I currently have a 1 TB Time Capsule (2nd Gen) running as a NAS in my home network. We keep all of our documents, photos, movies, music, etc. on it. Each home computer has their iTunes library linked to it. I back up the TC manually, about once a month, to an external USB MyBook and store it off-site. The TC is also a wifi access point connected to a Verizon FIOS router, from which I can remote access the TC via AFP, but that's a whole other story. Very happy with this setup but starting to run out of disk space.
I am thinking of getting a headless Mac Mini with an external 2TB HDD to replace my TC and run that as a NAS. I'd still keep my TC for wifi access point but not use its internal disk anymore, essentially turn it into an AEBS.
The benefits I see from switching to a Mac Mini with an external HDD as a NAS are:
1. Dedicated iTunes media server. We don't have to turn any of our computers on to run iTunes in order to stream to Apple TV 2, since the Mac Mini would be always on.
2. Faster back-ups with DAS to DAS (with Thunderbolt or USB3 on the 2012 Mac Mini hopefully).
3. External HDD allows me to increase capacity in the future.
3. Remote access via FTP along with AFP.
Possibly others...
Your thoughts and suggestions are appreciated.
I am thinking of getting a headless Mac Mini with an external 2TB HDD to replace my TC and run that as a NAS. I'd still keep my TC for wifi access point but not use its internal disk anymore, essentially turn it into an AEBS.
The benefits I see from switching to a Mac Mini with an external HDD as a NAS are:
1. Dedicated iTunes media server. We don't have to turn any of our computers on to run iTunes in order to stream to Apple TV 2, since the Mac Mini would be always on.
2. Faster back-ups with DAS to DAS (with Thunderbolt or USB3 on the 2012 Mac Mini hopefully).
3. External HDD allows me to increase capacity in the future.
3. Remote access via FTP along with AFP.
Possibly others...
Your thoughts and suggestions are appreciated.