourself, remotey.


Back when I used them a lot, they had quite a hefty price tag once you added all the drives.

BahrWeiss wrote:

Dropbox, etc. is not feasible, because I have 2.5 TB of data.

I don't think anyone has asked you, what portion of your data is basically archive and how much is truly working files?

Would it be workable for you to use one "fixed" solution for archives and a cloud option for day-to-day working file updates?

Greeting,

Rachel Gomez

- @rachelgomez